Bandsaw recommendations please?

[nickds1]

Hi,

My old, underpowered, bandsaw had been "retired" and it's time for a new one.

The biggest size that my workshop can take comfortably is 10", possible a bit bigger...

I have been looking at the Charnwood B250 & the Lumberjack BS254 but open to ideas... I like to always get the best tools I can afford, so quality is probably more of an issue than price.

I am also looking at a good s/h Record BS300E... I'm a bit concerned that the BS250 may be underpowered...

A floor stand is not essential - I prefer (normally) to table stand a bandsaw. Adjustable cast iron table, 10" throat & 6" cut (pretty standard).

Thoughts? Recommendations of others?

Cheers

 

[That would work]

If I was buying a 10 or 12 inch machine then I would look mainly at Record. As you will have noticed, the Charnwood machines are a clone of Record but as is often the case, I suspect that Record have tighter quality control standards.

 

[Lazurus]

I have had an Axminster for over 20 years and hasnt missed a beat.

 

[nickds1]

Anyone know if these will fit the BS300E?

Axminster bearing guides upgrade

 

[Lazurus]

Give them a call?

 

[RichardG]

Anyone know if these will fit the BS300E?

Axminster bearing guides upgrade

No but these will with a bit of cutting of the bandsaw. There’s a thread describing the process which I don’t have to hand at the mo.

https://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-hbs350n-blade-guide-set-102273

 

[MikeJhn]

It's here: new-bandsaw-guides-from-axminster-t104943.html but read to the end as I fitted them the most difficult way I could, on another thread liked on the above an easier way was found.

Easier way found by Chris: axminster-hbs350n-bandsaw-advice-t105064-90.html

 

[nickds1]

Lost out on the bs300, so adding Makita LB1200F/Metabo BAS 318 to the list?

The Makita used to have vibration issues - have those been resolved, i.e. do recent machines shake still?

The Metabo is essentially the same machine but doesn't seem to have had the vibration problem.

 

[MikeJhn]

If you know one has problems and the other is a clone of it, why are you considering either? (rhetorical question)

 

[nickds1]

As I mentioned, the Metabo doesn't seem to have those problems - maybe their QC with the OEM is better?

 

[SamTheJarvis]

All of the ~£500 bandsaws are basically the same. The Charnwood models (I've a B350) seem to be the best value for money overall (though they recently went up about £100) but there's not much in it. Benefit of going for the Axminster bandsaws is they seem to have a set of upgrades, but the stock models at this price range are all pretty similar (on account of them being copies/made by the same manufacturer). Bandsaws are quite simple machines, for the sort of work you want from a sub £1000 machine, you don't need a rock-solid fence, you don't need much horsepower, you mainly want something that can you can set up with different blades quickly, and well, most bandsaws at this price range tick that box.

Wouldn't fret it too much!

 

[nickds1]

Thanks for all your input - really appreciate it.

I ended up buying a Record BS350 - a supplier had an offer which included 3 blades and the wheel kit, so I got a new one after several failed attempts to buy s/h.

The BS350, at 100kg, was also the heaviest that I think I can go to - I need a fairly mobile saw and one that doesn't load my already heavily loaded wooden workshop floor too much!

Currently it's in the cellar as my workshop has no floor - the old one was completely rotten, so my son (a civil engineer) and I cut it out and burnt it. The building is an old Victorian one with a lot of problems, so we took the opportunity to deal with all those (which has taken 2 months). The new floor will go in next week - the band-saw is needed to key the ends of the joists into new steel beams - I also have a DeWalt chop saw as there is a LOT of 2" & 3" timber to be sized, including a load of noggins etc.

We shall see how this turns out!

 

[MikeJhn]

Ohh first reaction, notching joist to go into steel beams on a bandsaw seems to be a recipe for disaster, moving a long piece of timber to cut a small section does not seem the right way to do this, surely a hand held skill/circular saw would be better suited to that job.

 

[sunnybob]

It will definitely need careful attention to not tilting the beam, or the blade will snap like a rotten twig.

 

[nickds1]

I'm not doing this alone! I also have height adjustable saw horses on both sides. It's working a treat.

Fwiw, I tried using a decent jigsaw but it just wasn't accurate enough - also with 3" timber the blade had a tendancy to flex with the grain, thus cutting good profiles was tricky.

The bs350 is a bit bigger than I wanted, but it's built like a tank. Don't like the fence a lot and the lights dim when the saw starts, otherwise ok. Once set up, it cut with repeatable accuracy and doesn't really notice 3" x 6" joists...

I'm an professional engineer, so look at the risks in everything in the workshop: self-preservation factor is high!

 

[MikeG.]

That is definitely a job for a handsaw, or a circular saw/ handsaw combination. Not for a bandsaw. IME, of course.

 

[sunnybob]

The lights should not dim! You might be an engineer, but you need an electrician. That motor isnt even a kilowatt.
The fence on the record is no where near as good as the axminster, maybe there is an upgrade?
have to admit I cut 6 pergola ends on my axminster 350, in 6" x 3" on my own, That was fun :shock: 8) 8)

 

[nickds1]

Motor input is 1.4kW according to the spec sheet.

I should have said that the lights flicker when it starts.

That's due to the impedance of the power in the building - we're rural, at the end of a very long (probably 1/3mile or more) paper&oil 3phase 100A feed to the house, then another 100mtrs to my workshop (single phase, 40A SWA). The overall impedance is not great and we regularly get brown-outs , so all sensitive (e.g. IT) kit is on online UPSs

The whole installation was last certified only a few months ago - it's just a feature of this particular setting...

 

[sunnybob]

Ahh, the joys of country living. =D> 8)

 

[MikeJhn]

I put one of these on my BS350: https://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-d ... ade-102426 made a lot of difference, I only paid £90.00 for it when it was first offered by Axminster.