Little BS Gloat ... $1.17/lb (w/pics!)

[scott spencer]

Over Labor Day weekend Sears was offering up to 30% off internet orders of $400 or more. The "not as little as I thought" 12 inch 22400 Craftsman BS was available for as low as $189 ... with a little wheeling and dealing. (...I added a router kit that went immediatly on the auction block...I just about broke even on it. That extra item lowered the BS price by ~$54).

It's alot larger than I thought. I assumed if I left off the leg stand that it would be able to sit on the lazy susan where my 9" Ryobi camped along with the DP, sander, and mortiser... but that's just not gonna happen, so I'll need to get some wheels and find a home for it. It stands ~43" tall without the leg stand and weighs 163#...on the stand it's ~ 64" tall. AFAIK it's made by Rikon.

Okay, so it's no Minimax MM16, but it is alot of saw for the money and offers enough capacity to do the vast majority of what I'll need. (Hopefully fellow creeker Tom P will let me near his MM16 if I need more! :D) The fit and finish and overall quality exceeded my expectations. It went together well, and the stand was really nicely done. The 22400 features a 16"x 20" cast iron table with twin miter slots, a functional fence, light, 7" resaw, dual DC ports, dual speeds, 3/4hp motor, cast aluminum wheels, cast aluminum trunnions, and a roller bearing guides. At $300 I'd feel I got my money's worth....at $189 I thought I'd gloat a little! :o :D

4 new Timberwolf blades are on the way, but it's doing ok even with the stock blade. I know Sears takes alot of heat from alot of people ... and I was once one of them, but the two most recent Craftsman tools in my shop are exceptional values that IMO are tough to beat. I'll give credit where credit is due.... nice job Sears.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y203/hewood/000_0292.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y203/hewood/000_0295.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y203/hewood/000_0297.jpg

[Don Baer]

Scott,
I've got the exact same saw and it is a real workhouse, I have cut 8/4 maple with it when I made the legs for ther Malloff table I made and it cut like butter. I also made a circle cutting jig for it and cut great big 6/4 maple glue up 32"dia. for the top of the same table. I have used to to prep blanks for turning. The only problem I had was the ON/off switch quit on me a month or so ago, the contact welded themselve shut and the saw wouldn't turn off. It might have been my fault since I was cutting some 6" dia green Eucalyptus on it. I just replace it with a regular switch.

Congrats on the saw you'll realy enjoy it.

[glenn bradley]

Cograts Scott. I love the "by the pound" way of thinking. That could fuel my already overactive tool buying rationalization engine but good. ;-)

[Larry Anderson]

A gloat indeed,Scott. I have the same saw and thought I got a deal on sale at $300 including tax.

[Corey Hallagan]

Congrats Scott. I have thought alot about that saw. May still pick it up one of these days. At 189.00 it would be enough to make me buy, I would figure out where to put it later :)

Corey

[Jerry White]

Congratulations, Scott. Looks like a nice machine. I seem to remember hearing a lot of positive feedback on Sears power tools lately. Maybe they are getting their act together. Happy bandsawing!!!!

Jerry

[Dave Malen]

Scott,
I have that saw and like it alot. I think you get a lot for your money with this tool. Especially when you can "steal" it for 189. I paid 250 and thought I got a good deal! Hey there wasn't a cap for my 4 inch dust port :mad:

Congrats,
Dave

[scott spencer]

Scott,
I have that saw and like it alot. I think you get a lot for your money with this tool. Especially when you can "steal" it for 189. I paid 250 and thought I got a good deal! Hey there wasn't a cap for my 4 inch dust port :mad:

Congrats,
Dave

Not to worry Dave! Mine didn't come with one either, but my Griz DC did ! :D

Thanks for the encouraging feedback everyone....I gotta admit, I didn't research this as well as I do most machine purchases....opportunity knocked and I just flung the door open. :eek:

[Corey Hallagan]

Scott, just incase you have any problems the manufacurer of this saw is the Yukon Tool Company. Here is a link to their 10inch that they sell under their own lable. The 12 inch is made exclusively for Sears i believe.
http://www.yukontool.com/10in_BandSaw.htm

Corey

[Joe Mioux]

Very nice addition to your shop, Scott. That BS looks like it will handle most everything you put through it.

Congrats.

BTW, I like hearing positive comments such as this.
Joe

[Brian Clevenger]

I grabbed the 14" 22401 model, and love it. I had been using a 14" HF band saw for over a year, but I didn't like the vibration, sloppy guide arm, and other things about it. I have been looking for a new saw since I bought the HF, and the Craftsman always ended up at the top of my list. I spent a little more for the 14" ($320), but it fit my needs a little better.

