Can't go wrong for $40! That's worth the price in just not having to swap blades nearly as often.
Can't go wrong for $40! That's worth the price in just not having to swap blades nearly as often.
Yeah, I had a similar decision when I saw a great deal on a little delta bandsaw which would be a third bandsaw. I thought i was being silly bringing another one into my small and crowded shop, but all three get used every day. Truth be told, my little ones are set up with a sled and a fence for making tiny parts so I could actually use another one to avoid having to break down those setups. Ideally I'd set up the 14" with a narrow blade and get a bigger saw (that would be number 4) for re-sawing, but space limitations don't allow for that.
Bandsaws and shapers: The more, the better.
Erik
Ex-SCM and Felder rep
I have a 14” Delta and an 18” Rikon in my shop, and I seriously think I’d rather give up my table saw before parting with one of the bandsaws. I think you will easily put both to good use.
I'm really excited about this evolution in my shop, and all the encouragement is great.
I really feel like I haven't maximized my use of the band saw thus far in my woodworking journey. My table saw gets the heaviest workout in my shop by a huge margin right now, and I've only ever used the band saw for curve cutting. I feel like I've been really missing out on many other uses.
Time to find some videos to get some ideas on what is possible. :-)
- Bob R.
Collegeville PA (30 minutes west of Philly)
I didn’t have time to read all replies. The shopsmith is a nice little saw. I would get it. I have two Rikon bandsaws in my shop: one 3hp 220 professional 14” and one 120 smaller hp 14”. One is set up for heavier cuts, and the other for tight curves. It’s a great thing to have if ya have the space.