Thread: JET Vs Carba-tec 18 In

Wow! I bet there are plenty out there who wish they had those options. I can't advise you on the saws having never used either one of them but I imagine you will get plenty of comments on both of them. I have a JET 14" and it works great. I know the JET products are highly favoured among forumites but it will be interesting to hear the advice and comments of others. If i was put on the spot and had to make a choice, personally I would choose the JET 18" Whichever you choose, good luck with it.

Thanks Munruben for your best wishes...I might need them
I would have thought there would have been a few replies as well, but apparently not. The subject might have been done to death but i cant find anything on the forum about it.
I was kinda looking foreward to some advise on this one, as i need all the help i can get.
Skippy

I have the older model Jet 18", with only 250mm depth of cut.

It's the only bandsaw I've ever owned so I dont have much to compare it to.
All I can say is I am happy with mine.
If I had to buy a new one today, I would buy a new Jet. Unless I had the extra money to buy the 18" Hammer

Originally Posted by skippy

I would have thought there would have been a few replies as well, but apparently not. The subject might have been done to death but i cant find anything on the forum about it.
I was kinda looking foreward to some advise on this one, as i need all the help i can get.

Skippy

Skippy, can't give you a comparison, like most people I only have one bandsaw

I have the Carbatec 4300 and am extremely happy with it, big solid machine, very smooth, quiet and very easy to use.

I have done a thread on it which may be of interest.

Thanks guys for your in put here i appreciate it.
It seems that every one likes there own machine therefore i assume i cant go too wrong with either one.

At this stage i will be going with the carba-tec 4300CE. Thans for your advise
Sippy

Skippy, for my 2c's worth, I'm at a similar stage to you and I think going bigger rather than a 14 inch is the way to go too. I reckon if you bought either of those machines you'd be happy. Shame they're so expensive here in Aus.
Bin

The finish on the Jet machinery is better overall to the rest of the Taiwanese or Chinese stuff being sold here by Carba-Tec, Hare and Forbes, and etc.

I sold my Hammer N4400 to buy the larger capacity Carba-tec, so I can give you my perspective on the Carba-tec versus the Hammer. I bought a 21" Carba-tec which is excellent, and CHEAP. Only really nagging features are :

1) it does not have a brake, and with the big cast iron wheels, takes an eternity to stop. The Hammer didn't have a brake either, but the lighter wheels meant the blade stopped faster.

2) you need to use an allen-key to adjust the blade guides unlike the Euro guides on the hammer, and

3. the blade removal slot is on the right, not straight inline with the blade. Can be a real PITA with 1" plus blades.

On the plus side, the Carba-tec has a quick-release tension handle that makes it a breeze to back off the tension and return to the same setting in one motion.

I've owned a several large industrial Italian machines in the past, like Minimax and Meber and the Carba-tec is as good.

Guys, what are Sagittario like?

Hey Bin, you been checking out Greg Mac as well eh. I cant find squat on the web about Sagittario either. Italian is all i can suss out and thats about it.
I started out thinking the 14 would be fine but the more i researched the more it seems 17 and up it the way ahead for me. Your right re the price in Aussie. Bloody dear compared to the states, i just dont look at those sites in the US anymore, i just get depressed.
Clamps
Thanks for your reply, I haven't found much on the Carba-tec stuff from recent times on the forum so it is good to hear from you, particularly given that you have some good machines to campare it to. If the niggles you have with the machine are the only issues you have with it I think i will be fine going the carba-tec route.
I dont understand the Jet thing. Everyone say JET have better quality and finish to thier stuff, which may go to why they are sooo much dearer than carba-tec, but they only offer a 2 year warranty. . . Whats with that?.
Skippy

Originally Posted by skippy

Bloody dear compared to the states, i just dont look at those sites in the US anymore, i just get depressed.

Maybe that's why even the grannies and "soccer moms" have industrial sized workshops.

Originally Posted by skippy

Hey Bin, you been checking out Greg Mac as well eh.

Yeh, it's been on since at least July I think. Preloved strikes me as the only financially viable way of buying one of these big boys...
Funny though how $ depends on the context. We think twice about spending $$$ on machinery yet how many of us bat an eyelid when we spend thousands on bike/fishing/camping gear, etc?