Best Band Saw Reviews 2020

Most people operate on a budget when shopping for items, but for certain items you should be prepared to stretch that budget a little bit. Things like the band saw are long-term investments and as such, one needs to be financially prepared before making the purchase. Most good quality band saws cost between $80 and $600, but this is just a range as there are some known to cost even more than the stated range here.

It’s highly recommended that you don’t sacrifice quality on the altar of price when shopping for a band saw so you avoid ending up with a cheap band saw that won’t handle your job properly. Also, don’t go for a band saw with a low-quality or low-powered motor that comes relatively cheap if your work entails some heavy cutting and trimming.

All the band saws reviewed here are from trusted and renowned brands, and you’re sure to find whatever it is that’ll suit your needs; so, we urge you to stay with us.

Before making that commitment and purchasing a band saw, there are several features and factors that you need to have at the back of your mind. These features include:

• Size and type of the band saw
• Size of the motor
• Blade type
• Frame material
• Number of pulley wheels
• Other extra features

With these features in mind, you’ll be ahead of the game while seeking out your ideal band saw.

Band saws come in different sizes and this is often determined by the surface area of the table, which is the working surface where all cuts and designs are crafted. The larger the table surface, the more wood stock or metal stock you’ll be able to work with at a time. This also affects the size of other components in the band saw such as the number and type of pulley (we’ll be talking about that shortly), the drive motor power, and the number or type of blade.

Basically, there are two types or blade orientations of band saws: horizontal band saws and vertical band saws. The major difference between these two types is the positioning of the cutting blades. The vertical band saw has its blade positioned vertically and cuts sideways into the stock, while the horizontal type has its blade in the horizontal position. For the vertical band saw, the stock is fed manually into the blade cutter and the table has adjustable angles to make mitered cuts.

A horizontal band saw requires less effort to feed the wood or metal into the blade because the bulk of the job is taken care of by gravitational force. Horizontal-blade band saws are usually large and floor-mounted, occupying more space; so, if you’re faced with limited space, you may want to consider getting the vertical blade saw that’s less cumbersome.

Band saws have a supporting frame system which can be made from plastic, wood, steel, or cast-iron metal. A plastic or wooden-frame band saw is usually lightweight, unstable, and prone to tilting over and cracking or breaking. It usually is cheaper, but not a good investment option in the long run. A plastic band saw is not built to handle heavy stocks and cannot take a pulley more than 12 inches in size. Cast-iron and steel frames, on the other hand, can handle any type of work thrown at them without you worrying about the equipment wobbling or crumbling mid-project. They’re much more expensive but are the recommended way to go.

A band saw can have either a 2-pulley or 3-pulley wheel configuration. It’s important to note here that vertical band saws usually come with 2 pulleys, and that’s the reason they’re more portable than their horizontal relatives. Whatever the number of pulleys in the system, one of the pulleys is usually connected to the motor, leaving the other one(s) free and adjustable.

For a 2-pulley system, the second pulley functions to adjust the tension, increasing and decreasing it as needed; the third pulley in a 3-pulley system adjusts the blade width. Also of importance is the material and the pulley weight. A cast-iron pulley is often more desirable and is a weightier pulley. The heavy pulley will serve as compensation to a low-powered motor, thus making for a smoother operation and eliminating the possibility of the blade teeth jamming up in the stock wood.

Just as the chainsaw has a chain, so also does the band saw have a band, which, in reality, is the blade. It’s a looped and circular saw blade tensioned and moving around the pulley system; there are different types of blades out there, with different teeth configurations. The blade may have as few as one or two teeth per inch or as many as twenty-four per inch. Saws with fewer teeth per inch are preferred for cutting through thick wooden blocks, while a closely-spaced teethed blade makes fine and precise cuts.

The teeth of the blade determine the type of cut the blade makes, whether curvaceous or coarse cuts. Some are so thin that they can make precise and intricate dovetails and notches on boards, while others are wide enough and well-suited for sawing off chunks of wood. A band saw blade may come with steely teeth which can cut wood or lighter metals like aluminum and copper, or it can come with carbide-filled teeth which have the capacity to effortlessly rip stainless steel.

Although band saws make woodworking easier and are time-saving, they require a level of skill and finesse to use effectively. Most brands try to make their band saws as user-friendly and safe as possible so they can be used without much issue by an amateur woodworker. Band saws come with instruction manuals for setting up and to get you started on the equipment.

For smooth running and operation of the band saw, you should ensure that the motor power is commensurate with the type of load that you’ll want the machine to handle. For most light home and do-it-yourself projects, a horsepower of 0.5 to 0.75 is usually sufficient, while you’ll be needing a motor with about a 1 horsepower rating for heavy-duty projects. Using a low-powered band saw for a heavy job will lead to the blade’s teeth jamming up in the wood stock and will cause the equipment to stop in the middle of the work. If this continues, it may lead to premature breakdown of the band saw. So, be sure to check the power rating on the band saw you want to buy and be sure it’ll be able to carry the workload you’ll be putting on it.

Some brands equip their band saws with two or more different types of bands with varying tooth patterns. Regular patterns consist of evenly-spaced teeth and are used for contour cutting, cutting thin items, or fine finishing. Skip tooth patterns have more spacing in-between and are suitable for cutting soft materials such as soft wood, plastics, and non-iron metals. For really fast cutting, a hooked-tooth blade comes in handy, with larger spaces and a 10-degree gullet angle. It’s used to cut hard wood and hard metals fast and efficiently.

Another important factor to look out for is the saw dust and waste outlet on the band saw. You’ll want to go for a band saw with a large waste outlet so the saw dust doesn’t pack up and clog the system. It also ensures that you clean and maintain the band saw easier and better without much stress.

Don’t forget to check the warranty period and the availability of your preferred band saw’s spare parts.