Best bandsaw for 400 to 600 pounds?

[Gerard Scanlan]

I am trying to decide between a Record Power and an Axminster bandsaw. I need to resaw hardwoods (amongst other things). Do bandsaws in this price class all have induction motors these days? Which are better built in this price class? Will I have to replace certain parts straight after purchase or do the Record Power saws include better quality bearings etc to begin with. Or is it all in the blade?

Thanks for your help

 

[RogerP]

Almost all are made from far-eastern imports with different colour schemes, various changes to incidentals, accessories and fences, motor size ... and different makers' badges of course. In other words at an given price point they are much the same saw. I've never seen a bandsaw with other than an induction motor. As you say "it's all in the blade" buy blades from Ian at Tuff saws ... sales at tuffsaws.com ... the difference is remarkable.

 

[Blister]

I have this one

for-sale-scheppach-basato-5-4-bandsaw-t48849.html

:wink:

 

[Gerard Scanlan]

I am looking at shipping a machine from the UK to the Netherlands. So I am only interested in a new machine. But thanks for drawing my attention to it anyway. Scheppach machines are readily available in Holland and Germany but are 30 to 40 % more expensive that equivalent machines in the UK. I think the retailers must just be less greedy in the UK.
I noticed that Record Power offer a 5 year waranty on their machines. Do they have a good reputation in that field?

 

[Blister]

I am looking at shipping a machine from the UK to the Netherlands. So I am only interested in a new machine. But thanks for drawing my attention to it anyway. Scheppach machines are readily available in Holland and Germany but are 30 to 40 % more expensive that equivalent machines in the UK. I think the retailers must just be less greedy in the UK.
I noticed that Record Power offer a 5 year waranty on their machines. Do they have a good reputation in that field?

The 5 year warranty does NOT cover electrics but they keep that quiet until you have a problem :roll:

 

[OPJ]

I've never had a problem with Record Power's service, or the quality of any of their products that I've owned. It's only when you do the damage yourself though, that the warranty doesn't apply...

Which bandsaws in particular are you looking at? Some of Axminster's range look better than others in the same range.

How much resawing are you looking to do? If it says it'll take 200mm under the guides then, even with a decent blade, I wouldn't expect it cope with that kind of capacity every day. You'd also need to consider the motor output.

 

[Gerard Scanlan]

The Record Power 350 has a 2HP motor and the Axminster of this size has a 1 HP watt. So I was actually comparing the 400 Axminster to the 350 Record Power as they have the same size motor but the Axminster is still 160 pounds less at the moment.

 

[TobyB]

I'd love the Basato 5-4 mentioned above, but even if I could justify the price I could never get it down the stairs into my basement, and if I did it's too tall ...

However, I have the next size down, the Basato 4, and it does all sorts of re-sawing, bowl blank cutting etc really well. Nicely made too. Probably a bit expensive new, but if you could find one SH, it's good.

 

[Gerard Scanlan]

Had a recent bad experience with a secondhand elektra beckum that had a moudly motor. It was only ten years old but it had been stored badly. That thing really stank so it had to go. Don't want to repeat history.