Jet JWBS-18Q Bandsaw

[Random Orbital Bob]

Has anyone got one, tried one, tried a different Jet bandsaw and has a review type opinion please. The 18" saw has the capacities I need and I generally hold Jet in high regard. Just have no experience with their bandsaws and don't know anyone who has. Many thanks

 

[Richard S]

Bob

I have the 16" version with which I am very happy, I looked at the 18" model but couldn't justify the additional expense. I have a friend who has the model you are looking at and it was as a result of his positive experience that I made my choice. I think in their price range the jet range are virtually peerless. I also own a jet spindle moulder, surface planer and thicknesser, I have recently sold (regretfully) a SuperSaw and cannot speak highly enough about any of them.
My friend looks in here from time to time and may well offer you a more informed opinion of the specific model.

Richard

 

[Scouse]

I've got the 16 inch version too, the same machine more or less (well 2 inches less obviously!), but without the tension quick release, and I can't fault it. Good guides, enough capacity and a strong motor, I use it for resawing and ripping mostly and has handled everything I've thrown at it.

Blades from Ian at Tuffsaws (of course) definitely help the performance.

 

[Baldhead]

How about this Bob

http://www.recordpower.co.uk/product/pr ... xySQJIgGSN

Baldhead

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

Bob

I have the 16" version with which I am very happy, I looked at the 18" model but couldn't justify the additional expense. I have a friend who has the model you are looking at and it was as a result of his positive experience that I made my choice. I think in their price range the jet range are virtually peerless. I also own a jet spindle moulder, surface planer and thicknesser, I have recently sold (regretfully) a SuperSaw and cannot speak highly enough about any of them.
My friend looks in here from time to time and may well offer you a more informed opinion of the specific model.

Richard

Thanks Richard...that's exactly the kind of confidence I was expecting to hear as I too have generally a lot of faith in Jet build quality. I've seen many many of their lathes in general use but oddly enough not so their bandsaws. For the smaller capacities I tend to see Record Power and startrite seem to dominate at the bigger end. But Jet do generally specify a chunky build quality. They have the solid cast iron feel to them much as record do. Whilst that's the opinion I've formed it is comforting to know I'm not alone!

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

How about this Bob

http://www.recordpower.co.uk/product/pr ... xySQJIgGSN

Baldhead

I've got the 400 on my list but was hedging towards what are considered the "trade" category because of the beefier specs. This is a truly agonising decision because I don't want to ever come back to the bandsaw market, I want this to be the saw I take to my grave and my problem is that I had a BS300 from new and absolutely loved it for anything furniture related...it ate everything I threw at it and, as long as one is careful about blade selection and setup, with superb quality results too. Really, a good saw. Since having arrived at wood turning just over a year ago I'm progressively cutting larger and larger bowl blanks from freshly felled green timber straight off the log. The capacity under the guides and some grunt then become the critical factors. I cant see me going 3 phase which puts a whopping 2nd hand wadkin out. It may be that the 400 can handle it....but it may not. I just don't know till I try and I guess I'm trying to get a definitive answer ahead of time to avoid making a mistake.

Anyway I appreciate the heads up folks, your experiences are helpful.

 

[gregmcateer]

Bob,
Just in case Paul isn't around to input -

http://www.woodworkersinstitute.com/page.asp?p=2647

 

[gregmcateer]

Bob,
Just in case Paul isn't around to input -

http://www.woodworkersinstitute.com/page.asp?p=2647

Don't have any personal experience - jsut seen Paul using it cutting me some bowl blanks.

HTH

Greg

 

[Richard S]

Rob
One thing I forgot to mention which may or may not be important to you is, most bandsaws are badge engineered including Record, whilst Jet, although produced in Taiwan are built in the Jet factory, or so I was told by my supplier and I have no reason to disbelieve him.

Cheers

Richard

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

I appreciate that Richard. Jets design is unique to them I know. Even Hammer have some manufacturing in Taiwan despite claiming their "European" manufacturing. Jet is owned by a major Swiss blue chip but that was by acquisition as most of its heritage is in the US air industry. My understanding is they don't have their own factory in the Far East but they do have staff regularly visit their supplier to help manage the quality in production. Axminster certainly rate them in their "industrial" category which means they're rated for continuous use.

I've read some criticism about the symmetry of the toolpost...that after half way up its max height under the guides, the bearing guides can start to go out of true requiring a reset for resawing boards greater than 6". That concerns me a little because I would be ripping log stock that will be almost to the top of the guides much of the time.

