Are Chinese band saws any good?

[Tom Andersen]

I want to buy a band saw for my workshop. There's a lot of inexpensive Chinese bandsaws out there. Are they any good? What should I pay attention to when buying a band saw?

[Cecil Arnold]

Tom, that's a pretty open ended question. Most BS are Chinese (or Taiwan) made, and most of the others are from Europe. Maybe one, from Canada is made on this continent. If you could give us an idea of what brands, etc. you are looking at you would get a decent opinion. And welcome to the creek.

[tod evans]

tom, inexpensive and "good" are usually not bedfellows...02 tod

[lou sansone]

hi tom
I take it you are from country of Sweden. Why would you not want a european machine?

lou

[Tom Andersen]

hi tom
I take it you are from country of Sweden. Why would you not want a european machine?

lou

Because the Chinese saws are really inexpensive (like 6-700 dollars here, everything more expensive here due to the low dollar I guess).

It's not easy to tell you guys which type I am looking at. The saws are sold with Swedish brand names on them. Apparently they are imported and given some local brand name.

What would you say characterizes a good band saw? And how important is size? An alternative could be to buy a used, 30 years old pro saw. Heavy and big.

[tod evans]

old, heavy and big is good, great, fantastic! you`re on the right track..02 tod

[Lee Schierer]

When I was looking for a bandsaw, I watched the paper and saw several bandsaws for sale. Most were either too small (10-12") or chinese made. My concern was if anything ever broke or wore out on a chinese saw, how would I get it serviced.

I ended up buying a Delta for just a little more and have some assurance that Delta parts will be available if I should need one.

[Frank Pellow]

When I was looking for a bandsaw, I watched the paper and saw several bandsaws for sale. Most were either too small (10-12") or chinese made. My concern was if anything ever broke or wore out on a chinese saw, how would I get it serviced.

I ended up buying a Delta for just a little more and have some assurance that Delta parts will be available if I should need one.
Lee, most Delta tools are now made in China. Was your bandsaw an exception?

[Jeffrey Makiel]

Tom,
Years ago, I filled my shop with Chinese (Taiwanese) import machines that were basically clones of old American machines. The machines were either OK or lousy. Nothing was great, except for the price.

Boy, have things changed. The stuff coming from mainland China or Taiwan can be poor quality or great quality. It now depends on what the American distributor specifies. The Chinese will build it either way. They have great capability, and its getting better as America decays its industrial base and gives its manufacturing secrets away. For example, automotive parts, aeronautic parts, and computers, to name a few things, are built in China with high quality. Even 85% of our precision smart bombs have componenet parts fabricated there.

As a result of the Chinese evolution and take over, bandsaws like Grizzly, Jet and Rikon are packed with features. The quality of the machining and casting are exceptional for hobby use. Even American based manufacturers like Delta have outsourced manufacturing because both cost and quality are now favorable.

Only you can decide if you want up to pay twice more for a Mini-Max, Laguna, Agazzani or Bridgewood European bandsaw, then determine if it's twice the value as an Asian import. As for me, I wished I had the choices you have today!

Happy Shopping...Jeff

[Ken Shoemaker]

With all due respect to those posting before me...

I bought a Delta 14" and it "fell apart". I and failures three diffrent times promting me to go back and buy the X5 model for the same saw. I was told my a number of people that the X5 is still made it the USA. I haven't had a failure yet.

My personal experience with PRC equipment is not good. I know someone is making out buy outsourcing, but it sure ain't the woodworker.

This is my personal opinion and hope you'll make up your own mind on this important matter.

Best of luck!!! Ken

[Jeffrey Makiel]

Ken,
It's not whether you respect me now, it's whether you respect me in the morning. :)

Sorry to hear about your Delta machine. Unfortunately, I beginning to see a trend like this with Delta, and it's disturbing. Perhaps the continuous change of ownership is taking its toll.

If your import version was substandard, it's probably because Delta did not provide the proper design and manufacturing specs, and did not do the oversight. There is a lot of pressure on Delta these days to compete with the long time importers of machinery that is getting better and better.

One other disturbing trend I see is that the old saying "you get what your paying for" is becoming less accurate since we are not comparing American manufacturers to American manufactures. There are now things that make an import machine less expensive that have nothing to do with manufacturing like: communist slave labor, deflated Chinese dollar against the American dollar, lack of OSHA regulation, lack of environmental regulation and extremely efficient intermodal shipping. All these things add to the bottom line of an American machinery manufacturer to increase cost, but have little bearing on quality.

Oh well...Jeff :)

[Cecil Arnold]

Tom, I'll paraphrase Tod Evans and say that horsepower and iron are good. The same things that make European saws good will make Chinese saws good. Cast iron wheels, trunnions, heavy gauger welded steel frames, and high horsepower reliable motors. After that it is fit and finish. I would think you could get a deal on a Mebler (Italian) saw that would be close to the price you are thinking about. If memory serves they are <$1000 here.

