# 14" Band Saw Riser Kit for Harbor Freight Band Saw



## a1Jim

good to hear it worked so well


----------



## Bureaucrat

Good to hear the riser block worked out. Sounds like you are generally happy with your HF Band Saw. I'm considering buying a band saw to replace my 9 inch Craftsman. Would you recommend the HF for the $$.


----------



## TwangyOne

I was wondering the same. I saw it the other day and couldn't make up my mind of what kind of quality it looked capable of.


----------



## Abbott

Harbor Freight 14" Band Saw $339.00

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=32208

Rigid 14" Band Saw Home Depot $369.00

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&productId=100041658&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&cisrc=14110944&cisku=100041658&cmmmc=shopping--google--D25X--100041658


----------



## FJPetruso

Yes I would recommend the HF saw. It works very well for me & since I was planning on purchasing the Kreg band saw fence, I wasn't worried about it not having a fence with it. It actually looks like a stripped down Jet or Grizzly when you compare them closely. It comes with guide blocks that look like the "Cool Blocks" that the local woodworking store sells. But I opted for a couple of sets of the optional roller bearing guides that they sell for $10 to $15 a set at HF. I purchased mine some years ago & paid about $159.00 . The HF band saw goes on sale frequently these days for about $275.00 + or -. (The HF retail store has it for $299.99 right now.) The only thing I may change someday is the location of the on / off switch. I would move it up to the column by the riser block like the other band saws. The interesting thing is…. the sheet metal support for the switch is already attached to the column & is punched for the holes to mount the switch box & switch. By the way, I also highly recommend the Kreg Band Saw Fence.


----------



## Pete_Jud

I have been thinking about buying a riser for my delta, and didn't know if the HF would fit, but I can't locate the riser on the HF site. I wonder if it's been discontinued.


----------



## roadrunner0925

i asked the people at hf if i bought this saw, would i be able to install a riser block and was it available. they said no, i didnt buy the saw. how do i get the risewr blk kit? and how much was the kit, if i may ask?


----------



## Broda

looks good,

about how much?


----------



## Milo

Ya know, I've got an knock off bandsaw myself. Wonder if that riser kit would work on mine. Anyone know if you can buy a generic riser kit somewhere?

THANKS!

Milo


----------



## Phishead

Sweet. I'm waiting for the day I hit a musket ball. It's my dream! How much was the riser kit from HF and will it fit a Ridgid? Anyone know the answer?


----------



## FJPetruso

I purchased the riser kit when I bought the saw from their web site several years back for $50. You're right, I don't see the riser kit on the web site any more either. the HF band saw looks like the Rigid, Grizzly & Jet were all made from the same dies. If I saw one of the other riser kits I should be able to tell if it would fit. You might try calling Harbor Freight's customer service # or send the queation by e-mail. I googled the riser kit & came up with these hits. You might want to check them out. It may be of help to call Grizzly tools to ask them if their riser would fit the HF saw.

http://reviews.ebay.com/Jet-Ridgid-Band-Saw-Riser-Kit_W0QQugidZ10000000003436272

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=49495


----------



## Abbott

*the HF band saw looks like the Rigid, Grizzly & Jet were all made from the same dies.*

Yep.


----------



## FJPetruso

Here's some more interesting info on the riser kit for the Harbor Freight 14" Band Saw. The following is a link to the product manual for the saw. It includes the parts for the riser kit.

http://www.harborfreight.com/manuals/99000-99999/99635.pdf

Next is a link to the Grizzly web site which has a riser kit for their saw that looks the same as the Harbor Freight model. You could call their customer service & ask if it will fit the HF model. The price for this riser is $70.

http://www.grizzly.com/products/Riser-Block-For-G0580/H7316


----------



## roadrunner0925

when i clicked on the hf link it went to a drum sander. wm


----------



## FJPetruso

Oops! This should be the correct link…

http://www.harborfreight.com/manuals/32000-32999/32208.PDF


----------



## dbhost

I have that band saw, with the riser block. Love the riser block kit, HATED the blade with a passion. That thing couldn't cut through hot butter…

Replaced the blade with a selection from Suffolk Machinery from their Timberwolf line of Silicone steel blades and WOW what a difference!

