is this a good buy for a first band saw

[Zack Teal]

i have been looking at the rikion 10inch band saw model 10-305. online its listed for 279.99 on woodcraft but i would probably just go to the store thats about 20 minuts south of my house. the model 10-300 is also on there web site s the a diference between them. the only on i can see is the price and that the 305 has a fence which i want because i don't have a table saw to rip stuff on. is it worth the extra little for the fence or can i get my own for less. thanks for looking zack.

[Zack Teal]

oh i forgot to mention that i have a very small shop so i cant go for any thing bigger. and if any one has any other suggestions on a brand or model im open to sugestions aslong as the price is low

[Bruce Page]

Zack, the 10-305 has a cast iron table. The 10-300 has a CHEESY aluminum table. I have the 300 and replaced the table as soon as I got it home.
Pay the extra $ and get the 305.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

I have the older model, no fence. It comes with roller guides. Can't ask for much more in a small saw. Once set up, I can cut almost the full height through cedar and mahogany. It cuts straight (after setting it up). Unlike some of the other bench tops, I think this is a really good band saw. (I also have PM 14" with riser) The Rikon is used for my light work. I wouldn't put too much value in a fence. You can easily make you own, and clamp it to the table. You'll have to adjust for drift anyways. I'm only saying that since mine doesn't have one.:)

Just read Bruce's post. Must have posted when I was typing. Yes, the aluminum table is cheesy. I didn't know that it has a cast table avaliable. If it's your only saw, I'd pay the bucks for the cast table. That would make the saw even better.

[Van Huskey]

Have you fully considered the footprint of the 14" cast iron Delta "clone" saws. The difference between the utility of a 10" and 14" is a couple of magnitudes, as long as you have the 3 sq ft or so of space you can put it on a mobile base and store it anywhere.

[Jim Terrill]

It's only $199+s&h from Highland:
http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/rikon10bandsaw.aspx

[Brendan Plavis]

I am with Huskey... If you can swing a few feet, I would go with a Delta or Delta Clone. Mine really I find only takes up maybe 3ft² I think closer to 2ft². The issue with a small saw like that, is that you cannot resaw much(the motors are usually too small, and it cannot support a blade wider enough to be accurate(.5+) and you obviously have a limited cross cut capability.

But if you cant, I would most certainly go with that.... particularly compared to the other 9s and 10s (I looked at a Skil 9", and the table was either aluminum or plastic.... I nearly bought it, and am glad I didnt.....) While most say get the Cast.... I would go with Aluminum.... it doesnt rust... :D

[Paul Ryan]

Zack,

I rarely promote crapsman tools but in this case, I suggest you look at the crapsman 10". It is made by Rinkon the same saw as you are looking at. I had one a couple of years ago and it was a really nice small band saw. It comes with the cast table, and fence, and will resaw it's fully 4 5/8 capacity. I have seen them on sale recently for under $150, I bought mine for $99. It is a steal considering the same saw painted green they get over $250 for.

[Jim Terrill]

Zack,

I rarely promote crapsman tools but in this case, I suggest you look at the crapsman 10". It is made by Rinkon the same saw as you are looking at. I had one a couple of years ago and it was a really nice small band saw. It comes with the cast table, and fence, and will resaw it's fully 4 5/8 capacity. I have seen them on sale recently for under $150, I bought mine for $99. It is a steal considering the same saw painted green they get over $250 for.

That doesn't look like the same tool as my Rikon. The case closures are different, it maxes out with a 3/8" blade (Rikon accepts a 1/2" max), doesn't appear to have ball bearing guides and uses 62" blades compared with the Rikon 10-305 which uses 70 1/2" blades. They may look similar but they appear to be two very different saws under closer inspection. FWIW, the reviews on the craftsman are horrible.

[Richard Link]

I have the 10-305 with the cast iron table and it is a nice little saw. Well made for its price. I would echo the other poster, though, and say that the fence is a bit light weight if you are planning on doing major ripping. I have a magnetic fence (Carter) which holds on amazingly tight. I just set the rip fence, compensating for the magnetic fence's width and clamp the magnet on. Holds like rock. Of course, you could always add your own shop-made fence.

[John Coloccia]

Zack: what are you hoping to do with the bandsaw?

There are lots of great, inexpensive, tools out there these days, but they have to be a good match for what you're hoping to accomplish or it will just be a waste of money and will lead to frustration and disappointment.

[Zack Teal]

thanx for the sugestions, yes i just measered out an area and i really dont have the room for the 14 but thank u for the sugestion. i also dont have the need for a big saw. i em going to shop around next weekend and il make a choice then. thanks
zack

[Kevin Groenke]

That doesn't look like the same tool as my Rikon. The case closures are different, it maxes out with a 3/8" blade (Rikon accepts a 1/2" max), doesn't appear to have ball bearing guides and uses 62" blades compared with the Rikon 10-305 which uses 70 1/2" blades. They may look similar but they appear to be two very different saws under closer inspection. FWIW, the reviews on the craftsman are horrible.

We have 4 of the Craftsman (mod# 21400) versions of the Rikon 10". They've been used extensively for architectural modeling for a couple of years with relatively little complaint. They are underpowered and struggle with any wood thicker than 3/4". Blades are kinda hard to find, we ordered custom welded blades, but haven't as yet found the correct blade stock to get the most out of the saw. The rip fence is convenient,but not very robust, we've had to rebuild them somewhat and they're still cheesy (but better than none). The "euro-style" guide bearings are nice to have in such a little saw, though they seem like overkill. We've replaced many of the bearings, but our students cut a lot of foam, plaster, plastics and other stuff that's not particularly bandsaw friendly. Overall I'd say fine for he money as long as you don't expect it to be able to cut through 8/4 maple. There are many reviews of the 21400 on the web, the Rikon 150503 pics and specs look IDENTICAL to me.

http://www.woodcraft.com/Images/products/150503.jpghttp://s.sears.com/is/image/Sears/00921400000-1?hei=600&wid=600&op_sharpen=1&qlt=90,0&resMode=sh arp&op_usm=0.9,0.5,0,0

[Jim Terrill]

Sorry, my search was coming up with the 21419. The 21400 looks like the same model and isn't a bad deal at 169 with craftsman club. Sorry for the mixup, I didn't realize that they made both a 9" and 10" craftsman BS.

[Jamie Cowan]

I have the 12" Rikon, and love it more than any man should love a machine. I use it all the time, and when I'm at work, I think about the bandsaw.

[Van Huskey]

Blades are kinda hard to find, we ordered custom welded blades, but haven't as yet found the correct blade stock to get the most out of the saw.


Have you tried the Kerfmaster from Spectrum, the Bladerunner from Iturra or the Wood Slicer from Highland the latter are the same stock, the former is very similar. Not sure about the non-wood materials but those blades would be just the ticket for a small "underpowered" saw.

[John McClanahan]

Zack, most aftermarket fences are designed for saws in the 14" range. I would get one with the fence.

I have the 12" version of the Craftsman. I think it has more to offer than most people give it credit for. I compared the 10" to the 12" before buying the 12" I'm glad I got the bigger size.

John

[Bob Faris]

Zack, if you haven't pulled the trigger yet on a 10" bandsaw, the Craftsman 21400 bandsaw is currently on sale on the Sears website for $149.99. This saw gets pretty good reviews.

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00921400000P?keyword=craftsman+21400&sLevel=0&prop17=craftsman%2021400