Aldi bandsaw fence woes..

[Steve Maskery]

Understandably you have learned a hard lesson about price and quality.
But before you go splashing serious cash, can I suggest that you spend a little on getting some proper expert guidance. It's all very well asking for help on a forum, but you will get a wide variety of opinion, but only some of it will be sound. I'm not having a go at any individual here, it's just a fact.
There are good resources out there which are a really good investment, and I don't just mean my own dvd. Peter also has one, there are American ones available as well as a couple of decent books. Spending 20 quid now could save you much more tomorrow because you will have a much better idea of what you need to do what you want and therefore how much you need to budget.
Many, many of us have travelled the road you are now travelling.

 

[MikeJhn]

Stock blade that came with it.

Before you splash out on a different bandsaw get a TuffSaw's blade it may, as it has with myself and others, transform you bandsaw into something usable.

 

[HomeyJay]

Been trying for a week now and no matter what I do, it just doesn’t cut straight. I contacted their tech support and the chap was very helpful but he also admitted that he had no idea why the saw was behaving like this and suggested returning it for a replacement / refund.
I’ll be dining this today or tomorrow so I guess I’ll still be on the lookout for a better one.

 

[Simon_M]

Looks like I got a Friday afternoon manufacture time..

Mon-Thurs are just as bad (see reviews e.g. ”this item is so poorly built it beggars belief. I am completely gobsmacked at how poorly made it is. no matter how I adjusted the blade guides the blade would not cut straight”).
Will you ask for a replacement or a refund Sat/Sun? Aldi have great customer service and (mostly) great products.

 

[HomeyJay]

Refund. Going to go for either a Record Power or Axminster. Just can’t decide between them. I’ve been looking for a decent used one on the forum and elsewhere but nothing’s around at the moment!

 

[Simon_M]

Record Power or Axminster. Just can’t decide between them.

Take some wood along to a store for a test drive and avoid any that don’t have decent roller bearings above/below a cast iron table. Fence should feel really solid when clamped down.

Better ones have tooless adjustment of thrust and side bearings (not ceramic pads) and ask to change the blade to assess ease of setup/adjustment.

 

[devonwoody]

Some good advice there.