Lets talk portaband saws

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I have the cheap harbor freight one and built a stand for it. Probably my most used tool I have and I like it a lot. However the noise it makes is almost unbearable. I literally use the big bulky headphones. If anyone knows a way to make it quieter I am all ears. I know swag off road makes nice tables for the dewalt and Milwaukee. Anyone have first hand experience with these? How loud are they and how do they perform? Are they worth more than 3x the price of my cheap one?Torchmate 2x2 CNC with Flashcut CNC controlsHypertherm Powermax45 Esab ET220i Razorweld 195 MigRazorweld 200ac/dc TigTormach 770, Tormach xstechRazorweld, Vipercut/Vipermig, SSC Foot Pedal Dealer
Reply:If you cut the cord off yours it won't make much noise at all. I've never used one of the HF ones, so I can't say whether my Porter Cable is quieter or not. It's much quieter than say any of my sawzalls however as a reference. As far as being "worth" 3x the price, I guess that's something you have to weigh out. Personally I make my money with tools and I don't buy cheap tools. I know other guys who simply look at what they paid for a tool and ignore things like quality, parts and so on. To them if it's cheap junk, that's all that matters. I don't agree. I see a quality tool that makes acurate cuts as being more important. If I have to spend an extra 10 to 15 minutes grinding or fitting because a saw won't make accurate cuts, to me that's a waste of "money". I can hack thru material with a chisel if need be, but it won't make for a good fit... Then there's things like service life. If a tool dies in the middle of a job and I have to go out and replace it or wait to get it repaired, that costs me money. At close to $1 a mile right now in fuel and upkeep on the work truck, plus what I make an hour for drive time, I can "save" money with a solid tool that will last for years and years and make less work for me so I can get the job done faster and move on to other paying work.Only you can balance what is more important to you and whether the money spent is worth it. To me I'd either be looking at a Porter Cable or a Milwaukee myself. Dewalt makes decent tools, but all the PC's and Milwaukee's  I've run have been top notch units. I'd have to handle the Dewalt to see if I liked it as much as the others, that or if it was a "need it right now" sort of thing where it was the best available..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Originally Posted by DSWIf you cut the cord off yours it won't make much noise at all. I've never used one of the HF ones, so I can't say whether my Porter Cable is quieter or not. It's much quieter than say any of my sawzalls however as a reference. As far as being "worth" 3x the price, I guess that's something you have to weigh out. Personally I make my money with tools and I don't buy cheap tools. I know other guys who simply look at what they paid for a tool and ignore things like quality, parts and so on. To them if it's cheap junk, that's all that matters. I don't agree. I see a quality tool that makes acurate cuts as being more important. If I have to spend an extra 10 to 15 minutes grinding or fitting because a saw won't make accurate cuts, to me that's a waste of "money". I can hack thru material with a chisel if need be, but it won't make for a good fit... Then there's things like service life. If a tool dies in the middle of a job and I have to go out and replace it or wait to get it repaired, that costs me money. At close to $1 a mile right now in fuel and upkeep on the work truck, plus what I make an hour for drive time, I can "save" money with a solid tool that will last for years and years and make less work for me so I can get the job done faster and move on to other paying work.Only you can balance what is more important to you and whether the money spent is worth it. To me I'd either be looking at a Porter Cable or a Milwaukee myself. Dewalt makes decent tools, but all the PC's and Milwaukee's  I've run have been top notch units. I'd have to handle the Dewalt to see if I liked it as much as the others, that or if it was a "need it right now" sort of thing where it was the best available.
Reply:How much room do you have? Honestly I would look for a horizontal bandsaw, bigger the better, used is cheap. I got my 7x12 for $200 at auction and can talk to people while we stand and watch it cut.
