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Help and Advice needed!
I have a quite well-equipped workshop (Cabinet saw, router table, gifkins jigs, Waldron Drill Press, jointer,Tradesman dust extractor, De Walt SCMS, Makita dropsaw, Matabo ROS, etc etc), but I do not have, and I need, a band saw which I would use only for resawning old timber.
And here I am clueless!
It has been suggested to me by a friend who has one that a De Walt DW876 would serve my purpose, but reports by other owners seem mixed. Some folks think the machine is exactly what they need, while others have had problems. Main problem seems to be the need to replace and adjust carefully the top guides, while other remark that the bottom guides are difficult to adjust.
Now I am well aware that ANY machine will work best if it is initially well-set-up, and I have always been prepared to spend the time to do that. I have also had good experiences with the De walt brand, having three appliances that have all proved to be excellent.
So, any opinions about the De Walt DW876 bandsaw? I would be buying in Melbourne or Geelong: any suggested suppliers? What would be a reasonable price for such a machine? Given that I will use the saw ONLY for resawing, what size and type of blade would be most suitable?
Answers to these questions, or any others you may think of, would be much appreciated!
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If you are doing a lot of resawing of fairly thick material, I would think two advantages in a machine would be plenty of grunt (say 1.5-2hp for ordinary shed work) and a capacity to take a wide blade say 3/4 inch upward. It could be useful to talk to blade makers to ask their advice on what blades are best for resawing, and then to make sure you get a machine that will take these. I have a 14 inch Leda with 1 hp motor and do okay resawing for small boxes with a 1/2 inch blade. But I wish I had gone for something with a bit more power.