Replies

1. 
   AlanWS | Jul 27, 2004 10:07pm | #1

   Some are happy with Central Machinery (Harbor Freight, or HF) tools, while some think they are trash, both with reason. Of the tools you mention, the bandsaw has a pretty good reputation. The assembly instructions are so unbelievably bad that they are entertaining. It's very common to need to go buy some bolts to finish assmbly, since the wrong set was included. But Harbor Freight is good about taking things back, even parts you want to exchange like a table that isn't flat or a wheel out of round. If you are willing to put in some time messing with the tool, you can get to work well at low cost. But if you are not willing to put in the time and effort to make it work well, you should stay far away.

   I have the bandsaw, and it works very well, easily passing the nickel test and cutting smooth veneer < 1/8" thick. I put on a link belt ($15), reinforced the base with plywood, added a long blade tension crank ($2 threaded rod, and wood) and good blade ($15-30. The HF blades are absolute trash, even by my standards), and I use cool blocks or the HF roller blocks ($10), depending on blade size. For a $219 bandsaw, with another $45 in it, it's less painful to cut a hole for dust collection. The main difficulty at this point is that the guides are not as convenient to adjust as on a more expensive machine. You will therefore spend more of your time adjusting it than with another bandsaw. If you run a production shop, the time will cost you much more than the price difference. If you do woodworking for entertainment, and you find tweaking the machine entertaining, you will do well with this. If you learn how to get the most out of this bandsaw and then decide to get a better one, you will not be out much money. I would have been unable to get it working this well without a book like Duginske's "Bandsaw Handbook".

   Fewer people are happy with the jointer, though some are. The fence is not good, so if you plan to change the setting rarely, you might be happy with it. Likely the quality control is uneven, so buy only if you are willing to check it out thoroughly, and exchange part or all of it if you find a table out of flat or something. A jointer is pretty heavy to transport more than once. I decided against it.

   I don't know about the mortiser, but have heard people are happy with the drill press. I needed a drill press for a specific task, and the small $40 one worked for me. It has quite low runout, but is very small and has no bells or whistles. (Handles are flimsy, limiter is inconvenient, but it drills good holes square to the table.) When I need a real drill press, I'll look around.

   If you are interested in low-end tools, the fine Woodworking site is where you will find people who can explain why these tools do not meet their needs. A forum where the aesthetic involves low cost and/or building tools can be found here: http://www.bt3central.com/forum/forum.asp?FORUM_ID=3

   That site is also useful in that assembly directions for most HF tools are to be found with decent photos and discussion of where included instructions are wrong.

   The other HF tool that has a lot of enthusiasts is the 2 HP dust collector that frequently sells for $150 or less. It also needs modification to filter better and decrease flow resistance.

   Good luck.