HF Bandsaw

[bigjeepguy]

Alright, after searching on here, I went out and bought a cheap HF bandsaw. The problem is, now I am having nothing but problems with the saw. I haven't even got to cutting more than two pieces of sch40 pipe.

My problem is the blade will not stay on track. Once the blade popped off while idling! I have adjusted the piss out of the blade, and it still comes off. I have tried tightening, and loosening the guides. I have tried changing the distance the guides are from the part.

I need to know if this is a faulty part, or if it is something that I am neglecting, and others have encountered this problem. Thank you very much!

[Hero]

Blade guides should be business card thick distance away from the blade. The thing that solved that issue for me was to crank the everliving shit out of the blade tensioning knob. Put a rag on it and gorrilla fist it. No tools tho. Also make sure that the tension wheel is running in plane with the drive wheel. there is a bolt on the face of the saw that will change the angle of the tension wheel. I just had to play with it until I got it right. And do yourself a favor and build a reall stand for the saw. I like mine 200 times better now that it is on a stand.

[blk87K5]

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=196221

I second the building the stand idea. The one that comes with it will collapse after a while. Hell, mine was just chillin in the corner one day and took a dive on its own.

[plug ugly]

LOL, I have been using the stock stand as a seat while the saw is in the vertical. For the money spent, Ive been pretty happy with the saw for the home hobbyist

[jdogg4]

thats the same one I use and once you get it setup right your good to go. the stock stand does suck. Mine we have just been using it on the ground or a small wood bench or something. I have a bunch of scrap steel that I'm going to have to build a stand like hero thats nice looking.

[oldjeep]

Pretty much the same one I have. Mine is labeled Cummins Tools, but they're all made the same place. I had to crank the tensioner as tight as I could get it before the saw stopped tossing the blade. I just build a couple of tabs to set the saw into on my welding table/workbench. Nice and stable, but you just pick it up to remove it.

[JbMotorSports04]

I recently bought the same band saw from HF. I like it, just two problems. The motor never will just start, I have to flick the switch on and off till it will slowly start to creep and then start.

Second is the blade kept popping off. I removed the guard and saw that it was walking off the drive wheel when the blade would go under a load. I first loosened the set screw that holds the drive wheel on the shaft and moved it out about 3/8 of an inch. That helped it, but then I had to play with the blade tension to keep the blade on the wheel, and adjust the downforce of the blade on the stock.

I am still having some problems with the blade walking off the drive wheel, but it has gotten better, I am fabbing up some bearing guides to run extremely close to the drive wheel so when I put force on the blade and it trys to walk off, it runs in the bearing guide. :smokin:

[AnotherCanuck]

Like everyone else I'll say that you need to tighten everything up and adjust unti you're sick of looking at it. Mine is the same saw, different name and I spent the better part of the weekend just doing setup. You have to remember that when Quoang built it he knew it was going overseas, the old '1/2" looks great from my house' rule...and build a better stand.