HF Horizontal Band Saw

[RustoleumWhite]

Anyone have any experience with HF's $219/$179 Horizontal Band Saw:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/photos/93700-93799/93762.gif


I wouldn't mind something like that here at work, mostly for cutting pipe (up to 4" Rigid Conduit) but also strut and other stock. Not production speed in anyway, but square-er cuts than using the porta-band, and faster than the cutting wheel on the threader. Plus something I can rig up a positive stop on for repeated lengths.


Is this thing a piece of shit or not really that bad. I'm willing to dink with it just a bit to get square cuts, but I don't want every cut different. The price is right, for the amount of use it will probably get.


I'd like to get something better/bigger, wet cut. But that's probably a ways away till I get my own shop space for personal fab work.

[RustoleumWhite]

O ya, and I searched a little but didn't hit anything yet. I'll search around a little more later when I get home and have more time.

[guidolyons]

It's the same saw as Grizzly/Jet/Northern Hydraulics/Clarke, other chicom tool stores, etc, with a 15% (or maybe one of the 20% off before they stopped working) off coupon and on sale, I think I walked out the door with one for ~$150. It's been pretty good to me, cuts square, and is a lot quieter than the chop saw, plus I can go do something else while it's cutting. Get a good blade for it and make sure the drivewheels are aligned well.

Google "4x6 bandsaw", I found several websites on how to make them better, I have a few saved in favorites. The stand is a piece of crap, build a new stand and the saw is not bad. Some guys even add a drip pan and coolant...
Here's a few:
http://www.mini-lathe.com/Bandsaw/Bandsaw.htm#bandsaw

http://www.tinyisland.com/4x6bsFAQ.html

http://www.homemetalshopclub.org/projects/sawstand/sawstand.html
Obviously not up to full on production work, but for a small shop or average home garage, I would by it again.

[Jeep07]

I have one and use it all the time. Just buy extra blades. It sux when one brakes and you don't have anymore. If you wear the blades in slow the will last a decent amount of time. I prefer cutting with this Cheapo bandsaw versus a chop saw. Alot people have modded them for a stronger base and a cooling system. (I need to do both those but I just put some gear oil on the blade and the stock and it keeps it cool enough.)

I think its worth the $179. However I never use it in verticle mode. The table is just to small.

[Twisted Minis]

I got mine on sale with a 20% coupon, and paid around $120. Very much worth it IMO. I use it a lot. Just buy a different blade for it.

[f250rollinon37s]

i got one some 10 years ago - still works great - and looks just like the new ones - but mines green - worth the $ for a fairly cheap tool

[PTSchram]

O ya, and I searched a little but didn't hit anything yet. I'll search around a little more later when I get home and have more time.

You didn't search nearly hard enough!

[macj98]

Hummm maybe a new tool for my shop.....

[RustoleumWhite]

You didn't search nearly hard enough!
No I didn't. I know it had been talked about before, but limited 'sit behind the computer and surf' time as of late.


O-well, there's one sitting in the back of my truck since I had to go there this morning for work anyway :D. $159.99 - 15% off coupon ($24) = 135.99, plus sales tax :barf:

Works for me, now to set it up and try it out.

[PTSchram]

No I didn't. I know it had been talked about before, but limited 'sit behind the computer and surf' time as of late.


O-well, there's one sitting in the back of my truck since I had to go there this morning for work anyway :D. $159.99 - 15% off coupon ($24) = 135.99, plus sales tax :barf:

Works for me, not to set it up and try it out.

You will wonder how you got along without it. I've worn three of them out! For what they cost and the ability to start it and walk away, I can't complain.

[chimmike]

Off-topic: Where can I find one of those 15% or 20% coupons?

[RustoleumWhite]

Off-topic: Where can I find one of those 15% or 20% coupons?
Last mailer I got had a 15% off coupon. It expires next monday so I decide I should use it.

I got a 10% off a couple months before that, but they aren't very often anymore. Luckily I get one here at work and at home, so I have two of them now :D. Trying to decide on a sheet metal brake or one of there little metal former/benders..... not that I really have an burning *need* for either of those right now, but I've had a couple times in the past while that both would have been handy. Saving money is always a good things as well... more truck parts or gas money to go wheeling (now if I only had the time....)

[Bob1]

I've been using mine for 3 years now. As soon as I got it I changed out the oil. You'd be surprised at how much crap was in it before I even plugged it in. I also immediately ditched the blade after it dulled out a week later. Put on a new blade and it cut .25" tube great. Just don't trust it to turn off all the time automatically at the end of the cut.

[timo992001]

mine works great. way nicer than chop saw on 1.5x.120 wall tubing.

