Are Chinese band saws any good?

[Tom Andersen]

I want to buy a band saw for my workshop. There's a lot of inexpensive Chinese bandsaws out there. Are they any good? What should I pay attention to when buying a band saw?

[Cecil Arnold]

Tom, that's a pretty open ended question. Most BS are Chinese (or Taiwan) made, and most of the others are from Europe. Maybe one, from Canada is made on this continent. If you could give us an idea of what brands, etc. you are looking at you would get a decent opinion. And welcome to the creek.

[tod evans]

tom, inexpensive and "good" are usually not bedfellows...02 tod

[lou sansone]

hi tom
I take it you are from country of Sweden. Why would you not want a european machine?

lou

[Tom Andersen]

hi tom
I take it you are from country of Sweden. Why would you not want a european machine?

lou

Because the Chinese saws are really inexpensive (like 6-700 dollars here, everything more expensive here due to the low dollar I guess).

It's not easy to tell you guys which type I am looking at. The saws are sold with Swedish brand names on them. Apparently they are imported and given some local brand name.

What would you say characterizes a good band saw? And how important is size? An alternative could be to buy a used, 30 years old pro saw. Heavy and big.

[tod evans]

old, heavy and big is good, great, fantastic! you`re on the right track..02 tod

[Lee Schierer]

When I was looking for a bandsaw, I watched the paper and saw several bandsaws for sale. Most were either too small (10-12") or chinese made. My concern was if anything ever broke or wore out on a chinese saw, how would I get it serviced.

I ended up buying a Delta for just a little more and have some assurance that Delta parts will be available if I should need one.

[Frank Pellow]

When I was looking for a bandsaw, I watched the paper and saw several bandsaws for sale. Most were either too small (10-12") or chinese made. My concern was if anything ever broke or wore out on a chinese saw, how would I get it serviced.

I ended up buying a Delta for just a little more and have some assurance that Delta parts will be available if I should need one.

Lee, most Delta tools are now made in China. Was your bandsaw an exception?

[Jeffrey Makiel]

Tom,
Years ago, I filled my shop with Chinese (Taiwanese) import machines that were basically clones of old American machines. The machines were either OK or lousy. Nothing was great, except for the price.

Boy, have things changed. The stuff coming from mainland China or Taiwan can be poor quality or great quality. It now depends on what the American distributor specifies. The Chinese will build it either way. They have great capability, and its getting better as America decays its industrial base and gives its manufacturing secrets away. For example, automotive parts, aeronautic parts, and computers, to name a few things, are built in China with high quality. Even 85% of our precision smart bombs have componenet parts fabricated there.

As a result of the Chinese evolution and take over, bandsaws like Grizzly, Jet and Rikon are packed with features. The quality of the machining and casting are exceptional for hobby use. Even American based manufacturers like Delta have outsourced manufacturing because both cost and quality are now favorable.

Only you can decide if you want up to pay twice more for a Mini-Max, Laguna, Agazzani or Bridgewood European bandsaw, then determine if it's twice the value as an Asian import. As for me, I wished I had the choices you have today!

Happy Shopping...Jeff

[Ken Shoemaker]

With all due respect to those posting before me...

I bought a Delta 14" and it "fell apart". I and failures three diffrent times promting me to go back and buy the X5 model for the same saw. I was told my a number of people that the X5 is still made it the USA. I haven't had a failure yet.

My personal experience with PRC equipment is not good. I know someone is making out buy outsourcing, but it sure ain't the woodworker.

This is my personal opinion and hope you'll make up your own mind on this important matter.

Best of luck!!! Ken

[Jeffrey Makiel]

Ken,
It's not whether you respect me now, it's whether you respect me in the morning.

Sorry to hear about your Delta machine. Unfortunately, I beginning to see a trend like this with Delta, and it's disturbing. Perhaps the continuous change of ownership is taking its toll.

If your import version was substandard, it's probably because Delta did not provide the proper design and manufacturing specs, and did not do the oversight. There is a lot of pressure on Delta these days to compete with the long time importers of machinery that is getting better and better.

One other disturbing trend I see is that the old saying "you get what your paying for" is becoming less accurate since we are not comparing American manufacturers to American manufactures. There are now things that make an import machine less expensive that have nothing to do with manufacturing like: communist slave labor, deflated Chinese dollar against the American dollar, lack of OSHA regulation, lack of environmental regulation and extremely efficient intermodal shipping. All these things add to the bottom line of an American machinery manufacturer to increase cost, but have little bearing on quality.

Oh well...Jeff

[Cecil Arnold]

Tom, I'll paraphrase Tod Evans and say that horsepower and iron are good. The same things that make European saws good will make Chinese saws good. Cast iron wheels, trunnions, heavy gauger welded steel frames, and high horsepower reliable motors. After that it is fit and finish. I would think you could get a deal on a Mebler (Italian) saw that would be close to the price you are thinking about. If memory serves they are <$1000 here.

[Bruce Page]

Lee, most Delta tools are now made in China. Was your bandsaw an exception?

Whether or not Lee’s BS was American made is irrelevant. I think the gist of Lee’s post is that he feels comfortable in the fact that if he needs parts 10 years down the road he won’t have a problem finding them from Delta. Can the same be said for Harbor Freight’s “Central Machinery” model #XXXX ten years from now? I doubt it

[Jim DeLaney]

...if he needs parts 10 years down the road he won’t have a problem finding them from Delta. Can the same be said for Harbor Freight’s “Central Machinery” model #XXXX ten years from now? I doubt it

Yeah. He can probably use Delta parts.

My nearly thirty year old "Elephant" brand Taiwanese saw is such a close clone that I've used Delta parts on it. The Delta table trunnions (pot metal - even on the Delta) fit perfectly, and so did the old model Delta wheels/lift kit, and of course the guides, guide bearings, and tires also fit.

[Jerry Olexa]

Only if you can read the Chinese instruction manual.. Sorry guys, too much time in the finishing room with those vapors..