As far as the price of the HF Band Saw. I see them FREQUENTLY go on sale for around $279.00, and with the almost always present HF 20% off coupon, they become a real baragain of a saw!


----------



## 36il

I have the bandsaw, riser block , and the fence from Harbor Freight . The fence is not the best but for the money it did the job for right now in was around $30. I'm going to replase it later. The saw and block work good . the blade that come with it no good for resawing. I got a 105" by 3/4 3t blade and that work very good.you can get the block online and the fence. For you people that would like to get a riser block for other saw make sure the guide rod is the same tyte. 9-25-09


----------



## skspurling

So, is this bandsaw worth the money? Should I consider waiting and go with the Grizzly? I was on the woodnet forum's and they all poo pooed the Harbor Freight BS. I like the Grizzly, but the thought of spending twice the money is daunting. I have the 25% coupon, and they will be selling them for $299 on New Years day. That would be $224 for the saw.


----------



## FJPetruso

After using it for several years now, I still thiink I made the right decision. The HF has a couple of plusses… Multi Speed & a good price. The Griz has hinged doors & if you change blades a lot that might be good. The biggest draw-back now for the HF saw is that I'm not sure that the riser kit is still available for it. Any new saw needs to be set up properly & tuned before use. One of the reasons that I purchased this saw was because most of the band saws on the market have fences but the fences are only a comprimise of what you really need. So buying this band saw at such a reasonable price without the fence left me plenty of money to purchase the Kreg band saw fence & a nice scroll saw size blade & a resaw blade & a riser kit & a couple of resaw guides & a set of roller guides & a higher crank style tensioner. I carefully examined several of the other saws & found that the basic castings / construction is the same. The finish isn't as fine & the graphics aren't as nice but I didn't buy it to look at. To me, the only thing that is lacking is the location of the power switch. And you can even see where the provisions are made to locate the power switch on the riser column if the band saw had the shop fox or jet name on it. I used it to band saw the curved portions on the following projects & numerous other jobs…
http://lumberjocks.com/projects/6500 http://lumberjocks.com/projects/22974 http://lumberjocks.com/projects/15805 and for re-sawing the wood to the sizes that I needed on this project… http://lumberjocks.com/projects/14296

Is the extra $100 or so for the Griz worth 1 speed, hinged doors, raised tensioner, a riser kit & a fence (that you may not find useful over time)? Probably, because some of that stuff is useful, especially the riser kit that seems to no longer be available from HF. But if I was asked to pay $500 to $1000 for a saw based on the same 14" frame?! Nope


----------



## b2rtch

the kit is available , the part number is : 24536, the price is 65.03 + shipping.
Call: 1 800 444 33 53 to order


----------



## skspurling

Okay, so I bought the saw and set it up. I've used it lightly for a little while now, and it is great. It has a bit of vibration, and the stock blade was poor. Not every thing is convenient, but it works, and the basics are strong.

I replaced the guides with cool blocks and wired up a push button switch on the column. I also got a cheap Vermont American blade at Lowes, and it cuts like a champ. Straight and as clean a cut as I have ever seen from a cheap bandsaw blade. I resawed some walnut 1/16th thick, and it was consistent and with a little sanding would have been very presentable. 
One other thing. I got the tension crank from Amazon, and now I don't care if it's quick release or not.


----------



## FJPetruso

The best part is that you should have saved quite a few bucks over the name brand saw that's built on the same frame. It takes some time & more effort to set up the saw but you can pick & choose the blade, tensioner, etc. that you really want. The vibration may be caused by not releasing the tension on the blade / tires when it sets for a while. The tires get distorted a bit. Mine will vibrate for a bit until the tires smooth out if I don't remember to release the tension.


----------

