I do not have a bandsaw but I know someone who has a table top bandsaw that he says was used once. It is a Craftsman and I do not know the model number. He wants to sell it for roughly $50. I was wondering if a used tabletop bandsaw is worth purchasing or should I hold out and save for a floor model? Any opinions from tabletop bandsaw users would be helpful. I didn’t really anticipate purchasing any type of bandsaw at this time but maybe this deal is too good to pass up..
Regards,
Buzzsaw
Replies
I had the delta tabletop that I bought for just over $100, and less than a year later was thrilled to get $45 for it and the several new blades that I bought.
The person who bought it from me told me what a great saw it was, then a few months later told me he also traded up.
My next bandsaw was the 14 inch Jet. OK, but no fence, horrible dust collection, etc., so I sold it and got the Grizzly G0555. That should have been my first purchase (with the riser block)
________________________
Charlie Plesums Austin, Texas
http://www.plesums.com/wood
I have a Ryobi table top BS and hope to trade up to the Grizz 14" someday if I can get rid of this dust catcher. I don't use the BS, it just sits on the shelf. I use my jigsaw, as it has a more reliable cut.
I bought the Delta tabletop (57" blade) close to 10 years ago for one specific project, figuring I'd sell it at a small loss when done. I still have it, and use it frequently. The drawback is not much power or capacity. The benefits are it doesn't take up much space, it's very precise, and the narrow blades it uses give you really fine control on small stuff. I made a 90* fence which bolts to the saw table, and can resaw (very slowly) 4" figured mahogany in 1/16" thickness, with a .025" x 3/8" blade. With other blades I regularly cut brass and aluminum plate up to 1/8" thick. Even if I had a larger BS, I'd keep this one as a "precision tool."
I started out with the Craftsman tabletop . The small diameter of the wheels causes a lot of blade flexing resulting in frequent blade breakages. It was annoying (and costly enough) that I quickly went to a 14 in Jet. My 2 cents, save your money. Art
The only reason I'd like a benchtop is so I could leave an 1/8th or 1/4" blade on it all the time for light scroll work and leave a 1/2" blade on my floor model all the time for re-sawing and straight cuts. Changing blades takes time and attention.
Buzz,
Not such a good deal !! You can buy my craftsman three wheeler that was used about 3 times for $25 bucks...but you have to promise not to curse me or my children afterwards.
I was at Rockler yesterday and they had a sale on for the Delta 14" (made in China) for $599.....I bought the same saw last Jan. for $410 and drove it home... that includes tax...wait for a sale
BUZZ, Don't take a chance on losing a good friend. I have one here and I hate it. The three wheel Pieca $#^% will not keep the blade on track
Even if by some miracle, it does keep the blade centered on the wheels, just one motion to back the stock away will toss the blade off the $%#^&* wheels.
I've tried altering and beefing up the tension 'Gismo' to no avail. The adjustable foot which holds the guide wheels is machined several degrees west of the center line and is positioned in a rough casting groove that is primitive.
Just keeping it for the motor
Will not give it to Bin Laden!
Steinmetz
Edited 8/12/2004 3:57 pm ET by steinmetz
I had one of those three-wheeled Craftsman benchtop band saws for a few years and the onlt thing it did for me was improve my ability to swear without repeating myself. It had to be one of the worst tools I ever bought. If I had been halfway smart, I would have paid someone $50 to take it away. - lol
I got a Jet 14" bandsaw a couple of years ago and discovered that a GOOD bandsaw is a must have for any shop.
I have the Delta Benchtop Model and love it..the only thing it wont do well is re-saw..not enough height really...but otherwise its a great saw..a little tweaking here and their as usual for set-up ..I have no complaints at all....
JC
When it comes to bandsaws, the bigger the better. A benchtop model will only result in frustration,vibration, poor tracking and a lighter wallet.
The blade is as important as the saw. I use Timber Wolf blades. Before I tried them, I could not get a straight cut -- the cut always wandered. I tried Timber Wolf and the first time (without any tuning of the saw) I was able to cut straight and thin enough in oak to actually see through the cutoff. I was told they are milled rather than stamped. By the way, the bandsaw is an old Craftsman which I would not recommend but I bought it in the late 70's.
81treehouse
Well, not all the benchtop bandsaws are crap............
I have had a 10" Inca for years (the direct drive model), and it is just about the sweetest piece of precision equipment you could imagine. For projects within its capacity, I much prefer it over the big Laguna which sits a few feet away.
But unfortunately, Garrett Wade no longer imports it, and I expect that getting parts will be a growing problem over time.
I would guess there must be some manufacturer plotting their strategies as we speak, for introducing a high quality, benchtop bandsaw for the U.S. market.
Until that time, I advise that you start a "bandsaw fund" with the $50 you mention, and save yourself a whole lot of aggravation.
Thank you all for the informative posts on the Craftsman benchtop band saw. It sounds like the Delta benchtop may be worth the investment, but not the Craftsman. I pretty much decided not to buy it thanks to all of your posts. I may look into the Delta model as a few of you had some positive posts about that model. But I may just save up for a floor model or look into purchasing a used one. Does anyone out there know a good place to buy used power tools?Regards,
Buzzsaw
Watching the newspaper classifieds is a good place to start, along with checking out the local woodworking clubs in your area.
Also, if there are any smallish cabinet making shops nearby, it wouldn't hurt to stop by and tell them what you're looking for. They may not have one, but might know someone who does.
Good luck.
Ditto on the news paper. I've never seen as good of deals on Ebay as I bought localy in the paper.
Mikeplease excuse my spelling.
I also have the Delta table top band saw. I love it. I've had it for about two years. I use it all the time and just put a new blade on it today. The blade was easy to track, tension's good, smooth cuts, no complaints.
Renee
Thanks for the info. I guess it may be worth the investment in a Delta. Could you give me the model number that you bought and the rough price?Regards,
Buzzsaw
I believe the model is 28-150, but I'll double check. The blade is 59 1/2". I paid about $100 for it.
Renee
I too have acraftsman tabletop. About all it is good for is quick cutoff, etc. I will upgrade to a floor one day, but need to make better use of my available shop space. If you have space, go for something better!!!
Ron,
I guess that makes it unanimous... Thanks.Regards,
Buzzsaw
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled