Gregg Brightwell

Gregg Brightwell

Well Known Member
Guys,
I have done a search on here for bandsaw ideas. I then looked at what my options are without driving 3 hours. I am looking for real life use on aluminum, thin sheet and up to .125 plate, and angle, etc.

The 9" Skil at Lowes shows 2 speeds, which might be important. Online reviews are mixed.

I AM however a big Craftsman fan, but the reviews on their saw are terrible. Says they are cheaply made. I just want to be able to cut some aluminum.

I know what to use for blades, for different thicknesses, and I am not spending 500$ on a bandsaw. (I would like to, but my other $$'s are for tank parts, and a fuse kit):) Both saws above are priced within 5$ of each other.

Anyone have any experience with either?
 
I inherited a 12" Craftsman saw years ago, and it works great - but I have to go to Sears to get blades (none of the local big-box or HW stores have that size). For convenience in the future, whatever brand you choose, you might see how available blades are going to be. When you suddenly realize how dull your blade has gotten, and you want a quick replacement, it can be a pain if you have to order one....

Paul
 
Got a bandsaw myself recently. Looked at the craftsman and, while it sounds good on paper, it had a very cheap feel to it in the store. Lots of plastic and flimsy parts. I ended up with a Ryobi and am happy enough. It's a bit too fast, but with a metal cutting blade it goes through aluminum pretty good. I wanted a benchtop unit because I have a very small shop and went cheap because I think there are more critical tools to spend money on for building an RV.

my $0.02
 
A favorite "aluminum" cutting blade for me...........has been a 56 1/8", 1/4"*6 TPI --- wood cutting blade. One hanging on my shop rack, is a Vermont American.........good for Black & Decker, Delta, and Sears. My bandsaw is a cheap Delta.
 
I bought a Ryobi band saw and contacted bandsawblades.com for aluminum cutting blades. The size blade I needed was not available locally so I ordered 2. Painless.
 
Craftsman

We have a Sears unit in our shop. Definitely inferior to the higher quality brands but for aluminium it works just fine. We have a saw specialty shop make up the blades. They cut and weld them to the right length from long stock. No need to go to Sears.
 
I have an old 80inch blade sears band saw , I use Vermont American blades from Lowes . The 1/4 inch blades fine pitch for wood work great for alum at the higher wood speed, I even cut stainless steel for some firewalls , the trick with the stainless is to attach it to a sheet of plywood , works on a table saw too.
Nice thing about Sears are they have or can get parts for 20 year old tools.
 
Skil

I have the Skill bandsaw from lowes 3+ years and going strong!
I a very pleased with it, and have had ZERO problems. It also has an
Led light and laser which come in handy.

Switching blades is pretty quick. I have also used it for wood and steel.
Hope this helps!
 
Craftsman

I didn't like the 9" Craftsman either but the 10" is much sturdier and has been everything I've needed through the fuselage.

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Craftsman

If you like Sears (as I do) I think (don't hold me to it) the facility that actually made tools for the Craftsman brand was purchased by Home Depot to start up the Ridgid brand about 15 years ago. I beleive Sears pushed there manufacturing "East"..... Further....Far East.

Tools are still good, just thought you should compare Sears, Lowes and Home Depot.

I also found that during the build the Aluminum Dust kind of gets in everywhere and the motor Brushes doesn't like that type of dust, so I would rather go cheap, let the thing burn out in the build and after you are done you just throw it out instead of burning up a real quality tool.
 
A Band Saw, a-h-h-h-h

My perspective is a little different in that I don't buy anything until I absolutely need it. I sawed custom canopy skirt ribs (approximately 2 feet long) out of 3/16" bar stock with a hack saw and hand filed them to final shape. When I decided to make some streamlined racing wingtip molds out of wood I finally gave in. I went to sears and told the salesman that I needed an economical bandsaw that would be used to cut aluminum as well as 5' long pieces of 3/4" plywood and 2"x4" to a contoured profile. He took me to the Craftsman 10" Model 119 214000 made in China and said this one will do the job. It has done every sawing task I have given it with quality and ease. It is now one of my most prized tools. It has cut through every piece of aluminum I needed to cut with ease (one piece I just checked in the garage is only 0.090" 2024T3 but it cuts through it like butter).

Bob Axsom
 
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Grizzly

No one has mentioned the Grizzly brand. I have a 14 inch band saw from those folks that is a cast iron monster. I use it (with appropriate blade) to cut just about anything. It is not inexpensive, but for the build quality, its a bargain. I use it primarily to resaw and rough dimension Cyprus for making antique style window sashes. It is very easy to set up, and to change bands. I believe they make some saws down to the 12 inch range.

