| Review by gizmodyne | posted 312 days ago | 404 views | 0 times favorited | 7 comments |  |
- JET JWBS-16 16-Inch Bandsaw
- Brand: JET | Category: Bandsaws
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I have owned this saw for about a year. I bought it at Rockler for $800 in a deal that included the rip fence and a very good DVD. It sits on locking casters and rolls quite nicely.
Assembly
The saw comes in one piece. The only thing to assemble is the table and fence. I had to drill out one of the caster holes that was not formed properly, but that was minor. I lifted the saw by myself which I don’t really recommend (310 pounds).
The story
4” dust port does the job.
Wired at 115 but you can rewire it too.
Nice steel wheels.
The table is good sized at 17” square.
The stock extruded aluminum fence is adequate though not highly adjustable. I always use a tape with it. The fence has a slot for attaching aux. fences or the included steel single point resaw guide.
The re-saw capacity is only 10” which is less than you can get on a 14” with a block. However…
The good
The saw is powerful. 1 1/2 hp and 3000 rpm. Once I put a nice res-aw blade on it, I had no problems. I have even cut through some nails. The tracking is good too. I have re-sawn fir, oak, and walnut. Very little vibration.
I have read some reviews where they complained about changing the blade, but I did it quickly.
The saw accommodates from 1/8” to 1 1/2” blades.
The frame is sturdy.
The annoying
The tension wheel has no spinning handle on it. It is awkward and tiring. As far as I know no quick release is available.
The unknown
Curve cutting is not something I do much of. But I will update this review if I find out something breathtaking.
Conclusions
Good solid saw if you don’t need over 10” capacity.
-- -John "Do I have to keep typing a smiley? Just assume it's a joke." www.flickr.com/photos/gizmodyne
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7 comments so far
GaryK
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8567 posts in 528 days
posted 312 days ago
Good review. Thanks. I could have used that extra 2” at times.
-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.
Grumpy
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6734 posts in 391 days
posted 312 days ago
Nice equipment John. I notice the on/off switches are nice & high & easy to access. On mine they were below the table which meant you had to bend down to turn it off, not a good safety feature. I had it modified & the switches are now nice & high. Great review.
-- Grumpy - "Always look on the bright side of life"- Monty Python
gizmodyne
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1486 posts in 630 days
posted 312 days ago
Hey Grumpy! Good point, you don’t notice till it’s not there I guess.
I wish this saw had a brake though, it is a nice feature that I have seen on higher end saws.
-- -John "Do I have to keep typing a smiley? Just assume it's a joke." www.flickr.com/photos/gizmodyne
rikkor
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8644 posts in 415 days
posted 312 days ago
Good review. Thanks for making the time to do it. Do you often need resaw capability more than 10”? I have a 14” Griz with the riser, and I think the biggest stock I’ve ever resawn is 8 by.
-- Maplewood, MN
gizmodyne
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1486 posts in 630 days
posted 312 days ago
Rikkor…
I have not needed to yet. Who knows though. I have resawn larger than 10” before at my classes. Rarely though. Good point.
-- -John "Do I have to keep typing a smiley? Just assume it's a joke." www.flickr.com/photos/gizmodyne
Woodburner
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4 posts in 280 days
posted 280 days ago
By the photos you posted, this saw looks exactly like my JET 18-inch bandsaw, only a little smaller. My 18-inch version has a 12-inch resaw/depth of cut.
-- Sawdust & Shavings, Woodburner
Karson
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14327 posts in 941 days
posted 280 days ago
John Great review. Thanks for the info.
-- Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †