There is a special tool that you will likely find in any woodworking garage. It is a band saw. This powered saw is able to create plenty kinds of cuts. The tool is not only applied for wood projects. You can even work on metals and other types of material as long as your saw machine has enough horsepower to back it up. Despite its high usability, this tool is able to accommodate any woodworker regardless of their capability level.

As expected, when you visit the market to purchase this saw machine, you will bombarded with variety of models that display numerous interesting components. Some machines will not be able to work as good as the others, though. You have to make your purchasing decision very wisely. Luckily, this article is packed with the best band saw reviews you will find helpful. Five of the best existing models today will be discussed in the following part.

Best Band Saw Reviews

1. JET JWBS-14DXPRO

Professional woodworkers and lumbers are going to appreciate this free standing saw. The machine is capable of handling large size wood pieces. Its maximum height cutting ability up to 12 inches while the utmost width it can handle is 13.5 inches.

It is equipped with blade guide that can be adjusted from 0 to 12 inches which means that this machine can be utilized to work on small to large size of wood pieces. The spring style of this saw has high tension which means you will get precise cut. It comes with attached table space measured at 15 x 15 inches. It can be tilted up to 45° to the left and 10° to the right.

The voltage needed to run this machine is 230V. With such power input, this blade is able to run at 1500 and 3000 surface feet per minute. The speed allows you to create clean cuts more efficiently.

Its frame is made of highly durable cast iron material that can endure tough work for longer time. It also has guides for the upside and lower side balls to minimize frictions so your blade life would be longer. An important safety feature is also provided in this machine. You can track your blade location through the open window equipped to lessen chance of accident.

2. WEN 3962 10-Inch

The features that you will find in this model are so tempting. For the work space of this machine, you will be getting a sturdy and beveled worktable with measurements of 12.5 x 14 inches. To accommodate your woodworking tasks, the table’s angle can be adjusted up to 45° to your right side. An illumination system is provided in this machine to help making your job easier.

This lighting can be turned on and off easily without disrupting the entire machine’s system. User has the option to choose blade size within the range of 0.125 to 0.5 inches depending on the delicacy of cuts that they need to perform.

The cuts produced by its blade can reach maximum width of 9.75 inches and length of 6 inches. This is sufficient for mid-tier level of woodwork. For its operation, the machine is run by a motor with capacity of 3.5A.

With the support of its motor, user can choose between two blade speed options: 1520 and 2620 feet per minute. Each package of this model comes with fence and miter gauge to aid you in making both straight and angle-adjusted wood cuts. The ball-bearing feature found in this tool ensures that your blade will not get worn out too quickly.

3. Grizzly G0555LX

Another model that is perfect for heavy duty woodworking tasks is this one. Among 14-inch free standing saw machines existing, the model definitely comes on top. It is armed with a sturdy 14 x 14 inches table with 1.5 inches of thickness as your work surface.

This table can be swiveled up to 45° to the right side and 10° to the left. With two blade width options (1/8 and 3/4 inches), user can get maximum cutting height up to 6 inches, while for the width it can reach an impressive 13.5 inches. Every purchase includes aluminum-made fence that can be adjusted for a blade guide.

If you have 5.5A electrical service, 220V is needed to power this machine. The power can adequately move its motor to produce 1 horsepower. Speed for this model’s blade varies on 1800 and 3100 feet per minute. The construction for this saw model is built to handle hard tasks. Its frame material is sturdy cast iron.

In addition to that, the model also has blade guides with both upper and lower sides’ ball bearing to prevent excessive friction. You will not need to replace blade every so often. The tool also has open frame design for increased safety purpose.

4. POWERTEC BS900

If you are often required to make wood cuts in irregular shape, chances are you will be finding this tool to be very helpful. It is not a mere band-style saw. The tool combines the function of miter gauge as well to accommodate any angled cut that user needs to do. It is equipped with 11.75 x 11.75 inches aluminum cast tabletop to be your working base.

A dust port is attached to this table in order to provide user a comfortable and clean space to work on. This also makes the machine easier to maintain. You will be able to fit blade with width ranging from 0.125 to 0.375 inches.

You need 110V of voltage in order to operate this machine. This will rotate the blade’s motor and produce 0.5 horsepower. With this power, you can make cuts up to 3-5/8 inches in lengths while the width you can manage to aim would be 9 inches.

The best thing about this particular saw model is the fact that it is very easy to navigate. Its mechanism allows user to create cuts quickly but in precise manner. When your project requires you to change blade every so often, you will not have bad time doing it with this model.

5. Rikon 10-305

For people who often do woodworking tasks but not necessarily looking for a heavy duty tool, this particular Rikon model might be a great choice. Sure, the capacity of cutting and its power output are not as memorable as some models mentioned above. However, for moderate level woodwork, this certainly works splendidly.

The standing machine comes with a cast iron table in size of 12.5 x 13.75 inches as working surface. The table can be angled up to 45° to the sides. This saw machine is capable of cutting wood with maximum height of 4-4/5 inches and width up to 9-5/8 inches.

The tool can fit a blade with width up to 0.5 inch. In order to run, this machine requires 115V of voltage. Such power input can rotate its motor and produce output up to 0.33 horsepower. The optimum blade speed that this motor can yield is 2780 feet per minute.