As far as I'm aware though there is no clone of any of the Record machines?? Certainly not the startrite end of the range. I know that Axminster, Itech, Charnwood, Fox, Draper etc etc ad nauseum badge and colour an identical range of far eastern machines. They're generally the cheaper ones and the build quality, guide systems and tensioning springs aren't in the same league as Startrite, Hammer or Jet

 

[Bluekingfisher]

I have the 18" Jet saw you speak of (Richard i assume it was me you were speaking of??) Anyway. I have had the saw 18 months or so. The only issue I had was that I had difficulty raising and lowering the blade guard, which is on a rack and pinion operated by a hand wheel. It would move only a few cm s then stick. It was only a few days old at this time but i decided to investigate and strip the part down. I found a small ball bearing jammed in there but couldn't figure out where it could have come from. Even the exploded diagram didn't identify where the part could have come from. Long story short, I contact ed the dealer who was willing to accept its return and replacement at no charge.i was reluctant to do this as moving the thing into the shop was not something you want to do on a daily basis. So, he made a few enquirers and told me there was nothing to worry about. I suspect it was just a maverick part that managed to find itself in there during the factory build process.

So apart from that the saw performs flawlessly. It was set up perfectly out of the crate and has oodles of power. like Richard, I have all of my machines from the Jet range. For the price I cannot fault them.

As with most BS s the blade was pants but we all expect that. I use a 3/8" 3 tpi blade on mine but recently bought a 30mm ripper blade for it to re-saw the oak Richard but haven't gotten around to fitting it yet.

If you buy one you won't regret it, the overall package of build, performance and customer care makes JET my first choice every time.

Good luck

David

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

That's helpful David, thankyou. One question if I may, do you use it to process green woodturning blanks and if so what thickness under the guides have you put through it? Many thanks.

 

[Bluekingfisher]

Bob - as yet i have not cut deeper than 100mm in hardwood and most of the stuff i have cut so far is less than that. I bought the wide rip blade to process some thick wide oak given to me and although confident of the saws capacity i suspect i am but not really answering your question.

If you have the inclination, look to our ww chums across the pond. I frequent a forum over there called Lumberjocks. They have a review and test section which is littered with feedback on this particular saw (albeit a different name but the same saw)

It was because of their reviews I made the purchase on mine.

I must also say that I am a hobbyist however I have seen several pro cabinet builders with them in their workshops ( they have a section with vids and photos of their workshops to view)

Good luck with it

David

 

[Scouse]

The Jet was my choice partly because it clearly isn't badge engineered, I know that the BS400 is and that kind of put me off.

My 16 inch Jet regularly resaws African hardwoods, wenge etc, at 8-9 inch depths, slowly, but no problems, if that's any use.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

The Jet was my choice partly because it clearly isn't badge engineered, I know that the BS400 is and that kind of put me off.

My 16 inch Jet regularly resaws African hardwoods, wenge etc, at 8-9 inch depths, slowly, but no problems, if that's any use.

I'm confused, which specific other saw is a clone of the BS400? I appreciate the Axy/Itech/SIP/Draper/Charnwood/fox etc are all the same saw with pretty badge and colour changes but I didn't think that was the case for the BS400??

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

This is my current comparison table for trade level bandsaws. The BS300 is only included because that's where I'm coming from. Thought it might help any others in the same position or for future reference. Some of the pricing is obviously variable based on promotions etc.

 

[custard]

Hello Bob,

I've heard nothing but good things about Jet bandsaws although I've never personally used one. However I did once hear a very experienced woodworker say to be careful about quick tension releases once you go above about 16", he said they're still all right on bigger machines with small to normal blades, but if you ever load a bigger bandsaw with something that requires a lot of tension, like a 1 1/4" blade or an M42 blade, then the quick tension release becomes problematic. Just what I've heard.

Also, I see on your table you rate the Hammer N3800 as having an excellent mitre fence. I've no experience of the N3800 but do I own an N4400 and, excellent though the bandsaw is, the mitre fence is absolute rubbish, plus it uses a non standard slot so you don't have a simple option of swapping it for a third party fence.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

LOL....the Hammer entry in my spreadsheet reads excl Mitre fence (excluding mitre fence not excellent) and non standard mitre slot My personal version of abbreviations I guess.

But I appreciate the input Custard.

Incidentally I've just noticed that if you click on the somewhat blurred image within the thread, it renders a sharp image just like a photo post does. That makes a big difference in trying to actually read the text which I fully realise is rather difficult otherwise. I did have a scout through different ways to post a spreadsheet and even tried copying but it loses all the formatting so this was the recommended method.

 

[fby]

Hi Bob.

I've recently got an Axminster AP4300 - similar to the 'Trade' series one you mention. The one thing I get annoyed with is the guides, which are the same as the chunky bearing ones on the saw you describe. They aren't as easy to set accurately as they should be. This is worse on the lower guides because it's difficult to see/fiddle with the allen bolts.

The bearings are mounted eccentrically, which in theory should make it easy to set them accurately, but I found that the bolts that press against the shaft that they rotate about were cutting into the shaft, effectively creating pre-set detents for them to return to. I've since ground the ends of all these bolts flat, which fixes the detent issue, but it still seems fiddly to set the guides well.

It leaves me wishing I'd got a Jet or a Hammer, which is a shame because the rest of the saw is really very good.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

Interesting. Thanks for the feedback.