Horizontal bandsaw question

You might motivate me to dig-out a Johnson that I have in storage that is better than anything you will find new.

Steve,

J&L has had their import 7x12 on sale for a while now at $439. I have one of these and a buddy of mine just aquired one. These are the best deal I could find on this size of saw. If your in an area with lots of auctions, finding one second hand can yield a better saw at a cheaper price with some elbow grease required. It can also lead to a lot of time spent looking for that great deal. Been there, done that. All depends on what your priorities are. If your looking for a decent saw without tracking down and rebuilding an old one, check out the downloadable flyer page at.

Part number is BMMBS-71200M

No other connection with J&L besides a satisfied customer.

I just can't imagine what a higher priced in the same size catagory can do that a cheaper HF brand won't There all basically the same. With a small amouont of time and some tinkering its a fine saw. After

20 years I am still waiting for my HF saw to give up the ghost, so I can go to the larger model saw HF sells as a lot of times I sure wished I could have a bit more capacity. So if I was to go out in my shop now and have my HF bandsaw die on me, I would be really bummed out, but not pissed off, as it has served me well and soes what I ask of it to do and then some.

There was always the talk about Jet having better quality control than Grizzly, etc etc and they all basically come out of the same few factories in China / Taiwan, and that Jet gets first dibs on the better machines, and Grizzley gets the next, etc etc, but I don;t buy that bull$hit after buying a brand new lathe and seeing other items JET has made. Its all a crap shoot when buying anything today and the cheap HF is no better or worse than a JET or other brand is.

For three hundred bucks I would buy 2 harbor freights or spring an extra 100 and buy the larger model they have.

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expressed are those of my wifes, I had no input whatsoever. Remove "nospam" from email addy.

I thank you for perhaps the best answer I have seen.

I buy quality stuff. I have done this for a long time. Hell, I spent $240 for a NexGen EQC helmet when I had two regular Jacksons. BUT, I do own some very cheap Chinese pipe wrenches, hammers, and various tools ala HF. With some, it don't make five cents of difference where you buy them, other than the retail price.

My reluctance to buy a HF bandsaw was that I like to research a product, and then when I buy, I buy knowing that this thing is going to last a very long time. I am skeptical and cautions of the metals used in these cheaper products, and as you know, some have very high failure rates or short lifespans.

However, I have heard it too many times that the HF bandsaws are a GOOD bandsaw that will stand up to many years of use by a hobbyist. Even with the minor tweaking, it is not like the bearings or main components are going to wear out soon.

I am going to buy the better one at HF here soon when I set up my fab business. I have narrowed my equipment down to specific models, and now feel that I will buy with confidence. I have selected a Lincoln Squarewave

175 TIG welder, a PowerMax 380 Plasma Cutter, a HF saw, a Victor torch set, and a HF bender.

Now, if I can just get caught up with the honeydews and remodeling, I can get on to some of MY projects..............................

Steve

What actually wears out on these little saws is the gears in the gearbox. You can get replacement gears from the Jet or Delta parts network, but I don't know if they will fit an HF saw. I doubt you will be able to get replacement parts from HF - heck, they have probably sold many different versions of the 4x6" saw and don't keep track! However, if you clean out the gearbox when new, and keep good gear oil in it, you should get decent life out of it.

Once you have a cutoff bandsaw, like a drill press, you will wonder how you ever got along without it.

Grant Erwin

Ohhhhh..Johnson band saw...good Stuff!

Gunner

"To be civilized is to restrain the ability to commit mayhem. To be incapable of committing mayhem is not the mark of the civilized, merely the domesticated." - Trefor Thomas

I am in for lunch right now. I am working on a wrought iron project outside. I am using my Makita chop saw. There HAS to be something better than this............

Steve

Steve,

I have a Grizzly 6x10 that I purchased after using my "no name" 4x6 for several years. I liked that 4x6 a lot, so when I had the need I moved up in capacity. When I say that I liked it a lot, I mean that it was a great time saver and rarely had any problems. It's overall quality was pretty low and that in itself made it hard to love. I kept that saw to use as a backup saw for the smaller jobs when the bigger machine was busy.

If you go with the 4x6 saw you will probably want to go through it and upgrade/repair some of the weak areas. There are several sites listing the common corrections needed.

I do think that all these machines are the same, except for small details. The difference is in after sales support. Grizzly has excellent customer support, at least for the few times I have required it (not for the saw).

There are important differences to look for in the "better" models, however. For instance, Grizzly sells two 4x6 machines, the basic and the Swivel Head. They have the same specs as far as speed and capacity. The Swivel model has the hydrallic down feed and is better balanced.

The hydrallic downfeed should be included with "all" saws. The spring-type counter balance just sucks, It will work though, as many have testifed. Don't wander off while making a cut.

The question of balance is is a safety issue. These 4x6 machines can fall over "backwards" when raised fully to the vertical position. It really doesn't take much to get them to flip over when sawing on what they call a table.

The bigger machines may also include a coolant pump, a feature I use often when cutting thicker stuff.

All the problems with the 4x6 saws except capacity can be corrected with money and ellbow grease, however.

Steven Harris

Harbor Freight actually has pretty good service for parts.

Dan

Thanks for the tip, Grant.... I just broke down and ordered the HF $169 saw.... I've read a lot of posts/websites about it and it seems like I will be okay with it, even with a few modifications. When it arrives, I will make the mods before I even start to use it and appreciate the tip about the gear oil. Thanks again. Ken.

Actually, HF is pretty good about getting you replacement parts. Like anything you order from HF, it may take a while to get them to you. That's the big advantage of buying from an outfit like MSC, their service is *quick*. But if you aren't in a hurry, HF gets the job done.

Gary