Band saw - Good Deal?

Type in Ridgid model BS14002 reviews in the Google search engine. A lot of not very flattering things have been said.

-- Improvise.... Adapt...... Overcome!

i’d try to talk him down a lot. the bs1400 is widely considered the weak link in ridgid’s array of stationary power tools. the ridgid forum has many,many threads that discuss the saw’s issues with vibration and how to address it. FTR, that gray colored saw carries a lifetime guaranty against manufacturing defects regardless of ownership. you can assess your own value for it.

OTOH, michael fortune, a frequent contributor to FWW magazine, custom furniture builder and noted BS expert, has a 1400 as his go to saw, and he has several BSs that cost quite a bit more.

~ $150 – $175 would be the most i’d pay for it. they can be good saws, but they need their bases stiffened and wheels balanced. and think it’s only a 1/2 or 3/4 hp motor.

-- there's a solution to every problem.......you just have to be willing to find it.

Always try to talk them down a bit, asking and selling prices are usually two different things. I’ve never seen anyone raving about this bandsaw and that worries me. I’d google reviews on this bad boy and go to several sites to get an overview of what’s up with it. Too bad your not a little closer to Knoxville, Tn. a guy has a Delta open stand 14” listed on CL here for the same price. Be patient, after waiting and watching for about 9 months I found a brand new G0555X for 300.00 and a Powermatic mortiser for 200.00, both from the same listing. . I know, I can hardly believe it myself. The Lord is good and someone’s wife was bad. Hubby ran off and she was liquidating his assets before he got the chance. Happy hunting.

While Dallas,toolie, and mantwi were posting, I looked up the bs1440 on the Home Depot website…bad reviews here too…and a brand new one is $369…

http://www.homedepot.com/p/t/202269178?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&keyword=bandsaw&storeId=10051&N=5yc1v&R=202269178#BVRRWidgetID

-- Measure "at least" twice and cut once

Welp… ya’ll have already talked me out of it. I don’t want to buy another burden. Suppose its a better idea to fork up a little more and get something like these?

Delta: http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/tls/3720390745.html

Delta: http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/tls/3719074415.html

Jet: http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/mld/tls/3726791180.html

Thoughts on these?

If you want new…Well I do know Grizzly has their aniversary bandsaws on sale…and they are cool looking too..The G0555 family of saws gets good reviews. I have the the G0555P and have had no issues

http://www.grizzly.com/products/14-Deluxe-Bandsaw-Anniversary-Edition/G0555LANV

-- Measure "at least" twice and cut once

I have that saw and with a little work it is pretty good. You have to balance the wheels, put a twist link belt on, and reinforce the base. After that it’s pretty good. The Kreg fence is also a plus. What you might want to do is take a look at it and see if he’s already done the the tweaks to make it a good saw. That said I wouldn’t pay his asking price. $200 if he’s got it running smoothly.

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/tls/3720390745.html

that one looks god for ~ $300. the other two are, IMHO, overpriced. and i’ll second c-man70s comment. if you can get the ridgid for $150-200, and don’t mind a little effort, it can be turned into a sevriceable saw. but it’s never going to be a rikon 10-325, or even a grizzly 555 either.

i wouldn’t be put off by the asking price. i looked at a griz 1023rl recently that was asking $1300 (ridiculous!). he dropped to MV (~$750) immediately. good luck.

-- there's a solution to every problem.......you just have to be willing to find it.

Mark,
I have a Delta 14”, similar to the ones you’ve posted, but early 80’s model. I think I paid somewhere in the $200 range for it, it was listed at something like $250. I really like it and I don’t think you could go wrong with it, just don’t overpay. The cool blocks are nice to have, but aren’t really a bargaining point for the seller as they cost $15.99 new.
Good luck!

-- - The mightiest oak in the forest is just a little nut that held its ground.