Craftsman 14" Bandsaw: purchased, still tinkering

[Andy Fox]

I purchased the Craftsman 14" bandsaw (model #22401). Overall, it seems like a decent saw, but there are still some major outstanding issues to resolve before I decide if it's a keeper or not. I've never even used a bandsaw until now, so some of the problems could be due to my lack of tuning knowledge and skill. Maybe I would have similar issues with almost any brand of saw?

Good Points

1 HP
8" resaw
cast iron wheels
large cast iron table
fence included
roller guides
lower wheel dust brush
built-in light
blade tracking window
entire motor case is heatsink with fan
Stop paddle switchBad Points

The factory completely omitted tapping threads for all holes in the table, :eek: :mad: but at least the holes were there. I just happened to have a size M8 tap on hand and a free schedule at 1:00 AM, :rolleyes: so I decided to tap the 9 holes myself instead of running back to Sears to get a table swap.
There is a metal scraping noise which appears to be coming from both the upper and lower wheels. I can't find anything rubbing the blade or wheel, but I haven't tried removing the blade to troubleshoot yet. If it's a bearing :eek: , this saws going back.
Currently trying to figure out why upper blade guide is not parallel to blade. Despite leaving a 1/16" gap between guides and centering the blade between them at about 1" above the table, the blade rubs the left guide when set at max height. The guide isn't parallel to the blade path for some reason. It could be an adjustment not covered in the manual. I wonder if the lower wheel could be moved forward a little somehow, as that would fix it.
Roller guides aren't very precisely adjustable. The bottom ones are simply moved by hand into position. The blade seems to wander a bit too much, probably due to lack of guide precision.
included 1/4" 7 tpi blade not good--weld protrudes at back excessively
aluminum trunion seems mismatched with the large cast iron table
toothed lockwashers for stand sometimes crumbled when torqued

[Brad Townsend]

Sorry to hear of your woes Andy. As an fellow owner of one of these, I'll attempt to address a few of these issues:
The factory completely omitted tapping threads for all holes in the table, :eek: :mad: but at least the holes were there. I just happened to have a size M8 tap on hand and a free schedule at 1:00 AM, :rolleyes: so I decided to tap the 9 holes myself instead of running back to Sears to get a table swap.Absolutely no excuse for this!
There is a metal scraping noise which appears to be coming from both the upper and lower wheels. I can't find anything rubbing the blade or wheel, but I haven't tried removing the blade to troubleshoot yet. If it's a bearing :eek: , this saws going back.I hear that on mine too. Reminds me of the time my brother took his Mazda to the dealer because it was pulling to the left. The service manager told him "Don't worry about it..they all do that!" I haven't figured it out either. Not at all reassuring, but mine hasn't self-destructed yet, and for the price of the saw, I've learned to ignore it. From the sound of mine, I seriously doubt that it's a bearing however. If I thought it was, mine would have gone back as well.

Currently trying to figure out why upper blade guide is not parallel to blade. Despite leaving a 1/16" gap between guides and centering the blade between them at about 1" above the table, the blade rubs the left guide when set at max height. The guide isn't parallel to the blade path for some reason. It could be an adjustment not covered in the manual. I wonder if the lower wheel could be moved forward a little somehow, as that would fix it.Don't know if this can be adjusted any more precisely, but I'll examine mine and get back to you if I get any bright ideas.
Roller guides aren't very precisely adjustable. The bottom ones are simply moved by hand into position. The blade seems to wander a bit too much, probably due to lack of guide precision.The guides are very finicky to set, but from what I've read, this is common to many bandsaws. As to the blade wandering, it may have more to do with your next point about the blade. I have the opposite effect; the stock blade runs rock steady, but the 1/2" TimberWolf I got tends to wander slightly front to back, though not bad. One thing you could do is check the wheels to see if they are coplaner. What I did is put a straight edge on a strip of plywood and cut it just slightly longer than the distance from the bottom of the lower wheel to the top of the upper one. I then notched a section out of the middle to clear the cabinet so that a straight section of the plywood could be placed flush against both wheels. (You will also have to tilt the table all the way forward to make this work.) You can then place the edge of the board against the wheels and it should be touching at the top and bottom of both wheels if they are coplaner. This should be done with the blade under tension. You will note that there is an adjustment for the lower wheel on the back of the cabinet and of course, the upper one is adjusted with the tracking turnscrew at the top.
included 1/4" 7 tpi blade not good--weld protrudes at back excessivelyFrom what I gather from the comments of others, the provided blade is not great, but probably as good than those provided with most new saws. File down the weld and use it for cutting stuff you don't want to ruin a good blade on.
aluminum trunion seems mismatched with the large cast iron tableIt DOES seem overmatched, but I have no complaints with it so far. Table has remained solid.
toothed lockwashers for stand sometimes crumbled when torquedI didn't experience this, but then maybe I didn't torque them enough.