[Bruce Page]

Lee, most Delta tools are now made in China. Was your bandsaw an exception?
Whether or not Lee’s BS was American made is irrelevant. I think the gist of Lee’s post is that he feels comfortable in the fact that if he needs parts 10 years down the road he won’t have a problem finding them from Delta. Can the same be said for Harbor Freight’s “Central Machinery” model #XXXX ten years from now? I doubt it

[Jim DeLaney]

...if he needs parts 10 years down the road he won’t have a problem finding them from Delta. Can the same be said for Harbor Freight’s “Central Machinery” model #XXXX ten years from now? I doubt it

Yeah. He can probably use Delta parts.

My nearly thirty year old "Elephant" brand Taiwanese saw is such a close clone that I've used Delta parts on it. The Delta table trunnions (pot metal - even on the Delta) fit perfectly, and so did the old model Delta wheels/lift kit, and of course the guides, guide bearings, and tires also fit.

[Jerry Olexa]

Only if you can read the Chinese instruction manual..:) Sorry guys, too much time in the finishing room with those vapors..:D

[Brian Jarnell]

I have a Taiwanese 19" bandsaw and couldn't wish for better.
The company that brings them in give a 12 month gaurantee and if it proved to be a dud,they would relace it.

[Julio Navarro]

OK, now I am totaly confussed!

I am holding out for one of them old cast iron monsters you see every once in a while for sale.

Almost everything Ive bought from HF was on the serious side of almost useless, I regret almost every purchase form them but the low price is so seductive, except for their wood glue....that works pretty good...for now anyways.

Ive had the honor and priviledge of working with some "old timers" and their machines and it is safe to say you cant beat the quality of anything old that is still around. Pretty much why its still around I reckon. I only wish I still lived up north where you can find those things more redely.

[Tom Andersen]

Thanks for the many interesting opinions. Maybe one should simply look at the weight of the machine, i.e. define a quality index as mass divided by size? If I get time, I'll make a table for some typical saws and post it here.

[tod evans]

Thanks for the many interesting opinions. Maybe one should simply look at the weight of the machine, i.e. define a quality index as mass divided by size? If I get time, I'll make a table for some typical saws and post it here.

tom, shear mass doesn`t make a well engineered saw! look at servicability and ease of use. if you need to constantly fiddle with a saw you`re going to get tired of that in a hurry! and if you can`t find parts when something breaks you`ll have a boat anchor sitting in your shop.....02 tod

[Brian King]

I see many good saws out there. Probably some that most of you have never heard of. Grob is a top notch band saw. I know where there a 3 for sale now. Heavy duty and has a table that tilts from to back and side to side. Pulley selection that allows you to cut wood, aluminum, or steel. It was designed primarily for machine shop use. But, if a bandsaw has the speed selection needed for cutting wood, then in many cases it will make a VERY nice saw. Lots of cast Iron, built in blade welders, heavy tables, heavy bearings are a few advantages of these machines. Doall, Powermatic, Rockwell, are some othrs that you've probably heard of.
I,m going to look at a 24" Grob tomorrow. My garage and barn are both full, and the wife may make me clean out space in the barn to sleep, but if it's in reasonable condition it will ride home in my pickup. The table on it weighs more than most imported 14" saws. Total weight is probably 1000 to 1200 lbs.
Just My .02 Good luck bandsaw hunting.

[Jeffrey Makiel]

Julio,
I recommend not to judge Chinese or Taiwanese tools by what HF sells. HF seems to concentrate on price, and price alone. If HF can find a cheaper source in Pakistan, then that's were they will go. :) Quality, as you know, is not their strong point.

The equipment coming from other sources like Grizzly, Wilke Machinery, Rikon, JET and Sunhill seems pretty good these days, especially for a hobbyist as myself. You will always here bad stories of anybody's equipment, but it's the frequency of complaints is what I would focus on.

If you decide to go the used machinery route, make sure the equipment is single phase (assuming you don't have three phase power in your shop), or that the motor can easily be swapped out, or you are willing to install a phase converter. A lot of the big old machinery I have seen is usually three phase, so make sure you factor it into your price..
cheers, Jeff

[Tom Andersen]

I will add one comment more to my mass suggestion. Many machine manufacturers use kg or pound prices when pricing bids, because typical mechanisms always have some weight. If for instance, one band saw weighs 200 pounds and another 400 pounds and they cost the same, then there's a good chance that you get more for your money when you buy the 400 pound version.

I know that I am a bit far out :) :)

[Jeffrey Makiel]

As I have painfully learned in work the past 6 months, the cost of machining to tight tolerances, and providing a quality surface finish, dwarf material costs big time. I suspect the same is true for woodworking machines.
-Jeff

[Julio Navarro]

Thanks Jeff, your statement is true, of course. I think Ridgid is Chinese as well and it seems to be a good brand.

[Hal Flynt]

My Rikon was made in China and I have no complaints.