Need Small Bandsaw

[Dan Clark]

Hi. I need a bandsaw. I'd love to get a nice large one (14"+), but there is no place to store it in my garage/shop (with cars). And my needs for now are modest. A good quality 10" or 12" bandsaw would work. Bandsaws that are 14" and above are too big and heavy.

Must haves:


Good dust collection
Good quality
Decent power (3/4 hp)
Decent resaw capacity for the size of the bandsaw
Solid base

The Steel City 10" (http://www.amazon.com/Steel-City-Tool-Works-Bandsaw/dp/B00GGP5VLQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1414622038&sr=8-1&keywords=steel+city+bandsaw+10%22) looks like a decent option, but there isn't much info about it. Their 12" model looks even more interesting, but there is virtually no info about that one.

Suggestions or recommendations?

Thanks,

Dan.

[john lawson]

If you are considering a 10" on a stand you ought to compare the footprint of a 14, they are very close to the same. If you consider a 14" buy one used locally, it will cost you 50% of the cost of new, and you should be able to try it out before buying. Where do you live?

[Jim Matthews]

If space is at a premium, consider a track mounted circular saw and good jig saw.

Those can do most of the tasks a smaller bandsaw can manage.
You won't be resawing with anything less than a 14" with 2hp.

I use the Eurekazone EZSmart track with my circular saw.
Lots of happy customers use the Dewalt.

Jig saw blades have improved dramatically,
particularly the variable tooth blades
from Bosch.

I agree with John Lawson - if you can't get at least
a Delta 14 (or clone) you might be buying a boat anchor.

[Earl McLain]

I'd agree with John on the footprint of a 12" on a stand. And--10" to 12" saws are pretty regular on CL in our area, which speaks to the turnover in the tools. Decent 14's come up pretty regular too, but rarely at a reasonable price and good condition at the same time. Depending on what type of cutting you're doing, you may need to have infeed/outfeed space, so bench top may not be a great answer--that would have been the case for me. I'd agree that Steel City is hard to get info on. If you live in the Chicago area, they regularly run a craigslist ad for demo/floor model tools at decent enough prices to be worth considering. And, in northwest Indiana, if all goes well in the next few weeks--there will most likely be a 14" Ridgid with a riser block for sale soon.
Good luck.
earl

earl

[Kyle Iwamoto]

I have and am very happy with my little Rikon 10". It comes with bearings, so no upgrade there. I can and do cut 2 inches, but it's tough. (I cut out ukulele necks.) I also have a Powermatic 14" and the footprint of the Rikon is no where near that. The PM takes up much more room. Don't expect much from the Rikon. It's 1/3 horse. No where close to the 3/4 you want. I use it for all the small stuff, small blade, tight turns. Light material. It's tiny. It cuts straight.
What do you want to cut with it? If you're going to cut 4/4 stuff, not a good choice. Less, it's fine.

[Fred Heenie]

The Rikon or the Rikon built Craftsman 10" or 12" is a very good solution. The Sears version is better with the OEM bearings immediately replaced with new wheels.

[Dan Clark]

Folks,

First, thanks for the feedback. It helped me make my decision... For now, I'm not going to buy a bandsaw.

Two key benefits of a bandsaw are resaw capability and cutting blanks for turning. It looks like nothing less than a powerful 14" bandsaw will work for that. One of the newer Rikon's will work for that, but the overall horizontal dimensions are 25" X 30" for the Rikon 10-325. That's too big for my available space.

Using a rail saw plus a jig saw make the most sense given my space constraints. Since I have a bunch of Festool tools, including their rail saw and jigsaw, I'll make do with that.

I may try mounting my jigsaw in a table as a pseudo bandsaw/scroll saw. Not perfect, but it will meet some needs.

Again, thanks for the feedback.

Regards,

Dan.