Help with information on an old Rockwell Band Saw

[Lincoln Myers]

Hi All,

Figured I'd just come straight to the experts on this one.

I have the opportunity to acquire a Rockwell International 28-200 Band Saw. I don't know much about band saws, except that I think they'd make several tasks in the shop easier/safer/etc.

Can someone here tell me anything about this saw? I'm looking for anything including the following:

1. Fair price for one if good shape.
2. Information on parts availabilty.
3. Your opinion on this tool (good, not so good etc.) as far as its' performance.
4. Anyone here own one of these?
5. Riser kit available, needed?

Thanks a lot for any information you can provide.

-Linc

[Wes Bischel]

Lincoln,
Is it like this one?
http://www.owwm.com/PhotoIndex/detail.asp?id=2609

Either way, there is more info available here:
http://www.owwm.com/MfgIndex/Detail.asp?ID=698&PI=ALL&#PhotoIndex

If it is like the one linked to, there should be good availability on parts since this is the classic Delta/Rockwell 14" BS. Delta should have parts as well as these guys: http://www.acetoolrepair.com/

There is also a section on rebuilding a BS here:
http://www.owwm.com/FAQ/

As far as needing a riser, it depends on what you want to do. But make your decision now so you won't need to replace a bunch of blades later.

I hope that helps and I was on the right track.
Wes

[Brett Baldwin]

A quick search revealed that the 28-200 is a 3/4 HP 14" bandsaw which is a good one for hobby use. The two for sale prices I saw were $390 and $500 (this one was in great shape and included many things). Parts are still available through Delta/Porter Cable. It can be raised for extra resaw capacity. Rockwell was a good brand in its day and almost surely that saw is of better quality than the new ones today.

[Eric Gagnon]

Linc:

Last October, I bought and refurbished a Rockwell /Delta bandsaw, same as the one you're looking at.

They seem to range in price from $150 to $350. I paid $325 for mine, which the previous owner modified by adding a DC motor and gearbox to cut metal. I took this out and put in a Baldor 1.5 HP motor, which helps the saw cut the hardest 7" ash "like buttah."

Parts are widely available. Louis Iturra of Iturra designs has everything you need, and is the go-to guy for Delta bandsaws.

I put a lot of money into mine (Carter guides, quick release, Kreg fence, Iturra upgrades, bearings, misc. parts), but now that I've got it all set up, I love it.

With a good motor and riser block upgrade it handles all my needs, even for heavy resaw work.

Make sure to check the guides for slop, play, etc. I had to replace mine with the Carter guides because the originals were gone. Also, check bearings for grinding or clicking noise. These are not hard or expensive to replace. A v-belt upgrade also helps a lot.

If you get a good one and set it up right, I think you'll be very happy with it. And if you find one, show us pictures!

Good luck,

Eric

P.S.: Here's a picture of mine, when I bought it...

[Matt Meiser]

Mine looks just like Eric's. I paid $250 for it last year. Runs well and has just enough power for some resawing with a good blade. Someday I'll probably put a larger motor on it, but I'm not in any rush. I've upgraded to ceramic guides, put a fence on it, added dust collection to the bottom door, added a wheel brush, and made an extended tension crank. The riser block from a current model fit without modification other than being the "wrong" color. In all I have about $450 in the saw, if that.

[Matt Day]

I've got this saw as well. I bought it for $350 off a Creeker who refurbished it (Cool blocks, new tires, new drive belt, fence) and now runs great. It doesn't quite pass the nickel test, but that's fine by me for now. If I had the time, money, and need I'd look into it more but it works great as is.

Delta (and Grizzly I think which are cheaper) riser blocks work. Delta bought Rockwell years ago and the design never really changed so parts are still readily available. Overall, Rockwell products are solid and probably outperform most of the current stuff out there.

[Lincoln Myers]

Thanks all for the responses. They really help out a lot, and I appreciate you guys taking the time to reply.

These give me some good info to ponder my purchase with.

Thanks again.

-Linc

[Lincoln Myers]

Well thanks to all the information gleaned here, I went out last night to pick up the band saw. Got it for $75.00.

http://lincmyers.com/images/Bandsaw01.jpg ----------------http://lincmyers.com/images/Bandsaw02.jpg

Got it into the Minivan will little trouble. Now all I need is to track down a manual and a good band saw book to learn how to use it. I'm very excited to have come across this saw and look forward to using it.

Thanks again.

-Linc

[Matt Day]

Well thanks to all the information gleaned here, I went out last night to pick up the band saw. Got it for $75.00.

----------------

Got it into the Minivan will little trouble. Now all I need is to track down a manual and a good band saw book to learn how to use it. I'm very excited to have come across this saw and look forward to using it.

Thanks again.

-Linc

$75!:eek: Great find!

[Matt Meiser]

You STOLE that for $75. I thought I got a great deal on mine.

[Jeff Horton]

OK that deservers a BIG YOU SUCK!!

[Chris Dodge]

HOLY STRAWBERRIES! $75!?! That's a good deal. I got one that looks nicer than that but I paid $300. I love it! It works great. It had the riser blocks on it already but you can buy those from Delta. It has no dust collection built in so I have to clean it up after every couple of uses but that isn't a real big deal. The saw works great and that sounds great. I am quite sure you will be very happy, especially at that price!!