[OP]
Member
Neewbie Here, I've been reading till my eyes are blury. I am going to make cabinet's for my house. I need a band saw to resaw approx. 4" height max.
Money is a definite problem($300 to $400) max. Question what used band saw would give me the most bang for buck(If any) in that price range.?
Thanks
John
Contributor
Craigs list 14" delta or a cloan of theirs. Have 6" re saw without riser block.
Contributor
Why do you need to resaw to make cabinets?
Contributor
Yup, 14" cast iron saws are probably the most plentiful used. Delta, Jet and Grizzly 0555 would be worth looking at IMO. Used Craftsman are more plentiful on Craigs list here but you'd have to be able to tell good from not-so-good. Craftsman has had both.Originally Posted by eugene thomas
Contributor
+1. 14" Delta, the older the better. Rock solid and if you buy well you'll never lose a penny if you need to sell it.
Member
+2 on the Delta 14.
Even the modern clones are pretty good.
Some of the Big Dogs making furniture use it
as their shop workhorse.
I wouldn't consider any blade included to be sharp, unless
it's in the original box and wrapper.
Half the troubles with my bandsaw come from dull blades.
Member
Based on your budget, have you considered the current (new) Craftsman 14" saw? It appears to be (down to the manual) a Rikon 10-321 and all Rikon accessories fit it. Seems to be Perma-Onsale at $350-ish.
Upside: 8" resaw, welded steel frame, 1HP motor
Downside: Unable to go below a 1/4" blade with stock guides (Carter makes a stabalizer that will fit), and the welded steel frame means you can't add a riser block someday
Member
Older delta band saws are better. I like how solid those saws were.
Member
John,
I bought the Ridgid 14 inch about 5 years ago. It was and I think it still is about $300-325 new and comes with their lifetime warrantee. I am no expert with bandsaws but it was easy to set up and it works great. For re-sawing it has about a 6 inch capacity, and I re-sawed about 500 lineal feet of 4 inch white oak, and a similar quantity of cedar. I started with the included blade, but in white oak it was very slow going. Adding a 1/2 inch wide "Wood Slicer" blade made all the difference. I am guessing that it takes about 1 minute to cut a 4 foot long slice.
The Ridgid is very similar to a whole flock of imported 14 inch saws that might all come out of the same factory. I have since added a riser block (made for another brand) so I now have about 12 inches of re-saw capacity. That of course required a longer Wood Slicer blade, and I have now done a run of 9 inch spalted sycamore, plus some cherry, and some walnut.
It is about as foolproof as these things can get. I still use the original guides; I don't ever relax the tension; and it just keeps sawing.
Contributor
You are getting some good advice but it would prove helpful for you to indicate where you live so others who might live locally to you or know the area well can offer you some better options. Good luck.
For cabinet work, a used table saw in that price range would give you cuts that are much straighter and smoother than any band saw costing twice what you are considering to spend.
Lee Schierer
USNA '71
Go Navy!
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Contributor
Lee,
Unless you have a 12-14" tablesaw, resawing 4" is going to be a two-pass operation. I'm sure you know this, but want to make sure John understands this.
Member
Make sure that you understand the "lifetime" stuff about Ridgid.
It is NOT a warranty. It is a service agreement. You have to send/take it to an authorized service center for repairs, or hope that ya get the right parts on your own.
Wanna repack a table saw or bandsaw for shipment? BTW, return shipping is on your dime.
Not this fat boy.
Bill
On the other hand, I still have five fingers.
Contributor
I finally managed to find a decent affordable 14 inch bandsaw.
It only took about 5 or 6 years.
The maddening thing is, I could have had a brand new Grizzly for $400-ish or a brand new Porter Cable for $350-ish years ago and been happily making things on it instead of endlessly searching for a used one.
I'm really not a fan of the overpriced junk that's out there in the used market.
Maybe it's a location thing. Other places don't seem to have it as bad - or maybe they do and people aren't willing to say so.
"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." - John Lennon
Member
Uh.....tight budget, need cabinets, need to resaw lumber to make cabinets. Newbee? I know what I do with a BS, but what is your plan? Why are you starting with resawing lumber for cabinet work? Almost any 14" BS is going to resaw 4" lumber with a decent blade. But what about the rest of what goes into making cabinets. How do you process your stock?
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