Bandsaw, Good Old manufacturers

[Jonm]

I am looking in to buying a decent quality second hand bandsaw, not a Chinese import. I need something which will do decent square straight cuts in 75/100 mm thick timber. Usage will not be great, less than 1 hr per week. I would be happy doing some maintenance/refurbishment work so I need something for which reasonably priced spares are available.

Ideally I would like something which I could mount on a trolley/castors to move about the workshop.

I have looked at Startrite, something like the 352 would fit in the workshop but ideally I am looking for something smaller and lighter.

My question is, can anyone recommend any makes I should be looking at. Hopefully then I can look at the available models.

 

[samhay]

The Inca Euro 260/342.186 might fit the bill.
There are usually a couple available on eBay.

 

[Doug B]

I’ve an old Elu, great little machine & light enough to lift with one hand so easy to move around the workshop or take on site, they come up for sale quite often & are usually a reasonable price, one to look out for perhaps.

 

[marcros]

I wouldn't rule out the imports, look at the quality of the machine rather than a preconceived assumption about its source.

 

[TheTiddles]

A startrite would do you just fine, what you want to do is very achievable, however they’re made in China so clearly off the table. I’d aim for one powered by steam or a waterwheel as the chances are, any electric motor was made in China too

Aidan

 

[sunnybob]

1 hour per week, only straight cuts in 100 mm timber (presumably soft wood?)

Any modern bandsaw can cope with that with a lot less "fettling" than an old saw will need.
And bear in mind everything now (until the Uk leaves the EU) has a 3 year warranty. Any faults, send it back for another one. If your donkeys year old bandsaw breaks, who pays the repair? :roll: :lol:

 

[AES]

IMO, there's some good sense expressed above. Also, I THINK that Metabo band saws are still made in Germany (not 100% sure). Their model BAS 261 is a little small for you (max capacity is "only" 103 mm at 90 degrees) but they do another larger model (which I THINK is numbered BAS 361 with a larger capacity and which comes complete with a small stand).

They seem to have a good rep over here (at least the little table top 261 does.

But to reiterate the above points, to dismiss something completely out of hand "only" because it's made in China is just plain nonsense IMO. Just like making stuff anywhere else, so much depends on design, materials and fastener specs, and assembly and overall QC. There are MANY examples where Asian manufacturers have clearly shown that the CAN manufacture to meet "our" standards (and plenty that have shown they can't/won't), just the same as stuff made anywhere else - when he was alive and active in the 1950s I can well remember my Dad roundly cursing some stuff made in - "holy of holies" these days - Sheffield!

Just like anywhere else, stuff made in China - and in "Sheffield" - is just as capable of being carp as anywhere else. It's "just" a case of doing your homework as to who can, who can't/won't.

 

[Jonm]

The Inca Euro 260/342.186 might fit the bill.
There are usually a couple available on eBay.

Thank you, I had not heard of this make and the look very good, I will add them to the list.

 

[Jonm]

I’ve an old Elu, great little machine & light enough to lift with one hand so easy to move around the workshop or take on site, they come up for sale quite often & are usually a reasonable price, one to look out for perhaps.

Thank you for the comment and recommendation, I will add these to the list.

 

[Jonm]

I wouldn't rule out the imports, look at the quality of the machine rather than a preconceived assumption about its source.

I have plenty of excellent power tools made in the Far East so perhaps I should also look at imports. Thank you for the advice.

 

[Jonm]

1 hour per week, only straight cuts in 100 mm timber (presumably soft wood?)

Any modern bandsaw can cope with that with a lot less "fettling" than an old saw will need.
And bear in mind everything now (until the Uk leaves the EU) has a 3 year warranty. Any faults, send it back for another one. If your donkeys year old bandsaw breaks, who pays the repair? :roll: :lol:

Good points, thankyou.

 

[Jonm]

IMO, there's some good sense expressed above. Also, I THINK that Metabo band saws are still made in Germany (not 100% sure). Their model BAS 261 is a little small for you (max capacity is "only" 103 mm at 90 degrees) but they do another larger model (which I THINK is numbered BAS 361 with a larger capacity and which comes complete with a small stand).