[PTSchram]

Just don't trust it to turn off all the time automatically at the end of the cut.

I remove the auto shut-off pieces when I buy them, they never seem to stay adjusted. When I hear it running after the piece has hit the floor, I know either turn it off or position the next piece to cut.

[andyr354]

When you get it home take all the moving parts off and put some real lube on them. My un-drivven wheel I found did not have any lube on it. It ate the bushing out and scored the shaft.

Other than that I liked it. Have to get some parts now. (Mine is a clarke)

Andy

[RustoleumWhite]

Well I finally got mine out of the box yesterday. Damn its a heavy bitch for its size.

Kind of a bitch to assemble as well, much easier with a helper, luckily my brother was wandering around. The blade/motor was slightly angled to the base, but I didn't have time to mess with it so I just squared the back fence to the blade and the first cut was pretty darn strait. Little slow cutting 2-1/2" Rigid Conduit (basically Schedule 40 pipe), but a better quality blade will probably help in the future.

So far so good. The assembly instructions suck ass and where probably for the previous model machine (they don't match up), and the fasteners to put it together, besides being metric (which isn't a surprise) are the typical as cheap as you can get, but they worked. Stands a little chincy, but will get some improvements.


Over all I think it will be worth the ~$150 I ended up paying. Quieter that the abrasive saw, and little to no burr. And for what I primarily bought it for, I can be threading a piece of pipe on the threading machine, while this thing cuts the next piece, so I can work a little faster (more time to get other things done).

I need to get some sort of catch basket or similar for the cut pieces, they can take a pretty good chunk out of the floor if I don't have something underneath it, and a roller or something to hold the other end (I have something that works, but is not idea)

Thanks for the advice about cleaning and lubing. When I get a chance I'll do just that. Anyone have the blade specs handy, I'll just go ahead and order some new blades from my hardware/tool supplier and have some on hand.

[MQYJ]

I have a clarke. Got it for $50 off a guy at work. He bought it to make one single cut on a crankshaft for his bobcat engine. I have been pleased with mine. I have found though, that if it is cutting square and suddenly starts cutting out of swuare, the blade is in need of changing. First time it happened I adjusted and adjusted and it never did cut straight. Then I changed the blade and had to re-adjust everything again to get it back to cutting square.

I will add that having this little saw has made me realize that it won't be long and a large 220v unit(preferably with a swivel head) is in the near future.

[tommyj3]

Don't go by the manual it gives the wrong blade size.

Blade size 1/2 X .025 X 64 1/2

I use bi-metal 10/14 tpi


It is a great little saw for the money. Mine cut square right out of the box.

[Gearhead88]

Ive got one , it's seven years old and has been one of the most well used tools in my shop . They are a bit rickety , the plastic tensioning / adjusting knobs break easily . I'd buy another one , this one needs some repair / tune up after seven years use.

Oh , bi-metal blades outlast carbon steel blades , I usually buy several when they are on sale.

[CoryHinsz]

The HF blades are junk. I was happy with my saw, but after about 50 cuts of tubing, the motor stopped working. Now I will have to do an "exchange".

[gothamist]

I've had good luck with mine, and definitely go with good quality blades. I haven't found much advantage with bi-metal yet, but to each their own. I've found the really cheap blades (like what it comes with) don't hold their tension very well, it's almost like they start stretching as soon as you make the first cut, and it goes downhill from there.

The Ridgid ones from Home Depot work okay for me.

[waskillywabbit]

I have one of these...got it on sale. Best money I ever spent on a tool as it has saved me countless hours, makes very little noise and you can set it and forget about it.
http://vansantent.com/images/Jet_414459.jpg

You can order good blades from a local industrial supply...about $20 each but last a LONG time. I get thousands of cuts per blade.

:smokin:

[RustoleumWhite]

So far my saw had made quite a few cuts. Its slow on the bigger pipe, but its nice that I can set it and do other things while it works.

I replaced the stock blade with some from my local supplier, not night and day, but it make a difference. One broke already but I think that was more an issue of the person that welded it not the saw.

I have not even cracked open the gear box, but I have a feeling I should. The saw can be slow to start sometimes I and think the gear box is pretty much full of tar. Too busy with other thing however.

I did however chowder a belt. I've been running it on medium speed for a while and its been happy, I bumped it up to high speed and it cut much faster, but the stock belt shredded maybe 6 cuts in.

FYI, new belt size:

Grainger PN 3L220G
V Belt, Nominal Outside Length 22 Inches, Top Width 3/8 Inch, Belt 3L, 7/32 Inch Thick, Smooth

Seems to fit just fine, soon as I get back from vacation I'll give it a good test and clean out that gear box.


So far, its slow, but worth the money so far. For low-production fab work.