A good inexpensive bandsaw?

[dicktimber]

Hi Dan,
fraid it's down to what you pay is what you get.
I have an Electra 316g, purchase at the time because all the mags raved about it for a budget saw.
One just went on e bay for £200..but the difficulties with it are..

1 The table can be tilted but has plastic knobs that cover a nut. You can't make the table secure enough as the plastic knobs just slip round on the nut and you are forced to find spanners to tighten the nuts which aren't so easy to access.

2 Setting the below table guides is a bigger problem. They are held in position with grub screws and you need to have a short allen key and be a contortionist to get at them.
3 The same for the back blade support under the table.
4 The same for the free running side bearing support guides.
4 Extraction is terrible and builds up inside the wheel drive housing.

I would take into consideration these points when buying for the first time, or you will spend more time setting up rather than cutting wood.
If the blade isn't supported correctly and the blade vertical to the table you have no hope of any precision.

Have a good look round, visit some outlets and get them to demonstrate..the full monty, ie blade changes. Ask them to show you how you adjust different depths of blade...

I just wish I had!
Good luck

 

[steve_c]

Any idea if these have been carried over to the Metabo 317?

 

[Dan-K]

heheh, well I like the advice to go as big as you can afford, plus one more vote for the basato's....but it all added up to me looking at a basato 5-4 on ebay...nice looking machine fortunately (unfortunately?) I couldn't quite bring myself to put down just over £1000 for it... :lol:

Think I'll take a serious look at the basato 3 though. And I'll be getting a decent blade straightaway too

Thanks for all the input guys.