Band Saw recommendations?

[Al_C]

The angle grinder and Dremel have served me pretty well cutting metal, but it's time to move on to the next level. I know that many of you have band saws, and I'm thinking of getting a floor or bench mounted unit. Got any recommendations on size, features, etc.? Recommendations on specific brands? Thanks for you insights!

[NAZ]

A floor model bandsaw is handy but not as handy as a Milwaukee portaband. If you can only have one I'd recommend the portaband. And they make stands for them that converts them into a smallish fixed bandsaw.

[myjones]

I have a HF horiz bandsaw that came with a table so I use it both ways and I would never trade it for a portaband if I had to choose.
I also have a deep cut portaband, a sawzall and a air powered saw along with a 4.5" grinder and a dremel, as well as a floor model
Rockwell bandsaw that I mostly use for cutting wood patterns but I have metal blades for it as well.

A portaband doesn't get into any tight spaces on a chassis very well and is only somewhat as handy as the HF bandsaw at cutting bars
bolts etc to length. For chassis mods a combo of the air saw and 4.5" grinder and even the sawzall now and then work well for me.

The Milwaukee unit is a good tool but pricey. That tool along with the stand will cost more than the HF saw I mentioned and not be as
accurate for most of what you use it for. I'm thinking Naz is a metal Ninja and the results will vary for us mere mortals
Dale

[mikeinatlanta]

The path I took, and highly recommend is to buy an old used and restored industrial quality saw in the size of your choice. Lots of them out there. I bought a 16" Rockwell.

[Gumball]

I prefer old stuff - my recommendation is a Powermatic (far left in the pic)... but whatever you get, make sure it's designed for metal cutting speeds, not just wood.

[UnhipPopano]

I have a Delta that my father and I set up. Unlike some band saws I have used, it cuts where you want the cut to go with little vibration and you can change the speed. There is a book out there on how to tune a band saw.

Wile I do not have a hand held unit, I am concerned about the safety of them as compared to one with a floor base, but the choice is yours. As my father said, "You pays your money and you take your chances".

[NAZ]

Chris, that's a well equipped shop you have. And I too like the Powermatic -- can't go wrong with one of these. But I've used other great machines as well.

If buying a floor model and you have the space, I'll echo the recommendation on an industrial "metal" working saw and buying used is a great way to afford a good robust saw at a reasonable price. It will be the last one that you and your kids will ever have to buy.

A good heavy duty band saw will make very smooth cuts -- way better than the best jig saw you've ever used (and I've used some very good jig saws). I like the Lenox blades -- they cut through tough and hardened metals like allen wrenches. They will also cut your fingers to the bone and send you to the ER.

If you don't have a TIG welder get a blade welder when you buy the saw and it will come in handy when making inside radius cuts. Blade welders are for using bulk band saw blade materials (cost saving thing) but come in handy when you need to feed a blade thru a part to cut out the inside portion. Yes, you can use a jig saw but it's so much easier using a band saw on larger parts.

There is another handy metal cutting tool most folks don't know about. Milwaukee makes an 8" circular saw (looks similar to a saw you use for cutting wood) made for cutting metal. Uses carbide tipped blades specific for steel or aluminum but turns much much slower than a saw for cutting wood. I use mine a lot on plate and larger flat bar. Don't need coolant so it won't make a mess.

As a machinist I worked in a shop with large expensive machines. As a welder I worked in the field where portable power tools ruled. So I've had a broad base of experience with metal cutting equipment. Take it from me -- buy cheap and you will buy twice. Buy quality tools and equipment (even used) and they will serve you for many many years.

[lance corsi]

I agree with the full size industrial type of saw. Grob, Kalamazoo, Do-all are all good brands. Get one with a blade welder if possible.
As an alternative, may I recommend a plasma cutter. They are very versatile and can get into some pretty tight areas. I once used one to remove a damaged frame from under a Z-06 corvette so that I could weld in a new one. Without that, I couldn't have done the job! A good quality plasma cutter will cost around $1800, which may be a bit cheaper than buying a full-on industrial band saw, and most can be used in conjunction with a cnc cutting table.