If not for the huge sale, I probably would have ended up with the Shop Fox. I'm glad the sale hit at the right time for me though; it made a tough decision easy.

[scott spencer]

Scott, just incase you have any problems the manufacurer of this saw is the Yukon Tool Company. Here is a link to their 10inch that they sell under their own lable. The 12 inch is made exclusively for Sears i believe.
http://www.yukontool.com/10in_BandSaw.htm

Corey

Thanks for the info Corey....I did not know it was made by Yukon. Based on some other discussions I'd read and looking at the pics, the speculation was that it was made by Rikon. It looks like all three roll off the same line in any event. Check out some of the pics from the 14" Rikon below, then look at the 22400 above...unfortunately, Yukon doesn't offer many pics to compare.

http://www.toolcenter.com/mm5/rikon/images/Rikon-motor.jpg
http://www.toolcenter.com/mm5/rikon/images/Rikon-tabletilt.jpg
http://www.toolcenter.com/mm5/rikon/images/Rikon-14topopen.jpg

[scott spencer]

Cograts Scott. I love the "by the pound" way of thinking. That could fuel my already overactive tool buying rationalization engine but good. ;-)

Viewing the purchase as exchanging commodities has alot of appeal too.....trading paper for iron just intuitively seems like a good deal! :D

[Mike Cutler]

Scott. Nice bandsaw. Those are some interesting looking trunnions on it.

I know a lot of people react negatively to Sears/Craftsman products. In the end though, it still comes down to the hands that are operating the machine/tool. It may just take a little more time.

Your saw very closely resembles a Rikon. I have been very pleased with my Rikon, so if they are made by the same company,Yukon, I believe that you will be very happy with your new bandsaw also.

$1.17 a pound. That's funny. "I'd like 300lbs of bandsaw, and 500 lbs of tablesaw to go please":D ;)

[Brad Townsend]

I have a sneaking suspicion that these saws are not made by Yukon Tool of Bloomington, Minnesota, but a lot further west.:D Made in China for Sears, Rikon, Yukon, and anyone else who wants to put their name in it.

I've got the 14" version and am very pleased with it. They are good saws.

[scott spencer]

I have a sneaking suspicion that these saws are not made by Yukon Tool of Bloomington, Minnesota, but a lot further west.:D Made in China for Sears, Rikon, Yukon, and anyone else who wants to put their name in it.

I've got the 14" version and am very pleased with it. They are good saws.

Well that explains why I couldn't find the "made in Minnesota" tag! :D

[John Shuk]

As much as Sears can drive me crazy I've got to give it to them this time.
Nice gloat at an unreal price. It looks like you are going to be a happy sawyer.

[Bruce Page]

Congrats on the new BS Scott. I have the little 10” Rikon to supplement my MM and I agree it’s a lot of saw for the money. I love that cast iron table; I had to replace the cheesy cast aluminum table that came with my Rikon (my only complaint with it).

What is that little red thingy by the dust port?

[scott spencer]

...What is that little red thingy by the dust port?

Red thingy = super easy belt tensioner. Wish the blade tensioner were 1/4 as easy! :rolleyes:

[Terry Flowers]

Great buy!! How are you notified about the online specials? Do they have an email newsletter like Rockler and Woodcraft? If and when they repeat that offer, I'm in for the 12 or 14"- not sure which yet.

Thanks,
Terry

[scott spencer]

Great buy!! How are you notified about the online specials? Do they have an email newsletter like Rockler and Woodcraft? If and when they repeat that offer, I'm in for the 12 or 14"- not sure which yet.

Thanks,
Terry

Hi Terry - I think I just read a bargain alert on one of the wwing forums. I don't typically get email about their sales.

[jonathan snyder]

Scott,

Have you had a chance to put that saw to work yet? Have you tried resawing? What are your thoughts?

I'm thinking about a BS, I live in Alaska, so not a-lot of options without killer freight charges!! Looks like Delta, Jet or Craftsman is about all that is available locally.

Thanks
Jonathan

[Blaine Harrison]

That looks like a killer deal. I paid about $230 for my 12" Jet a few years ago and though I got a good deal. It doesn't have the features that this Craftsman has. I like the dual dust ports, the larger table, the extra inch of resaw capacity, and an extra 1/4 hp of power. I like my Jet and have been able to resaw 6" hard maple (slowly), so if you're patient, you'll be able to resaw just about anything you want.

Blaine

[scott spencer]

Haven't done too much with it yet. With the stock blade I resawed some 4" oak pretty nicely.....got a fairly consistent 1/16" slice. I just put on a Timberwolf 3/8" 4TPI blade yesterday and sawed some curves in a 1" piece of the same oak and found it to be effortless and well controlled. I'll try to remember to post an update when I've pushed it a little harder.