# Some issues/ Gloat



## JoeinGa

I'd say you did fine. Does it mean you rate a "You Suck"? We wont know till you make sure it performs as it should! 
Good deal at any rate


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## Tedstor

I've looked at that BS a few times and wish I owned one. I personally think its the best 14" BS in that class. It can commonly be had for $350 or less brand new (on sale with coupons). Getting it for $245 is almost the same as stealing. Nicely done.


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## ward63

Looks like you got a deal. Great review!
Thanks for sharing.


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## dustyal

I did a review of this saw and agree with you. I didn't have a problem with the belt coming off tensioner.

I assume you replaced the OEM blade with one that actually cuts?


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## Tennessee

Allright, you knew one of those "Craftsman Naysayers" would show up…well, here I am!

The main reasons I do not buy Craftsman is exactly why you got a bandsaw for $229. It did not work out of the box, not even close. The owner was not as engineering talented as you are, and could not remove a lower wheel, make the necessary adjustments to bring things into coplanar, and make it work. Isn't that Craftsman's job?

I had the same problem over the years with:
Router (switches and lamp)
Variable speed corded drill (three of these, all switches)
Belt sander (Front wheel was not keyed and when I ran it, the hotmelt glue melted and the front idler wheel came off)
Chainsaw (Bar studs were mounted in aluminum, not magnesium, and they slowly came out, causing it to constantly cut in a circle)
Lawn Tractor (16 repairs in the first year of warranty, Sears wanted $369 for a second year of warranty - I said to my wife I could buy a motor for that. Guess what? Within 6 weeks of the second year, the engine blew up)
Wire cutters (cut some tough braided wire and the cutting edge dented, went back for warranty and they said they do not cover sharpened edges!)
That is all I can think of right now, but there were a couple more back 10-12 years ago. My Mother-In-Law worked for Sears for 22 years, and is loyal, we clash on that….
As as far as the lifetime guarantee? I get the same thing at virtually every tool store, including Walmart, who easily replaced a 1/2" ratchet wrench I broke with a big pipe a couple years back. Went to customer service, the lady asked me if I knew where they were, I said yes, and got a new one.

One last thing…The sheer fact that Sears keeps return forms under the desk, ready at any time.

Add to this that you say that you "have not met a tool yet that didn't need some tuning". Well, let me introduce me to my shop, where 95% of all the tools I buy are out of the box and running first time, every time. Be it Grizzly, Bosch, Porter Cable, Dewalt, sometimes even Harbor Freight, I don't seem to have any problem unboxing my tools and using them. Maybe I am not as detailed oriented is you are, but I do just fine without Craftsman.
Sorry, now I feel better…


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## RibsBrisket4me

CPD, glad you like your saw. Sounds like the price was right and it should give you many years of enjoyment. My Ridgid BS needed MUCH more tweaking to be servicable than your C-man did.

Thanks for the review--let's see some pic of the actual saw in your shop!


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## Tedstor

TN, 
If you know of a retailer that sells a consistently perfect bandsaw- for less than $400…..let us know. It sounds like you have a knack for scoring perfect tools at affordable prices. As far as I know, all BS brands in this class have their warts. My Ridgid certainly did. And I wish it only took me 20 minutes to tweak it into decent order. But I'm not ready to swear off Ridgid over it. 
Also,
Why wouldn't Sears keep return slips under the sales desk? Would it be smarter for them to run into the back room for a slip every time someone returned an item? I'd think a store that sells tools by the ton would keep lots of retun slips under the desk. There are many reasons to return a tool. Unwanted b-day presnt, wrong size/type, found cheaper elsewhere, and of course broken/defective. 
Don't get me wrong here. I can understand your beef with Craftsman tools, given your history with them. I have some history with them too. But EVERY brand has some turds in their catalog. And every brand has some gems. We've reached an era where no single brand can deliver all things to all people. Each tool really should be judged independently. Just blindly buying a tool based on brand alone is tough to do these days. Not without spending top dollar anyway.


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## NormG

I have the 12" and have been very happy with it. As you did I caught it on sale at Sears adn just could not justify the difference in price with it being on sale to purchase the 14". You will love this saw, congrats


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## kajunkraft

I cut my teeth on Craftsman tools and still use some that are over 40 yrs. old. Never hesitated to buy Craftsman if it was a tool that I needed/wanted. Not only have they been of fine quality, but if a problem arose I knew that there would be absolutely no problem with replacement. Until lately. Now I am concerned that Craftsman (Sears) won't be around in a year or two. Repair parts will probably be available thru some source, but there will be no Sears to cover any expense. Given their overall financial condition you also have to wonder about the quality going into the build of any tool as well.


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## cpd011

I didn't want this to turn into a craftsman sucks thread. I know it's not a $750.00 saw. Every tool brand has some product that falls short. It also seems increasingly that a lot of brands use the same initial manufacturer and then put on a different coat of paint and different knobs. I like to touch and play with tools before I purchase them. I was able to do that with this saw. For $350 or $400 I thought it was a great saw. For $250.00 I ran to get it. It's a big chunk of steel with 2 wheels for goodness sake. I'm just a hobbyist with very little free cash.


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## RibsBrisket4me

CPD, enjoy your saw. You got a super deal on it.


