DBT85
Established Member
Long story short. House clearout, some tools being sold, some money going back into tools that will get used. HVLP Sprayer and Titan Plunge Saw + ST2800 Evolution track are all good. This bandsaw is not. Prior to buying these tools most of my stuff has all been slightly more expensive branded gear and I've never had any issues at all. Bosch Blue Jigsaw/Tablesaw/SDS/drill driver/smaller drill driver,/6" Random Orbit Sander, Fein Multimaster, etc. But, times are what they are and I have to make some choices. One of which was the Tablsesaw going as it just didn't get used (not permanent so had to come out, get use, go back). Anyway.
It was £110 delivered from screwfix. Bought in part after seeing some of Peter Millards comments on it in his videos (as were the other bits bought above). Plenty of reviews say it's fine, maybe it just this one, maybe I've checked it more than some, maybe it's just bad luck. For most of my uses it probably would have sufficed. But why settle? I'd have to buy a new fence and blade at a minumum, and probably make a new table for it.
The table isn't close to flat, as can be seen in the photos. The insert around the blade is even lower still. Quite often in my toying with it wood would get stuck trying to get back onto the other side of the table.
Even with the table Hulked down tight, it can still go off piste quite easily as can be seen from the next two photos. This is just a bit of pressure on the side you'd be standing on.
With an actual solid fence in place, its also not cutting straight. There is a fair bit of lateral movement on the blade just because the wheels are only round-ish. I don't have a dial gauge to measure just how much they are out, but its enough. Regularly the start and end of cuts were narrower than the middle.
The upper blade guides obviously have to go up and down, but when they do so they are often misaligned at one extreme compared to the other. Also not square to the blade. The entire mechanism is plastic (Though I'm not one of the crazies that thinks all plastic is rubbish), its just not sturdy enough for this job.
Finally, when setting up the top wheel tracking, it was impossible to set the gullet of the tooth to be in the centre of the wheel while also not having the blade contact the upper thrust bearing. It simply cannot move back far enough. How I'd run a larger blade in there I'm not sure.
The included fence can't be secured down and not move. The included mitre fence even done up tight still moves, and also is sloppy in the slot with no option to take up the slack.
Oh, and its 15 whole turns of a screwdriver to open the doors. 15. I counted.
So. I'll be sending it back to Screwfix.
In the search for its replacement I considered the Axminster Craft AC1400B at £200 though it has no mitre fence included and only has a dumb small slot (why why why do they do this, it was the same on the Bosch table saw :evil: ). It's a 1400mm blade, 200mm wheel and copper blade guides and a cast iron table. I then considered its bigger brother the Axminster Craft AC1950B. Ceramic guides, 1950 blade, 270mm wheels, a proper slot, £300.
Then I found the Record Power B250 on sale for £221 (usually £260-£280) Cast iron table, 250mm wheel, bearing guides, stupid small slot (I think), 15mm less depth of cut than the Axminster AC1950B but still more than enough for me.
I'll let you know if a) they actually honour the price and b) how it turns out.
It was £110 delivered from screwfix. Bought in part after seeing some of Peter Millards comments on it in his videos (as were the other bits bought above). Plenty of reviews say it's fine, maybe it just this one, maybe I've checked it more than some, maybe it's just bad luck. For most of my uses it probably would have sufficed. But why settle? I'd have to buy a new fence and blade at a minumum, and probably make a new table for it.
The table isn't close to flat, as can be seen in the photos. The insert around the blade is even lower still. Quite often in my toying with it wood would get stuck trying to get back onto the other side of the table.
Even with the table Hulked down tight, it can still go off piste quite easily as can be seen from the next two photos. This is just a bit of pressure on the side you'd be standing on.
With an actual solid fence in place, its also not cutting straight. There is a fair bit of lateral movement on the blade just because the wheels are only round-ish. I don't have a dial gauge to measure just how much they are out, but its enough. Regularly the start and end of cuts were narrower than the middle.
The upper blade guides obviously have to go up and down, but when they do so they are often misaligned at one extreme compared to the other. Also not square to the blade. The entire mechanism is plastic (Though I'm not one of the crazies that thinks all plastic is rubbish), its just not sturdy enough for this job.
Finally, when setting up the top wheel tracking, it was impossible to set the gullet of the tooth to be in the centre of the wheel while also not having the blade contact the upper thrust bearing. It simply cannot move back far enough. How I'd run a larger blade in there I'm not sure.
The included fence can't be secured down and not move. The included mitre fence even done up tight still moves, and also is sloppy in the slot with no option to take up the slack.
Oh, and its 15 whole turns of a screwdriver to open the doors. 15. I counted.
So. I'll be sending it back to Screwfix.
In the search for its replacement I considered the Axminster Craft AC1400B at £200 though it has no mitre fence included and only has a dumb small slot (why why why do they do this, it was the same on the Bosch table saw :evil: ). It's a 1400mm blade, 200mm wheel and copper blade guides and a cast iron table. I then considered its bigger brother the Axminster Craft AC1950B. Ceramic guides, 1950 blade, 270mm wheels, a proper slot, £300.
Then I found the Record Power B250 on sale for £221 (usually £260-£280) Cast iron table, 250mm wheel, bearing guides, stupid small slot (I think), 15mm less depth of cut than the Axminster AC1950B but still more than enough for me.
I'll let you know if a) they actually honour the price and b) how it turns out.