what band saw to buy

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Those who have or have worked with metal cutting band saws,  of the type that are BOTH horizontal and verticle, which company/brand would you suggest.  (my only criteria is that is not a cheap harbor frieght POS.)    Please help me out as I'm buying one in the comming week.  Thanks        LeeThe only thing stronger than welding is... DUCT TAPE
Reply:Personally, I have had really good luck with the Jet saws. I am assuming you are talking about the little size, which used to be called a 4x6, but now is being called a 5x6 by some manufacturers. Some people will try to tell you they are all the same, but it just aint true. My Jet, for example, has the word Jet cast right into the casting- so it cannot be the same casting as any other brand.  I have seen cheap ones with rigid blade guides, while the better ones have bearings. I have seen the cheap ones with these rinky tink stands that shiver when a strong breeze comes up. My current Jet saw has really strong legs that do not need a custom brace built, which most do. And my Jet has a real motor, made in taiwan, not china, and believe me, there is a difference.Whatever saw you buy, spend the money and get good quality bi-metal saw blades- they really work a lot better, and last a lot longer. Yes, they cost a lot, but they are worth it. I get mine mailorder from MSC, and they cost $22 each. But they last a couple of months of really heavy use, as long as you dont drop em on a piece of steel and chip a tooth out.Also go to this website, and read all the stuff you can do to improve and tune one of these saws.http://www.tinyisland.com/4x6bsFAQ.html
Reply:I also bought the Jet.  I found it much better than I had been led to believe based on thorough research at the 4x6 saw forum.  The Jet has a UL listed motor which is a substantial upgrade and the Fit & finish was superior to the others.  I tried to buy a Northern Tool Unit (On sale for $169) but they didn't have one, it appears superior to the HF POS but the Jet is much nicer than both it has usable legs and is finished well.  I drained the gearbox & found no signs of casting sand as found by others.  I paid $259.  Read the 4x6 forum thoroughly and you will not be disappointed.  I made my first cuts on Sunday with the stock blade (Couldn't find a bi-metal) and they were perfect with no adjustments.
Reply:I have the Jet 5x6 and a Wilton 14" vert, its nice to have both, the Jet sucks on the vertical position.  I think with any of the smaller H/V saws, they arent built as nice as the next step up.  Ive seen the 7x12's made by Jet, Grizzly, etc.. and they are so nice, with the coolant setup, and hydraulic arm.  It really depnds on your budget.Jimwww.jmfabrications.comLincoln Precision TIG 375Lincoln Precision TIG 275Lincoln Power MIG 255Lincoln Power MIG 140CMiller Dynasty 350 (x2)TD Cutmaster 80
Reply:Well I'm looking to buy something good and in the 3-400 dollar range.  It will be cutting LOTS of metal.  So Jet is a good company.  How about Delta.  Are they ok?The only thing stronger than welding is... DUCT TAPE
Reply:Delta is primarily a woodworking tool company these days. They do sell a little 5x6 horizontal vertical, but it looks like a cheap chinese saw to me- if you look at the picture, here, http://www.deltawoodworking.com/index.asp?e=136&p=907you can see it has the crappy stamped sheet metal legs with shelf, plus it only has a 1/3 hp motor, vs 1/2hp for the jet.http://www.wmhtoolgroup.com/index.cf...tail&iid=11043Delta also doesnt say if their motor is UL or not, while the jet is. And the delta has the old style funky wheels, while the jet has newer, better wheels, and levelling feet.Get a jet. Of course, if you had more money to spend, there are lots of better bandsaws on the market- the jet is not the greatest, by far. Check out KMB swivel saws, or Hyd-Mec's from Canada, or Kasto's, or Ellis, made in the USA, or pretty much the ultimate- Amada from Japan- 30 thousand dollars for a full auto model. But all of these saws are $1500 and up, lots of them a lot up.In the itty bitty, el cheapo segment of the market, I am convinced the Jet is the best one.
Reply:I would also have to reccomend the Jet.  After going through the same analysis with the cheaper HF and northern tools saws, I chose the jet 5X6.  My only complaint is the blade that came with the saw made 2 cuts before the teeth began to come off.  I replaced the stock carbon steel blade with a bimetal lennox 14 to 18 vari tooth and have had no problems since.  Also I did not like the handle that came with the unit, but it was easy to fab up a new improved one.  I think the next step up to consider is the units in the $700 to $800 range with coolant and hydro feed.
Reply:I too have noticed the teeth coming off of my blade after 5 or 6 cuts.  I actually ordered bi-metal blades before I bought the saw.  Enco has bimetal blades for about $13 +/-    Other people have indicated that the blade change also fixes problems from not getting a straight cut to blades tracking off the wheels.  Northern tool has a slightly larger saw on sale for $294 which appears to include a much more substantial base.Enco has a 7 x12 saw on sale with Free shipping for $699
Reply:I just purchasted a new 4x6 bandsaw from TSC and the first thing I did was clean out the gear box, as per the recomendations on this site, and could not believe the junk I found in it. Thank you for your advice.
Reply:A lot of those small bandsaws are pretty much the same no matter who you end up buying them from.  One difference is what sort of motor they put on it.  And definitely spend the money to buy a decent blade.Other than that, check out this website:http://www.tinyisland.com/4x6bsFAQ.htmlFAQ for the 4x6 bandsaws.
Reply:ok   so it took me a while to get back on here.  We ended up getting the Jet 7x12   Hydro feed and coolant and all that jazz.   Boy am I glad I got that.  It is the single best investment we've made.  It has made my job a lot easier and has expanded what we can do.   This saw makes me want to do this       --->            Next on our list is a plasma cutter.    Thanks for all the input guys.   LeeThe only thing stronger than welding is... DUCT TAPE