Opinion of Delta 28-682 18" bandsaw

[Geoff Crimmins]

I've been keeping any eye out for a bandsaw that would be an upgrade from my 14" saw in terms of resaw height and horsepower. Mainly, I would like something that will work for cutting turning blanks and occasionally resawing a board that's too wide for a 14" saw. I'd also like to do more ripping and joinery on the bandsaw, and have a saw that will run a carbide blade if I want to. I came across a Delta 28-682 18" bandsaw for $850 and am trying to decide if it's worth looking at. I don't know much about his model, but I'm generally somewhat wary of Delta's Chiwanese tools. Some people don't seem to like the guides on this model, and I expect that parts are nearly unobtainium. Given that, the price seems a bit high, but it might be negotiable. It's also getting awefully close to the price of a new Grizzly 17" bandsaw. So...any thoughts on whether this saw is worth looking at, or whether I should wait and see what else comes along?

--Geoff

[Van Huskey]

The 28-682 is basically a lower middle quality Asian middle sized saw. There isn't a lot to write home about other than it is a basic saw. The main weakness (even at this level) is the guides which are a pain to set compared to most guides. The parts situation is probably abysmal and unlikely to get better. The price is high but you may have a hard time convincing the owner how high it is if he/she knows nothing more about the saw than what they paid for it. $850 is about what one should expect to pay for a 28-350 (older US built 20" Delta) in good shape and the Grizzly 513ANV is about $150 shipped has very similar build quality and being new has a warranty and parts availability. The 513ANV certainly doesn;t have the best guides but they are easier to deal with than the Delta in question.

The 28-682 (or the 513) will handle a carbide tipped blade but I would probably stick with a 1/2" blade if it is a Lenox Tri-Master or 3/4" if it is a Laguna Resaw King (the Laguna is a thinner blade). To take full advantage of a carbide, or any, blade you want to be able to tension it correctly and carbide blades like 25k to 30k psi. Whatever you pay I would keep in mind you can get a very similar saw new for under $1000 from Grizzly which looks like a bargain to me with the Delta at $850. Note that both of these saws have a fairly small table for a 16/17" saw which will require auxillary support for anything longer than about 3 feet. Obviously, check it out carefully and under power, since it requires 240v if someone says they can't show it under power the price goes way down. Also make sure you get the fence, they have a habit of getting seperated from bandsaws.

[Geoff Crimmins]

Van, I really appreciate your detailed reply. You confirmed several of my suspicions about the quality and price of this bandsaw. It's good to know that a saw of this size and quality can tension a 1/2" carbide blade. I'll probably go look at the Delta since it's just a few miles from me, and you never know what an in-person look might reveal in terms of upgrades and accessories. With used bandsaws being pretty rare in my area, a new Grizzly 513x2 is looking more tempting all the time. I'm not a big fan of bearing guides or the type of trunnion Grizzly uses, but they have good customer support and a full selection of repair parts. And I've seen on this forum how Shiraz takes care of his customers.

--Geoff

[Geoff Crimmins]

I went a took a look at the saw today. It runs extremely smoothly, to the point that I had to double-check that it was actually running after I started it. I like the trunnions, which are similar to those on a Delta 14" saw. The guide post was not very solid; I could grab the bottom of it and move it forward and backward close to an inch. The upper guides looked like they were OK, but the lower ones looked like they were poorly designed and hard to adjust. The price seemed pretty firm, in part because it's part of an estate. There was also a Rikon 10-325 for sale, but I'm not sure what the price was.