As most of you know I have been looking for a bandsaw for some time now. Here in NL we are pretty limited to selection: King, General, some Delta and Ridgid.
Until last week I completely forgot about Craftsman @ Sears when I saw this one. Sort of looks like a Rikon.
14 in. band saw with steel frame construction for reduced deflection under full blade tension. Blade included. Upper and lower blade bearing guides reduce friction and increase blade life. Blade tension and tracking windows let you quickly view the blade tension and tracking without opening the doors. Cast iron wheels.
- Table tilts 0-45 deg. to left for angle cutting
- Cut hardwood softwood and non ferrous metal
- Features (2) 3/8×3/4 in. standard "T" slots
- Balanced cast iron wheels for strength and rigidity
- The cast iron table is large and stable providing a solid work surface
- Tire cleaning brush - Helps keep band wheel free of build up extending blade life
- Steel stand provides stable support
- Table fence - Securely support workpieces for accurate ripping
- Work light - Keeps work area well lit for accurate, safe cutting
- Dust collection system (Port) - Improved dust collection for safe removal of sawdust
- The ball bearing blade guides have microadjust knobs that allows the userto set them easily
- The saw has a 8" resaw capacity
The reviews on the site seem to be quite positive - SEARS
Drawbacks
- odd blade length (not really an issue)
- box on bottom a little weak
- fence not great & no holes drilled in table for fence
- some people have problems with bearings
Check the blade length and the availability of blades for that length. There some speculation that this saw was made by Rikon, but I've read ample information that is for and against that claim. For me, when I was considering a bandsaw, I looked at whether I could order a blade from Lee Valley for the saw. That's the only tidbit I can give you and at that point, you can put an effort in tuning up just about any saw so it will cut okay, if you put the effort in. As for the other saws that are available to you, they are all good saws as well.
Craftsman has really slipped from its lofty perch as a provider of quality tools. I have been disappointed with every Craftsman anything I have bought in the last three years.
My job is International trade consulting. I am currently in China and saw this posting so I thought it was a good time to explain a bit of what I know of this situation.
Few brands actually own factories. they get their items made in factories that manufacture to specification. For example, I have been in the factory where they make the Jet mini lathe. I have seen that lathe as well as others in other colors for other manufacturers. The only difference is the color and occasionally a few components.
Sears used to build most of the craftsman line through Emerson electric who assembled their line overseas. Sears made a choice several years ago to find cheaper ways to get their tools. They went direct to China to see who could make their tools cheaper. At that time, Sears seemed to remove quality from the line and suffered in reviews and customer issues.
Emerson took the loss and rather than loose the business, they created the Rigid woodworking line and started to sell through Home Depot. Now sears has seen some of the error of their ways and has begun to better the specifications of the equipment they buy but still fall behind the other brands out there.
As for this saw looking like a Rikon, I am almost positive that it is, only with a less expensive base with thinner metal to cut some cost. I understand that the Rikon, Craftsman, Grizzly, and others are made int he same location with a difference in internal components. According to my friends in China, Grizzly uses the best parts in their machines and Sears uses the cheapest. I don't have the exact specs, but I would shy away from the Craftsman model. They are interested more in the mass market than the craftsman.
I am sure that the craftsman works, but I would choose otherwise.
I have the Craftsman and would not buy it again. The odd blade length is an issue. I have to special order them from a company that makes them to length.
The bearings on the guides are not very good. I've only had the saw a year and have had one bearing go out. You can't use guide blocks made by other companies.
Oh yeah, and the table tilt mechanism is a joke. It's only supported on one side so it's nearly impossible to set up an angled cut.
The fence is crap. I replaced it with a Kreg just a couple months after buying it.
Also, the wheel for tensioning the blade is on top of the saw. This makes it very difficult to tension the blade. I've had to get a step stool to get into a proper position to put enough torque to turn the handle. Unlike the Grizzly there's no Quick Release tension lever. This means you have to release the tension by turning the tensioning handle when you are done using the saw, then tighten it back up when you want to use it again. (Or do like I do and leave it tensioned all the time because it's too much trouble, thus decreasing the life of the blade.)
If I had to do it over again I'd spend a few extra dollars and buy a Grizzly, something like the G0513 or G0514x. After spending the extra money on a replacement fence and special ordering blades I probably could have bought the Grizzly for the same money. The only thing I've bought from Craftsman that I don't regret is my drill press.
Zuki, I also have this saw. It works great. I have had one since they hit the local market and I have not had one problem with it. But I am one and maybe the only one besides Tony Z who is a fan of Craftsmans. I have a complete shop full of there tools, and I have not had one issues with any of them.
