Newby Bandsaw Question

[Trey Adams]

I've been lurking for a little while and have enjoyed the forum. I also think I've learned some things from all of you along the way.

I know the prevailing wisdom is to hold off until one can afford at least a 14" bandsaw. Despite that, due to space and budgetary constraints, I am looking at two 10" benchtop bandsaws. I have done searches on both, but I haven't seen any opinions on how the two might compare.

One is the Craftsman 10" benchtop:

http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?cat=Bench+Power+Tools&pid=00921400000&vertical=TOOL&subcat=Band+Saws&BV_UseBVCookie=Yes


The other is the Palmgren 10" benchtop:

http://www.amazon.com/Palmgren-83010-Horsepower-Benchtop-Woodworking/dp/B00068U85S

I have seen some positive comments on the Craftsman, but very little on the Palmgren. Any advice?

[glenn bradley]

I have a tilt head BS and thought it would be a cool feature. I have never tilted the head and find the whole frame assembly to flex way too much. Planning a replacement.

[Tyler Purcell]

I think you're right on the money for holding off to buy a 14" - buy quality, you cry once, buy cheap, and you cry every time you use it. Generally a 14" saw will last you a long time until you decide you need to resaw or whatever the need may be. I had a 10" for a while in my shop and it mostly sat idle for a year or so. I recently bought the Rikon Deluxe 14" saw and its the most used tool in my shop.

[Don Bullock]

...I know the prevailing wisdom is to hold off until one can afford at least a 14" bandsaw. Despite that, due to space and budgetary constraints, I am looking at two 10" benchtop bandsaws. ... Any advice?

Trey, I know this isn't what you want to hear, but find a way to spring for the 14". I bought the Craftsman 14" and have found it to be a very good band saw, especially for someone like me who doesn't use it a whole bunch. It had some great reviews in magazines and on the forums. I also haven't gotten into resawing. If I do I will have to look into a larger model that will be dedicated for that purpose.

Craftsman 14" Band Saw:
http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?cat=Bench+Power+Tools&pid=00922401000&vertical=TOOL&subcat=Band+Saws&BV_UseBVCookie=Yes

Actually, additional space is not a problem. If you place the 10" on top of a bench, the floor space for the bench will be at least as big as the footprint of a 14".

Certainly cost is a big factor. Last Christmas I told my relatives that I wanted Sears Gift Cards instead of the usual shirts, etc. that rarely fit and I rarely liked (didn't say it quite that way, but you get the picture). The total of the gift cards added up to more than half of the price for the Craftsman 14" saw. My wife filled in the rest. I got the saw I wanted (bought it Christmas Eve on sale just before the store closed) and didn't have to return all the clothes that I normally get from my sister-in-law.;)

The bottom line is that you can do far more and have more flexibility in what you do with the larger saw.

[Heather Deans]

Despite the posts to the contrary, I'm pondering the same thing you are- only I'm looking at a 10" Rikon. I know that a band saw of this size has many limitations- I have access to a large band saw at work, but I get tired of having to do all my "playing" at work! Anyone familair with the 10" Rikon?

[Bill Wyko]

I tried to use a 10 inch and all it did was break blades. If I still have it around here you can have it if your local.:)

[Dennis Peacock]

First of all.....WELCOME to the Creek!!!!

I highly recommend the wait for at least a 14" BS. Most accessories available to any woodworker with a 14" BS are almost unlimited. Besides, it's much easier to find a blade for a 14" BS. Also, look around for a good used BS. You'd be surprised what you can find at a deal of a price on a used machine. :D

[Andy Fox]

I think a 10" bandsaw would be fine as long as you don't have any delusions about resawing on it or cutting anything very big or too thick. It can be used with a 1/8" or maybe even 1/16" (if you can find one?) blade as your scrolling bandsaw when you finally upgrade to a larger one.

With this approach, I would find a bandsaw with guide blocks rather than bearings so that you can embed the narrow blades in shop-made wood guide blocks.

[Dave Morris]

Trey, I have a little Delta 9" bandsaw that was given to me years ago. Poor thing was very underpowered, but it *did* allow me to make my very first wood project created from "scratch" ... taking a single rough piece of wood and transforming it into something else. (In this case, making a solid wood book that opened from a spine. It was three book-matched pieces, cut from a large 4" thick slab of Flame-Cut Redwood Burl, joined together by hidden barrel hinges) The saw has been gathering dust for years up on a shelf. That said, it would work on thin stock up to 1" thick, but really bogg down on anything thicker--- just not enough power. When my daughters are old enough, it will be the first power tool with a blade they will learn to use.

The smaller Craftsman, Ryobi, Delta saws are very cheap to pick up second hand, maybe 30-50 bucks. Might be an idea to look for one and see if it would even accomplish the tasks you have in mind before laying out 100 to 150 for a new one. Then again, if you can find something like this...:

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/tls/359111729.html (http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/tls/359111729.html)

... and it was in good condition, it would be a great small band saw to start off with, last longer than anything you could buy new, and you can buy a larger saw later if you feel the need.

Edit: I'd buy this one myself and restore it, but I'm too far away in gas money. :-(

[Rob Will]

Trey, welcome to the creek!

As others have suggested, you are better off waiting to get a bigger bandsaw.

Rob

[Jamie Baalmann]

The Jet 14 is on sale on the zon... http://amazon.com/708116K-JWBS-14MW-Horsepower-Adjustable-230-Volt/dp/B0009H5SGK/ref=br_lf_m_1000092491_1_4_img/103-6811842-1821461?%5Fencoding=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&s=hi&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=0N4NCFJB3APJWKCZQ4KM&pf_rd_t=1401&pf_rd_p=295306701&pf_rd_i=1000092491

[Brian Clevenger]

That little 10" Craftsman is (along with it's Rikon brother), the best 10" saw built today.

