I Need An Opinion On This Bandsaw

[Dylanwad]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...sid=p2759.l1259

This is being sold localy. Any good? The cutting guide is missing, is that a big deal?

I'm trying to find some tools for my first build so I'm a bit cluless!

I'm finding a few others too - http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/POWERLINE-BK-1-240v-...=item1c141ad332

Edited July 16, 2010 by Dylanwad

[Dylanwad]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...e=STRK:MEWAX:IT

[Mender]

The first two are actually the same machine, just with different names on them. Both are absolute rubbish. They are the old hobby bandsaw first marketed by Burgess, subsequently bought out by Black & Decker.

The DeWalt is (or at least it should be) a better machine, although I haven't used one. It has a wider throat than the others, apparently 330mm - the others are about 280mm, and the maximum thickness is 100mm against 75mm on the others.

Don't expect anything spectacular though, it is designed as a portable builder's bandsaw for cutting softwood timber and plywood. You will probably be able to cut guitar bodies and necks with it as long as you take it very slowly and use a coarse blade, such as 6tpi, preferably a skip blade. Anything finer than that for hardwood would mean you'd have to feed the wood through far too slowly.

[Mattia]

Seriously? At that point, get a good jigsaw. I wouldn't touch either of those with a ten foot bargepole. The bigger the better is pretty much the motto with bandsaws, but for a small (read: good enough for cutting bodies and necks, but not suitable for resawing tops and the like, which is the real strength of the things) Axminster has a sale going on their smallest saw:

http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-axmin...saw-prod804528/

If you have the space and the cash, this might be a better deal:

http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-axmin...saw-prod804525/

Has a resaw capacity of 200cm, which is enough for cutting your own tops from billets.

Remember that the actual amount of floor space taken up by a bandsaw isn't that different between saws; I have a tiny shop and fairly a hefty (16") saw.

[Blackdog]

All I can say is that I have a Metabo the size of the small one Mattia posted (looking at the pictures seems like pretty much the same machine), and just like he said, for bodies and necks is just fine as long as you go slowly.

At the time I bought it my shop was in a small attic, my constraint was not floor space but headroom (OK and $$) !! Right now I would definitely go for something bigger, which I will do if mine ever fails. The second axmister one seems really tempting for the price...

[Dylanwad]

I can find plenty of info about which tools to buy on the forum but is there a thread about what make a good tool good and a bad one bad? I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one that's new to all these power tools and has a limited budget and is considering cheaper options without realizing the machines might not be up for the job.

I feel I need to apologize to the more experienced builders with better equipement. I feel a bit reluctant in spending a lot of cash wthout knowing if I've actually got the building skills! Better equipement would help me to build but they're expensive, it's a catch 22 situation!