Bandsaw Blades

[Lons]

Just got to say - what a great response from a retailer. There's quite a few retailers that could learn from this...

+1
Ian has to be applauded for his professional, reasoned and calm response to inaccurate comments, effectively attacking his products, I would have been much less polite.

Keep up the good work Ian, I for one find your blades very good value for money and am very happy to recommend them having also had a number of Axminster blades previously. Unfortunately for you Tuffsaw blades last a very long time on my Startrite 352 so I don't need to order large quantities.

 

[Spectric]

Ian has to be applauded for his professional, reasoned and calm response to inaccurate comments, effectively attacking his products, I would have been much less polite.

When a supplier knows that his products are really good at a competative price with good customer loyality and that the company brand is synonomous with a product then people know these sort of comments cannot be substantiated and take them with a pinch of salt. I have never used Axminster bandsaw blades but can say their router bits can be somewhat naff.

 

[pgrbff]

I

The other poster said that you do diamond ground blades, you do, but they are not comparable to the Axi GT which are a "standard" wood working blade. He was not comparing like for like items.
Hence I said yours are far more expensive AND SPECIALIST compared to the Axi GT blades.

The comparable blade you sell to the GT blade is the carbon blade, but that blade is not as good (in my opinion) and is more expensive than the GT blade. Is that wrong? Unless your prices have changed (your website is not showing prices currently) since I last ordered from you, the GT is still cheaper. Is this clearer now?

I didn't make any comparison I just stated "Tuffsaws have a range, at least some are diamond ground."

 

[Rorschach]

I didn't make any comparison I just stated "Tuffsaws have a range, at least some are diamond ground."

Yep and I mistakenly only thought the super/premium blades were diamond ground because they were the only ones that specifically stated this on the website. Ian has corrected me there that some of the "standard" blades are also diamond ground, but not the ones that I bought from him.

 

[pgrbff]

I wish Ian was still sending abroad though!

 

[NormanB]

If I could just chip in here. I am very happy with Tuffsaw blades but more importantly have had both great advice/recommendations from Ian and customer service that is without peer.

 

[oakhouse]

I've gone back to Axminster because I've had 5 Tuffsaw blades break on my small 10" bandsaw.

Other suppliers:
APTC - Bandsaw Blades - Sawing - Machinery Accessories - Accessories | Axminster Tools
Dakin Flathers (Ripper 37 - W Yorks) - Bandsaw Blade and Bandknife Blade Manufacturers | Dakin-Flathers
(Swadlincote) - Bandsaw Blades - By Blade Length
Hamilton Beverstock - Beverstock Ltd. - Bandsaw Blades and CNC Sharpening
Just Bandsaw Blades - Welcome to Just Bandsaw Blades - the Online Shop from NLS Tools
KR Saws (Coventry) - http://www.krsaws.co.uk/
NLS Tools - NLS Tools - UK Manufacturers of Precision Cutting Tools for Wood, Plastics and Non-Ferrous Metals
Saws UK (Heathfield) - Saws UK Ltd Bandsaw Blades and Bandsaw Machines suppliers, UK
The Bandsaw Shop - https://thebandsawshop.com/
Trucut - Trucut, The Narrow Bandsaw Specialists - Home

i have good experience with Axminster and warranty is good if blade snaps
there is also a manufacturer in Swadlincote near Burton on Trent - very helpful for these odd bits as well. called Appleby woodturnings - worth a look in interweb

 

[Gerard Scanlan]

I wish Ian was still sending abroad though!

Same here. I have a dwindling stock of Tuffsaw blades. Hopefully the Brexit rules will get ironed out before I run out.

 

[gilljc]

I don't comment very often, but felt I had to here
As a know nothing about band saws, I have struggled occasionally with what to buy and how to use it when I do.
I have bought from Axminster, and it was fine.
I consistently buy from Tuffsaws now partly because the blades do the the job I abuse them for, but mainly because the advice and after sales advice I've had over the years has been amazing, to the point where I become embarrassed to ask any questions as Ian has been so helpful
Sadly I've never found Axminster even remotely helpful with after sales service, but I have noticed their prices climbing along with the threshold for free postage. I'm back to thinking of buying my scrollsaw blades from the US again.

 

[pgrbff]

I don't comment very often, but felt I had to here
As a know nothing about band saws, I have struggled occasionally with what to buy and how to use it when I do.
I have bought from Axminster, and it was fine.
I consistently buy from Tuffsaws now partly because the blades do the the job I abuse them for, but mainly because the advice and after sales advice I've had over the years has been amazing, to the point where I become embarrassed to ask any questions as Ian has been so helpful
Sadly I've never found Axminster even remotely helpful with after sales service, but I have noticed their prices climbing along with the threshold for free postage. I'm back to thinking of buying my scrollsaw blades from the US again.

I cant agree more. And the final nail in the coffin for Axminster as far as I am concerned is when they started charging export customers more than Uk customers even though I was paying in sterling.