So…. for my first band saw purchase and wanting to stay under $500, what would you people recommend? I was just about to go out and purchase the Craptsman 12"
I"M sorry I'm with the group that call there tools CRAPMAN years ago they made a good product by now there terrible I have many students that have purchased sears tools and are very unhappy with them. So unless your buying wrenches or measuring tapes ,that Sears replaces free stay away from sears power tools.
For a reasonably priced band saw I would go with grizzly.
I have lots of craftsman power tools, band saw, belt sander, jointer, etc. But they are 30 years old. Back then they were of course of older design but heavy as hell. Lots of cast iron. They still work well.
I'm excited about the opportunity to glean any and all ideas in the woodworking venue. I happened on this site while researching "bandsaws" and discovered the interaction regarding the Rikon 14" deluxe model - my primary use will be for resawing. I have two table top Ryobi bandsaws setup with the Carter wheel guide - they are primarily for the use of youngsters and their dads/mentors.
Assuming the resawing focus is the Rikon 14" deluxe model still the best choice??
Other than replacing bearings [relatively cheap and easy] I am pleased with my Craftsman 14" band saw. I wish it had a tension release lever though and a speed knob on the tensioning wheel [will add my own]. I make my own blades so that's not been a problem and wouldn't let it stand in the way of purchasing another one. The wood I've been able to resaw from the wood pile has gone a long way top repaying the purchase price-taking a 14-16" diameter log [short enough to safely manage on the saw] splitting it once and then sawing planks and turning stock off of it has been fun and gratifying! It has plenty of power to resaw the 8 inch capacity logs or other stock without bogging down [using the right blade and feed].
elh NC
Take a look at lowes. There Kobalt tools are made by the Snap On people.
Between Lowes and Craftsman I'll take Lowes.
I have an old Craftman Bandsaw. Got it from a guy for 100.00 it is heavy. Have an old Craftsman Scollsaw and same. But some of the new stuff seems cheap
Thanks Mike. I never really gave much consideration to (b)Lowe's tools. Cobalt never seemed to impress me. Honestly, I never even looked at them because I felt that (b)Lowes and Home Cheapo (we have cute little names for all the top-flight suppliers around here) sold junky home improvement products overall. The LAST think I'd consider from them would be a power tool.
But I feel that Snap-On makes a very good (hand) tool. They make power tools too? Next time I'm there I'll look more seriously at Cobalt.
On the advice of several members (thank you very much) I ended up ordering a Grizzly GO555. Matter of fact, it's being delivered today! Thanks again, all!
mrfixitri - My thinking is that Craftsman is a name tag, and Sears does indeed do sell some very good tools that are better than those of years gone by (ie: the 22124 hybrid saw is simply a nicer tool than the older Emerson made contractor saws I've used), but there are other tools with the same name tag that a junk, so it's best to evaluate each tool based on it's own merit as opposed to labeling all of them based on an outdated model or different tool that has nothing to do with the tool in question. Is the modern Mustang crap because the '74 Pinto was a lousy car? Not IMHO….they're unrelated engineering endeavors….different engineers, different market, different class, different objectives, and even different bean counters in charge of the two projects. It'd seem silly to judge one because of the other. Skil is owned by Bosch…are all Bosch tools junk because of some of the lower Skil tools?
In this case, the BS is made by Richen Enterprises who owns Rikon, and shares many parts with the Rikons. The most common complaint is the cheap bearings, but those are a $8 ten minute fix. Otherwise it's pretty well accepted as a decent functional tool in it's class. It's value really boils down to the price you get. $380 seems high to me, but their frequent sale prices should help bring that down. If you can't get a good price, I think I'd either be looking at the Ridgid, which I realize gets mixed reviews, would save more for the Grizzly, or would look for a good used BS, but I wouldn't rule it out because of someone's experience with a cheap Sears drill.
I have this saw and have few complaints. The fence sucks, and the tilt mechanism isn't very good, but the features for the money is good. I like that it is two speed also.
I bought a new Craftsman 12" bandsaw over 30 years ago. It still gives me great service, as long as I keep everything in adjustment. (as with any power tool)
I recently did a tuneup on it. Ordered about six items (bearings, etc) out of the original catalog. All items ordered arrived in less than a week. Just ask yourself this: If, years down the road you want to order a part for your saw, what are the odds they will still be in business?
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
LumberJocks Woodworking Forum
2.5M posts
96K members
Since 2006
A forum community dedicated to professional woodworkers and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about shop safety, wood, carpentry, lumber, finishing, tools, machinery, woodworking related topics, styles, scales, reviews, accessories, classifieds, and more!