# Craftsman 14'' Bandsaw ??



## jaykaypur (Oct 22, 2011)

I just became aware of this new bandsaw that Craftsman has just started selling…at least they say it is new. It is a Craftsman 14-INCH BAND SAW Model #Model# BAS350. They are listing it for $382.49 on sale. Here is the link to the page site-- http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00932607000P?prdNo=11&blockNo=11&blockType=G11

Does anyone have or ever had a Craftsman bandsaw or does anyone have this particular one. It seems like a great deal and I was just wondering what other people's thoughts and experiences are Craftsman bandsaws. Thanks…..J


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## Dal300 (Aug 4, 2011)

I'm leery of Craftsman tools anymore.

I have a mid -1980's 12" band saw and it needed a new driven pulley. Guess what? Sears doesn't support that saw anymore. I searched for a year and finally got a used one on eBay. 
I have a 3 year old Craftsman Power planer…... it ate a bearing in the shaft. Guess what? Sears doesn't support that hand planer any more.
I have multiple Craftsman wrenches, (with a lifetime guarantee I might add). I've taken some of the ratchets back because the plastic gear and directional lock breaks… guess what? They are built even cheaper now.

I feel safer buying Harbor Freight tools. Plus, Harbor Freight isn't closing 120 stores like Sears is.


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## RussellAP (Feb 21, 2012)

It looks nice, but I'd still go with the HF Central Machinery 14 inch 4 speed. I don't use all 4 speeds, but Its a great BS. It's cheaper too and CM makes BS for a lot of other manufacturers too, like PC.


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## jumbojack (Mar 20, 2011)

One thing is it has an eight inch cutting height. While I like the HF it is six inches.


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## nwbusa (Feb 21, 2012)

Yeah, 8" resaw is nice but will a 1hp motor be enough power is what I'd be asking.


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## knotscott (Feb 27, 2009)

Since this appears to be a new model to the Cman lineup, I'd proceed with caution…it's an unknown for now. There are some things I'd want to know…. Who makes it? What's different about it than the previous 22401, which had a good track record and good following (and was thought to be made by Richen Enterprises who owns Rikon)? Why'd they change?


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## Doss (Mar 14, 2012)

Since my Sears is closing, they are clearance selling that saw. I almost bought it, but spun the top wheel and it had a noticeable wobble in it. It also appears to be somewhat cheaply made in other areas (weight, construction, etc.). There are too many good saws for just a little more to warrant purchasing this one.

Now, if it was $250, that would be a different story. You could probably tune some of the issues out and save some money if that were the case.

The smaller bandsaws they have may still get purchased by me though. They will work well enough for their price (also on clearance).


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## BillWhite (Jul 23, 2007)

I'm not touching anything from Sears any more. My old and good C'man stuff is well built, and has run for years w/o issues (except parts support which I can scrounge). I just feel that they are building for a price point rather than long life.
I'd like a larger BS, but my old (1952) Magna/Shopsmith just wont die. Aside from limited resaw, it has handled everything I've thrown at it.
If I were buying today, it would probably be a Grizz 14". I just don't need a monster BS.
Bill


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

I don't buy craftsman tools other than wrenches .All the things I've bought from them in years gone by always broke and even when they were under warranty It took a act of congress to get the part or for them to repair the tool .I'd look for a better brand in a used band saw .


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

Craftsman machinery these days usually cuts corners in some
areas and not others. The iron castings are robust but the fences
tend not to be. The motors are alright and the tool stands
and bases tend to be robust and well-designed. There's often
a chintzyness to assemblies which incorporate aluminum extrusions,
castings and plastic parts. They tend to go with pot-metal 
castings in areas that other machines might use machined
parts.

That said, bandsaws are not super complicated. Without a
blade on it, the upper wheel on most bandsaws will wiggle
up and down unless the assembly is so heavy you don't
notice the play.


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## rasp (Mar 20, 2012)

I have a 14" Craftsman bandsaw. it is 1 1/2 hp peak. the tensioning system is weak. it can resaw wood but you have to slightly modify the top guide bearing to allow a board wider than 6".


