Tony Shaftel
10-17-2004, 2:44 PM
I'm saving up for a 14" bandsaw and finding it difficult to choose.
It will be used mostly for detail work. Smaller blades. No riser. Example: bandsaw boxes. I'm willing to wait and let the pot grow in order to pay for real quality and performance.
I don't trust manufacturers claims or, in today's global economy, a product's history however long and storied. Nor, lacking experience with them, am I able to evaluate the actual value of some touted features.
So, some questions:
1) Just how much advantage is gained by having the lower guide 3/4" below the table as opposed to 2 1/2" below the table? Is this advantage significant and insurmountable? If so, I suppose Delta is the only choice.
2) A restatement of question 1: Can the same level of detail work be done with the MiniMax S14 as can be done with the Delta 28-475X? (Despite my skepticism I tend to trust the quality and reliability of the Italian saws.)
3) I have read the forum discussion of the Delta 'X' series some time back, and the recent American Woodworker bandsaw review. Has anyone here used the 28-475X? Is it a high quality, well-executed product? What is the likelihood of getting one that is a work-in-progress (doors that don't fit, vibration that should have been caught in a QA test run, tensioning issues, etc.)
4) Now for the "storied" part. How far back in time do you have to go and which models do you look for to get a used Delta of the "they don't build 'em like they used to" era? I'm talking about the quality of the basic bandsaw and ignoring for the moment modern features such as tension-release levers, guide adjustment refinements, added horsepower, etc.
Was there really such an era, or was one set of issues just traded for another over time?
5) Can cool blocks be retrofitted to any of these saws, even the ones that come with bearing guides?
6) Where can you find these saws on display in the LA area? So far, I've only been able to find the Jet CS model, at Rockler in Pasadena.
7) Does it really matter, or will they all do what I want to do after a reasonable amount of tweaking and adjusting? (Ignore this question, which was asked by my laid-back, unobsessive evil twin.)
Many thanks in advance for your replies.
Tony
It will be used mostly for detail work. Smaller blades. No riser. Example: bandsaw boxes. I'm willing to wait and let the pot grow in order to pay for real quality and performance.
I don't trust manufacturers claims or, in today's global economy, a product's history however long and storied. Nor, lacking experience with them, am I able to evaluate the actual value of some touted features.
So, some questions:
1) Just how much advantage is gained by having the lower guide 3/4" below the table as opposed to 2 1/2" below the table? Is this advantage significant and insurmountable? If so, I suppose Delta is the only choice.
2) A restatement of question 1: Can the same level of detail work be done with the MiniMax S14 as can be done with the Delta 28-475X? (Despite my skepticism I tend to trust the quality and reliability of the Italian saws.)
3) I have read the forum discussion of the Delta 'X' series some time back, and the recent American Woodworker bandsaw review. Has anyone here used the 28-475X? Is it a high quality, well-executed product? What is the likelihood of getting one that is a work-in-progress (doors that don't fit, vibration that should have been caught in a QA test run, tensioning issues, etc.)
4) Now for the "storied" part. How far back in time do you have to go and which models do you look for to get a used Delta of the "they don't build 'em like they used to" era? I'm talking about the quality of the basic bandsaw and ignoring for the moment modern features such as tension-release levers, guide adjustment refinements, added horsepower, etc.
Was there really such an era, or was one set of issues just traded for another over time?
5) Can cool blocks be retrofitted to any of these saws, even the ones that come with bearing guides?
6) Where can you find these saws on display in the LA area? So far, I've only been able to find the Jet CS model, at Rockler in Pasadena.
7) Does it really matter, or will they all do what I want to do after a reasonable amount of tweaking and adjusting? (Ignore this question, which was asked by my laid-back, unobsessive evil twin.)
Many thanks in advance for your replies.
Tony