There is actually a cool laser type cnc machine thats like $500 and is built on a cool chain system (like a bike chain type) that allows you to cut 4’x8’ large pieces. Might be a great option for the templates and it wouldn’t break the bank. Plus you build your own framing system for it so you could probably get away with building something that can be folded up
One benefit of a bandsaw that was missed here is safety. Bandsaws are one of the safest power tools out there. It's the first powered saw I ever used, starting around 11 or 12 yrs old. In fact, I was allowed to use my dad's bandsaw before I was allowed to use a powered drill (hand crank drills were ok.) They are also good for use in apartments because they are much quieter than other powered saws.
As an avid woodworker and Cabinetmaker of more than 50 years my take on this is why the hell would you NOT want to own a bandsaw. Yes I suppose you can get away with not owning one but at what cost. It takes a heck of a lot more time to resaw lumber on a table saw. I know because I've done it quite a few times. But hey that's just me.
This. Table saws are extremely dangerous. I would venture to say that virtually all lost digits are from table saws. For small pieces, I always use the bandsaw. It’s also good for cutting plastic, foam, or other non-wood materials. Table saws rip it to shreds.
Second that. Get a good blade, super clean cut, no forces, very safe. And no other saw will cut veneers unless they are very low width - and then a lot of wood will be wasted. I built my own bandsaw out of wood - I use it for anything it can do, before my table saw, except my mitre saw sometimes
Love my bandsaw!! I am retired and do woodwork as a relaxing and rewarding hobby. I don’t see the time required in replacement of blades, setting the guides etc as a problem - It gives me time to think about the next project.
Agreed. I was a machine operator at Coca-Cola using their biggest most expensive can packer. Downtime was as important if not more so. Without doing changeovers, packaging or box size, you wouldn't be able to understand this fast paced machine. The ONLY SAFE time to learn the machine, in depth, was when it was off.. Taught me a lot about proper maintenance cycles, identifying issues, when to let something run or when to hit the e-stop. I don't believe a machine should be powered up until the user understands as much as they can. Yes I read all instructions 3 times and keep all the books together.. yeah, I'm that guy.. 😝😂🤣
I find a bandsaw such an important tool for any woodworker, I own and use 3. My smallest one is portable enough to take on the jobsite and results in a fgar better installation of my woodworking. Absolutely buy a bandsaw, in fact buy two so you can have two different size blades at the ready.
I agree, must have tool. I have two, one for re-sawing and one for curved cuts. I use them soooo much that I couldn't imagine not having them. You also save so much wood.
I have owned a bandsaw for 12 years. I use it often, and some things I could not do without it. I think after a table saw it is my next most favored tool.
I have a nice new bandsaw but for a number of reasons haven't yet assembled it! All the many bags of parts are in the garage. Probably my biggest problem is that I have no dedicated workshop. No room in the garage unless I make big changes. But I have my eye on finally deciding where it belongs and get it built at last. Just need to round up the assembly instructions. I really look forward to the day I have access to a working bandsaw, certainly an extremely useful tool to own!
My biggest reason for wanting a bandsaw over a table saw for a lot of these cuts is the minuscule amount of waste generated. The bandsaw blade is so much thinner and tends to make a cleaner cut in on pass
@@D13MA It very much depends on the application. As for me, I make musical instruments and cutting boards, and a band saw is much more versatile. It can cut curves (table saw, not so much) and the waste is much less due to the thinner kerf (if you have ever made a chaos pattern board, the waste can be significant); the thicker kerf also makes book matching less accurate, if that's what your after. I like my table saw, but if I could only have one, it would be the band saw.
Something to keep in mind. A typical band saw blade will make cuts around 1/16", where a table saw will make cuts at 1/8". This might not sound like much. I make end grain cutting boards, which require a lot of cutting. That extra 1/16" of leftover wood multiplied over 100+ cuts for a dozen or so cutting boards amounts to quite a bit less waste.
From a (almoast) hand tool only woodworker who only use bandsaw from power tools there are few reasons why you NEED a bandsaw and why is it the only power saw you realy NEED if you make furniture: 1. You work with rough stock thats warped and twisted and you want to make nice flat boards from that (no metter how good your lumber is its never flat when its dryed). The only power saw you can roughly cut rough twisted boards on SAFELY is bandsaw. The table saw can be used only when stock is flat and prepared. If not, that could be really dangerous. 2. If you make furniture you need the opportunity to make boards any thickness you want. You can not depend only on thicknesses you can buy. Lumber that you can buy comes in thicknesses between 3cm and 8cm. You cant just take that huge amount of material with a plane or a planer. Basic part in furniture making is resawing. If you dont have a board to work with, what are we talking about? The only down side of a bandsaw is that cuts are not perfectly straight because of a bandsaw drift. But if you are a serious craftsman you plane the surface after any machine and check it for flattnes (even if you use a table saw). So i dont think that is a big problem compared to those two huge adventages. To sum up, its nice to have a table saw, but the only power saw you realy NEED is a bandsaw. Im sorry for my english, its not very good but i hope you understood the point. All the best for averyone.
Regarding the difficulty of changing bandsaw blades: when I got mine, I made a point of changing the blade a lot the first week after I bought it. The extra practice not only meant that I could soon change the blade, get the right tension, etc pretty fast, but also that I don't have any mental block ("it's difficult to change the blade, so I'm not going to bother"). I think this is generally a good thing to do when you get a new tool. (Or, for that matter, a new gun... before you do anything else, strip and re-assemble the thing until you can do it blindfolded. Makes it much more likely that you will subsequently clean and maintain it properly.)