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## toolie (Mar 16, 2011)

looks like a scaled down versin of the 22401. i had one for a while:










seemed to be a very well built unit, and is really a featured up version of the rikon 10-320. the advantage to buying the linked unit is that rikon could probably supply parts even if sears goes the way of all flesh (which it can't do soon enough to suit me). for $385, i'd take a chance. if you don't like it, return it. but if it has CI wheels, like the 22401, that's a nice little saw and probaby way better than the comparable harbor freight BS.


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## RibsBrisket4me (Jul 17, 2011)

The 22401 is a little known gem of a bandsaw!


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## crank49 (Apr 7, 2010)

I have the Rikon 10" that is the little brother of the 14" 10-320.
They are both sold in black paint as Craftsman saws.
If you search Sears' website you will see that they sell the Rikon also.

These steel frame saws, I think, are more rigid than the cast iron designs, but they cannot be modified with a riser block. You buy 8" capacity, you are stuck with 8" capacity.

I would agree that 1hp sounds a little weak for re-sawing, but a good quality wood slicer blade would probably help in that regard.

If I was looking for a 14" saw I'd have to consider both the HF and the Craftsman, but I'd want to carefully look the Craftsman over to be sure they didn't cheap it up. There has to be some reason it sells for $100s less than the Rikon it appears to be derived from.


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## toolie (Mar 16, 2011)

crank49…..i had the same thought, until i got the a couple of 22401s. it is really put together. CI table and wheels, light, fence, dual voltage motor, 2 speed operation, blade tracking window, enclosed base and more resaw capacity that the 10-320 and at a lower price. the unit the OP linked seems to be just like the 22401, but without a light, enclosed base and fence. maybe there are some craftsman "gems", just like there are some HF gems.


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## boingo (May 4, 2012)

I actually just bought this saw a couple of days ago and here are my observations so far:

1. There is no fence included or presently sold by sears for this saw
2. It's pretty heavy. The base, structure, doors and table are all ferrous
3. The wheels are *non-ferrous*
4. It seems pretty quiet for a large power tool
5. It seems to require a few seconds of spin up time (maybe this is completely normal)
6. The Start button needs a solid push before engaging (no accidental starts)

Kreg sells a band saw fence that their own documents say will work with the Craftsman BAS350, however work should be used with an ocean of salt.

I don't blame Kreg for this, however the only place you can mount their fence is on the *back* of the table. I went ahead and mounted the fence there, but I also (again per their instructions) had to drill my own hole in the fence guide.

So, yes it does work, but I don't really feel that operating the tool in this manner is very safe. I did some thin cuts just to try in out (I've never owned a Band Saw before) and I'm happy with them as a beginner, but again I think Kreg should have better proofed their docs. As far as Craftsman putting the holes where they are? There are holes in the front of the table, however they are on the underside of the table it self. I'm guessing this is location of Craftsman yet-to-be-seen fence for this saw…


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## Pono (Mar 10, 2012)

Save your money and buy a powermatic or jet or rikon etc. or look at craigslist and get a better model used…


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## Martyroc (Feb 1, 2012)

Hi Jay, I own several Craftsman tools, including my TS, that's going on 22 years, with almost no runout. I am in your original situation, I want a bandsaw as it would really help, I have many boards I would like to resaw and get double, triple or more use out of them. I was looking at the HF one and a fellow LJ member reviewed it with high marks. Not sure which way I am going to go yet, but I guess I need the funds first anyway.


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## dhazelton (Feb 11, 2012)

I'd look on CL or eBay for an older, proven Delta 14 inch. Add a riser block if you want and tons of parts and mods out there for it. Been around since the 1930s, so you can get one cheap.


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## Fishinbo (Jun 11, 2012)

I had used this band saw. All I can say is that it had more than enough to fill my needs. I just don't like its fence system. I was having a difficulty putting it back on.


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## lumberjoe (Mar 30, 2012)

I love when people say "get a Rikon, this is crap!" I see that whenever this saw or the Craftsman 10" saw is mentioned. Both of these saws ARE Riknon saws. The 14" is the old 10-320, which I don't believe is made anymore under the Rikon namesake. 
If you need a fence, the one for the Rikon 10-320 is a direct fit. I am heavily considering this saw right now because of it's really affordable price. I still need to do some research about riser blocks though. Right now my front runner is the Rikon 10-325 (deluxe). If I can get a riser kit for the craftsman, I will save myself the 500$ in a heartbeat.