Their service has always been outstanding. I had a motor once on another tool that was making noise from the fan housing. All I wanted was a new fan, but they insisted on sending a complete new motor (3/4 horse) no charge, and didn't want the old one back.

Good tools are always worth the investment.
 
Bandsaw

In support of mkbreezy, I have a 17" Grizzley. It is a great machine and very quiet, unlike many bandsaws. Although mine was made for wood, on the slow speed it has worked well for me on aluminum. I hope this helps.

Best regards,
jabodine
 
I bought a cheap $99 Delta that wasn't worth bringing home. I tried changing the blade but the cheap plastic parts on the inside won't even allow me to adjust anything.

I've heard their more expensive models are better, but don't waste your money on the cheap one!

Bob
 
Check Craig's List.

I bought a really cheap 3 wheel 14" bandsaw for $10 at a garage sale. Then I bought some 18 TPI blades on line and did the job. One of the things that made this this cheap thing work out was that it had multiple speeds so I was able to slow it down.

However, it is one of the tools in my shop I will replace when I start my next project.

Bigger is better when it comes to bandsaws.
 
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Ryobi bench top works great. Metal blade
Keep the blade lubed with a waxy lube stick.
Cheap, portable, benchtop.
 
Ryobi

Also have a cheap Ryobi. Going on 15 years. Use and abuse. Keep wondering when it is going to die but it has't shown any signs. I will buy a better one when it does (just a tool hound) but I would recommend it to someone spending 99.
 
blades

I buy my band saw blades from an industrial supply house, they make them up per my order, 82" metal cutting blades $7.00 each.
Home Depot 82" blades are lots of $$
I have a Delta floor model. Had it 14 years, good service.
 
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Another Plug for a cheap Ryobi

My little $99 Ryobi bandsaw has become one of my most valuable tools for building an RV. I got it at Home Depot, and they stock the 18 tpi blades for aluminum! The blades are less than $10 so I keep a couple on hand. It cuts through aluminum like butter. I love it. It's cheap and noisy, but it gets the job done. I can also hook up my shop vac to the exit port to suck up all the shavings, if desired.

Here's a shot of my Dad cutting stiffeners for my fuel tanks several years ago. He really enjoyed this. The saw is easily set up on a bench. I like to use it outdoors when the weather permits.

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Just don't try cutting any of the steel parts. You'll quickly dull the blade.
 
Skil

+1 for the 9" Skil bandsaw. I've used it for 2 years now with no complaints. It has always worked well and blade changes are easy. I wouldn't call it a high end machine, but it is a pretty ideal machine for our purposes (relatively small pieces of aluminum). The only time I've dreamt of a different bandsaw is when the throat depth (if you call it that) of 9" is too shallow. In other words, the saw doesn't allow the piece I want to cut to fit. That's not a problem with the saw, just my envy toward those with larger bandsaws. Nevertheless, I'm a satisfied customer.
 
Started off with the small, cheap used Delta that was given to me. It broke blades due to small diameter pulley. Blades not easily found in stores, had to order online.

I bought the cheap small Skil from Lowes. It lasted through the entire -10 build...barely. Motor is weak/cuts crooked, but for what I paid...a whole lot better than a hacksaw. If I was going to build multiple RV's or do woodworking, then I would buy a professional model. I think I have used it once since finishing the build. It still works...barely. The bigger the pulley diameter, the longer your blades will last...less fatigue.
 
Bought a Skil...

Guys, thanks for the responses. I bought a Skil from the aviation aisle at Lowe's. I have been sick, but set it up a few minutes ago, and it works great. Cut's .125 alum angle like nothing.

Should be good enough for my use. I always 'leave the line' and then clean it up on the belt sander.

Gregg
 
I also received the 9" Craftsman as a gift. It got used a couple of times and then set in the corner to rot. This is a poor quality tool, not worth buying. FYI: it is the EXACT same 9" saw that harbor freight sells. The larger craftsman saws look to be much better.


larrynew said:
I didn't like the 9" Craftsman either but the 10" is much sturdier and has been everything I've needed through the fuselage.

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WingsOnWheels said:
I also received the 9" Craftsman as a gift. It got used a couple of times and then set in the corner to rot. This is a poor quality tool, not worth buying. FYI: it is the EXACT same 9" saw that harbor freight sells. The larger craftsman saws look to be much better.
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I think my tolerance for crappy tools may be too high!:D Like Bruce said about his Ryobi, my 9" Craftsman is cheap and noisy (note the earmuffs within arm's reach) but has been getting the job done 13-14 years. (I think it may be time for a new blade...) Beats the stink out of the HF metal cutting bandsaw I started with that wouldn't hold onto a blade. I left it in the basement when I moved.

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