Frame for this saw tool is made of strong stainless steel with blue color accent to make it looking chic. It has several built in features in the purchase, including 2 inches fence and anti-dust port. Another great feature is the ability to collapse its structure to make the machine easy to store or transport.

Conclusion

The five models that have been reviewed in the previous part are indeed superior. They cover various needs and skill levels of potential users. As an example, if you need high performing model to do many kinds of cuts then JET JWBS-14DXPRO would be your best bet. It delivers high power output and is made of sturdy material to ensure effective performance and user’s safety. The other models might show lesser performance but it does not mean that they are less good. They can cater to woodworker who has more specific needs perfectly.

Reviews that are discussed in this article do not only show you the best band saws that you can purchase. They also educate you on what type of saw that is worth buying. Sometimes, the most powerful machine will not suit you well. Don’t fall into the trap of marketing and start purchasing tool you know will aid your woodworking job really well.

Band Saw Buying Guide – Several Factors to Consider

Are you aspiring to be a skilled woodworker? As a woodworker, you have to learn to work with various types of saws. Each saw will be used for distinctive purpose; therefore the result of one saw machine and another would be different as well. There are plenty of saws used but you cannot deny that most people with wood craftsmanship will utilize band saws. They are used to make detailed cuts during projects. However, these saws can cater any woodworking level. If you plan on purchasing one of those, you need to contemplate it thoroughly. There is a specific guideline to follow.

Guideline to Purchase the Perfect Band Saw for Your Projects

1. Power Output

The power that your saw machine can produce is an important parameter when choosing the right model to buy. People tend to go after the most powerful tool that they can purchase. However, such decision making process does not always work. Purchasing saw with high power output will be wasteful if you do not utilize the power to its maximum capacity. Normally, you will do just fine with machine that produces 1.5 horsepower. If you often work with woods that have high level of hardiness, though, extra power would be highly welcomed.

2. Free Standing or Desktop?

Next, you will have to choose between a free standing and desktop base saw. Although both types of saw can be still highly useful tool, there are certain things that you must pay attention to. When it comes to the desktop model, you have to find for a sufficient table to be its base. The table must have adequate size to accommodate your woodworking tool. It should be strong enough and having enough supporting accessories to support its job (e.g.: bevel). However, the desktop table will be able to give your more freedom when handling wood projects.

3. Guides for the Blade

Another factor that should determine your purchase decision is the guide provided for your blade. Oftentimes, everyone only focuses on the type of blades included in the purchase. They forget that blade does not stand on its own during the work. Without proper guide, you will have a hard time when trying to make a precise cut for your projects. The most popular guides to be used for this tool is Euro-style ones. It is because their versatility. You need to purchase the great quality ones no matter what your choice is.

4. Brushless or Brushed Motor?

The type of motor used in your saw also needs to be a purchase factor on your end. Most of the older saw machine models will use brushed motor in its mechanism. Unfortunately, it is found that this motor will be worn after some while because the use of brushes and another component for commutation. Brushless motor is the new innovation that will make your motor staying alive for longer time. It means that perhaps buying new model might be more beneficial.

5. Your Mobility

Do you consider yourself to be highly mobile woodworker? It is a tough job that requires plenty of equipment. When you move around a lot to do your work, you may have to purchase some tools in compact size. There are definitely compact models for this saw type. However, you cannot deny that the performance will not be as good as the full size saw. Nonetheless, such tool is extremely handy to give you basic level of job.

6. Maintenance Required

Sometimes a model offered specifications that sound out of this world. However, after you are using it for a while, you find out that the maintenance work is really tedious. Everyone always seeks out practicality and that definitely goes against it. Before purchasing the tool, you need to consult with people who have already utilized it. Reading reviews on the internet can provide you one or two details about this matter too. You also need to look for features to support easy maintenance, such as anti-debris mechanism and blade protector.

7. What Kind of Woodworking Projects You Need to Do?

An important determinant in buying this type of saw is the type of woodworking job that you need to perform. Since this machine is very flexible, you will be able to manage making various types of cuts. The options for irregular cuts are also diverse, such as: miter, compound, and crossed ones. In the specs, it would be explained what type of cuts that the model can do. You should match that with your needs. The density of wood that you are working with also needs to be factored especially since that is related to saw’s power.

8. Ease of Navigation

A high specs saw machine will not be useful if the user has a terrible time trying to figure out how to use it. Difficulty of using the machine can be dangerous as well since you are working with sharp and powered blade. The first parameter to determine a machine’s ease of navigation is how easy you can replace one blade with another one. After that, you need to ensure the model allows easy adjustment (such as for blade tension and height). Another thing to pay attention to is how you can setup the safety aspects.

9. Long Lasting

This saw type is not a cheap machine to purchase. As a smart buyer, you should purchase something that will have longevity. Non-durable machine does not only going to affect you economically. You will be presented with less than stellar woodworking results. In addition to that, operating such tool can be dangerous too. If your machine cannot handle the stress of heavy duty jobs well, you will have to replace components often. The chance of missing precision also gets higher.  You have to choose tool that is made of high quality materials.

10. Price Point

Price point is perhaps the most important buying factor in many people. This saw tool is without doubt not the cheapest tool in your shed. However, you can still purchase one that is within your affordability range. You must weight down the value of your tool. It means considering all the factors that have been mentioned above and choose one with the cheapest price possible