Yes, I have a garage sale bandsaw and it took me an hour because when I finally changed the blade I forgot the tracking adjustment was a recessed hex head that was hidden. I was so mad until I figured out what I was missing. Otherwise it went smooth.
It is so interesting to hear someone else with this same approach. I did the same with the first tablesaw I bought. I made sure to change the blade and to use dado blades often. I was brand new to woodworking. But working with different blades and switching Sawstop cartridges made it familiar quickly.
The best advise I ever got was for every power tool there are 3 types. A hand tool (Jig saw) a bench tool (small 8" band saw) and a floor model ( 15" band saw) . Start with the cheapest (Jig saw) and move up to the next only when the accuracy of the smaller tool is effecting you projects.
I have 2 bandsaws in my main shop, a big 27" for resawing and a 14" for cutting curves. Both have their place and I really like them but you definitely hit a lot of the key points. A jigsaw is definitely a shop essential. I think part of the reason some people don't like jigsaws is cheap blades and low level saws. A good jigsaw with the right blades is totally different than an underpowered one with low quality blades.
@@juliet9548 DeWalt, Makita, Bosch all make good jigsaws plus probably many others. For blades Bosch makes great ones just make sure to get the right one for the wood you are cutting.
Band Saws are definitely a good tool to have. They are very useful, and a lot of the negatives are actually not a big deal. Changing blades isn't a big deal, and usually you are making rough cuts anyway, so if things are not zero'd in, it's not a big deal.
Black tail Studio compiled a list of studios across the country that offer shop time for X dollars, possibly you could find someone with a CNC that you could just pay to use? I am way out of my depth, I don’t know anything about them. But an expensive tool you only occasionally use , tool sharing makes sense.😊
I find the bandsaw to be one of the most versatile tools in the shop. In some ways, it could be the only power tool in a shop as it is able to be used to build so many different things. Further, 4 of the 5 drawbacks are problems that goes away with better quality saws. For example, I have a Laguna which makes it very easy to change the blade and set up the guides with keyless cooling blocks, has good dust collection, and has stayed tuned since my initial setup, and that is including two different moves as I upgraded shops over the years. It certainly takes up less space and weight than a table saw and can make just about all of the same cuts. I'd even argue a bandsaw is safer than a tablesaw in most instances. Of course, this is assuming you trade those drawbacks for price, which isn't for everyone.
A bandsaw is 100% safer. Any accident on bandsaw you’re an idiot. On table saw, with wood tension being unpredictable there’s so much possibility for accidents
Bandsaws may bw good and yes it is much safer than Tablesaw. However, nothing replaces Table Saw's versitality and ability to do repeated cuts. I for one cannot live without Table saw (even though I also have a Tracksaw)
I have a 14'x16' wood shop, and have a 12" bandsaw out in the middle of the floor and don't regret it. Along with the tasks you mentioned, its also quick for roughing out carving blanks.
I agree, even if it's a struggle at first figuring out what you need MOST is really important, there are so MANY tools to buy that it's mostly a case of what's most needed first. So approaching the decision by examining one's workflow is really crucial. Thanks for sharing!
My Dad let me use his bandsaw was I was in my teens and I felt safe using it. Years later it was passed on to me. I let my nephew borrow it while I was packing and moving and it was burned in a garage fire. I just retired and want to get into a few woodworking projects and wasn’t sure which tool to start with. I think it’s going to be another bandsaw.
The bandsaw is probably the safest cutting tool on the market. The safety regulations that we JOINTLY established whilst in Europe necesitated improvements in the blades, partly the steel but mainly the weld. Never had a problem with my cheap one in well over 30 years of use. I now have a 10 inch bench saw whith which I hope to return to Woodturning before I turn my toes up. It may sound petty but with the current cost of timber I'm looking looking for a really fine toothed plade for really fine segments. The finer of the two blades that come with the circular saw does give a fine Finnish a is on the thick side. In a test run I used some of the timber I had prepared some years back. It was pained and sanded and set to a length that would. Siute the number of segments required to make a ring.. I adapted the jig I had formerly used on the bandsaw to sit into the guide slots the new one. The cost of timber was a major factor in me getting into segmented turning. A huge amount of wood is cored ot of a bowl and require disposing of . Bowl sise being equal, segmenters must make a saving of a third of some beautiful and now increasingly expensive wood. Having checked all of the dimensions of the prepared strip where fof safety it's useual to add about 3 lunches to hold for the lasr cut. The cerf on the circular saw though giving a exelent finnish was 3 times wider. That wouldn't have bothered me with the bandsaw as the cutting action firmly presses to wood to the table. The circular saw tries hard to throw it at you. I'll retain both as I have floor boards to replace that requite groove and toung and it will be easier and quieter on the circular saw than with my router. Enjoy your self.
Thank you for this video. Lately, I've been trying to decide of I should buy a band saw. Your video really helped me be objective and think about all of the points. You surely didn't "talk me out of it", but you surely did help me make a wise choice. Keep the good videos coming.
