Fox Bandsaws

[g7g7g7g7]

I know they are hit and miss aluminium imports but I'm really struggling to avoid buying one, it essentially comes down to price for size.

A Fox f28 -191 for £290 has 1hp motor, 500x400 table, 170mm height.

Vs

A Record Power BS 250-PK/A - for £300 which has a 1/2hp motor, 315x250 table and 120mm height.

It seems like a no-brainer, even if I need to return a couple of times to get one that works properly, it's either that or save another £200 to get the Record BS300E. Is trading capacity and power for reliability and accuracy going to bite me in the backside? Should I wait a month or so and up the budget?

 

[sunnybob]

DONT DO IT

i bought a fox bandsaw, without doubt the worst machine I have ever owned. The list of faults started on day one when I couldnt get the blade to track properly. After I sent a couple of photos to them of the top wheel i got the reply "of course it wont track properly, the top wheel is just about to fall off because the circlip is missing". This despite a big letter enclosed in the box assuring me every fox bandsaw has been personally tested and is in perfect order.
In every situation, I just got the reply "send it back and we will give you another one"

This despite the fact I made it clear I had shipped it to cyprus along with other equipment, and they knew the return shipping cost was more than the saws value.

After a year of attempting to get the thing to work, i replaced it with an axminster 350N. I still had a couple of minor issues with that, but they were nothing compared to the fox, and the company was much more helpful. I've had the 350 18 months now, and am more than happy with it.

 

[g7g7g7g7]

The 350N is £700, as a student I can only spare a hundred quid or so a month to add to the budget so to get that I'd have to sacrifice 4 more months without a bandsaw, not sure if I can wait that long.

 

[MikeJhn]

Polewood are not far from my UK base, so I went and had a look, so glad I did, even the ones they had on show where, to say the least not what I would ever buy or advise anyone else to do so.

By all accounts the Record Power Bandsaw's below the 300 are not as good as the ones above that specification, this is hearsay on my part as I have no experience of them below the 350S.

Mike

 

[sunnybob]

Its wasnt so much an ad for the 350, it was a cry for sense about the fox.
But there is a huge difference in quality between small and medium sized bandsaws

 

[dynax]

have you looked at the scheppach range, i have the basa 1, and does me very well, the hbs300 is worth considering http://www.screwfix.com/p/scheppach-hbs ... 0wod2R0OTw

 

[g7g7g7g7]

The HBS 300 looks like the best balance of price/performance tbf. I suppose I'll put this off for now, glad for the input though, nowhere I can see the Fox machines for myself so thanks for letting me know what to expect.

 

[heimlaga]

Can you find something secondhand?


I am also very short of money so I have bought almost all my stationary machines secondhand. The sole exception being a totally useless Taiwaneese lathe which my parents bought for me before we learned the lesson.
All of my machines have required some repairs but once repaired they all perform very well. The most important rule is to not buy machines with more damage than you are likely to be able to repair. It pays off to be honest with oneself but over the last 10 years I have found that that limit moves further and further as I repair and learn.

 

[g7g7g7g7]

Can you find something secondhand?


I am also very short of money so I have bought almost all my stationary machines secondhand. The sole exception being a totally useless Taiwaneese lathe which my parents bought for me before we learned the lesson.
All of my machines have required some repairs but once repaired they all perform very well. The most important rule is to not buy machines with more damage than you are likely to be able to repair. It pays off to be honest with oneself but over the last 10 years I have found that that limit moves further and further as I repair and learn.

I'd love to have the opportunity to try but there's nothing round my end, plenty of folk selling secondhand 80/100mm hobby models at almost new price although they've been sitting in rust for 20+ years and look totally buckled. The market for industrial machines seems harder to access I've seen nothing for sale under £500, is it worth trying used machinery specialists none of them seem to have price listings for their stock.

 

[Jasper42]

Have you looked at draper? I got one 2years ago and after some bedding in works OK. Is it as good as the Axminster ones, I would not think so but for a hobby buy it fitted the price range I was willing to commit. Got some good blades after looking on here and spent some time looking how to set it up and happy with how it works. Bit loud but not sure if that is the norm as I have nothing to compare against I cannot remember who I got it from (one of the bigger names) but it was not direct from draper as it was a lot more.

 

[RogerP]

Do you have the means to transport a saw? Have you looked on eBay? There are several that should suit you.

 

[memzey]

At that end of the market I fear you are going to have slim pickings as regards new machines. I'd say keep your eyes open for a Startrite 352 but you'd be doing very well to pick one up for £300. I think you might be better off saving up for a while and getting a more substantial machine second hand (like the Startrite) rather than suffering the frustration of a Fox or similar. That could put you off woodworking for good!

 

[g7g7g7g7]

Do you have the means to transport a saw? Have you looked on eBay? There are several that should suit you.

Ebay is a bit of a postcode lottery there's a good one in Sunderland that I'm watching, but nothing else within range.

Given the advice so far I think putting off buying one of the cheap aldis when they were about was a mistake (as I would have something useable short term) and given I missed that I may as well continue to wait and save until I can get something that'll last me a lifetime.

I could probably scrape about a grand together pretty safely when my bursary payments start coming in, so late October early November before I should have enough to do the job, I've just remembered Wilsons monthly tool auctions in Dalry as well might be worth a look at too.

As per usual I've now got to explain why the budget for this thing I want has increased from under 300 to "anywhere up to a thousand, it depends what's on the market" to the missus.

 

[galleywood]

Have you considered a secondhand Elektra Beckum / Metabo 316?
You should be able to pick one up for £200 - 250.
Check out its capacity to see if it suits.
When tuned - tension, tracking, fence aligned to table mitre slot - it works well.

 

[MikeJhn]

galleywood

How would you compare your Electra Beckum/Metabo against an equivalent Record Power?
Have you used both?

Mike

 

[galleywood]

MikeJhn

No, I have only ever used the 316.

Not sure what g7... wants to use it for - hence I suggested he checks the spec.

 

[Stevebod]

..after falling for "cheap" tools in the past I can only advise you not to do it, you will be regretting it in a matter of days if not minutes....very much by cheap by twice.

 

[g7g7g7g7]

A startrite popped up nearby-ish for a very reasonable amount today, unfortunately it's three phase, I don't know if I really have the time or confidence more to the point to try and convert or change it myself. Having given it thought I think I would rather put down on a small but reliable Record Power benchtop for today and If I've got to resaw 2"+thick material then I'll make a framesaw and kerfing saw and sweat it out. Better to have a reasonable amount of utility and plenty in the bank leftover than the perfect bandsaw and nothing spare in the bank. Trying to balance my impatience with wisdom I'm definitely steering clear of the cheaper chinese imports.

 

[MikeJhn]

Whatever makes you think you can't re-saw over 50mm material on a small bandsaw? with the right blade and the bandsaw set up correctly you should be able to cut anything up to the bandsaw's capacity, admittedly not very fast at full depth, but I regularly re-saw 100mm oak on mine when I can't get to my Record Power 350.

Mike

 

[Phil Pascoe]

As Mike said - this is 5 3/4" piece of beech worktop on a saw with 7" clearance, and this isn't a particularly good saw or a good blade - it is a Dremel resharpened M42.