Bandsaw

[Garno]

What difference does the wattage make in a benchtop bandsaw?, e,g a 200W compared to a 350W

 

[OscarG]

How easy it can cut through thick material I guess.

My old 375w struggled with anything thicker than 2", my 1100w cuts through 7" or 8" with no trouble.

 

[RichardG]

Also check whether they are stating the input power (P1) or output power (P2). Most good manufacturers provide both whilst others just provide one power in which case is almost certainly the input power unless it says otherwise.

For instance a Record Power BS9 states 300W input and 200W output.
An Axminster AC1400B just states 250W which is probably input power which means the output power is more like 150W.

Richard

 

[Garno]

This is one https://www.screwfix.com/p/titan-ttb705 ... /5688p#_=p

And this is the other https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DIY-Bench-To ... %7Ciid%3A1

A relative has given me £100 as a belated birthday prezzie

 

[Phil Pascoe]

https://www.aldi.co.uk/workzone-electri ... 9269282600

is the same saw iirc.

 

[Distinterior]

I cant speak for either the Aldi or the ITM bandsaw,.....But that Titan model from Screwfix is truly dire..!

I purchased one in a moment of madness a good few years ago now and it really is not fit for purpose. It's been sitting unused for years now in the back of my home workshop collecting dust....a complete waste of money!

 

[Garno]

https://www.aldi.co.uk/workzone-electric-band-saw-350w/p/013419269282600

is the same saw iirc.

That is the one I had,
Sods law I get the one with a slightly twisted chassis.
The blade was all the way over to the left and it was a good mm away from the disc "it's at the back to stop you pushing the blade too hard". Also the blade would not line up with the guide pins.

The one on ebay is the 250W version, I don't think Aldi have any of those left sadly.

 

[Garno]

I cant speak for either the Aldi or the ITM bandsaw,.....But that Titan model from Screwfix is truly dire..!

I purchased one in a moment of madness a good few years ago now and it really is not fit for purpose. It's been sitting unused for years now in the back of my home workshop collecting dust....a complete waste of money!

Thanks for the info, that one is now off the list.

 

[powertools]

I cant speak for either the Aldi or the ITM bandsaw,.....But that Titan model from Screwfix is truly dire..!

I purchased one in a moment of madness a good few years ago now and it really is not fit for purpose. It's been sitting unused for years now in the back of my home workshop collecting dust....a complete waste of money!

What were you comparing it to at a similar price?

 

[Simon_M]

I have two bandsaws. One is for sale and the other is new as well as being bigger.

My experience is that power can be measured in three ways. There is a power rating that is the normal power in use, sometimes called S1 (or P1) and there is S2 (or P2). The latter is the power under load that can’t be maintained. For a bandsaw, that’s OK because we use it infrequently with a mix of other tools ( probably).

There is also the output power e.g. the same machine (sold by different sellers) may be rated 750W or 3/4HP which is 550W. Or 250W or 350W. The difference is if it’s input power or output power so both can be correct. Marketing people prefer the bigger number but the buyer looks for output power.

As an example Axminster have their first Trade lathe catalogued as 750W. However, the machine plate shows 3/4HP (550W). The catalogue quotes the input power and the motor lists the output power. Buyer beware.

It’s not all bad, because a bandsaw needs three things:

1. A user to setup and operate it correctly
2. A good blade
3. A good fence and table

Notice I didn’t mention power because for many tasks it’s not too important and because a bandsaw operates with 3-24 teeth (ideally) 6-12 teeth in the workpiece and this is much easier than say a table saw blade where there is a lot of friction to overcome.

If it’s not setup or used correctly, then that causes issues. The user often blames the machine when it’s the blade that’s at fault. If the fence isn’t providing good support or the table isn’t perfect extra power will only cover up this to an extent.

More power can mean that the progress through a workpiece can be speeded up, but for a fine finish, the same blade speed through the workpiece produces the same finish regardless of power. Bigger bandsaws have wider wheels and tyres and can support wider blades. As the width increases, more tension is required and more energy is required. So a wide blade requires much more power than a narrow one. A small machine is limited to smaller blade widths and so requires less power. Power is required to cut thicker material and doubling the thickness may require four times the power. A rule of thumb is to use a bandsaw up to 2/3 of the capacity or expect to swap to a low TPI blade. Some blades are thinner which improves lower powered bandsaws.

For cutting curves many things matter, using the right blade, the right tension and using a narrow blade and not using the same blade to also cut straight or expecting it to keep going straight.

The Aldi bandsaw is an example of poor fence (not stable) and an aluminium table (not rigid) which are difficult to overcome (put right). It’s just unrealistic to think that a machine that costs the same as a handful of blades will be perfect.

I suspect that most of the entry level machines overstate their abilities and catch the unwary. One thing to think about is getting spares e.g. most Titan (Screwfix) have no available spare parts. Some items on a bandsaw are easily replaced e.g. the roller bearings because they are universal parts and cheap to replace. The very inexpensive machines don’t have theses parts - not sure where you get these parts. There is going to be a difference in the quality of a 2K bandsaw and one that costs £80 because many things are downgraded or ignored.