Eric, thanks for your insights. As you requested, my take on this: For almost 48 years I was clearly team "no bandsaw required" like many other woodworkers here in Germany. Until I was in somebody elses workshop, who said "that small bandsaw over there is junk, do you want to have it? Otherwise I will throw it away". I can't stand machines going to the scrapyard. So I took this little orphan in my workshop, watched some videos about how to set up a bandsaw, set it up properly and tried the first cut. Epic fail. Bandsaws are shit. End of story. Wait a moment - is it not me, who always sais "the cheapest tool becomes usable if you first get a proper blade"? So I ordered a good sawband, set it up once more - YES that IS tedious - and voilá! That ugly duckling turned into a beautiful swan. So since two years, that bandsaw ist a great improvement to my workshop. Especially for creating router templates. The only reason for giving it away would be if I would get myself a bigger one. So my recommendation is: If you do router templates more often than once a year and you have some space in the shop to store a small bandsaw, it is well worth the extra effort. The small inexpensive ones sell over here in Germany for as less as 130$. They do the trick, if you throw away the band that comes with it and spend another 30$ for a real high quality sawband. I one belongs to other groups, Eric's decision tree is a good guidance. Cheers Andreas
I have the grizzly 17" bandsaw and it's my primary tool in my shop. If it take more 5 minutes to change blades, or blade size, you need more practice. I did spend over 40 years working with bandsaw at home and would, both wood and metal.
I put off buying a band-saw for a long time. Just got one recently (even though I felt it was more of a want than a need) and now I wonder how I ever managed without it.
I think another facet of the resaw ability versus the table saw is the size of the kerf. If you are already working with thin material, say 3/4, and resaw this on a table saw, at best you'll have two 1/4 boards after sanding and planning. With the bandsaw, and a resaw fence, you likely could get two 3/8 boards. This could make a huge difference for the amount of material you need to purchase.
I use my bandsaw a lot. It’s great for small pieces that would go flying or kickback on rotary saws. But be careful cutting round objects like dowels or pvc pipe where the blade may turn the round into a spinning top. Clamps, sleds, circle cutting jig, table extension and a feather board stay close by my saw. Sometimes I head over to the bandsaw to start setting up a cut- and rethink it I favor of just doing the cut with a good hand saw.
handsaws can be faster or just as fast as that table saw, if you have a quality , resharpenable saw and you keep it sharp. Don't try it with anything from a Big Box store. Yeah, they are expensive; so is a shop full of power tools. Cheap tools suck, no matter what type.
Making a bandsaw. Fun project that I'm happy taking 1Y+ to work on between tasks. Also, some people would take a good bandsaw instead of a tablesaw depending on their space considerations and actual work. (Also, bandsaw typically way safer to handle than a table saw.)
I would take a band saw over table saw. Not that I don't think a table saw is important, but you can do almost everything that you can do on a table saw with other tools and more safely. Honestly, the table saw is the only one that gives me safety concerns to the degree that it does. I respect all tools and I'm always very careful but with a table saw, especially a very powerful one, it blurs the line between respect and fear LOL. But also they take up a lot of space and they're heavy. I'll be it important but to me, they don't solve as many problems as a bandsaw and with the added safety difference, I'm a bandsaw first kind of guy
Someone gave me a Gigantic bandsaw because it had a "thump thump thump" noise when it ran, they thought the bearings were bad. actually all the grub screws that held the belts were either missing or had been replaced with regular hex screws. I bought 2 bags of grub screws from home depot and replaced them all and have been using it for 10 years. now.
Nicely done. A very real world approach and comment to working with tools. I like your "no agenda" approach. As a 72 year old who has been around tools for many a year, bravo.
A bandsaw is safer, Quieter, makes very little dust, and there are certain projects that can only be done on a band saw. If I were to get rid of a tool, it would be the table saw. It's noisy, makes a ton of dust and is very dangerous. There is nothing that a table saw does that can't be done better with a track saw and a router. Both of which can be packed up and put out of the way.
If you commonly use exotic wood that cost upwards of $20/BF and cut smaller strips, you will want a band saw. The table saw takes 1/8th inch per pass of material and makes it into dust. The bandsaw is prob closer to 1/32 per pass. 32 passes on the bandsaw and you lose 1 inch of material. On the table saw you lose 1 inch in 8 passes. This is why I bought a bandsaw. There are very affordable tabletop band saws on the market for cutting smaller pieces or if you are stuck to a budget. Even a few options under $200.
Currently on the fence on what type to get but my deciding factor was I kept having to wait to bring pieces to my friend's shop to borrow his bandsaw. While it's a good excuse to visit my carving mentor it's slowing my workflow something fierce.
Spencley! I love my bandsaw. I use for cutting curves, template cuts, ripping and re-sawing. One of my first projects with this tool was a bandsaw box. Yes, jigsaws are good as well, but not near a versatile as a 14" bandsaw.
I would much more rather have a bandsaw then table saw, it's alot safer to use. Expecially if you don't use the supplied guards like him. I use this guys videos to show people the incorrect and unsafe way to use tools. Iam professional carpentry teacher and examiner in the uk
I think you left out two important use cases, wood turners and wood carvers. The bandsaw is almost essential to rough out turning blanks. You can do a poor job with a chainsaw, but the ability to cut thick, green lumber on any plane is critical to making a blank “tuned” to your project goal. Similarly with wood carvers; making a rough out for a carving often requires lots of curved cuts in thick wood. Here you can do it the slow way by carving from the bigger piece or using hand saws to rough the blank. But would you?
As a hobbyist woodworker, a bandsaw was one of the last tools I got. You said it well, most everything you do on it can be done with other tools. I got mine as a luxury, just to make a few tasks easier.
If you bought it first, you would use it the most, Especially if it was one with easy blade changes, like a laguna 14/12. It's way safer than a table saw and excels are curves, circles and pattern work, resawing and veneers.