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## Surfside (Jun 13, 2012)

Read other people's opinions, thoughts, advantages and disadvantages in using a Craftsman band saw at bandsawreviews.com. Weigh things and come up with the best you can.


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## Doss (Mar 14, 2012)

*Joe*, I don't think you can put a riser kit on that style of bandsaw. The spine is 1 piece.

I played with the 14" Craftsman in the store and it felt cheap. Some say it's the exact same as the old Rikon you mentioned, but I have trouble believing Rikon was delivering saws needing this much tuning from the factory. The upper wheel was wobbling so bad it contacted the housing. A scrubbing sound was coming from the base. Everything seemed kind of loose.

I'm not saying it couldn't be tuned out and brought up to spec. It just seemed pretty bad for an "as-delivered" product.

*Surfside*, I hope you get banned.


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## lumberjoe (Mar 30, 2012)

*Doss*, I used to work in retail, never judge a saw (or anything really) by the display, and *never* buy a display unless you get it for >60% off. A lot of times the ones that got REALLY damaged in shipping get put out. Also no care is taken what so ever in setting them up, and a lot of times customers take it upon themselves to perform extreme stress tests.

Some stores actually care and take the time to set things up correctly, most big box ones do not.


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## Doss (Mar 14, 2012)

*Joe*, I'm fully aware of that. That's the reason I put that I wouldn't rule out it being able to be tuned. I know a lot of people like that saw.

For the money though, I'd probably put the Harbor Freight saw in front of the Craftsman simply because of the riser block. If I needed to do all my work on the height provided by the Craftsman though, I think it's probably a better saw overall.

I'm waiting for a deal on one of the 12" Craftsmans though. Sometimes they pop up for around $75 and it'd compliment my Shop Fox.


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## Tennessee (Jul 8, 2011)

This may be a good deal, but my past experience with multiple Craftsman products showed me they have a definite tendency to cut corners, cheapen up metals, but make the product look just like the one they are copying from. I'd like to see someone put a real Rikon of this size against this Craftsman and see if they find any differences. My bet is they would see many minor differences, like thinner metal, cheaper metal, etc.
By the way, Googling any amperage to HP motor chart will show that 3/4 HP motors pull 9 amps at 110, and 1 HP motors pull 11 amps. Either Craftsman has figured out how to wind the magic motor, or this is really a 3/4HP motor with a 1HP sticker. My old Reliant DD90 that I have for sale is 1HP, and it draws a nice 11 amps when running.
On the plus side, there are many bandsaw blade sites that will custom cut and weld good blades, you don't have to buy the Craftsnam. And the 8" is nice. 
The lack of a fence is an obvious cost saving measure.


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## lumberjoe (Mar 30, 2012)

The no riser block makes it a deal breaker for me at this point. I need at least a foot of resaw height. For some reason, I just don't like the HF one. I'm not a HF hater by any means, I just don't like that bandsaw.

Woodcraft has a sale this weekend, I think it's time to pull the trigger on the 10-325 and just be done with it


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## Doss (Mar 14, 2012)

*Joe*, keep a lookout on the 10-325 (I know you already are). It periodically drops down to $700 (but, with the way prices have been going lately, I don't see that happening any time soon).

Highland Woodworking has it on sale for $799 right now.


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## lumberjoe (Mar 30, 2012)

Ughh! I wish I didn't read that. Now to sneak this past the boss. How does the saying go, It's easier to as for forgiveness than to ask for permission? At 799, it may be worth sleeping in the shop for a week - because I would be


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## StumpyNubs (Sep 25, 2010)

*I own this saw and like it very much. I also own a Harbor Freight 14" saw.* I like the craftsman better. Why?

*1. The Craftsman saw has bearing guides.*

*2. It has a much better made tensioning system*. That part takes all the strain on the saw, and the Harbor Freight one broke after a few years. It was made of case pot metal, while the Craftsman is iron.

*3. That 8" resaw height* is a bigger bonus than you think. Few people ever resaw 12" boards. But lots of people need a bit more than the standard 6" that most 14" saws give you. Usually you have to pay nearly double for more than 6"... this saw has it.

*5. Riser blocks stink*. They weaken the saw and if you put one on a Harbor Freight bandsaw you are wasting your money because that saw is not built to tension a resaw blade (upper mount is cheaply made as stated above).

