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ordered a grizzly 5"x6" swivel head band saw and they are back ordertill the end of sept. so i looked around Northern has a jet for $579.00Southern  tools has a jet for $622.00 and then i found (Homier .com)its the same saw and only $299.99 they have the same tools as H.F.but a 1/3 less the bandsaws are the same weight specs. and sizejust diff color Attached Images
Reply:Ed MacI don't know the difference.  Perhaps, this will give you something to consider.  I have the JET.  The newer model has a cabinet in the stand.  The JET has a quick release vice.  The lever that releases the head is spring loaded so it can be operated rachet style so you can operate it without twisting it completely around and no tools necessary.  There is also a ratchet style lever on the guide adjustment.  It has a chip tray, others do not show one.  I was most impressed with how tight the saw was.  No play in the swivel. The vice stays flat and does not ride up as tightened.However,  I had to shim the vice .041 inch in order to get it to cut straight.
Reply:This doesn't have a fancy base, but I only gave $200 for it.  Cummins has temporarily discontinued it, but they say it will be back in a few months.  Oh, yea, Cummins got into a legal battle with Cummins Engines and they've changed their name to TAP Enterprises.  Here's their website:  http://www.toolsnow.com/http://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=11176America Needs AMERICA'S Oil!!!"Global warming is the greatest scam in history ...There is no run away climate change. The impact of humans on climate is not catastrophic. Our planet is not in peril."--John Coleman, Founder of The Weather Channel
Reply:I have this one from northern and this one from homier.Both required the usual "band saw clean up and set up" procedure that you can find here but once set up with good blades and clean gear boxes both work well. I like the hydraulic cylinder and the quick vice on the homier. The stand on the northern is much more robust, plus it is open so I could easily put a shelf under the saw for blades, etc.Arvid
Reply:what blades do you use
Reply:I'm not trying to be flippant when I suggest "anything other than what they come with", but that is pretty much the case.Get a "name brand" saw blade - Morse, Lenox, etc. The yahoo 4x6bandsaw group has a lot of suggestions about which is the best brand. I have the Lenox bi-metal variable tooth 14-18 and it works fine for what I use it for.If I had to suggest the setup, this would be it. Almost all of it comes from the yahoo 4x6bandsaw site.Take the cover off the gear box, clean what ever is in there out - ranges from lubricant to casting sand - and fill it with some good gear lube. Arguments on the band saw site about what 'good' means ranges from simple 90w gear lube to exoticia lube for brass gears. I happen to fall into the "had some name brand 75w-90 on hand and it it seems to have worked for the last three years" category.Set the blade tension as tight as you can get it by hand with a rag over the knob. Other users suggest you can not over tighten it by hand.Do test cuts to make sure the blade guides are doing their thing correctly.Change the belt from the one that came with it to one of those red variable size link belts you find on all of the woodworking sites for table saws. Does wonders for cutting down on the vibration.