My case too but I am still not convinced to buy band saw because of lack of space in workshop: I would need to dislocate it in the next room. It is sort of luxury tool for me too, the main purpose be the jigsaw replacement when curves in thick pieces need to be cut.
It really depends on what you make and how you make it. If you are making chairs a bandsaw is essential. IF you are making kitchen cabinets its pointless. Make exquisite hand veneered cabinets like James Krenov is absolutely essential. Personally I have two and one of the things I most love about them is the massive lack of stress that happens when you use one. they are quiet don't throw shit in your face don't vibrate or suddenly do things you don't expect. They are just a absolute joy to use. They are definitely not for everyone but I would probably choose the bandsaw if I had to choose between that and a tablesaw.. I also think a lot of the anti bandsaw feeling comes from people who don't really need one and buy one far too small. Been using Jigsaws for 35 years and absolutely hate them. No offence intended but own and use a decent 18" or larger bandsaw for 20 years and I guarantee you will have a different view on them
Very well done! I like the way broke down the “need”, vs. “want”. For me, the CNC truly is NOT needed but interested more as can I build it, so it really has nothing to do with the “Need”. It is forcing me to design it in such a way to save space because I cannot afford the foot print of one. Thank you for all your great videos.
I make two products for sale, Guitars and lathe turned WOOD ART. My band saw is indispensable for cutting small and large guitar parts and thick wood and logs for turning.
I'm kinda the opposite. I wish I didn't start with a table saw. I wish I started with a nice bandsaw. The only mechanical downside is the work area and the blade can drift. Having a throat limitation on the bandsaw was the biggest deterrent for me because I thought I was going to use way more sheet goods than I actually did. If I needed to cut anything wider than the throat, a circular saw with a straight guide would work just fine. Changing the bandsaw blade also only takes a few minutes once you actually know the specifics of your machine. Dust collection is a totally understandable deterrent unless you want to get a high-end machine like SCM or Felder. I think getting the right machine is just as important as whether or not you actually need it.
Same here. I feel I could have held off buying a quality Delta drill press, instead considering less expensive methods to drill perfectly perpendicular. That 2 grand would have been better spent on a good bandsaw which, as it turns out is my greater need. Now I have to find a compromise of a good quality but moderate cost BS - no easy task.
Hello, I want to tell you that if you dedicate yourself to playing carpenter, obviously with a jigsaw you can fix yourself. But if you work as a carpenter, many jobs will be better with a band saw. Also if you work as a carpenter you will obviously have a lot of space in the workshop and the last point is that it is better to have it and not specify it than to specify it and not have it.
Thanks Spencley, you are an inspiration. I want to get into woodworking hobby for so long but partially finance constriction. It is really motivated to watch your vids. Thank you for sharing.
My bandsaw is my favorite tool in the shop. Anything I can do on it that I would otherwise do on the table saw, I opt for the bandsaw. It's satisfying to use and doesn't scare the piss out of me like the table saw. I'm currently making bandsaw reindeer, and I used it last night to resaw some rough 8/4 stock down to standard 2x4 dimensions, something I couldn't do safely on the table saw without setting up featherboards and making multiple cuts, plus I don't yet have a jointer/planer to mill rough stock. I'm getting better at cutting curves, and I even enjoy fiddling with the tuning when I swap between blades.
@@joeking433 A table saw won't? a bandsaw won't fling projectiles at you, and you can easily keep your fingers away form the blade. Nevermind the psychos who re-saw with their tablesaw.
It's more effort, but I think a nice Japanese pull saw is excellent for cutting small things. Just a few strokes and it's through. No loud noise, no need to clean the machine, safer, and no tweaking the settings.
Benefits: 1:29 resawing material (cut in half) or 2:57 book matching 3:30 curved cuts 5:47 cutting thick materials or stack of workpieces 6:50 tipping rough materials 8:19 cutting small parts Drawbacks 10:24 setup, changing different saws time consuming 10:49 often needed 2 bandsaws because of that 12:49 large space, low portability 13:41 poor dust collection for most of them 14:20 frequent calibration __---- 14:53 beautiful examples of people needs and reasons for not/buying bandsaw ----------- My case: have all tools except bandsaw, but packed tightly in very limited space. Mostly pleasure work for myself and just occasionally curved cutting. A bandsaw would be positioned in different building, with no dust collection and not nicely fitting into my wotkflow. It is theoretically possible to build some ceiling mounting of bandsaw and drop it down somehow when needed, but that would be insane considering low benefits. Half of benefits presented in video demand large and expensive machine. ______ Now, for the most people that will NOT buy a bandsaw like myself, I suggest buying (some are diy) a plate like mine, where you fix your jigsaw in inverted position and do curved cuts of thin materials mostly. Mine is from Wolfcraft. Minimum space, you mount it fast when needed. ______ All this being thoroughly discussed, I am still measuring centimeters of available space in my workshop and still wish to buy a band saw. Don't say anything, you are right. ____ Perhaps good solution - scroll saw instead! Many times smaller. Several times cheaper then 400W bandsaw. For me, close to wood carving recently, scroll saw is far more frequently needed then band saw. ____ Finally I bought scroll saw, works like a charm at small price, unbeatable for thin materials and modelling.
