Ok so yesterday I bought a 9" Skil Bandsaw from HD and I thought I'd share my experience with everyone. I see a lot of threads about what bandsaw to buy, and I always read them wishing I could afford one. The reality is that I cannot afford a large bandsaw, and even if I could, I simply don't have the space.
I live in a small apartment as I'm sure many others do too. My tools come in at the end of a session and get stored in what is supposed to be a coat closet. It's stacked floor to ceiling with bins of tools from a belt sander to torque wrenches.
So for those of you who also can't buy a big boy, and are tired of busting out the hand saw, this might be for you.
So first, what does it cost:
I paid $129, and it was not on sale, you can probably get a better deal if you search a bit or buy used. All the 9" saws seem basically the same, so I'd probably get whatever's easily available and cheapest.
How big is it?
Well it's about 35# and not much bigger than your grandmas table lamps with the big shade on it.
How's the quality?
It's decent ... It's workable .... It's acceptable for the price.
How's it cut?
Well .... It cuts. That's about it. If you've had the pleasure of using a proper bandsaw you won't be very impressed. It bogs fairly easily, and you have to cut pretty slowly on any bow sized wood. With that said, it cuts about as fast as I can with a decent medium to fine tooth handsaw. The main difference is that I'm not sweating like a horse by the time the cut is finished.
I think with a bit of care, a decent handsaw and a bit of experience under my belt, I can probably cut just as we'll or better by hand, but it's also not realistic sometimes with the virginia heat and a respirator on .... It's just exhausting. On the other hand using the bandsaw is pretty easy work. You won't break any speed records, but you'll feel a lot better at the finish.
My number 1 issue with the saw so far is that the cuts on larger stock (maximum depth of cut is 3 5/8" and so far I've cut up to 3" thick hardwood) is that the cut is not straight from top to bottom, it's slightly bowed but I think his may be a blade tension issue partly, only time and testing will tell. With that said, a quick ride on the belt sander fixes that bowed surface.
The second thing I don't love is the limited throat depth, it's really not enough to cut a riser block to length from large stock, so be prepared to cut he block down to length (12" for my designs) by hand, which isn't a big deal with a decent crosscut saw, I prefer the Japanese pull saws in a crosscut, rip combo.
Lastly, since it's easy to cut curves with a bandsaw, my total processing time for a riser block was reduced drastically, just because I could cut the block to a much closer shape than I could by hand before going to the belt sander.
Should I buy one?
Well, that's for you to decide, but I'd say if you don't anticipate having the money or space for a bigger bandsaw in the near future, this will make you a lot happier in the meantime.
Other features that are nice but not critical:
The 9" Skil is the only 9" saw with a rip fence, it's pretty cheap, but it works ok for the kinda stuff the saw can handle.
LED light for lighting the workpiece. I work outside so this is completely useless to me, but. Can imagine that in a comparatively dim basement, this could be a real help.
Hope this was of use to some of you out there. Until I get a proper shop set up, this will have to do, and I think even when I do buy a big bandsaw I will keep this for smaller work with a thin blade for detail work, model building, and general light small BS.
Thanks!
Topic: 9" bandsaw: A brief review and thoughts (Read 468 times)