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## knotscott

*"I know there are a lot of craftsman naysayers. I truly believe whether you're buying yellow, blue, red, HF or even craftsman, you have to look at the tool and kick the tires. "*

Amen to that…..thanks for the review. There are clunkers of every color….not that Sears doesn't more than their fair share, but they also have several good tools left on the roster. I never completely rule out any brands for any reasons if there's a chance that a decent tool may eventually emerge from the rubble at a decent price. I take it one tool at a time. It looks to me like you got a very decent saw (is that a Rikon clone?) at less than 50¢ on the dollar. Congrats.


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## StumpyNubs

Mustache Mike has this saw in his shop. It's a nice one, and the best part is the 8" depth of cut, which is the best in its class.


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## lumberjoe

Threw mine on an HTC HD mobile base last week. I also added the Rikon 10-320 fence and rails. It's an awesome saw.


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## cpd011

How do you like that fence?


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## Tennessee

Tedstor:
You are right, I've had lousy luck with Craftsman. And when I say return forms, when the belt sander went back after 12 minutes of use, the guy behind the counter had a STACK of those forms, like two hundred. I even asked him about it and he said he used a lot, so he kept a lot.

To be honest, the consistency you talk about on bandsaws could be a number of things. Do I accept the fact that I will have to level the table, adjust the cool blocks or bearings, check the upper wheel for adjustment? Absolutely…
Do I have to expect to take off a major part, like a normally non-removable lower wheel, adjust the bushing stack, retorque it and put it all back together to achieve coplanar? Not exactly…

Oh, by the way, I had an early Craftsman bandsaw, don't remember the model, a 10" unit. this was back in the 80's. What broke? The only piece you could not replace, the cast swivel support that held the upper wheel to the adjustment knob. It cracked in half and when I went to Sears they said that part was never put on the parts list, so I had to eat it since I had owned it for over a year and I didn't buy any extended warranty. I could not even sell it for parts, it went to the boneyard. Oh, I kept the motor…
I'm sorry, but I have been burned just a few too many times…


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## Surfside

Great review! However I am curious on how it cuts, you should post back.


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## lumberjoe

I love the fence. This is a fantastic saw. The more I use it the more I like it.

For all the Craftsman haters out there, the only thing craftsman about this saw is the sticker on the front. it's a Rikon 10-320


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## cpd011

Thanks for all the replies. I stopped at woodcraft and grabbed the rikon fence for it and an olson all-pro blade. I've olny run a few test cuts through it and it cuts very nicely and is very quiet. I've never tried to resaw anything before so when I figure out how to do that I will let you know how it performs. I'm sorry that so many people have had bad luck with the craftsman brand. I think it's probably a quality control nightmare when you slap your name on products made by dozens if not hundreds of different manufacturers. It's a shame that the brand is so generally lousy. Hopefully This saw will serve me well as it seems to be well built (if poorly adjusted).


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## cdhilburn

Isn't this very similar to the Rikon saw? People seem to love the Rikon saws.


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## 03roadking

I have had this band saw now for about 3 months. Mine has performed flawlessly out of the box. I did not have the belt issue you spoke of.


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## eruby

I recently bought one of these saws and am still learning how to use it. (Had to return the first one because the motor housing was damaged and the saw would not spin).

The manual that came with the saw was not very good (picture quality was especially poor). However the Rikon page has the main manual and another one describing how to adjust the lower wheel. (in the useful information box on the right).


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## RPhillips

Thanks for the review. I'm thinking about getting this saw.

I have had my concerns with Craftsman due to past purchases, but knowing that it's pretty much hit or miss, so I try to do my homework before purchasing. So thanks again for the review.


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## cpd011

Having used the saw for a little while now let me say that I don't regret my purchase for a second. I too used the Rikon manual and installed a Rikon fence. I resawed some 2×4's to make some rail and stile windows for an outdoor playhouse. The olson blade worked flawlessly and the saw breezed right through them. I set the saw up after watching a carter you tube video, can't think of the name but a lot of people have referenced it here. I absolutely agree with the guy in the video that the deepest part of your blade gullets should be in the middle of your tire, make a world of difference and I don't experience any drift at all. The dust collection is pretty good although I did add a dust-right 4" -2-1/2" y adapter so that I could connect the under table dust collection to the cabinet dust connection and only have my 4" hose going to the saw. One thing I did do was to replace the nut that allows for adjustment of the upper bearing assembly (front to back) with a star knob. It allows me to adjust the assembly very quickly without searching for a wrench. I love the window on the side of the cabinet that allows you to adjust the tracking a little more easily. All in all I think it's a great, solid saw.


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## BigJerryWayne

Great review. I bought one about 3 weeks ago. I had looked at all the reviews, and saw many more good reviews than bad. I also bought a couple of professional blades also. I have had problems with the 1/8" blade. The thrust bearing lacks a bit getting the bottom of the teeth away from the guide bearings on the top block. This is my first band saw, and am happy with it so far.


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## atmil

Hey guys, I had one of these bandsaws for a year or so. Unfortunately I ended up having an unfixable factory-defective machine, but I have a massive pile of parts for it. If anyone is in need of anything, I'd be happy to ship out whatever it is that you need for cheaper than anywhere else!

PS: I also happen to have one brand new set of rubber tires, and two new sets of urethane tires: one set orange from eBay, and one set of blue Carter tires. Just let me know!


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