I have a Rikon 10" and a Rikon 14" one for curved the other for resawing, I have a small 2 car garage car sized shop and wouldnt trade them for anything
This is incredibly helpful and while I’m not considering a band saw, many of your points talked me off the ledge from buying other tools. I’m at the point where I really need a table saw and I have pretty much every other beginner tool (even a drill press lol) but I’ve been swayed so hard by the “sawstop or bust..but once cry once” philosophy that I’ve used work arounds up to this point. Would really appreciate a vid on the value of a table saw like you have versus a saw stop
Cant beat a good table saw ,another problem i had with my bandsaws was drifting off the line couldnt get any straight lines .probably bec ause i bought a cheap one the Titan i bought had cheap plastic bearing supports which put me off no doubt the more expensive ones are easier to set up , get what you pay for i spose good luck
I'd expect there are quality saws from other brands. Even if I was going to spend that much on a table saw I wouldn't buy from SawStop because I don't approve of their business practices.
I am laughing my butt off!!! I so appreciate you as a human person. As a serial procrastinator, this was THE worst video I could ever have watched. It's like I you are reading my mind and tormenting the hell out of me! Do I want a bandsaw? Yes! Do I need a bandsaw? No!... well, maybe.. it'd be nice, but...you know... YOU SEE MY PROBLEM!! My wife loves you of course, as she has the money allocated for a heavy duty sewing machine. Does she need a heavy duty sewing machine? No. Does she want one? Yes. And so the cycle continues. In all seriousness, your very excellent video should be required watching by EVERY woodworker out there, especially those in the hobby category like me. In fact, your video should be required watching by EVERYONE who is ever going to buy anything at all...period. It is such good common sense. Do you need it? Do you want it? How much money gets spent and wasted each year by the "wanters" rather than the "needers"? That said, and with all due respect to your supremely helpful and ultimately money saving video, you are the biggest buzzkill I have every come across on RU-vid... in the nicest way possible! On another serious note, the next stage of your video tormenting for me needs to be the trade off of cheap, cheerful and ultimately lower quality vs more expensive and better results. There again, is there a right or wrong answer to fit everyone? Absolutely not, and it is refreshing that you have gone on record as being the guy that says that rather than "You definitely need to get the Trunkrip 2000 saw or you will never cut a board straight and you will have ugly, thin children". Make people think for themselves... there is precious little of this happening in the world! All in all, you have saved me weeks of watching RU-vidrs' videos, unboxing, reviewing, comparing and fondling themselves over bandsaws. I am going to wait until I absolutely find that I can't do without one and then invest a decent sum in a machine that will last, have good customer service backup, and cut a 1/16" veneer straight. I will have one, one day... or will I? AAAGGGHHHH!!! I wish you all the luck in making the transition to full-time RU-vid guru, and if all of your videos are going to be this helpful, I can see me spending much time in your 'company'. Peace out!
I think a bandsaw is definitely not an essential tool you need to have to begin with, but stick around with woodworking long enough, and you’ll inevitably find that you will be in situations when you wish you had a bandsaw. A few projects ago, I wish I had a bandsaw to resaw lumber. I ended up doing it on a table saw, but it took so long to get it set up to do it safely :/
Great take on the bandsaw. As a woodworker, I was a very late adopter to getting a bandsaw. Only when I REALLY needed one did I finally break down and get it. I've used the H3LL out of my jigsaw for years, and regarding its proper use, I can say this. You can get excellent results if you pay attention to two things: 1. Take your time when cutting with it. 2. Always use the proper blade for the job.
Hi from New Zealand. I loved this video. I am off to buy a band saw this weekend. I have grandchildren 'helping' in the workshop, I see the band saw as a safer option for them than using any off the other electric tools mentioned. Thanks Jen
I thought exactly the same i just wanted one for shaping logs for reindeer heads but i can do the same with a chainsaw or a reciprocating saw good vid by the way
Great advice. I am just a hobbyist. I used my bandsaw quite a lot when my kids were small and I was making a lot of toys. I have also used it to cut curves in ceramic tile (good thing blades are so cheap), and notching landscape ties. I would never want to be without my bandsaw even though it doesn't see a lot of use anymore. The things I use it for nowadays typically involve small parts, and those cuts would be difficult, and in some cases dangerous on any other machine.
Yeah…came to your vid a bit too late. I’m more a casual diy hobbyist type…I bought a lower end 9” bandsaw six months back for a couple of hundred, it is still in its box. Now I have a neat jigsaw in my arsenal. I will eventually set up the bandsaw..cos why not, now I have it? But you are right…the jigsaw would have done fine…my recip saw will re-saw wood in the rare event I need it. The bandsaw is a waste of cash and space for me.
Hello from Guyana, South America. For me personally, I was considering a bandsaw strictly for re-sawing purposes since I buy most of my lumber rough-sawn from either the lumberyard or the sawmill. However, as I was reminded by my sister, I can get whatever thickness I want cut right there at the sawmill, plus I can re-saw smaller pieces on my table saw easily. I'm still learning how to use my jigsaw for curved cuts so a bandsaw is a no for me at this time. The amount of use it would get could not justify the cost (including shipping).
So cool to have a viewer from Guyana! I totally agree with you. I’ve looked into the cost of large machines shipping to other countries and it get INSANELY expensive!
Finally, someone that loves a jig saw as much as me. I really feel it's one of the most versatile tools available to us. For people just starting out in wood working I usually recommend two tools. A jigsaw and a hammer drill. Then as you need and can afford them, you can expand into more tools. You can build just about anything just using those two tools though. Occasionally you can make a jig to make a particular process easier. All too often I see people getting roped into buying specialty tools that while cool and if you have a need to use them on a regular basis, they can make your workload more efficient. Most people leave them in a drawer or cabinet except for the few times they actually need them. In which case there is almost always another tool already in your arsenal that can do the job well enough in a one off situation.
