Bandsaws Buying Help Please

[Paul Barrett]

My budget is areund £225 but could squeeze a little more if SWMBO can be persuaded.

Need is sawing up to 125mm thick hardwood with some reasonably tight radii - toy making. Generally short pieces up to say 300mm. Longer pieces woul be narrower.

Shorlist is
Nutool 500W at diytools for £225
DeWalt DW738 from same place at £229 + £15 delivery
Slip 12" via ebay at £195!! (But it looks like it wieghs 65Kg so not th3 easiest thing to move on / off a bench! Surely that is te wrong weight? More than double others of its size)

I have the room to dedicate an optional bench

 

[Alf]

Paul,

The DeWalt in its Elu incarnation was my first bandsaw, and it's still going, more or less. It's an old design but pretty rugged and effective. The rip fence is awful and it has a nasty habit of stripping its tensioning bolt. The latter DeWalt will try and sting you a tenner for, but a 150mm M6 (iirc) carriage bolt, a die to extend the threads further up the bolt and a connecting/double nut to spread the load on the threads will sort it out. In fact probably best to start out by replacing the tensioning nut for a double one. Dunno how it compares to the others, but I worked it to its limits and it didn't flinch and now my dad's abusing it even more with no problems. Can't say fairer than that.

The SIP may be heavier because it's got a cast iron table - not necessarily desirable if you're having to move the thing around.

Cheers, Alf

 

[Paul Barrett]

Thnaks Alf - I think I will have to exclude the SIP then, because I do need to be able to move it around .

As far as I can see, the Dewalt 768 and 769 are basically the same spec but one is 2 speed and the other is variable. Anything to recommend variable speed over 2 speed do you think? Or will it bt like SWMBO's washing machine - more programmes than you can shake a stick at, but only one is ever used.

 

[paulm]

The latter I think Paul, unless you expect to cut plastics or metals as well as wood, in which case a different speed can be useful, but still not essential.

Good analogy, not that I know how a washing machine works ! :lol:

Cheers, Paul.

 

[Scrit]

I thought the idea was behind the 2-speeds was that one was for wood, the other for metal. I had a deWalt (pre-Elu) as well many, many moons ago (OK, late 1970s). Alf is right about the cruddy rip fence and the bolt stripping, and I thought the plastic blade guides were 'orrid (so it got posh lignum vitae ones), but other than that tweren't a bad little machine and had the advantage of portability - once you unbolted it from the deluxe floor stand (sort of oversized black Meccano). Buying decent blades is half the battle


Scrit

 

[andycktm]

Hi Paul,
I've got the 738 and as they say it's in one speed 99% of the time .
Now it's fine free hand which may suit you , but anything else involving the fence and bed its pretty much rubbish and would be well down my list for a new bandsaw.

 

[Paul Barrett]

OK so that is pushing me to te Nutool. Any one got any experience of that please?

 

[andycktm]

Have a look at the perform one at axminster £199. Bearing blade guides looks like a nice fence ,looks like a nice fence and bed although its a meaty 80kg :shock:.But at least the weight will make it solid.I've got the perform morticer and its sound.

 

[Paul Barrett]

So, that looks very similar to the SIP, which is also a heavyweight.

 

[Colin C]

I have the same sip BS and I am very happy with it and you could get a wheel kit for it

 

[luthier49]

Hello Paul

My Elu 3401 bandsaw is still for sale. It`s the same as the Dewalt 738, and I`m selling it for £120. It`s in excellent condition as in the photo below. I`ve upgraded to a larger machine and it`s in the way. Got to get it sold as soon as possible. Comes with seven blades five of which are brand new unused.

 

[Alf]

I thought the plastic blade guides were 'orrid (so it got posh lignum vitae ones)

Plastic? That's interesting; mine were metal. Not that I particularly liked them either and swapped 'em out for some boxwood (no LV available at the time ).

Cheers, Alf

 

[Paul Barrett]

Hello Paul

My Elu 3401 bandsaw is still for sale. It`s the same as the Dewalt 738, and I`m selling it for £120. It`s in excellent condition as in the photo below. I`ve upgraded to a larger machine and it`s in the way. Got to get it sold as soon as possible. Comes with seven blades five of which are brand new unused.

Have PM'd you for more info

 

[Paul Barrett]

I have been reflecting on the replies so far (and thanks every one BTW)

My need is essentially, hobbyist. I need a machine of the size I am talking about due to the thickness, accuracy and intricacy of the pieces (of hardwood) that I need to cut, not because of the quantity that I need to cut. Were it not for that, there's even an argument for cutting hm by hand

A lot of you have expressed concerns about wheels and guides. I am wondering whether those concerns are borne out of the sheer volume of use you make of your machines? Mine will spend a large amount of time idle........

 

[andycktm]

...................In that case mate i think you've just found your perfect bandsaw :wink:

 

[Paul Barrett]

I plumped for the DeWalt 738 having seen a factory rework on eBay from FiXit for £179.

It arrived today and I had it up and working in about 10 minutes owing the fact that as an ex demo, most of the pre-assembly was already done. Blade was a little overtensioned so I slackened that off and Robert's your father's brother.

Not too noisy and the rip fence, whilst a little rudimentary is fine for my purposes. Probably could do with a mitre fence, and, as my main use is toy making, requiring some reasonably but not impossibly intricate curves, a narrower blade than the 10mm one that is fitted. I guess the smaller they come the quicker they break. Any pointers please?