I won't talk you out of buying it. But be patient, it goes on sale with for as low as $120. There was even a "Craftsman Club" sale last October for $100.

As far as 10" band saws go, it is a must in my shop.


OTOH, there are other options. If you could ever find an Ol' Arn Delta 10" saw for a reasonable price, it would be a better investment. I got lucky, but not everyone does.

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c16/okstatefan/bandsaw3.jpg

If it were coming down to hunger, that would be the last tool in my shop I'd sell.

BTW, I paid less than the retail of the Craftsman.

[scott spencer]

Hi Trey and welcome to SMC. While I agree that a 14" would be a more substantial machine, I fully understand space and budget constraints. That 10" Craftsman is made by Rikon and has a pretty loyal following of happy owners, but it will have capacity restrictions. If those restrictions are acceptable to you, I don't know of many better choices in that size and price range.

Consider keeping your eyes peeled for a good used machine, or you might even consider stepping up to the 12" version (http://www.epinions.com/content_314141019780) which will at least give you 7" resaw. Sale prices can be pretty attractive sometimes.

Good luck!

[Mike Cutler]

Trey

First. Welcome to Sawmill Creek, pleased to meet ya'.

There is nothing wrong with having a small benchtop portable bands, I can see that they could very convenient down the road. Of the two I would probably go with the 10" Sears model.
Now to contradict myself. The 10" bandsaws are fairly limited in what they can do, almost to the point that a benchtop Scrollsaw may be a better option depending on the intent of use. You may want to consider a scrollsaw.

Once again though. Pleased to meet ya', and welcome.

[Rob Leslie]

I think you're right on the money for holding off to buy a 14" - buy quality, you cry once, buy cheap, and you cry every time you use it. Generally a 14" saw will last you a long time until you decide you need to resaw or whatever the need may be. I had a 10" for a while in my shop and it mostly sat idle for a year or so. I recently bought the Rikon Deluxe 14" saw and its the most used tool in my shop.


I also recently got the Rikon 14" Deluxe Bandsaw. No riser kit required. The stock blade leaves something to be desired though. I replaced it yesterday with a 3/8" alternate set (ASA) Timberwolf blade from Suffolk Machinery. Cuts through mahogany, mesquite, etc. like butter............... The mesquite log was 12" long and cut upright, with the flat surface on the table. No problem. I highly recommend the Rikon Deluxe.

[Charles Jackson III]

Trey welcome to SMC, I am going to drop a bomb on ya. If I was u I would get a Bosch Jigsaw and just do more sanding than get that 10'' bandsaw. A jigsaw can cut curves like a bandsaw. u just wont be doing any resawing. I am going the Bosch route myself.

[Art Mann]

I think Charles is giving you some great advice there. What is it you want to do that a 10" bandsaw will do but a jigsaw won't?

[Morton Heller]

I bought a 10" Delta and had to return it. It had been damaged in shipping so there was a dent in the motor housing. It didn't work without lots of noise - a clearly defective unit. The box looked OK in the store.

I wound up looking at the 12" Jet for $350 and decided to go with the 14" Jet open stand model at Menards. The 14" was $50 more - the store honored the Jet promotion that is posted on the Jet website. It was worth it.

In retrospect, I would prefer the closed stand model that another reviewer mentioned. It is not that much more money, but not available locally. Frankly, I think that the 14" 3/4 HP models are pretty light-duty. I am lucky that the 10" Delta was defective - I would not have been happy with it. I wouldn't go lighter than the 12" Jet, but the larger saws are a better deal. I should mention that I looked at a 14" Delta at the same store where I previously bought the 10". I decided against it when I saw that it looked like someone went after the box with a sledge hammer. The 250 lb box looked like it had been dropped many times, and there were big holes in the sides.

If you don't have the money right now for a bigger saw, than I would recommend waiting. If you factor in the cost over time, and the longevity of the tool, you don't really save much. If you need a benchtop unit, you can always mount the smaller jet on a sturdy benchtop.

[Trey Adams]

Thanks! I appreciate all of the responses.

I think I have decided to hold off and get at least a 14" bandsaw. I had considered the jig saw route myself, and that is looking more attractive for the time being.

Thanks again...

[Basil Rathbone]

Same tune, different words, I am curious about riser blocks. The two saws I am looking at are the Steel City 14" (6" max resaw, 1.5hp) and the General 90-150 14"(8" max resaw, 1hp). If I get the General, I wouldn't need a riser kit. If I get the Steel City I would need a riser (12" max) but would have greater HP, hopefully enough for up to 8" resaw. I would probably never need more than 8" but can see needing more than 6".

So without picking on the basis of brand alone, what are the opinions here of riser/no riser both generally and specifically with regard to the specs on these two machines?

Thanks, Basil

[glenn bradley]

I'll chime in again. I agree with the 14" Rikon recommendation. Unless someone comes out with something pretty trick this will be my next BS. Now, bearing in mind that this is 3 or 4 times the cost of what you're asking about, I'll second Dave's recommendation on picking up a cheap used saw. If you're gonna go with a saw that will undoubtedly be replaced, why pay full price? Take a little time and spend a lot less money. That way when it's time to move up you won't take such a hit.

[Steve Sawyer]

I also haven't gotten into resawing. If I do I will have to look into a larger model that will be dedicated for that purpose.

Don't do that too quickly, Don. I was just resawing some 8" planks of 4/4 QS White Oak with my Craftsman last weekend, and it did just fine. Dead straight, no drift.

I wrote a review of the Craftsman here. (http://www.semww.org/wiki/doku.php/tool_reviews/craftsman_professional_14_band_saw)

Personally I think it's the best value in that $450-$550 price range.