Bandsaw brand

K

Kevin Puls

Well-known member
Gents, ladies, I am in the market for a Bandsaw. Likely a 14" saw with up to 9" capacity between the rollers and the table.

I had one picked out and went to buy it and struck out. Went to order it, struck out again. It is possible it is not made anymore.

I want to spend under $500.00. Ridgid and Craftsman are the only brands I know of in that price range. Ridgid is the one I can't find, craftsman is one that is not recommended by someone that knows what he is talking about most of the time.

What are my options?
 
Grizzly makes a good saw and their 3/4 hp 14" shows a list price of $504 shipped to you. Or you could take a road trip to Williamports and pick it up. I have a 1 hp 14" with the riser block and love it.
 
I would be looking for a used one. It's a fairly simple machine, and if it has real problems you should be able to tell just by inspecting it carefully. Age doesn't matter at all; in fact, lots of guys prefer the really old ones. For $500 you should be able to come up with a pretty nice, heavy duty machine. Way better than those big-box cheapies.
 
Harbor freight has an ok one I wouldn't use it for heavy use but does fine for the recreational carver. I have one and it serves my needs
 
I have the Ridgid. It's a 6" saw, not 9" but could be taller with a riser block. It's no Powermatic or Laguna, but it does fine for recreational carving. I would look hard at the grizzly machines. They have a great reputation among carvers. I would steer clear of craftsman simply because they build their saws a completely different size from industry standards so you basically have to buy their blades or have some custom fabricated. They are hard to find over the counter anywhere besides Sears and you probably won't be able to find the tpi/tooth style/ blade thickness you want.
 
Thanks all.

I had read that the ridgid did 9" but that must be with some modification.

I plan to work mostly in foam and maybe cork to begin with. Even a 6" capacity will do most of the work I need.

As this is a new venture for me, I am reluctant to spend a lot of money until I master a few skills in shaping and painting.
 
You can always do a 6" tall x 12" wide decoy by running the seam vertically and cutting each half separately. I have done this several times, and while not the traditional way to orient the seam, it has worked fine for me. I would look into building a hot wire cutter for foam though. You could also do canvas on frame decoys.
 
I have owned a Rockwell/Delta since 1985 with riser block. Repowered once with new motor. Thats a saw I bought used back then. never fails. Replaced the tires about ten years ago. Look for a used one.
 
grizzly, they have free shipping currently going now too. You'll need to add a riser block though, may push it to 600ish. Mine has been great.
 
My OLD Sears is going on 31 years of service, and Gawd knows how many decoys, fish, etc. As long as I keep it clean, well maintained, and with Quality Blades it does all I ask of it. What it does not do on very large projects a very sharp hatchet takes care of...
 
I would second Gordon's advice, many good units should be available for that price. The addition of a riser block will enable you to cut side profiles and tail inlets on bodies, once you have made their respective jigs.
 
I had a grizzly and a Reliant . The reliant is still running strong but now pulling duty as the metal saw in a bike shop. It was replaced by this http://www.rikontools.com/productpage_10-351.html which is one of the most amazing saws I have ever used which includes some of the high end Deltas with stack kits on them. I was actually looking at a Delta when the store owner got me to give this a look.
I then waited around until it went on sale and it was under $900 which I know is a little higher than you indicated but the also make the same set up on an open stand that is probably quite a bit less. IMHO it would be worth looking at one if you have a dealer near by. Probably the biggest advantage of a 14" with a stack kit and 105" blade is the fact that you have 111" blades and a maxed out on depth of cut and throat unless you go to an 18" saw. Good luck in your search.
 
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Been searching craigslist, and looking at other options. I appreciate everyone's input.

I saw one in a store today that really grabbed my attention. It was a Steel City hybrid saw. Compared to the few other sub $500 saws it seemed really well built. It was a few bucks more but again it felt and looked really solid.

Anyone hear of them? Keep in mind, a couple of those of that brand that were smaller and cheaper were not as well built. This one has a granite table and seemed pretty heavy duty.
 
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