 

[Alexam]

I've gone back to Axminster because I've had 5 Tuffsaw blades break on my small 10" bandsaw.

Tuffsaw blades have been very good for me for the last 5 years and only had a couple break that was my fault when I wrongly set the tension too high. To have 5 break suggests that you have not tuned the bandsaw correctly. However, when a break is at the weld, Tuffsaw have repaired it for free and often thrown in another blade for inconvenience.

That sort of service is unique these days and the cutting quality of the blades is far better that many others from what I have heard from reports on this site over these years.

 

[Robbo3]

To have 5 break suggests that you have not tuned the bandsaw correctly. However, when a break is at the weld, Tuffsaw have repaired it for free and often thrown in another blade for inconvenience.

The Tuffsaw blades didn't break at the weld. They were the ones recommended by Ian after my first one snapped.

If I was over tensioning the blades then the thinner-metal Axminster ones should fail faster. The Axminster blade installed some seven months ago is still working perfectly.

 

[Rorschach]

The Tuffsaw blades didn't break at the weld. They were the ones recommended by Ian after my first one snapped.

If I was over tensioning the blades then the thinner-metal Axminster ones should fail faster. The Axminster blade installed some seven months ago is still working perfectly.

Shhh, going against the consensus isn't allowed, it MUST have been your fault

 

[clogs]

you need to know.....
most suppliers of any kind of blade do so mainly on price.....
the guy that often does the ordering does not or ever will used this blade......
A specialist like Ian at Tuff Saw will be constantly looking at his suppliers for quality and price.....as he needs to be competative....
BUT he will also use and abuse the blade stock he buy's because he is totally reliant on repeat and recomended clients.....
I use his wood and metal blades......
a metal blade I bought from machine mart....middle of a job and they were just around the corner....
was as expensive as one of tuff Saws but Ians had Cobalt in it.....it's a brilliant blade and reg cut 60mm solid bar and 10"x10mm plate stock....
Not that I want him to increase his prices ...hahaha....but we HAVE TO support the small supplier.....
I for one will not buy band saw blades from anywhere else.....
when I buy my blades they get delivered to family then they send them and other stuff in my Red Cross parcels...

 

[Lons]

Which bandsaw do you have Robbo? Despite snide remarks by Rorschach I seriously doubt anyone would castigate you for a genuine issue, I'm sure Ian wouldn't.

In all the years I've owned and used bandsaws I've never heard of a blade breaking except at the weld and none of the other woodworkers I know have reported one either, I'd add to that though it's a very long time ago when I ran a company which included sales of machinery and tooling mainly to industry we sold Starrett blades in quantity however we had a large machine on which we cut and welded our own made also from Starrett material, I saw every returned item and can conclusively state that every breakage, and we had a few was at or against the weld.

BTW, My first ever bandsaw was a little DeWalt 100 which was relatively hard on blades but that's pretty well known as it's driven over 3 small wheels.

 

[scooby]

I've only used blades from Tuff Saws, Record Power and Axminster. Not that it matters (imo) but I've had 2 blades snap, 1 was Tuff Saws and the other was RP. Both at the weld, and I'd admit that was probably due to me not tensioning it correctly on my small home workshop Bandsaw. I've never had any break on the larger bandsaw at work.
I found the blades from Axminster and Tuff Saws to be pretty similar but if I had to pick one, it'd be Tuff Saws. At one point, I sent Ian a lot of lengthy emails with various questions and all were promptly replied in a very detailed manner.

 

[harryc]

Tuffsaws every time for me, never had a problem with them and do exactly what they are supposed to at a great price it has to be said.

 

[Robbo3]

Which bandsaw do you have Robbo? Despite snide remarks by Rorschach I seriously doubt anyone would castigate you for a genuine issue, I'm sure Ian wouldn't.

Sheppach Basa 1. I've also had a Burgess 3 wheeler, Elu 3501 & also have a Startrite 352 & never had a blade snap on any of them.
I have to juggle the tools in use because of space & although it's an extra tool it's much easier to move the smaller bandsaw rather than the larger one.
Mostly straight cuts of 50mm or less but I did manage to squeeze some 100mm softwood through, it's stated maximum, with the APTC blade by taking it extremely slowly.

 

[Lons]

Sheppach Basa 1. I've also had a Burgess 3 wheeler, Elu 3501 & also have a Startrite 352 & never had a blade snap on any of them.
I have to juggle the tools in use because of space & although it's an extra tool it's much easier to move the smaller bandsaw rather than the larger one.
Mostly straight cuts of 50mm or less but I did manage to squeeze some 100mm softwood through, it's stated maximum, with the APTC blade by taking it extremely slowly.

Strange it's just 1 machine Robbo, i have't any experience of the Sheppach but almost exactly the same as you on the others DW 100 / DW3501 / Startrite 352. The first two from new and Startrite secondhand. No unexplained blade issues with any on my part over 40 years.

 

[pgrbff]

I have a basa1 too, with blades from Tuffsaws