*6. The 1HP motor *is a lot better for resawing than the 3/4HP on the Harbor Freight and similar saws. No, it won't be strong enough to resaw really, really thick hardwood. But it works fine with 8" stock.

*Bottom line:* If you want to resaw really wide stock, and have $800+ laying around, buy a bigger saw. But if you will occasionally resaw medium stock and want a very nice saw for a great price… pull the trigger on this one.


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## Doss (Mar 14, 2012)

Great points *Stumpy*. After all, it really comes down to what you personally need rather than what others think you will or say they do.

*Joe*, play dumb. I do it all the time.

Why did 3 mini-Lignos arrive at the house today? Hmm… don't know Honey. I'll have to investigate.

Why do you need another circular saw (when the magnesium Skil SHD77M arrived)? Umm… did I order that? I must have had a reason. Maybe my old one is broke. I'll check it out this week.


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## Tennessee (Jul 8, 2011)

Lumberjoe, absolutely better to ask forgiveness than permission. The guy who just bought my Harley, he sold his Dyna Glide Harley and got that money to me before his wife could object. So he had to come up with the rest. He bought his wife a ultra-plush seat to compensate. More than one way to ask for forgiveness!


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## MrUnix (May 18, 2012)

Like most all Craftsman tools, they are made by other companies and given the Craftsman branding.. Some are made by well established companies (like my Craftsman compressor made by DeVilbiss), and others are cheap imports targeted towards the hobbyist market and it's low price point. This saw is a Chinese import manufactured by Qingdao Capital Resource Electric Co., Ltd. and sold under a couple of different brand names. I would be concerned about future support and parts availability given it's origin, as well as the use of an odd sized (99-3/4 inch) blade.

Cheers,
Brad


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## Tennessee (Jul 8, 2011)

Having lived in Shanghai, I remember the area of Qingdao. It's pronounced Shing-dao, with a trailing off of the o.
Apparently, they make a lot of stuff for a lot of people!! Here's the official blurb the company puts out:

Qingdao Capital Resource Electric Co., Ltd., was established in 1991 and became dedicated to designing and manufacturing high-quality power tools and woodworking machinery. Due to the outstanding quality of our products, we have achieved an excellent reputation in the global market and developed a steady market in North America, Europe, Australia, and East Asia. Currently QCR employs 350 staff members, including 230 workers, 90 engineers and technicians, 30 salesmen and others. The factory is 24, 000 square meters, contains 13 product lines and produces over 160, 000 pieces annually. Among of which, 35, 000pieces bandsaw, 15, 000pieces planer&thicknesser, 20, 000pieces table saw, 50, 000pieces drill press, 10, 000pieces wood lathe and 30, 000pieces dust collector.


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## Tedstor (Mar 12, 2011)

I fondled this saw in my local sears and found it on par with every other sub-$400 BS I've ever seen. Comparing it to a $750 Rikon is a bit silly. But in comparison with other saws in its class, I think its worthy of consideration. Stumpy, an actual owner, seems to like it. 
However, that off-the-wall blade size is a bit of a turn-off for me. I wouldn't sweat product support though. Most consumable items (ie bearings/switches) are usually of universal size and are not specific to this particular machine. Finding a suitable replacement shouldn't be an issue.

I bought my Ridgid for $199 on clearance. It was riddled with minor issues out of the box. Like many other owners of the Ridgid, I managed to tweak it into an acceptable machine. I would have loved to have bought a higher-end machine, but a powermatic will never find its way into my low-rent shop.


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## toolie (Mar 16, 2011)

tedstor…..consider yourself fortunate where powermatic is concerned. they are long on promise, short on delivery and expensive, making them really poor values when purchased new. the older those saws are, the better they are. the new produxts from powermatic are shadows of their former selves trading primarily on the past reputations of their older products, IMHO. i owned an 18" band saw from their cousin brand jet. it was my first wmh tool group product and it will be my last wmh tool group product. fortunately, i only paid $40 (no typo) for it on CL and sold it for $750 , replacing it with a rikon 10-340 that i got for $700.


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## Klezmerman (Aug 30, 2012)

I just noticed that the HF bandsaw has disappeared from the HF website. It appears in their latest flyer so I suspect that it may be discontinued soon.


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## Surfside (Jun 13, 2012)

I noticed it too!


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