As a hobby woodworker, I work mostly with hand tools. If I was starting out, knowing what I do now, I would buy a band saw instead of a table saw in an instant. This despite the fact that I rarely cut curves. I don’t like the noise of my table saw, really hate re-sawing on it and these days rarely use it unless I have a lot of long rips to do. I would love a bandsaw for re-sawing which I currently do by hand.
Definitely agree with a lot that you mentioned. Having a small shop myself and being one of the weekend warriors you described, I cannot justify buying a bandsaw at this point. I haven't had the need to resaw any stock larger than 6 inches, so the table saw does well. I do most of curved cuts with my jigsaw and I made a jig similar to what rocker sells, any time I need a straight edge. A track saw would definitely do the trick, but I still cannot justify buying one. Instead of using double-sided tape, my jig has built-in clamps that I can adjust to hold various size pieces of lumber. I feel like, if I was buying a band saw, it would need to be large enough to justify using it as opposed to other tools around my shop. But of course, who has a few thousand dollars just laying around. That being said, with doing quite a few curved cuts, I am considering investing in a scroll saw. As far as the price goes, they are about same price as a tabletop bandsaws, but they take up only about quarter of the space. Having used one a few years back, it makes all the difference for tight corners, while still being portable enough.
Even the small 14” band saw is one of the most used tools in my shop. I must use it for every project. I would recommend getting band saw before looking to get milling machines like a mitre saw, jointer, planer. I would go as far as getting band saw before router table. In my home shop I would recommend a band saw right after getting the table saw that fits your needs. Wood shop or home improvement shop, knowing I have a band saw is my go to. I can’t remember the last time I used my jigsaw?
...or a miter saw? Good heavens, I'm a bandsaw zealot, but I'm the first to concede: surface finish isn't really their thing. Neither is super precise angles. And while I totally get the pain point of the planer, you CAN hand plane or simply buy s4s lumber. But you can get a miter saw for less than 100 bucks, used. A quite nice one if you're patient.
As a wood turner I'm glad I got one bc it's extremely useful for shaping blanks cut straight from the log into pieces that can be managed more easily on the lathe. It's a time saver. I do want to do wood carving as well so I'm glad I have that capability as well. Like any tool, depends on your workflow. For me it was becoming obvious that a band saw would save me time and headache
I know I’m late to the party but just came across this video. I have been contemplating purchasing a bandsaw. This video is fantastic! Thank You. I’m pretty confident using the table saw so I may drag my feet just a bit longer but you def made some great points!
Excellent video! I've owned a very cheap bandsaw for about four years. To be perfectly honest, I have hardly used it in the last couple, finding instead that I almost always turn to my trusty jigsaw. You are on the money when you say that it is not an easy tool to set up, or fine tune when you change the blade. That said, despite the low price, it really does give good results with a decent blade. We are all different, but I'd have to say a table saw would be top of my list for larger, more expensive woodworking tools regarding versatility. Thanks for sharing!
I say the same as Stumpy Nubs While every accident has a cause, and that cause is usually something we did (or neglected to do), the fact is YOU CAN NOT PLAN AWAY EVERY ACCIDENT! People always say things like "respect the tool" and "Be 110% focused at all times, " but the fact is, we are humans. And humans make mistakes. EVERY one of us does. That's why we stub our toe even though we've got decades of walking experience, or why we may change lanes without checking our blind spot even though we "respect" what a ton of crashing steel can do. Nobody plans to do these things, but they do happen. Because despite our best intentions, we are still humans.... Everyone's goal should be to be alert and careful at all times in the shop. But THAT IS NOT ENOUGH! We still need blade guards and riving knives and push sticks and all the rest because those are the things that protect us when we have a human moment.... I am fond of telling people that most of the 9-fingered woodworkers I know were professionals with decades of experience and never thought it would happen to them, until they found themselves sitting in a hospital with a biggie full of fingers and ice. NOBODY IS IMMUNE TO A BRAIN FART! Use your safety devices! So see My Major Table Saw Accident - What You Need to Know! (Not Graphic)
Nothing wrong with a jigsaw, just know it's limitations. Yes the blade flex can be frustrating at times, but with technique you can minimize it. I grew up with my dad's Skil jigsaw and thought they were horrible tools. When I bought my own I got a Bosch (I think they only had one model 20 years ago). The Bosch is a finely tuned machine, it just purrs and cuts extremely accurate lines. Other saws that are only slightly cheaper (Dewalt) are no comparison. Love that tool. And yes, I very much want a bandsaw too.
As a production woodworker , I would say that a band saw is essential as I make a lot of my own veneer . A quality bandsaw I would say would be something a new woodworker should get before purchasing a table saw , as you can do most of what a table saw can do on a good bandsaw
Good overview. I'm on my 4th bandsaw (a mini-max 45 -18" 2HP). If you read the Krenov books you would buy a bandsaw before you by almost anything else. In the Krenov shop you would have a jointer and a really good bandsaw, along with hand saws, chisels and planes. If you know how to keep everything really sharp and how to use these tools this works well. I did my apprenticeship in 74-78 and after the required experience, tests and courses became a master in 85. So you can see I've been woodworking professionally for 48 years. If I were starting today I would go the route of Tool 1, good bandsaw (many like the Laguna are available today at pretty reasonable prices), tool 2 - good spiral head jointer (again lots available, I'd probably go for a 12 or 16 inch over under jointer/planer -unless I had lots of room, then I'd just go for the jointer and add the planer later tool 3 would be a tablesaw --- When I was younger I know that my choice would be reversed. It also depends on - if you plan to work mostly sheet goods - then table saw, or track saw, but if it's mostly solid wood then Bandsaw.
