Looking at Craftsman, Harbour Freight and Northern Tools. Would mainly use for woodworking. Looks like they all come 1.3 HP and 2.5 amp. Any advice, concerns or preference welcome. Any other brands I should consider?
Larry
Larry
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9" Band Saw
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jlrhiner
US Veteran
I have a lot of wood tools, some Craftsman, some Rigid, some Jet. IMHO, duty cycle is a big issue. Some of the smaller tools come in somewhere around 20% duty, which is about 10 minutes an hour. What does that mean? It means if you really want to use it, you'll burn it up.
Higher end/pro series tools are Grizzly, Delta, Jet and Shopsmith. But there'll be a BIG jump in price.
My recommendation? Rigid, Jet and Delta. I like the Rigid line because of their dual-voltage motors on their big saws. (110/220)
Higher end/pro series tools are Grizzly, Delta, Jet and Shopsmith. But there'll be a BIG jump in price.
My recommendation? Rigid, Jet and Delta. I like the Rigid line because of their dual-voltage motors on their big saws. (110/220)
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bdsorcic
Member
I would like to comment on a 'Rikon 10" Bench Top Bandsaw Model 10-305' they are pretty good for the money... look it up.
Got one had it for several years and it did it's job for me...
Got one had it for several years and it did it's job for me...
jaykellogg
Absent Comrade
Between the three you mentioned I would give the edge to Northern. I bought a Delta (Chinese) planer at Home Depot and they no linger stock replacement blades or parts for it. I guess I would go with Rigid.
Intheshop
Member
Old Delta 14's have been the de rigueur "contour" BS's for a loooong time.Theres good reason.I think ours is a '47.
The small BS's(small being anything less than 14)have such a bad rep that you can usually find them used for pennies on the dollar.Theres a good reason.Got a C.I.,10" Rockwell free several years ago.Without going into loong boring story,it was modified to run as a band sander.Which it does a fantastic job at.....
We do "right much" biz on WW equip(re-habbing/locating).PM me if you want to take it offline.Good luck.
The small BS's(small being anything less than 14)have such a bad rep that you can usually find them used for pennies on the dollar.Theres a good reason.Got a C.I.,10" Rockwell free several years ago.Without going into loong boring story,it was modified to run as a band sander.Which it does a fantastic job at.....
We do "right much" biz on WW equip(re-habbing/locating).PM me if you want to take it offline.Good luck.
Smithhound
US Veteran
I bought a Delta X5 several years ago and am very happy with it, sadly it doesn't get the use it deserves, but that's fixng to change. I put a 6" lift on it and can now resaw 12" boards for laminating etc. Biggest problem is dust collection, very poor design. Get 'The Bandsaw Book' if you don't already own it. Good info.
RD
RD
ohiobuckeye
Member
Most of the small bench top bandsaws have very poor blade guides. If you stick with a cheap saw, pick the cheapest one that has ball bearing guides left/right and fore/aft....makes following the line so much easier without all the blade wobble
Ivan the Butcher
Member
Have a table top Delta somewhere around here. It has had light use for around 20 years and is doing fine. A finr tooth wood blade cuts brass rifle cases for reforming real well! Ivan
deralte
US Veteran
I had a Craftsman and used it for 16 years before selling all my woodworking equipment. Never had any problems and the blades were easy to change. Keep in mind the throat depth - to small and you will be limited as to what you can do.
photobiker
Member
Not sure my input is any good because things are different today than yesteryear. In the early 70's I bought all Craftsman tools to support my woodworking hobby. In 1979 I decided to move and finish my engineering degree. There was no college fund in my family so I opened a cabinet shop to pay the bills. I built cabinets, reproductions, did plastic laminates and refinishing. I had the shop for 5 years, 3 years after graduating, thought I would make a go of it. Not a businessman, a craftsman. Just couldn't bring myself to charge a fair price and ended up working for probably $1.00 an hour by the time all was said and done. Today I still use the 10" table saw, the 6" jointer and the 12" band saw. The router is just barely hanging on. Got away from Craftsman sanders, they just couldn't do the job very long. Went through a few Craftsman drills but it was cheaper to replace them than buy a good one.
I'll tell you todays tool prices are less than the day when I had the shop. I paid almost $500 for an air nailer. Today you can get 3 different size nailers and air hose for half of what I paid.
They used to be good, don't know about today.
I'll tell you todays tool prices are less than the day when I had the shop. I paid almost $500 for an air nailer. Today you can get 3 different size nailers and air hose for half of what I paid.
They used to be good, don't know about today.
Rikon is who makes the Craftsman 10" bench top band saw (21400) for Sears. It got high marks in reviews done by Wood Magazine and ShopNotes Magazine. It is virtually the same machine, differing in cosmetics, and sells for much less than the Rikon 10-305.
Not a bad machine for smaller projects, but if you have the space and budget, you're better off with a 14" saw.
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CAJUNLAWYER
Member
Go big or go home is pretty good advice when choosing power tools in my experience.
THE PILGRIM
Member
The Harbor Freight tools are just ****. Buy one of the others already recommemded.
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