[Mike N]

Get a portaband saw, even a Harbor Freight one, and then get one of these tables. I have had this set up for a couple of years and it gets used constantly. You can't do the sort of large pieces that you can a large vertical band saw but with some creativity I have always figured out a way to do what I need, and the price can't be beat. http://www.swagoffroad.com/SWAG-V40-...able_p_63.html

[edwardb]

Lots of good feedback here. But to the OP, when you say cut "metal" what do you mean? I agree one of this big Powermatic industrial metal cutting saws (or similar) is great for an all purpose machine shop. But for these builds, at least in my experience, 80-90% of the cutting and fab work I do is aluminum. For that my little 10-inch Craftsman bandsaw with a metal cutting blade works very well. (Now waiting for you serious machinists to stop cringing...) It's getting a little long in the tooth, and have looked at replacing it. But it just keeps going. I wouldn't buy another Craftsman today. H-F isn't really my choice for that kind of thing either. Our local tool store has several I like. Jet, Rikon, Delta, just to name a few.

For the few things I fab that aren't aluminum, Dremel or my new Milwaukee equivalent with a cut-off wheel does some. Larger air driven cut-off wheel for some. Or my bench vise and a hack saw when all else fails. That Portaband recommendation looks interesting.

I like big tools as much as the next guy, and have worked in places that had them. But for home use, at least for my purposes, would be overkill.

[lance corsi]

Don't buy cheap Chinese junk. The millions of American manufacturers will appreciate it. Cheap tools like those offered at HF only make you smile once, when you pay for them. From that point forward, you will hate the poor performance, difficulty of adjustment, lack of rigidity of structure and add in that most of the cheap stuff just isn't repairable. A good tool will make you smile every time you use it! When your job is finished, the tool isn't ready for the trash heap. Jmho.

[Al_C]

Thank you gentlemen! Some great advice here. I found a used Delta on Craigslist that looks interesting, but I need to find out if it is a metal or wood saw. My takeaway from this thread and another conversation I had today, is that the saw has to have the speed variability to handle metal. While I'd love to have a big industrial unit, it isn't really in the cards for me. I'm thinking something that's about 10 inches and can accommodate metal will work pretty well. The goal is mostly for aluminum.

[myjones]

Thank you gentlemen! Some great advice here. I found a used Delta on Craigslist that looks interesting, but I need to find out if it is a metal or wood saw. My takeaway from this thread and another conversation I had today, is that the saw has to have the speed variability to handle metal. While I'd love to have a big industrial unit, it isn't really in the cards for me. I'm thinking something that's about 10 inches and can accommodate metal will work pretty well. The goal is mostly for aluminum.

If it's in good working order buy the Delta and just replace the motor pulley to get the right FPM for what you are going to cut.
You may even be able to use step pulleys and have an easy swap for different metals as needed. Find out the model number on
it and look on-line to see if you can still get the repair parts for it.
The most common things would be the blade guides pads and bearings but also look at bearings for the main/blade wheels as well.
IF they have any wobble at all the machine will need some TLC and lack of parts makes that more difficult. Floor model quality
units like this are far better than any HF tools, I just didn't know you were ready to make that leap from what you had prior.
As stated above buy a good machine and you won't regret the purchase.
Dale

[DaveS53]

I never found myself wanting a bandsaw during the build of my car, that is not a kit. I had to make a lot of small brackets, including the motor mounts. I also have a lot of aluminum panels lining the interior and trunk of the car. I used a HF abrasive chop saw for steel cutting and my miter saw made for wood, to cut aluminum bar stock, up to 1-1/2" thick, with a 60T carbide blade. I cut all of my .050" aluminum with a cheap jig saw and 32T blade.

I have a plasma cutter, but rarely used it. I did cut a curved area for an alternator bracket, through 1/2" thick aluminum with the plasma cutter.

I used a heavy duty 8" grinder with a cutoff disc to make some heavy cuts on the frame.