I'm going to purchase something soon for at home. I don't like chopsaws because you have to chop through 3/16" and they are slow and they grab and they make for a lot of cleanup after the sloppy cut.

On the other hand I have never really used a bandsaw. I was checking sears.com and came across this:
http://beta.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_...yword=band+saw

Seemed like a decent price. I really don't know though. Seems like a pretty flexible piece of equipment. Once again, I really don't know because I have never used on. I am trying to get furthur into metal fabrication and starting to weld more, eventually get a decent tig and start doing SS and aluminum?

So I need some opinions here from you superfabbin'----------ers, PLEASE.

 

i use a watercooled hf bandsaw, it works pretty good.

i paid $699 for mine with a 2 year warrenty

 

bandsaw, chopsaw, sawzall, hacksaw, tinsnips, air 4" cutoff, torch, i use it al l

 

Where did you get it? what kind of work are you doing with it? Is it anything like the one at the link I posted?

 

Bansdsaw seems to make much cleaner cuts... Cant help think that the material is less apt to be contaminated nearly as much either....


Chop saw for the quickness tho fo sho

 

Quickness initially, but then you gotta spend a couple minutes cleaning up the cut because the chopsaw dragged half the material all over the place.

 

yes it is set up like that but much bigger and water cooled.

i use it to fab manifolds/dp/dt, exhaust, pretty much what ever i need to cut i use it. unless it is some shitty steel then the chop saw gets that.

 

http://www.grizzly.com/products/4-x-...-Bandsaw/G0622

The craftsman one looks remarkably the same

I use the aforementioned grizzly and it rocks.

 

i have been using a $150 Harbor freight bandsaw for 6-7 years now. i would probably jump off a bridge if it was gone one day. i would use it over a chop saw any day. you get way better cuts, less wasted material, quieter, no sparks, and not messy at all except some fine shavings right under the saw. you can also use it for cutting almost anything like pvc, rubber, sheet metal, wood, anything. i wouldnt be surprised if the blades last longer too.

 

chopsaws are good for cutting rusty as ---- and haggard fluxcore charge piping when you dont want to ruin your table.

i've had the same blade in the bandsaw using it daily for 8mos, cutting stainless/wood(hardwoods)/mildsteel/non-ferrous/acrylic and lexan(polycarbonate) and i can't tell new from used in cut quality.