bandsaw decision failure

[wobblycogs]

Hi everyone,

I wonder if you could help me out with some advice regarding which bandsaw I should get. I've been doing my homework and I know what sort of specification I want and I think I've narrowed it down but it's a big purchase and I need someone to hold my hand .

First off the spec: going by the principal of buy good once I've stretched the budget up to a limit of £1000 so that I can get a nice piece of kit that will hopefully last me till I'm too old and grey to do woodwork any more (uh oh, I'm 35 and I'm already grey!). I'd like a machine that is a good compromise between size and power. In other words it can take a blade small enough to do somewhat detailed work but large enough so that it can resaw 200mm of oak.

The one that I currently have my eye on is a new Startrite 352E but I've been able to find very little information about it on the Internet. Also in the running is the Jet JWBS-16 MK2 but it's a bit over an already serious stretched budget. I've noticed a lot of people recommending trying to get hold of an old Startrite 352 but a couple of weeks of checking eBay hasn't turned any up.

Lower down the price scale is the Axminster AWHBS400N which appears to tick all the boxes. The basic machine certainly looks well built but when I looked at one in store I could't help feeling they had made it cheap by lowering the quality of all the bits you touch. I'm also a bit dubious about blade changing, since this will be my only saw the blade will probably be changed a fair bit and having to completely remove the fence will quickly become boring I'm sure.

So, should I go for a Startrite 352E or save some money and go with a cheaper alternative?

Cheers

 

[beech1948]

wobblycogs.
An older Startrite 351/2 ( single speed/two speed) would be fine and from ebay about £350 to £500. You nwould need to do some cleaning and rust removal probably.

A new Startrite 352E may be overkill. I think the E designation is for Educational use. A simple 351/2 would suffice probably.

Startrite has in modern times gone down a bit in quality but not too far and I would prefer the older nachines ( I have an old 352) but the advantage of a brand spanking new one is that there is nothing to do.

Your in Gloucester so look for your local Startrite dealer and go have a look and chat and hopefully a play. The only o I come up with are Yandles in Martok buts its a bit of a trip from Glous.
Regards and good luck
Alan

 

[wobblycogs]

Hmm, that's certainly food for thought. I agree it's probably overkill to get a new Startrite but I'm justifying it to myself is that this is the only one I'll ever buy (probably ). The E is for education but as far as I know they no longer make a plain 352. I believe they just added a kick switch and lock for the power.

Thanks for telling me what the difference between a 351 and a 352 is. I've seen a few 351's come up on the bay which looked pretty good. I certainly don't mind cleaning off a bit of rust so maybe I'll keep looking for a bit longer.

 

[beech1948]

deleted
alan

 

[stuartpaul]

Wobbly,

I picked up a 352E at the last Yandles show as they always have deals.

Like you I intend this to be my last bandsaw purchase and so far I've been really pleased with it. Equipped with some tuff saw blades it knocks the socks off anything I've used before.

Can be a bit fiddly to set up but certainly has plenty of adjustments to get it really fine tuned. The instructions are complete cr@p! so you have to learn how to play with all its adjustments.

If you do pick up a second hand one I've got a spare table and fence for it so I could pass these your way if interested.

Stuart

 

[Dodge]

Just to throw a spanner in the works have you thought about the Felder/Hammer N4400 Bandsaw.

I know that when my Axminster plus dies I will probably go for one of them as a replacement.

Rog

 

[Guggs]

If you have that sort of money to spend get in touch with a used woodworking machine specialist and buy a quality used machine i.e Wadkin or Dominion . They are built to last ,solid and reliable . New doesn't mean best .

 

[wobblycogs]

Thanks for the that Stuart and Rog. I'll check out the Fleder in the morning - when I'm not full of wine and prone to making snap decisions .

I requested the manual for the 352E and someone from Stratrite sent it through a few days later, I agree it's absolute rubbish. I noticed several obvious spelling / grammatical mistakes and at least a couple of factual mistakes. Well I hope they are factual mistakes because the manual says that the table tilt is only 0 to 20 deg which I can't believe is correct. Any chance you could confirm that it's 0 to 45 or -10 to 45 like every other bandsaw on the market.

 

[devonwoody]

Regarding the manuals, (a little off topic)
I recall a 16 year old granddaughter of ours used to write articles for travel brochures (she had not even visited the holiday destinations) for payment.
Her father wrote technical articles for a national organization so she most probably had assistance.
So perhaps those machine manuals are written by a young schoolboy in Taiwan. :wink:

 

[RogerS]

If you have that sort of money to spend get in touch with a used woodworking machine specialist and buy a quality used machine i.e Wadkin or Dominion . They are built to last ,solid and reliable . New doesn't mean best .

The only drawback with those is that usually they are 3-phase.

 

[Mike Wingate]

I bought a second hand Startrite 352 over 10 years ago. It is great. I have had to replace the starter switchgear last year, but that was no real problem. I don't like the cast iron fence, I added a 1" thick MDF extension to it, but it works. I may add an Axminster/Jet type fence to it. That is the only decent part of the school bandsaws that I use.

 

[stuartpaul]

Any chance you could confirm that it's 0 to 45 or -10 to 45 like every other bandsaw on the market.

It has a 'stop' for some reason that prevents 45. It's only a bolt so easily removed to allow bigger angles.

Heaven alone knows why they fit it? :roll:

 

[tomatwark]

I have a Hammer sander, and a joiner I know has the planer thicknesser and spindle moulder.

For the money they are OK but are very lightly made.

The joiner I know likes his planer but there are bits about the spindle he is not to happy about.

I am not saying don't buy a Hammer but would definately go and look at one and play with it before you spend your money.

Tom