Scheppach Metal Band Saw from Aldi

[Heluvaname]

Does anyone have direct experience of this, and is it any good?
It's on their Specials at the moment at £149.99:
https://www.aldi.co.uk/scheppach-metal-band-saw/p/817694663120400

 

[chaaarlie2]

I bought one and it was delivered this morning. Not impressed.

It is supposed to be capable of cutting pieces 127x127 but I cannot for the life of me get the saw to open up enough to get anything more than 75mm thick under the blade if I am to use the supplied vice. Yes, the throat and exposed blade are over 127mm each, so one can cut 127mm pieces freehand but neither the listing nor the manual state this. It states "Cutting Width at 90" is 127x127 and "Cutting Width at 45" is 127x40. No idea how to achieve this.

The second nail in the coffin is the fact that the "Transport Locking Pin" locks in position any time the blade is lowered. And it needs to be released to raise the blade. And it locks in the upper position any time the blade is raised. And it needs to be released to lower the blade. And it locks in position any time the blade is lowered. And it needs to be released the raise the blade. And oh my God I think I'm going to send it back. The manual implies that the locking pin can be released permanently when not transporting it but, as per the first paragraph, I cannot for the life of me achieve this.

It may be user error but the buttocks end of the saw meets the base when it the blade is fully raised and I still cannot get more than 75mm in, so I don't know what else to try.

 

[Heluvaname]

Thanks for the review and interesting points. It certainly seems inexpensive, but if it doesn't do the job . . .

 

[Ozi]

I bought one and it was delivered this morning. Not impressed.

It is supposed to be capable of cutting pieces 127x127 but I cannot for the life of me get the saw to open up enough to get anything more than 75mm thick under the blade if I am to use the supplied vice. Yes, the throat and exposed blade are over 127mm each, so one can cut 127mm pieces freehand but neither the listing nor the manual state this. It states "Cutting Width at 90" is 127x127 and "Cutting Width at 45" is 127x40. No idea how to achieve this.

The second nail in the coffin is the fact that the "Transport Locking Pin" locks in position any time the blade is lowered. And it needs to be released to raise the blade. And it locks in the upper position any time the blade is raised. And it needs to be released to lower the blade. And it locks in position any time the blade is lowered. And it needs to be released the raise the blade. And oh my God I think I'm going to send it back. The manual implies that the locking pin can be released permanently when not transporting it but, as per the first paragraph, I cannot for the life of me achieve this.

It may be user error but the buttocks end of the saw meets the base when it the blade is fully raised and I still cannot get more than 75mm in, so I don't know what else to try.

Phone the Scheppach help line. I had issues with a table saw, the person I spoke to new the product and solved my issues. I still have a cheep table saw it will never be anything else but I'm getting much better results than I did without their advice.

 

[chaaarlie2]

Thank you for the suggestion, Ozi.

The saw does not exist on the Scheppach website, or at least not with the same Article Number as printed on the box and manual. The MBS1200 appears on their website, possibly as an old model, but it is different from the MBS1200xts that Aldi are peddling. Aldi's pictures clearly show that, when in the fully open position, there's naff all height between the blade and the vice which is what I'm experiencing. Scheppach's pictures for the 'other' MBS1200 and their current model MBS1100 show a gaping chasm in the open position.