Bandsaw foot break

[Dave Lehnert]

Looking at some 18 and 19" bandsaws. Grizzly, Steal City and the like. Is a foot break needed or just something nice to have? How long does the blade run on a saw without a break?

[Bruce Page]

Dave, I have the MiniMax16, with foot brake. I guess it would be nice to have if needed during an emergency. I rarely, if ever, use the brake.
Power off, coasting to a stop, would vary depending on wheel mass, guide bearings and motor bearings, etc.

[Doug Shepard]

Dave, I have the MiniMax16, with foot brake. I guess it would be nice to have if needed during an emergency. I rarely, if ever, use the brake.
...


Same here. I view the footbrake as an emergency stop or maybe as an extra switch if you're feeding something large or heavy and need both hands. Otherwise I just use the big red palm button on the column.

[Reed Wells]

I have a brake on my 18" Laguna and use it only when I'm done with the saw. I don't like walking away with that blade spinning for so long.

[Steve Clardy]

I've never used the brake on mine.

[Ted Shrader]

Dave, I have the MiniMax16, with foot brake. I guess it would be nice to have if needed during an emergency. I rarely, if ever, use the brake. Dave,

I have a MM16 also and use the foot brake as a switch. When I need to stop a cut in the middle of the piece, this technique allows me to keep both hands on the work piece and just tap the brake to shut the saw down.

Regards,
Ted

[Pete Bradley]

I use the brake on my Delta 20" all the time. Mine's not connected to the switch, it's just a brake, but it saves me from having to wait for the machine to spin down to change something. I've got cast iron wheels though so it may be that smaller/lighter wheels don't spin as long.

Pete

[John Shuk]

I have it on my Laguna 16 and while it is nice I wouldn't (and didn't) pay extra for it.
It happened to be on the second saw after the first one arrived damaged.

[Joe Mioux]

I have an mm16 and use it all the time.

I like the ability to turn the saw off and slow the blade with my foot depressing the brake.

For clarification, MM16's have micro switches on several things. the foot brake and the two doors are examples.

joe

[Peter Quinn]

The wheels on the bus go round and round....I used to work on a BS with a foot brake and few guys in the shop ever used it. It was nice if you were adjusting a fence and wanted to stop the blade quick to make adjustments, but otherwise it was rarely used.

[Larry Fox]

I also have an MM-16 and use the foot brake all the time. I like to get moving sharp things stopped as soon as possible after I am done with them.

[Jim O'Dell]

I had 3 things that I wanted in a bandsaw. CI wheels, enough HP to do the work I might grow into being able to do, and a foot brake. The latter I consider a safety feature, kind of like the magnetic switch. It's only a big deal if you find yourself in a bad situation and it would help you out of it. I try to plan for the unknown when I can. I was lucky to get an intro price on the MM E16 that had all of these features. It is the least expensive unit, I believe, that has all of them. Jim.

[John Bush]

Hi Dave,
I had a Rikon 18 and really liked it but upgraded to a Griz 21"er primarily for the foot brake. The blade on the Rikon would take close to 1 min. to stop, and when resawing long stock it seemed I was always a bit too close to the blade when I finished a pass. I have trained myself to use it after every cut and I think it is a good safety feature. JCB.

[Alan Tolchinsky]

Dave, I have the MiniMax16, with foot brake. I guess it would be nice to have if needed during an emergency. I rarely, if ever, use the brake.
Power off, coasting to a stop, would vary depending on wheel mass, guide bearings and motor bearings, etc.

Hi Bruce, If you don't use your foot brake to shut it off then how do you shut it down? I always shut off my MM16 with the foot brake. I like the foot brake for shutting it down. But I also think it's safer to know the blade is no longer moving.

[Bruce Page]

Hi Bruce, If you don't use your foot brake to shut it off then how do you shut it down? I always shut off my MM16 with the foot brake. I like the foot brake for shutting it down. But I also think it's safer to know the blade is no longer moving.
Alan, I use the big red button. ;)
I'm the only person in the shop so it dosen't bother me if coasts to a stop. Same goes with my bench grinder, disc sander, TS, etc. I just don't see it as an issue.

[Doug Shepard]

Alan, I use the big red button. ;)
I'm the only person in the shop so it dosen't bother me if coasts to a stop. Same goes with my bench grinder, disc sander, TS, etc. I just don't see it as an issue.

Ditto. Plus it's essentially the same as a car brake. Keep using it a lot and sooner or later you'll need a brake job.

[Alan Tolchinsky]

Ditto. Plus it's essentially the same as a car brake. Keep using it a lot and sooner or later you'll need a brake job.

It's funny but I feel the same way about that flimsy switch. :) The housing on mine already has a crack.

[Doug Shepard]

Alan
You just need to pick up the 220V Clapper.
Clap On.
Clap Off.
The Bandsaw:D

[glenn bradley]

I haven't timed it but my 17" seems to run long enough for me to move to another tool, get set up and look over and notice it is still running.