Anyone compared the Lowes PC and Delta BS

[Van Huskey]

I was in Lowes this afternoon gathering a truckload of stuff for the yard and took a break and wandered over to well you know the tools.

They happened to have a Delta and the PC 14" BS sitting side by side so I decided to look them over. The differences were a lot more than I expected. The first thing that hit me was the HUGE difference in fit and finish, the PC was actually top notch. The second was the motor, I was skeptical about the 1 1/2hp the PC claims but it is at least the size of a true 1 1/2 hp motor where the Delta's 3/4hp actually looks small for a 3/4. Many of the cast 14s tend to look like they were made in old factories with old tooling the PC actually looks like it was built from all new tooling though it was surely just cleaned up.

Don't get me wrong the PC didn't look like it came out of the ACM factory but it struck me as a cast saw that lacked nothing except a fence.

At this point it begs a comparison to THE value 14"er, the G0555. The PC can be in your truck for about $400 with a 10% coupon after adding tax and the 555 for about $525 in your truck at the local freight terminal. A Kreg fence and some Carter guides and you are up over $600 for the PC but the guides and fence will be better and you will have more power but I still think the 555 makes more sense for most users. I will say if anyone is considering a 14" cast saw for curve cutting only, say if they have a larger saw they want to leave setup for resawing this may be a pretty good choice. In that case forget a fence and stick a Carter stabilizer on the PC, for about $50 less than the 555 you have a saw with a better guide system (for narrow blades), a bigger table, more power and a 3 year warranty and about the only thing missing feature wise would be the 555s quick release and maybe the 4" DC port on the 555, 2.5" on the PC.


Let me remind everyone that this is completely based on looks however I have seen, used and tuned quite a few Delta "clones" and the PC struck me as pretty well put together. Had I been plannnng to buy one I certainly wouldn't have even thought about getting the Delta unless I could have gotten it for less than $200 like some people did. If I were buying one to be my only saw I am pretty sure the 555 would still be my 14" cast choice based solely on the fence and guides but if I was planning for it to be just a curve cutter I think the better value might be the PC with a Carter stabilizer. Later this year when I equip my new shop I plan on the 2 BS route and I am pretty sure I will put my money where my mouth is on this one and if I am wrong I will be the first person to let you now I shouldn't have gone against conventional wisdom!

[John Mark Lane]

Interesting. Just when I thought I had figured out what BS to get, this makes me wonder. I assume this is the saw you mean:

http://www.lowes.com/pd_78159-46069-...62487&Ntt=band saw&Ntk=i_products&pl=1&currentURL=/pl__0__s?newSearch=true$Ntt=band saw

Not sure that link will work. $409. Not bad. Here's a link to the saw on the Delta/PC website:

http://www.deltaportercable.com/Prod...roductID=24029

Van, just a quick question here -- what do you (and others) perceive as the advantage of a closed stand BS as opposed to an open stand? The PC appears to be a closed stand, where the 555 is open. Why isn't the 555X the better comparison?

A quick look (I'm doing this a lot lately) seems to show the 555 takes up to a 3/4" blade, where PC takes up to 1/2". The PC has a 16 by 16" table, where the 555 has a 14 by 14 inch. The PC weighs 190 lbs, the Griz weighs 167. The specs show both saws drawing 10 amps at 110. This is all just from the websites, and who knows how accurate the specs are (I tend to trust Grizzly more than Delta/PC). Overall, the PC does look like a better deal. Wish there was a Lowes around here, I'd go look at one....

[Brad Townsend]

The other day, I was in Lowes and came to a similar conclusion. Considering the way PC is cheapening the brand recently, I expected this bandsaw to be pretty bad, particularly since they have not marketed one before (at least not in my memory). I was pleasantly surprised at the fit and finish of it. Will be interested in hearing froom someone who actually uses one.

[Curt Harms]

It doesn't look like the various B & D / Stanley brands are strong on product support once the model is discontinued. Granted Band Saws shouldn't have many manufacturer specific parts prone to failure but that's my concern with current Porter-Cable/Delta/DeWalt etc. offerings. If you were crack a trunnion or something in 10 years I wonder if it'd be a problem? Or will generic Asian parts fit just fine? Dunno.

[Brendan Plavis]

A small motor on the Delta my tail!.... I nearly had a hernia trying to lift it to put a nut on that Delta shipped out to me...

[Victor Robinson]

If this BS was available when I got my G0555 I would have given it serious consideration. An extra 1/2 hp would be useful for resawing.

[Van Huskey]

Van, just a quick question here -- what do you (and others) perceive as the advantage of a closed stand BS as opposed to an open stand? The PC appears to be a closed stand, where the 555 is open. Why isn't the 555X the better comparison?

A quick look (I'm doing this a lot lately) seems to show the 555 takes up to a 3/4" blade, where PC takes up to 1/2". The PC has a 16 by 16" table, where the 555 has a 14 by 14 inch. The PC weighs 190 lbs, the Griz weighs 167. The specs show both saws drawing 10 amps at 110. This is all just from the websites, and who knows how accurate the specs are (I tend to trust Grizzly more than Delta/PC). Overall, the PC does look like a better deal. Wish there was a Lowes around here, I'd go look at one....

As for the 555X despite some of the specs I really think the P-C is fighting out of its weight class there, period.

As for blade width I am of the mind the 1/2" is pretty much the upper limit for a cast saw anyway. If you need a wider blade I think it is time for a bigger saw or a steel 14.

I honestly think the Delta and 555 motor probably have the same output in the real world given their current draws since I doubt the PC motor has a better energy factor.

Again, if this is going to be your only saw unless you only want to do curves I think payng more for the 555 is smart money. However if you choose not to afford it the PC seems like a viable option but the guides and fence need to be considered.

[Van Huskey]

It doesn't look like the various B & D / Stanley brands are strong on product support once the model is discontinued. Granted Band Saws shouldn't have many manufacturer specific parts prone to failure but that's my concern with current Porter-Cable/Delta/DeWalt etc. offerings. If you were crack a trunnion or something in 10 years I wonder if it'd be a problem? Or will generic Asian parts fit just fine? Dunno.

That is a crap shoot, I figure you are fine for 7-10 years after that it depends. The likelyhood of being able to find a part that will work on an Asian saw is pretty high, also it is a Delta clone so it would be hard to imagine a problem that couldn't be addressed even 30 years from now, but it is a valid question.

[Van Huskey]

A small motor on the Delta my tail!.... I nearly had a hernia trying to lift it to put a nut on that Delta shipped out to me...

It is all relative young Padawan. Someone who had never seen a car before would probably think a Smart was big, but see it beside a Excursion and it doesn't look so big. Again, its relative, take a look at the motor on the PC and you will see how much bigger it is, quite significant actually.

[Van Huskey]

If this BS was available when I got my G0555 I would have given it serious consideration. An extra 1/2 hp would be useful for resawing.

Victor I wouldn't have any buyers remorse, I think the motors actual output is much more similar than the "specs" portray. I would not buy the PC thinkng I had 50% more hp available continuously, it may have a little extra grunt in short burts though. Plus if resawing is the goal you would need a fence (unless you are one of the freehand resawers) and better guides, going to the after market for these would give you better parts but run the price up over the Grizzly by a decent margin.

I do think it appears to be a good deal with a 10% off Lowes coupon for someone just adding a second saw or with a tight budget knowing Carter and Kreg have products that can really fix it up when more money becomes available.

I just feel the PC is a much better option than I assumed it would be, certainly the attention to detail is MUCH higher than the Delta which really surprised me.