Reply:I've never used the HF portable band saw, but I do have the Milwaukee variable speed, deep cut, portable band saw.  I think it is fabulous.  While I am a hobbyist, this is a cornerstone tool in my studio, so I decided to go with the best I could find.  I decided to go with new, because all the Milwaukee band saws on CL must have been plated with gold...once I have to pay more than 75% for something used, I just save up my pennies and go for brand new.Let me tell you, this Milwaukee is a glorious saw.  I don't think I'd throw away the HF saw to get this one, if it is still working for you, but I wouldn't have bought the HF in the first place (for my uses, for this particular piece of equipment.  I don't have a problem with HF...some of their stuff is actually rather functional.  I have their 20-ton shop press and it is fabulous.  I particularly like their pneumatic 90-degree die grinders (# 52848)  You will even want get the HF foot pedals, if you choose to use your band saw as a vertical band saw, so you can keep both hands free for material handling)I have used the Milwaukee a couple of times without earplugs and the saw is quiet enough, but can make a screeching sound on the metal.  I have nearly perfect hearing to start with, so I am very careful to protect it.  I pretty much have ear plugs in any time I am working the shop and any tool is making noise.I did put a larger table on my portable band saw, and build a bracket to make it a vertical band saw...OH...as a complete side note:  The Milwaukee table uses a very odd nut size to fasten the mini table to the saw...if you want to add your own table, you need to look for fasteners in the '12' size (I forget the thread count).  My Ace Hardware only had one tiny bin full of this size fastener.  (I needed new machine screws, because I countersunk them into the 1/4" aluminum table I put together for this saw.Kevin / Machine_Punk from The Aerodrome Studio - Lincoln PowerMIG 210 MP - Meco N Midget w/custom welding station - Vintage Victor 100Current Projects: The Aerodrome Studio
Reply:^^That looks nice.Truth is I have been looking for a actual bandsaw that can slow down to cut metal. I started with a craftsman (single speed) and it worked for a short while then started to kick the blades off. I got a used small 12" bandsaw with variable speed on CL for $40. Worked great for the first cut and started to kick blades after that. It went down to 750FPM if I remember correctly.I don't have a lot of room, small 1 car garage, but if I can find a 110v bandsaw that can do metal I'd be all over it!Torchmate 2x2 CNC with Flashcut CNC controlsHypertherm Powermax45 Esab ET220i Razorweld 195 MigRazorweld 200ac/dc TigTormach 770, Tormach xstechRazorweld, Vipercut/Vipermig, SSC Foot Pedal Dealer
Reply:Hi,  I've been trying to sell  a very nice Dewalt variable speed portable Band Saw with case an new blade very little use. Guaranted '  $100  But I have no idea how much it would cost to ship across the border from  Canada /, Josey
Reply:I have two Milwaukees.  One is always attached to a Swag stand, one is unencumbered.  The new Swag stands are even better than the old ones -- in terms of going from free cutting to vertical band saw style.  Here's the one I have:I also had a HF, previously.  I wouldn't say there's any meaningful difference in the volume.  Cutting steel is loud work.  Always wear ear and eye protection.  Even if you end up looking like a dork.Talk to any old guy who's worked all his life around loud machinery -- if you can get his attention.  Hearing loss is gradual, cumulative and irreversible.Jack OlsenMy garage website
Reply:^I have yet to find a pair of glasses that fit well with those ear covers.Torchmate 2x2 CNC with Flashcut CNC controlsHypertherm Powermax45 Esab ET220i Razorweld 195 MigRazorweld 200ac/dc TigTormach 770, Tormach xstechRazorweld, Vipercut/Vipermig, SSC Foot Pedal Dealer
Reply:Gamble does your saw look like this one? If so mines not really any louder than the Porter-Cable I have at work, maybe a shade but not much. I posted this in the HF section, and some mentioned changing the grease in the gear box. Maybe that would help yours, don't know. Could you post some detailed pix of the stand you built, I might want a copy of it. Attached ImagesLast edited by Bistineau; 12-30-2012 at 06:11 PM.
Reply:The company I work for has a bunch of dewalts. They aren't so loud. Some are lighter than others, all variable speed. I have an old beat up porta band at home. It makes more noise, but I think that's due to the condition of it. It's amazing what you can pick out of the garbage on some big jobs IW Local 580 NY, NY
Reply:It's nothing special, I think it's 1.5" square tube.Just put the round piece up to hold it in place with the saw in there and hit it with the mig. It sits straight up and doesn't sway one way or the other. I could put a piece on the other side to screw it in if I wanted to. I put it on the bench and I can't tell if the bench isn't square or the stand isn't square (probably my guess) so I just use a C clamp and it works great.Torchmate 2x2 CNC with Flashcut CNC controlsHypertherm Powermax45 Esab ET220i Razorweld 195 MigRazorweld 200ac/dc TigTormach 770, Tormach xstechRazorweld, Vipercut/Vipermig, SSC Foot Pedal Dealer
Reply:There is also the portaband horizontal jig thingy.
Reply:My first Milwaukee band saw is over twenty years old and still kicking. I did make a stand/ table for it . The newer Milwaukee band saw have a wider guide.   We have dewalts and Milwaukees at work. The dewalt has a light which does come in handy.Jack is right on eye ear protection. I  wish it was preached about 40 years ago like it is now.Safety is the most important part of the job. Without it, you may not be able to go to or do the next job.
Reply:I bought my Milwaukee for 275 new it had free shipping and came with a rebate for a free grinder. I think they are still running the free grinder rebate.
Reply:Originally Posted by VPTThere is also the portaband horizontal jig thingy.
