Glen Blanchard
04-24-2005, 9:04 PM
Well, after much consternation, deliberation and consultation with the veterans of SMC (thanks guys), I decided to purchase the 16" Jet band saw. I was considering an 18" model and looked at a few. I liked the Rikon, but was concerned about the rather odd length of the blade and the ease of locating them (or lack thereof). I considered both Jet 18" and decided against the old one as it has gotten unfavorable reviews. Did not really want to pay $1.3 K for the newer one either. Looked briefly at some other offerings as well and deciced that I'd like to stick with 110V as hiring an electician to bring in another 220V service would add at least $300 to the purchase.
I went to the local Rockler store yesterday to have a gander at the 16" Jet (they have one on display) and rather liked what I saw. Although not as stout as its larger bretheren, this saw should do everything I ask of it. It has a 1.5 HP motor and slightly over 10" resaw capacity. I seldom have boards wider than this, so I think it should be sufficient. Interestingly, the (older) Jet 18" has the same size motor and the same resaw capacity.
Well, Rockler sells this saw for $799 and currently has it on sale for $779. Additionally, Rockler is currently adding the fence and miter gauge (approx. $150 in merchandise) at no charge. To top it all off, Jet has a $100 rebate until the end of the month on selected machines and the display model on the floor had this rebate advertisement attached to it. I went back to Rockler this morning and looked the saw over again. I had the salesperson explain the rather complicated rebate rules, and then we loaded it up in my wife's SUV.
Not long after I left the store the salesperson called me and told me that they had made an error. It seems that this particular band saw is not eligible for the Jet rebate, and they felt bad about the misinformation. So they credited my Visa card for $100 (the amount of the rebate). Well I was impressed. They could have just called me, told me they made a mistake and "tough luck" or worse, just not called at all and let me discover (who knows when) that I would not be getting a rebate.
So, to make this long story even longer..........I got the Jet 16" band saw, miter gauge and fence for $679.99 plus tax. Considering the cost of bringing in 220v service, this was less than half what I would have paid for one of the 18 inchers, so I feel very good about it. In my very limited use of this saw, I get the feeling that this is a true upgrade in every way to my 14" Jet, and not just a slightly larger saw.
Now here is the neat part. My wife went with me to Rockler yesterday and I explained everything involved in the decision process (resaw capacity, horsepower, rip capacity, weight, etc) to her on the way there. We got into a discussion about how time-consuming blade changes are. So she suggested we make some small changes to my shop tool configuration to allow me to keep my 14" band saw and have it dedicated to scroll work. I didn't think that we could make the room necessary in my small shop, but she did it.
So now I have a band saw dedicated to scroll work and another to re-sawing. I love my new band saw as well as my new cabinet saw purchased 2 weeks ago, but I love my wife even more. She's the greatest!!
I went to the local Rockler store yesterday to have a gander at the 16" Jet (they have one on display) and rather liked what I saw. Although not as stout as its larger bretheren, this saw should do everything I ask of it. It has a 1.5 HP motor and slightly over 10" resaw capacity. I seldom have boards wider than this, so I think it should be sufficient. Interestingly, the (older) Jet 18" has the same size motor and the same resaw capacity.
Well, Rockler sells this saw for $799 and currently has it on sale for $779. Additionally, Rockler is currently adding the fence and miter gauge (approx. $150 in merchandise) at no charge. To top it all off, Jet has a $100 rebate until the end of the month on selected machines and the display model on the floor had this rebate advertisement attached to it. I went back to Rockler this morning and looked the saw over again. I had the salesperson explain the rather complicated rebate rules, and then we loaded it up in my wife's SUV.
Not long after I left the store the salesperson called me and told me that they had made an error. It seems that this particular band saw is not eligible for the Jet rebate, and they felt bad about the misinformation. So they credited my Visa card for $100 (the amount of the rebate). Well I was impressed. They could have just called me, told me they made a mistake and "tough luck" or worse, just not called at all and let me discover (who knows when) that I would not be getting a rebate.
So, to make this long story even longer..........I got the Jet 16" band saw, miter gauge and fence for $679.99 plus tax. Considering the cost of bringing in 220v service, this was less than half what I would have paid for one of the 18 inchers, so I feel very good about it. In my very limited use of this saw, I get the feeling that this is a true upgrade in every way to my 14" Jet, and not just a slightly larger saw.
Now here is the neat part. My wife went with me to Rockler yesterday and I explained everything involved in the decision process (resaw capacity, horsepower, rip capacity, weight, etc) to her on the way there. We got into a discussion about how time-consuming blade changes are. So she suggested we make some small changes to my shop tool configuration to allow me to keep my 14" band saw and have it dedicated to scroll work. I didn't think that we could make the room necessary in my small shop, but she did it.
So now I have a band saw dedicated to scroll work and another to re-sawing. I love my new band saw as well as my new cabinet saw purchased 2 weeks ago, but I love my wife even more. She's the greatest!!