My understanding is that the Masterforce tools at menards are just rebranded from other companies (same production line, different finish/colors). That particular band saw is also a rikon and a few other companies. I have the craftsman version you linked to and so far it's been a good saw. I've compared their drills and drivers to my Makitas before and they seem to look very similar. I've also heard some are Bosch clones etc. I think they are fine though its been hard to find reviews of them online. If you end up getting it please do post a review.
10 In Contractor Table Saw
6 inch Jointer
13 inch Planer
Variable Speed Drill press
4×36 inch sander with 8 inch disk
3×21 belt sander
12 volt lith ion drill and drivers
Several types of bar and ratcheting clamp.
1 1/2 hp router and plunge kit
I have not had any issues with any of them except I had to modify the Trunions on the table saw in order to align to blade to the table.
I have run 500 board feet of oak and maple through the planer and it has yet to need a blade change
In my research before buying these items I found that they are pretty close if not the same as Ridgid and Craftsman. Hence I do not have and will not buy the 14in Bandsaw. As Matt said the 10 In saw you listed is a Rikon. I would not hesitate to buy it.
Just my thoughts without doing any research, I would expect the craftsman to have better quality bearings and probably a little more precise alignment. The Craftsman is the same as the Rikon the others have mentioned. I don't think the Masterforce is, since I see it doesn't have the alignment adjusting knobs that you see on the Craftsman.
That said, I would not expect either of these saws to be much in the way of resawing or other heavier duty applications. The Masterforce claims 4-1/8 resaw capacity and the Craftsman shows 4-5/8 max. cut depth, but the motors are not sufficient to handle such cuts and I doubt the alignment could be made precise enough.
I would tend to go with the Craftsman for basic hobbyist applications. But then, I don't mind building a basic wooden stand to attach it to. If you really want the metal stand that comes with the Masterforce, I don't think it would perform much less than the Craftsman. Woodjunkie seems to have had pretty good luck with their tools, so I wouldn't put them completely out of the quesiton.
Again, I haven't researched either of the saws. This is just my off-the-cuff opinion.
I was just looking at the masterforce stuff the other day. The big table saw is identical to the craftsman 21833/ridgid 4512. What caught my attention was the 14 inch bandsaw. looks pretty nice and looks like it could take a riser. I was also looking at the 6 inch granite jointer that looks like it probably comes from steel city. also they had a nice looking 13 inch planer. overall though, they dont seem like great deals, costing just as much as major brand stuff
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!