Reply:i have the Milwaukee, and I love it. I do wear earplugs when using it, as it seems like It is just on the edge of causing hearing damage..hearing damage is something that you don't realize is happening until it is too late... that's what I always tell people...guy I used to work for was so hard of hearing, it scared me pretty bad... lol and he was ony in his 40'sif I had to guess I would say the HF is louder, but that would only be a guess...  you cant beat the quality ofa nice portaband, with some practice you can cut more accurately than a cold chop saw. http://www.philswelding.com
Reply:Originally Posted by Gamble^^That looks nice.Truth is I have been looking for a actual bandsaw that can slow down to cut metal. I started with a craftsman (single speed) and it worked for a short while then started to kick the blades off. I got a used small 12" bandsaw with variable speed on CL for $40. Worked great for the first cut and started to kick blades after that. It went down to 750FPM if I remember correctly.I don't have a lot of room, small 1 car garage, but if I can find a 110v bandsaw that can do metal I'd be all over it!
Reply:Originally Posted by GambleLink? I want to see this.
Reply:I have the wide-throat Milwaukee that came out last year (and the V28 and the mini-Milwuakee AC-powered, and two more, too. I have three my father owned for many years and are all-metal housings and steel storage boxes that run fine, but are heavy).  Had to wait til SWAG made a table for the wide throat. It fit perfectly, has plenty of power and not too loud.  Use a HF foot pedal to start and stop it. HF has two pedals-one that only activates the saw as long as there is pressure applied and another that you step  on to start and step on to stop.  Go to Swag Off-Road and read the reviews Those tables are solid, heavy duty and will probably outlast us all. Not cheap, but not an afterthought.  Well designed, well built and American ingenuity. Troy is good to deal with.  The 4.0 modelhttp://www.swagoffroad.com/SWAG-V40-...able_p_63.htmlreviewshttp://www.swagoffroad.com/review.as...l&catalogid=63 Milwaukee Tools has five-year guarantee on ALL of their power tools. IF you ever need them they are quick to respond and solve any problem.  I had a battery suddenly go down, just one, and emailed them in the AM, by late PM afternoon, they had emailed back, sent an attachment that was a cost free shipping label back to them. UPS picked it up, and four days later, I had a new battery in the package. Very simple, no hassles, and no charges. There are some very good prices, if you search a little and be patient.  Good luck on your quest Last edited by TxDoc; 12-31-2012 at 03:36 AM.TxDoc's Photos Lincoln SP175 PlusLincoln Power Mig 256Lincoln 250 LX Spool Gun Lincoln Precision Tig 225 Hypertherm 600 KMG 2x72 Belt GrinderBaldor 812RE Grinder
Reply:Originally Posted by brianjkhttp://www.milwaukeetool.com/tools/c...ble/48-08-0260I've had a bandsaw on my mind for a while now and had spotted this recently on the Milwaukee site. The pricing is kind of steep for what it is, iirc. Shouldn't be too hard to fab something similar though. I think I found a link at some point of someone who made their own.Does anyone know if a portaband is louder then say, a cheap HF 4x6 horizontal band saw?Noise is a concern of mine...for my ears and my neighbors. I was a sound engineer for years and play drumset, so I am big on ear plugs. If you wear them all the time it is easy to get used to them, plus a high quality set will let you hear very clearly but at a reduced level. Cheap earplugs make you want to take them out all the time and then you never get used to them. Its amazing how ears can get used to to different sound levels, loud or soft, from extended exposure.
Reply:If you do get a little 4x6 band saw, the Yahoo group below has all kinds of mods like hydraulics, stands, etc. Some pretty ingenious ideas to be had.  Over 4,000 members.http://groups.yahoo.com/group/4x6bandsaw/TxDoc's Photos Lincoln SP175 PlusLincoln Power Mig 256Lincoln 250 LX Spool Gun Lincoln Precision Tig 225 Hypertherm 600 KMG 2x72 Belt GrinderBaldor 812RE Grinder
Reply:I have the HF portable. This is a hobby for me so the price I paid plus the time I spent taking the cover off the gearbox, replacing the hardened grease with (a) something good I had on hand and (b) making sure the grease was actually on the gears rather than just 'in the housing', and then replacing the cover was a reasonable investment to get me a saw that was a little quieter and has worked well for several years of intermittent use.Your needs and mileage may vary.
Reply:I have a vertical/horizontal elcheapo that was given to me.  I use it to rough cut lengths. I also use it for vertical use and free hand cuts.  I have a small table top that clamp onto it for cuts that need a rest.  I have a makita saw that was purchased second hand.  it was new having only been used a couple times.  I had two milwaukees that were stolen.  one was a deep throat and the other a standard.  I haven't used a HF portaband, so I can't comment on it.  at one shop they had dewalt portabands and milwaukees.  I think if you want a lasting unit you will need a quality unit.I am always on the look out at pawnshops for another used saw that needs a good home.  I can tell you they have a few come through, but they are always snatched up real quick.
Reply:Made some search. And found this : Attached Images