Horizontal Band Saws - Your experience?

[Alxj64]

I think I have reached the point that I need a real HZ band saw. I bought a really nice Milwaukee porta-band back this summer but it still cuts crooked for the applications I need to make square cuts with. I picked up a small lathe recently so I don't want to be wasting time and matieral trying to square up crooked cuts on the lathe when making parts. I had a chop saw but some friends borrowed it and now no one knows who has it... irritating for sure.

I am looking at the mid-size $499 band saw from Northern Tool. I used to have a Harbor freight table size saw but it was so flimsy and such a joke that I ended up selling it. I could never keep the blade straight and it cut horribly crooked no matter what I did with it. The vise on the machine I am looking at is much nicer, and supposedly this machine will also handle larger box tubing and up to 5" dia round stock, which I in fact will have the need to be cutting lots of 3" and 4" round for the exhaust system build of the Carryall I am working on.

$500 is a decent amount of money for a tool right now when I am in the middle of a project though and right at Christmas time.

[Gordon Maney]

You might look for a used, domestic machine.

[Doc Dave]

Alex,
I am with Gordon.
You might find a used American machine that is about the same price as a new import but of high quality.
I try now to do that with most tool purchases. For example I found a 24" Rigid brand pipe wrench on Ebay for under $20. USA and high quality.
I too have had some bad experiences with HF.
I have some Northern Tool stuff, but again it is mostly import, although better than HF.
Another source is Craigslist. I found a 20 ton hydraulic press on it not very far away that I bought at a good price.

[Clint Dixon]

It sounds like you have a need to cut mostly tubing rather than solid bar stock? If so, I would cut the tubing with with a cutoff tool right on the lathe - assuming your lathe has a large enough headstock to pass that diameter through it. I think you will find that round tubing will be much harder to cut straight on a band saw than solid round stock of the same size. If your lathe will not handle it and a band saw is the only option, find one that uses coolant to cool and lubricate the blade and cut.

[Gordon Maney]

You can admire old machinery for the same reasons we admire old trucks. It works, it is quality, it is beautiful, and it lasts. It can be its own hobby.

[Matthew Ziegler]

used saw

There is a place called machinery values in Harrison New Jersey who buys sells and rebuilds almost anything you can think of from 30 foot long lathes to small bench top milling machines, I realize they're kind of far away , maybe you have a similar company near by? I like the fact that most of what they have is old American made equipment.

[Alxj64]

I've been hawking the CL for a nice used American machine lately but not much avail. I know my patience will win out so long as I can avoid buying a chineese clunker. I actually would be cutting mostly solid stock on the saw. I have a nice chop saw that works great for tubing, and as for the lathe, its not a massive machine and small tubing that fits the pass through I always lopp off with the parting tool I just want something that will let me drop good square pieces of solid stock that won't fit my pass through. The machine will handle some good large stuff now with a new chuck, its just that the pass through is tiny.

Thanks for the heads up and advice guys. I would much rather have a decent American old machine. Ie, my Lathe is old, and I am actually hoping to be picking up a small but American Made milling machine over the holidays that will compliment my "garage" size tools rather well. Come to think of it, all of the nicest tools I own are use, American Made, and made before the '80s, except for my big Baleigh tubing notcher. It was still American made and insane good quality.