The best advice is to try to buy bigger than you think you need or pay up to what you can afford because it’s a very versatile and useful tool. Or expect to move to a bigger/better machine once you know you can justify it.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

My Woodstar now sells for £350+ and it was dire - it took work and alterations before it was fit for its purpose. I suspect you'll be running to £1000s before you get something usable out of the box.

 

[Distinterior]

I cant speak for either the Aldi or the ITM bandsaw,.....But that Titan model from Screwfix is truly dire..!

I purchased one in a moment of madness a good few years ago now and it really is not fit for purpose. It's been sitting unused for years now in the back of my home workshop collecting dust....a complete waste of money!

What were you comparing it to at a similar price?

At the time, I wasn't comparing it with anything as it was the first bandsaw I had ever owned but there is not a single item on it that is of any quality. I even tried fitting a different blade to it hoping that that would marginally improve it....That was also a waste of money coz it changed nothing.

I would give the thing away but the best you could hope to cut with it would be 4mm hardboard...!

 

[Garno]

I have two bandsaws. One is for sale and the other is new as well as being bigger.

My experience is that power can be measured in three ways. There is a power rating that is the normal power in use, sometimes called S1 (or P1) and there is S2 (or P2). The latter is the power under load that can’t be maintained. For a bandsaw, that’s OK because we use it infrequently with a mix of other tools ( probably).

There is also the output power e.g. the same machine (sold by different sellers) may be rated 750W or 3/4HP which is 550W. Or 250W or 350W. The difference is if it’s input power or output power so both can be correct. Marketing people prefer the bigger number but the buyer looks for output power.

As an example Axminster have their first Trade lathe catalogued as 750W. However, the machine plate shows 3/4HP (550W). The catalogue quotes the input power and the motor lists the output power. Buyer beware.

It’s not all bad, because a bandsaw needs three things:

1. A user to setup and operate it correctly
2. A good blade
3. A good fence and table

Notice I didn’t mention power because for many tasks it’s not too important and because a bandsaw operates with 3-24 teeth (ideally) 6-12 teeth in the workpiece and this is much easier than say a table saw blade where there is a lot of friction to overcome.

If it’s not setup or used correctly, then that causes issues. The user often blames the machine when it’s the blade that’s at fault. If the fence isn’t providing good support or the table isn’t perfect extra power will only cover up this to an extent.

More power can mean that the progress through a workpiece can be speeded up, but for a fine finish, the same blade speed through the workpiece produces the same finish regardless of power. Bigger bandsaws have wider wheels and tyres and can support wider blades. As the width increases, more tension is required and more energy is required. So a wide blade requires much more power than a narrow one. A small machine is limited to smaller blade widths and so requires less power. Power is required to cut thicker material and doubling the thickness may require four times the power. A rule of thumb is to use a bandsaw up to 2/3 of the capacity or expect to swap to a low TPI blade. Some blades are thinner which improves lower powered bandsaws.

For cutting curves many things matter, using the right blade, the right tension and using a narrow blade and not using the same blade to also cut straight or expecting it to keep going straight.

The Aldi bandsaw is an example of poor fence (not stable) and an aluminium table (not rigid) which are difficult to overcome (put right). It’s just unrealistic to think that a machine that costs the same as a handful of blades will be perfect.

I suspect that most of the entry level machines overstate their abilities and catch the unwary. One thing to think about is getting spares e.g. most Titan (Screwfix) have no available spare parts. Some items on a bandsaw are easily replaced e.g. the roller bearings because they are universal parts and cheap to replace. The very inexpensive machines don’t have theses parts - not sure where you get these parts. There is going to be a difference in the quality of a 2K bandsaw and one that costs £80 because many things are downgraded or ignored.

The best advice is to try to buy bigger than you think you need or pay up to what you can afford because it’s a very versatile and useful tool. Or expect to move to a bigger/better machine once you know you can justify it.

It's replies like that, that make being a member on these forums all the more worth while.

Thank you very much

Garno

 

[Simon_M]

I briefly owned a Titan table saw and it appeared to offer a lot for the money. The initial impression was good until I realised that the blade wasn’t square to the table and the insert was too low and not adjustable. So occasionally it would cut square because of both limitations cancelling out. The fence wasn’t supported at the back.

With the adjustment screw removed it couldn’t reach a right angle. Screwfix replaced it and the second unit was exactly the same. So it would cut parallelograms not rectangular sections. For woodwork this is hopeless and so I asked and received my money back. I replaced it with one with an adjustment of -2 to 47 degrees. So 0 (90) degrees was realistic. The new one has a fence on rack and pinion front/back too.

My advice is to ignore the good Screwfix reviews and sort them from “bad to good”. If the same fault “repeats” then you know to avoid it. FWIW I think the Titan bandsaw is similarly compromised. Don’t assume that a parts diagram means that parts are available if the policy is not to offer any spares (the same manual could be used in another continent by another seller).

