Are Chinese band saws any good?

[Brian Jarnell]

I have a Taiwanese 19" bandsaw and couldn't wish for better.
The company that brings them in give a 12 month gaurantee and if it proved to be a dud,they would relace it.

[Julio Navarro]

OK, now I am totaly confussed!

I am holding out for one of them old cast iron monsters you see every once in a while for sale.

Almost everything Ive bought from HF was on the serious side of almost useless, I regret almost every purchase form them but the low price is so seductive, except for their wood glue....that works pretty good...for now anyways.

Ive had the honor and priviledge of working with some "old timers" and their machines and it is safe to say you cant beat the quality of anything old that is still around. Pretty much why its still around I reckon. I only wish I still lived up north where you can find those things more redely.

[Tom Andersen]

Thanks for the many interesting opinions. Maybe one should simply look at the weight of the machine, i.e. define a quality index as mass divided by size? If I get time, I'll make a table for some typical saws and post it here.

[tod evans]

Thanks for the many interesting opinions. Maybe one should simply look at the weight of the machine, i.e. define a quality index as mass divided by size? If I get time, I'll make a table for some typical saws and post it here.

tom, shear mass doesn`t make a well engineered saw! look at servicability and ease of use. if you need to constantly fiddle with a saw you`re going to get tired of that in a hurry! and if you can`t find parts when something breaks you`ll have a boat anchor sitting in your shop.....02 tod

[Brian King]

I see many good saws out there. Probably some that most of you have never heard of. Grob is a top notch band saw. I know where there a 3 for sale now. Heavy duty and has a table that tilts from to back and side to side. Pulley selection that allows you to cut wood, aluminum, or steel. It was designed primarily for machine shop use. But, if a bandsaw has the speed selection needed for cutting wood, then in many cases it will make a VERY nice saw. Lots of cast Iron, built in blade welders, heavy tables, heavy bearings are a few advantages of these machines. Doall, Powermatic, Rockwell, are some othrs that you've probably heard of.
I,m going to look at a 24" Grob tomorrow. My garage and barn are both full, and the wife may make me clean out space in the barn to sleep, but if it's in reasonable condition it will ride home in my pickup. The table on it weighs more than most imported 14" saws. Total weight is probably 1000 to 1200 lbs.
Just My .02 Good luck bandsaw hunting.

[Jeffrey Makiel]

Julio,
I recommend not to judge Chinese or Taiwanese tools by what HF sells. HF seems to concentrate on price, and price alone. If HF can find a cheaper source in Pakistan, then that's were they will go. Quality, as you know, is not their strong point.

The equipment coming from other sources like Grizzly, Wilke Machinery, Rikon, JET and Sunhill seems pretty good these days, especially for a hobbyist as myself. You will always here bad stories of anybody's equipment, but it's the frequency of complaints is what I would focus on.

If you decide to go the used machinery route, make sure the equipment is single phase (assuming you don't have three phase power in your shop), or that the motor can easily be swapped out, or you are willing to install a phase converter. A lot of the big old machinery I have seen is usually three phase, so make sure you factor it into your price..
cheers, Jeff

[Tom Andersen]

I will add one comment more to my mass suggestion. Many machine manufacturers use kg or pound prices when pricing bids, because typical mechanisms always have some weight. If for instance, one band saw weighs 200 pounds and another 400 pounds and they cost the same, then there's a good chance that you get more for your money when you buy the 400 pound version.

I know that I am a bit far out

[Jeffrey Makiel]

As I have painfully learned in work the past 6 months, the cost of machining to tight tolerances, and providing a quality surface finish, dwarf material costs big time. I suspect the same is true for woodworking machines.
-Jeff

[Julio Navarro]

Thanks Jeff, your statement is true, of course. I think Ridgid is Chinese as well and it seems to be a good brand.

[Hal Flynt]

My Rikon was made in China and I have no complaints.