Considering these issues, you may want to consider taking it back and ordering a Griz. I think part of the problem you are facing is the same as I faced, never having owned a bandsaw before. That is, what level of precision should I expect from a $400 machine? Obviously, you SHOULD expect holes to be tapped where necessary and the blade should not be wandering excessively. Should the guide support be parallel to the blade within 1/16" over 7" of travel on a $400 saw? I frankly don't know. It's a matter of opinion. Best of luck whatever you decide.

[Aaron Kline]

I have the 10" 21400 and its been an ok saw. Mine makes a clicking noise which I think is the poor quality blade's weld hitting. I dont know. Otherwise its ok. Other than the fact that blades are a stupid size.

[Bart Leetch]

There shouldn't be this many problems with a new band-saw.

I have purchased a used 40 year old band-saw that only had minor problems that a couple of minutes of adjustment took care of. Oh I forgot it was a Craftsman band-saw too.

Besides that your saws one main problem is its 8" re-saw limit & its cost of $???.?? Not to mention the light duty trunnions & heavy duty table.

[Andy Fox]

Brad: Thanks for the helpful response from a fellow owner of this saw. Did you ever determine if your saw makes the same noise with the blade removed?

My blade tension might be a little too low, as I set it using only the indicator on the saw. Never did hear it make any kind of musical note when plucked. :confused:

I'm going to buy a copy of Duginske's Band Saw Handbook and Bird's The Bandsaw Book so that I can learn from the masters. Here's a pretty decent article on tuning: http://www.owwm.com/files/PDF/FAQ/110124076.pdf

Bart: The saw cost $427 including tax (plus some sweat)--still $50 cheaper than the Grizzly G0555 delivered. I think I can live with 8" resaw--safer than the 6" tablesaw resaw capacity anyway. :)

[Bart Leetch]

I have Duginske's spiral bound shop manual it will be a great help to you.

[Terry Buller]

I just bought the Craftsman 14" band saw friday. Didnt have any of the problems you stated except it does take time to adjust the guide rollers. Got mine for 399.99 + tax. Also i understand i will get a $40.00 gift card. Any sears purchases Friday or Sat should qualify for a 10% gift card.
My only real complaint is the fence is not the best and i agree the blade could be better but I also expected that when I bought it. $360 sure beats $485 which is what the Grizzly G0555 14"would have cost when you figure the shipping.

[Brad Townsend]

Brad: Did you ever determine if your saw makes the same noise with the blade removed?
No, it doesn't. But the noise on mine seems to be coming more from the top wheel, so it stands to reason that I wouldn't hear it with the blade removed, as the top wheel wouldn't be moving.:)

[Jay Knoll]

Bart

What is the title of "the spiral bound book"?

Thanks

Jay

[Bart Leetch]

Here you go Jay. ISBN 0-8069-0680-4 Sterling Publishing Co.,Inc. New York I purchased it a Grizzly in Bellingham, Washington Part number H1232

[Allen Bookout]

Andy,

I posted this information in another thread and it might be of some help to you. Maybe or maybe not. In any case here it is:


"I am on my first bandsaw and when I got it I found a video at the library that is very good. It can save a guy a lot of headachs and time. Bandsaw problems are so hard to diagnosis on line and the description of the solution is even more difficult. If you are interested the title is: 'Mastering Your Bandsaw. with Mark Duginske. An expert helps you get optimum performance from your bandsaw.'

If it is not at your library a quick Google search will turn up several places to purchase it. I did end up getting one due to the amount of information included and I think that it is well worth the money. I also have a book by the same author, "Bandsaw Handbook" that is good."

Good Luck! Allen
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