Bandsaw advice

[Steve22]

Hi all I’ve got an 8” lumberjack bandsaw and let’s say I’m trying to get advice on getting a new one. Possibly a 12” or 14” with a flat table and straight fence because my fence is driving me more crazy than I am. Only ones I seen are Axminster record power heard of Laguna definitely not looking at Screwfix specials and needs to have wheels and easy to move.
Any advice or stpeering me in right direction would miost welcome. thanks steve

 

[Jameshow]

New or s/h?

It seems there are three levels
Record / charnwood
Record sabre / Laguna
Hammer fielder etc pro machines.

Or go s/h a startrite 351 would be good too.

 

[AndyMc]

If you can, go see them in person. Yandles has a good selection, Record Power, Laguna and Charnwood, although not many people on this forum seem to rate Charnwood. Scott and Sargeant another good option.

You might also look at the second hand market, lots on Gumtree or eBay. Other brands: Hammer, Itech, SIP, Centauro, Minimax.

 

[--Tom--]

Second hand startrite would give you a nice saw for reasonable money.
Bandsaws are great when they’re cutting nicely but a sod when they play up!

 

[Steve22]

New or s/h?

It seems there are three levels
Record / charnwood
Record sabre / Laguna
Hammer fielder etc pro machines.

Or go s/h a startrite 351 would be good too.

I was look for new but yoh wouldn’t recommend Axminster ?

 

[supertom44]

I have the record sabre 350 and absolutely love it, granted only had it a month.

I would have bought the Axminster AP2920B but it was and still is out of stock.

 

[Padster]

I have an Axi AC2606B from new it’s now AW2606B, no complaints, basically bought the largest I could afford that would fit in my workshop with a three pin plug, and this met the brief, would I recommend, yes, as I’ve had no issues and no real challenges.

HTH

Padster

 

[deema]

Have a read of the following restoration @Sideways and I did, it goes through everything you should look for in a bandsaw to ensure you buy a hood one.

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/threads/scm-minimax-s45-bandsaw-teardown-overhaul.135069/

 

[Jameshow]

I was look for new but yoh wouldn’t recommend Axminster ?

I forgot Aximinster! They have several different levels iirc.

 

[Steve22]

If you can, go see them in person. Yandles has a good selection, Record Power, Laguna and Charnwood, although not many people on this forum seem to rate Charnwood. Scott and Sargeant another good option.

You might also look at the second hand market, lots on Gumtree or eBay. Other brands: Hammer, Itech, SIP, Centauro, Minimax.

The trouble I have I only have a wheelchair to get about in so bus or taxis is only choice I have and local. On a percentage most second hand and new ones are normally up north I’m down south in Hampshire that’s why I tend to go for new as can get delivered and most drivers will drop it right by shed the odd few will help or put it inside for me which I am always great full.

 

[Ttrees]

Ergonomics is surely something to consider with much scrutiny, i.e most of the cheaper built saws
have the blade slot in the table on the side, rather than in line with the cut,
which I can only presume is much nicer to swap blades from a seated position with the former
seeing as you don't have to remove table insert aswell,
not to mention the possible niggles with a ridge to catch on, should the cast iron have a mind of it's own.

I take it you might loathe a machine which also needs the fence rail removed, what might rule out strictly curve cutting/doll house sized machines.

Not sure whats the limits of being practical in your case,
the smaller machines have the tension screw on top,
though I read @Phil Pascoe's got a bandsaw, and I'd see wot he says.
(did I read he's got a 350 or 400 RP machine?)

Features apart from that might be a detensioning lever, which I guess might help quite a bit,
though ner played around with a saw with this feature.

Not sure why the majority of Eastern machines don't go the Italian route with the blade guard,
as I recall it being a right pain to "thread" a blade through the slot on a previous machine I had.

Also worth noting, kinda difficult to suggest something what might suit, seeing as we don't
know if you might have a raised floor section,
should you be looking at machines on stilts which the table height is taller compared to something like a 400mm saw.
How smooth yer floor is might be another thing,
and how tightly does it need pack away, i.e do you need the large wheels under the machine,
on yer proposed saw with possibly shortened stilts, or can you have them taking up
more footprint, and the logistics for want to move the machine is for functionality,
and not for a cramped environment.

Carl Holmgren's many machine bases with retractable caster designs might be worth youtubing,
should you wish to use a hand powered lever rather than a pedal.

And lastly, worth noting that if possible whatsoever, you may end up finding somewhere for it
to reside permanently, since it could/might be the most "core machine" you have in the workshop,
and as such, might surely be worth considering re-arranging things for.

Just posting a wee piccy of a nice 440mm saw, fairly low, tension screw is under the upper wheel,
and a sensible blade guard compared to most other brands.
I guess you might not be looking for something like so, just posting for value aspect,and to point
out the tension screw which starts on the 400 and sensible guard.

Good luck

 

[Spectric]

The older Record BS400 can be brought for reasonable money and I assume you are looking for single phase not three phase which can rule out some decent second hand machinery. As to size, floor standing machines don't take up that much more space than ones sitting on a cabinet as I found when I brought the BS400 and not the 350 model. What you ideally need is a forum member who lives in your vicinity to assist as you don't have transport and they may know of a decent used machine for sale.

 

[Steve22]

Ergonomics is surely something to consider with much scrutiny, i.e most of the cheaper built saws
have the blade slot in the table on the side, rather than in line with the cut,
which I can only presume is much nicer to swap blades from a seated position with the former
seeing as you don't have to remove table insert aswell,
not to mention the possible niggles with a ridge to catch on, should the cast iron have a mind of it's own.

I take it you might loathe a machine which also needs the fence rail removed, what might rule out strictly curve cutting/doll house sized machines.

Not sure whats the limits of being practical in your case,
the smaller machines have the tension screw on top,
though I read @Phil Pascoe's got a bandsaw, and I'd see wot he says.
(did I read he's got a 350 or 400 RP machine?)

Features apart from that might be a detensioning lever, which I guess might help quite a bit,
though ner played around with a saw with this feature.

Not sure why the majority of Eastern machines don't go the Italian route with the blade guard,
as I recall it being a right pain to "thread" a blade through the slot on a previous machine I had.

Also worth noting, kinda difficult to suggest something what might suit, seeing as we don't
know if you might have a raised floor section,
should you be looking at machines on stilts which the table height is taller compared to something like a 400mm saw.
How smooth yer floor is might be another thing,
and how tightly does it need pack away, i.e do you need the large wheels under the machine,
on yer proposed saw with possibly shortened stilts, or can you have them taking up
more footprint, and the logistics for want to move the machine is for functionality,
and not for a cramped environment.

Carl Holmgren's many machine bases with retractable caster designs might be worth youtubing,
should you wish to use a hand powered lever rather than a pedal.

And lastly, worth noting that if possible whatsoever, you may end up finding somewhere for it
to reside permanently, since it could/might be the most "core machine" you have in the workshop,
and as such, might surely be worth considering re-arranging things for.

Just posting a wee piccy of a nice 440mm saw, fairly low, tension screw is under the upper wheel,
and a sensible blade guard compared to most other brands.
I guess you might not be looking for something like so, just posting for value aspect,and to point
out the tension screw which starts on the 400 and sensible guard.

Good luck
View attachment 165026
View attachment 165027

I’ve not read all of this yet but I’ve got a lumberjack 8” benchtop all I could afford at time so not a great photo but has a tin table or something ive broken two blades last one had no load just started it 2 minutes later bang