I bought a great bandsaw (old super heavy 14" Rockwell) at a yard estate sale along with a large heavy duty Rockwell Scroll saw and a nice Atlas (Sears Craftsman real old school) wood lathe (all in good condition) for $50.00. The woman was just happy to get the stuff out of the basement and was going to pay me to haul it all away!! I said no, so she said I'll take $50.00 for the whole lot. I told her it was worth a lot more and I was wiling to pay for it at a fair price. But she said she'd be happy for the stuff to find a good home! Now I would not want to do without any of them! And I'm only a low time wood worker. I mostly make patterns and prototype parts for a variety prototype projects I build for people. All three are worth the money. Would I have bought all three new?? NO I couldn't justify the cost like you. I always look for used equipment first, there is a lot of it out there. Much of the older stuff is far better built than the Chinese made junk you buy today. You make many many good points!! What ever floats your boat!! I've always looked at "Time is money" because it had been a way for me to make money. Now it is just a pleasant hobby that I again enjoy doing!!
I own a bandsaw, and found this a very thorough thoughtful review of the pros and cons. It does depend on what kind of wood you get, and what you make. If you make nothing but cabinets using cabinet grade plywood, a bandsaw will likely sit unused. If you resaw hardwood routinely, a bandsaw would be a near necessity, with its very narrow kerf minimizing waste. For everyone in between the two extremes, depends how often and how cumbersome it is to do what you need to do without a bandsaw. I also think of tools as a burden. Each tool takes up space, and requires care and maintenance. A free tool isn't necessarily free, once you consider storage and maintenance--if you live, as I do, in a humid climate, where cast iron rusts if you look away for a second. And you can saw an unbroken inside circle with a bandsaw--just need a blade welder.
The band saw is one of my most regretted tools I’ve ever purchased. I’ve owned 3. Bought an old Delta 3 wheel, then a benchtop 8” harbor freight, and now have owned a bigger Rikon I spent like 600 on. The Rikon in particular was by far the worst purchase. It almost turned me away permanently from their brand as I have been disappointed with the plastic components needing replaced with 3d printed parts. (Although I now own Rikon’s jobsite table saw that I got for a steal and that things is absolutely awesome.) Anyway, I honestly only use the band saw for the pinewood derby clinics I run at my house with the kids. It gets 2 months worth of work and maybe makes 100 cuts a year. I just find in my small shop, it takes to much room. I almost never resaw things and the young kids are more comfortable with the scroll saw. I’ve thought about just either to a couple scroll saws, jigs holding jigsaws (pun intended), or moving to a much smaller machine. My main problem is its size. My friends are always impressed I have a 12x16 shop, but as those with dedicated spaces know - it fills up quick. I don’t want to make it sound like bandsaws don’t do a good job when used, but I now have lasers that can now do the same cuts. To be honest since using track saws as much as I have lately, I’m kinda thinkin of getting rid of my table saw next……
My shop is half the size of yours. Half. But I still prefer having my bandsaw vs a jigsaw. It is a night and day difference in precision and ease of use. I sold the jigsaw.
I have the room, so I have two bandsaws (14" Powermatic and 17" Grizzly), in addition to my cabinet saw (Unisaw), scrollsaw (Hegner), a jig saw (Bosch barrel), several circular saws (Porter Cable, Skill worm, Dewalt Hybrid [and guides], reciprocating saws, a Fein Multitool. The more I do the more I find use for each of those saws. Having two bandsaws allows me to leave a scrolling blade, for things like bandsaw boxes, on the small saw, and a 1" blade on the bigger saw for blowing through boards or cutting logs into boards and veneers. The day I got my 14" saw, my woodworking world changed. I started finding all sorts of uses for it. In part, because small quick cuts, done safely, were a breeze (this is not to say they don't have bandsaws in butcher shops). My appreciation for my bandsaw was the reason I opted for two. All these things said, keep in mind, I'm 73 and have had since around 1972 to build my tool collection [and a shop to keep them in].
I had a 10” bandsaw that actually worked exceptionally well, but it had its limitations, so I upgraded to a 14” Grizzly which has been an awesome machine. I went with Grizzly as I felt it was the best value for my money, especially considering the free accessories they included at the time. I would suggest new woodworkers buy a good jigsaw & blades, and wait to see if you actually need a bandsaw. If you find that you do, consider if something like a 10” will be sufficient as there’s a big jump in price when you go to a 14”, unless you go with something like a 14” WEN, which is actually rated pretty high by those that own them. I have a 14” WEN drill press and love it!
I bought a small, cheap (less than €100), bandsaw from Lidl just to find out whether or not I would use it and get benefit from it. I figured that it’s not a lot of money in the great scheme of things and I’ll probably get half my money back when I sell it on. In the event, I’m convinced that I would use a decent-sized bandsaw quite a lot and I’ve decided that even when my new tool arrives, I will keep the “toy” one as it’s really handy for cutting small parts. I don’t think I would have risked a grand or more just to discover that, but at under €100, it was a risk I’m glad I took.