They seem to have a good rep over here (at least the little table top 261 does.

But to reiterate the above points, to dismiss something completely out of hand "only" because it's made in China is just plain nonsense IMO. Just like making stuff anywhere else, so much depends on design, materials and fastener specs, and assembly and overall QC. There are MANY examples where Asian manufacturers have clearly shown that the CAN manufacture to meet "our" standards (and plenty that have shown they can't/won't), just the same as stuff made anywhere else - when he was alive and active in the 1950s I can well remember my Dad roundly cursing some stuff made in - "holy of holies" these days - Sheffield!

Just like anywhere else, stuff made in China - and in "Sheffield" - is just as capable of being carp as anywhere else. It's "just" a case of doing your homework as to who can, who can't/won't.

Some good points there, perhaps I should widen my search to include items from the Far East, I have some excellent power tools which were made there.

 

[Jonm]

Thank you for all your responses and advice and thought I should let you know the outcome.

I set up an eBay search for used bandsaws local to me and have now purchased a Kity 513. It appears to be very similar to the 613, same 1 Hp motor. The seller had not used it very much and said there was play in the top bearing. I paid £79.50 expecting to have to do some work on it.

So far I have been very impressed, it all seems complete, runs nice and smoothly and looks good. Came complete with stand, castors, standard fence and mitre fence. I cannot feel any play in the top wheel bearings and it is not noisy. When the blade is removed the top wheel lifts but this is for the angle adjustment of the wheel which works fine. I think the seller confused this movement with play in the bearings.

I think I have a bargain, time will tell. Here are some pictureS.

 

[MIGNAL]

Wow, that is a bargain. It is easy to confuse movement of the top wheel with play in the bearing. Bearings aren't especially expensive anyway. Guides look OK, simple but effective.
Clean out the dust, clean the rubber, get a decent blade and see how it cuts.

 

[robertc4022]

If only going to cut 100mm or so.as said earlier the inca 260 with tuff saw blade , is a great little machine for its size and very well made ,if can find one

 

[Doug B]

Looks a great little saw for the money, nice one

 

[marcros]

are the lower guides blocks, I can't quite see. If so, you can probably buy replacements called "cool blocks" which were an aftermarket upgrade. I think they were a ceramic of sorts. Alternatively if yours need replacing or tidying up, you can make them out of lignum vitae. a pen blank or a bowling ball is a good source of this, but you only need a couple of small offcuts.

for the upper guides, I would expect that they are a very common bearing size and will cost you between a few pence and a couple of quid depending on quality so if they dont spin perfectly they are a quick and cheap job to replace.

nice little saw, I am sure it will do you well.

 

[MIGNAL]

I 'converted' my saw to run on wood guide blocks (actually dowels). Originally they were race bearings. That may seem an odd thing to do but those guides were such a pain to adjust. I use bubinga but of course it's end grain, hard enough. Not only that but I can make dozens on the lathe in pretty quick time so even if I had to swap out the guides frequently (I don't) it's no big deal. Wood square guides should be extremely quick to make. Somewhere I have some pen blank wood that is seriously hard, very close to lignum hard.

 

[Jonm]

If only going to cut 100mm or so.as said earlier the inca 260 with tuff saw blade , is a great little machine for its size and very well made ,if can find one

I understand that the Inca machines are from the same era as Kity, but the Inca machines are generally better quality than Kity. It was the Kity which came up fairly near me and it appears to be such a good buy that I bought it.

 

[Jonm]

I 'converted' my saw to run on wood guide blocks (actually dowels). Originally they were race bearings. That may seem an odd thing to do but those guides were such a pain to adjust. I use bubinga but of course it's end grain, hard enough. Not only that but I can make dozens on the lathe in pretty quick time so even if I had to swap out the guides frequently (I don't) it's no big deal. Wood square guides should be extremely quick to make. Somewhere I have some pen blank wood that is seriously hard, very close to lignum hard.

Thank you for the advice. I will give the saw a bit of an overhaul over the next few weeks and post how it goes.