For bandsaws it used to be that Scheppach and Aldi are the same and share a manual but Titan is different (Aldi and Scheppach are German, whereas Titan is from another planet)! (homer)

 

[Simon_M]

Axminster AC1400B just states 250W which is probably input power which means the output power is more like 150W.

I think the Axminster description of the AC1400B description is misleading.

The colourful picture shows the unit as a whole and below it is a picture of a much better roller ball guide assembly. It’s taken from their previous range of Hobby machines (I have one of these). The inference is that this is how the assembly looks like in detail especially as the description gives the correct blade dimension. Just download the manual to see what you will be getting. Buyer beware.

FWIW with the previous Hobby range, I turned up at the store with some oak and several hours later had used all the four Hobby machines. The best (cleanest) cut was with the cheapest machine and the worst (crudest) cut was with the most expensive one. They are all setup using the supplied blades. The 1/4” blade gave a better finish than 3/8” blade in next machine, than 1/2” in third or 5/8” in fourth... so the blade can (does) make a big difference.

However the bigger machines can also take a smaller blade and will “knock the socks off” the small machine e.g. much better cutting big bowl blanks and a bigger choice of blade types. All were fitted with the supplied Chinese “import” blades which are thicker than the replacement Axminster UK blades and easily recognised by having a wide, poorly finished weld on the blade. Replacement blades from Axminster are so much better. Also the least expensive machine didn’t have roller bearings - like all the Craft range (now all with “improved” ceramic thrust blocks).

 

[John Brown]

I'm no bandsaw expert, but 8mm depth of cut is tiny. Just over 3 inches. Even my little Inca manages around 6 inches. I guess it depends what you want to cut, but I'd think long and hard before buying something so limited.

 

[Yosarian]

I had the titan bandsaw and after setting it up properly, and with a good (Tuffsaws) blade, it worked perfectly for me, given what it is. The fence is weak, but I believe there is an inexpensive aftermarket alternative from Axminster. Screwfix also have a very good returns/exchange policy.

I have since upgraded because I wanted a deeper depth of cut.

Sent from my SM-N950F using Tapatalk

 

[OscarG]

I have two bandsaws. One is for sale and the other is new as well as being bigger.

My experience is that power can be measured in three ways. There is a power rating that is the normal power in use, sometimes called S1 (or P1) and there is S2 (or P2). The latter is the power under load that can’t be maintained. For a bandsaw, that’s OK because we use it infrequently with a mix of other tools ( probably).

There is also the output power e.g. the same machine (sold by different sellers) may be rated 750W or 3/4HP which is 550W. Or 250W or 350W. The difference is if it’s input power or output power so both can be correct. Marketing people prefer the bigger number but the buyer looks for output power.

As an example Axminster have their first Trade lathe catalogued as 750W. However, the machine plate shows 3/4HP (550W). The catalogue quotes the input power and the motor lists the output power. Buyer beware.

It’s not all bad, because a bandsaw needs three things:

1. A user to setup and operate it correctly
2. A good blade
3. A good fence and table

Notice I didn’t mention power because for many tasks it’s not too important and because a bandsaw operates with 3-24 teeth (ideally) 6-12 teeth in the workpiece and this is much easier than say a table saw blade where there is a lot of friction to overcome.

If it’s not setup or used correctly, then that causes issues. The user often blames the machine when it’s the blade that’s at fault. If the fence isn’t providing good support or the table isn’t perfect extra power will only cover up this to an extent.

More power can mean that the progress through a workpiece can be speeded up, but for a fine finish, the same blade speed through the workpiece produces the same finish regardless of power. Bigger bandsaws have wider wheels and tyres and can support wider blades. As the width increases, more tension is required and more energy is required. So a wide blade requires much more power than a narrow one. A small machine is limited to smaller blade widths and so requires less power. Power is required to cut thicker material and doubling the thickness may require four times the power. A rule of thumb is to use a bandsaw up to 2/3 of the capacity or expect to swap to a low TPI blade. Some blades are thinner which improves lower powered bandsaws.

For cutting curves many things matter, using the right blade, the right tension and using a narrow blade and not using the same blade to also cut straight or expecting it to keep going straight.

The Aldi bandsaw is an example of poor fence (not stable) and an aluminium table (not rigid) which are difficult to overcome (put right). It’s just unrealistic to think that a machine that costs the same as a handful of blades will be perfect.

I suspect that most of the entry level machines overstate their abilities and catch the unwary. One thing to think about is getting spares e.g. most Titan (Screwfix) have no available spare parts. Some items on a bandsaw are easily replaced e.g. the roller bearings because they are universal parts and cheap to replace. The very inexpensive machines don’t have theses parts - not sure where you get these parts. There is going to be a difference in the quality of a 2K bandsaw and one that costs £80 because many things are downgraded or ignored.

The best advice is to try to buy bigger than you think you need or pay up to what you can afford because it’s a very versatile and useful tool. Or expect to move to a bigger/better machine once you know you can justify it.

That's a great informative post!

Considering that input and output power, it seems on closer inspection my 1100w monster is in fact a wimpy 750w!

Aw.... more informed but sad. :|