I remember a safety rule we had from woodworking school in Finland: Do not cut "grooves" with a table saw! Apparently this was the most dangerous cut you can perform, according to the school's incurance company. For this reason, I do recutting only by band saw even today.
Weird, because cutting slots and dados are generally safer cuts than through-cuts since it's less likely for the piece to bind, twist, or get launched if you set up wrong.
Cut a thick piece of wood on a table saw and you wear out the blade in no time. When pieces you cut on a table saw and "it comes at you" is called kick back. A jigsaw is not going to cut as thick as a bandsaw. I have been thinking of getting a bandsaw to cut curves on thicker pieces. I have also been thinking of buying a CNC machine to do art, but all I ever see people do with them is to make something flat, and for art that is just not very interesting. I do have a router table and a cheap bandsaw, but really haven't used, them, so I should probably start off with the equipment that I already own. One bandsaw that I own is a well used one by Sears, and it is constantly falling off the wheel as well as rattles really bad, so probably going to just chunk it or try to sell it.
I’m currently a weekend warrior love band saw. A good ones can be had for a fraction of new, by diligently watching used tools I stumbled across a nice one for free.
I would say the opposite about what to do if you don't have a lot of space and budget. I have a small garage wood working space for small builds and hobby purposes and I wouldn't have space for a table saw. Buying a cheap (about 400€) bandsaw was a really good investment in my case where the given space is just enough for a bandsaw. In combination with a guided circular saw and a couple of other basic tools it opens up a lot of possibilities for relatively little space and money and it's easily the best investment for my purposes.
As a luthier, I work almost exclusively with expensive hardwoods and exotic lumber. A bandsaw, as compared to other types if saw, offers me unparalleled precision and efficiency. Taking the time to set up the blade properly means less time planing or sanding the rought surface that's left by, say, a table saw. Also the resawing aspect yields a far greater amount of usable veneers or tops when using a bandsaw, since the width of the cut is only near the 32nd inch mark, whereas a table saw blade can easily chug out 3/16 of the total material. More boards equals more money, so that's a win in my book. Now this will definitely not apply to every woodworker out there, but imo if you seek out to make delicate pieces, a bandsaw is the proper way to go. Just my 2 cents
You didn’t put a wired food item at the end to make sure we watched the whole video 😝 But you definitely need a CNC. You would end up using it for WAY more than just templates. I think eventually you would just start using it to make your repetitive projects and skip the template. You want to talk about a machine that can make you money. Cnc will pay for itself in a month. You can get a used Onefinity right now for probably $1,500 because everyone wants to upgrade to the new version that was just released. And they are amazing!
Spencer, good video. One aspect of the bandsaw you didn't mention, perhaps because you don't currently do this, is wood turning. A jigsaw and a table saw are not really that great at cutting turning blanks from pieces of trees or really thick stock. Short of a chainsaw, the bandsaw is one of the few tools that can accomplish this task and is much safer than a chainsaw.
you left off another option, that the people who don't get into their shop as often, but are trying to get better. you don't need to get the $1000+ medium size tool. there are serviceable table top tools in the $200 range, with a ~9" throat that will do most of the things a hobby shop need, and can do some more advanced cuts as your skill grows. these smaller saws can also be stored off the work bench, and brought out only when needed. my son and I have smaller table top band saw, table saw ( job saw) drill press, router "table" frame and belt/disk sanders that we store on a rolling cart, and just bring the one we need out. we also have a 1 car garage, and 1/3 of that is taken by storing my wife's stuff, and we have 1 110 outlet so we have to unplug each tool as we move from operation to operation. each time we want to work, we pull out a table, the shop cart, and move some of the storage for our tool's accessories to make room to work. things are made more cramped because we also have a 12x33 lathe that we wind up using more than the other tools combined.
I'd love to use a bandsaw but I'd hate the setup. Realisticly speaking I'm not going to make a lot of money so I'll guess I'll buy the jigsaw from festool lol. The ryobi one I have is trash.
Had a 12" Rockwell-Beaver bandsaw in my model machine shop for over 35 years, and I wouldn't want to be without it. Of course, I added a reduction gear box and made it into a metal cutting saw. With 4 speeds it will cut the toughest tool and stainless steels, mild steel, brass & bronze, and, of course, aluminum. It still cuts wood, albeit much slower. I rarely cut wood with it.
My Laguna LT-18 can do everything my Powermatic 66 does for basic cuts, My bandsaw is quieter, far safer, uses less floor space, and can resaw like a beast! The bandsaw can not DADO (but my router does this fine), or cut sheet goods, but I typically do this with a track sled skill saw anyways. I consider my Laguna LT-18 the best machine I own and I own very nice machines, mostly Powermatic and General from Canada.
Great video and advice! Too many times I have finally bought a certain tool (nail gun etc ) and wondered why I didn’t get it 20 or 30 years earlier as I have found so many uses for it and it’s often more safe. But, there are also tools that i almost never use too. It really depends on what kind of projects you are doing and you often don’t know that now. Buying tools can get a bit obsessive/addictive too. Buying secondhand is also a good option for tools you know you won’t use very often, but are quite useful for certain things.
Doing a bathroom remodel on an older home with no square corners. Much trim needed tapers to plumb lines up. Tried long tapers with a HF jigsaw, then a B+D jigsaw. Wen bandsaw arrives tomorrow. You can do long tapers with a jack plane, but really? If you have an old house and need to fit everything, you need a bandsaw.
