Bandsaw?

[GregWeld]

So I don't want to sound like some kind of a tool expert... but having a fairly substantial home shop gives me a little insight on some of these tools.

The main "hang up" with a small band saw - and the one thing that will LIMIT your use - is the THROAT dimension. Mine is 14" -- and that has limited my use of it on several occasions.

The small hand band saws are great for a "cut off" saw... on small diameter materials... but you can use a much less expensive cut off saw for that kind of work. They'll make straight and angle cuts to 45 degrees... I have two like this - one uses an abrasive wheel and one uses a blade that looks like a wood blade... For our limited use - the abrasive blades are "fine"... and cut well enough. BEWARE the MESS they make in the shop! Everything gets covered in the abrasive and the metal dust. That is what I hate about them. The saw (14" blade) that uses the metal blade that looks like a wood blade - is even WORSE as far as mess and clean up. That dang thing throws the sharpest little bits of curled steel!! They're everywhere after one cut - they're hot - and they're sharp as slivers! They get in your shoes - your clothes and anything else they can cling to! Hate that saw - but it's handy for those couple of times when I need to cut something long and big.

You'll use the band saw for cutting something of shape -- smaller parts -- brackets etc... and a home version that you'd buy is "okay" for this... just don't expect much for under $1500 -- and from there they seem to jump dramatically.

[Fluid Power]

Holy smokes Greg! I think you are being a little hard on the Wilton. The guy wanted home use and was looking at Craftsman for god sake. While the throat size is limited, I find that with the correct (good quality)blade for the job, along with using the right pulley selection given the material, it performs as expected. It works. Taking the time to set the machine up correctly gives me good results. Blade quality is paramount. Is it as good as a Dake or Doall? By no means. With that being said, for a home shop, it is better than Craftsman, and better than a porta-band. The issue with the combo vertical/horizontal saws is that while they work great as a drop saw, they make dangerous vertical saws. With minimal surface to use when cutting shapes, it is a trip to the hospital for sure. Just my opinion.

Darren