Bandsaws.. Ryobi 9" or HF 9"

[sscherin]

OK Anyone know much about the HF 9" Bandsaw?
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=96980

I gave it the quick look over a the store.. Doors are plastic but the frame is all steel.
It's $139 but with the 20% coupon it gets down the the Ryobi 9" $110 price range..

The Ryobi is a nice deal including the fence and all but I don't know how well the fame is built.

I'm looking for a small bandsaw to work on my RC Airplanes.. Cutting balsa, Birch ply, lite ply, EPS (foam).. Ya know the tough stuff.. hehe

There is a 3rd option if I choose to NOT get the new Flat screen TV this year (and wait till next year) I might maybe be able to talk my wife into the HF 14" bandsawsaw.. It's on sale at my store for $299 till the 24th then use the 20% coupon.. $239+ tax

[docrowan]

The HF looks (to me) like a generic version of the Craftsman, which has received some poor reviews. I don't own either one, so I can't say more than that.

[herb fellows]

I had the Sears 9 inch. At that price point, don't expect much in the way of straight accuracy:-(. I don't think any of them will give you that, but if you're just going to use it for curves and the like, where you are controlling the piece manually, probably any one will do fine. I could never get a straight cut from mine, even when I had it singing high 'c'!

[Black wallnut]

Is there a HF in the Tri-Cities? Of the people I know that have the 9" Ryobi they have been happy. If you can swing the cash and have the room you'll be much happier long term with a 14"

[buckeye95]

I have heard several folks on the forum wishing they had spent the extra money on a larger / better bandsaw. Being a "Buy used, save the difference" kind of guy, I have found that you can usually get some good used tool deals if you look around (and know what you are looking for)

Not sure what your local situation is, but here in Central Ohio we have a pretty big Craigslist following. By keeping your eyes open, you can normally find pretty good tool deals at a fraction of the cost. I got one of the highly rated Sears 10" 21400 bandsaws (made by Rikon) for $60. Add in a couple of new blades and you are still less then the 9" bandsaws new.

I know this does not answer your question directly, but thought I would add my experience. I try not to limit my tool options to the price tags I see at Sears, Home Depot, and Lowes.

Pete

[Bill in Buena Park]

SSCHERIN,

I own a BS903, and its a great little saw for small to medium projects. No fence, but has decent guide and thrust bearings, vac port works well, appreciate the work light, all good stuff. Can be a little noisy during a cut - but I've used it on 6/4 oak with no problems. I wanted a BS1001SV, but couldn't find one - if you can get a good one used, that's the better one - bigger table, better vac system, good fence.

When the Delta 14in bandsaws started to go on sale at Lowes, I picked one up - another good saw, watch for them now as they are being clearanced (store by store, YMMV).

[cwsmith]

I've had a Ryobi BS902 for several years (bought in early 2004 when it first came out) and I love it. Mine has a very simple fence, but I think you'd be better off with something just clamped to the table. The BS903 has better blade guides (bearings instead of blocks).

The Craftsman 9-inch is solid, with it's steel frame and cast iron table, but cost a bit more than the Ryobi. For me, and my limited work space, the lighter weight Ryobi serves well. It does have a good cast iron base, so the weight is there to keep it from moving around on you. Yet, it's easy enough to move, if you want more operating space.

As far as cutting a straight line with a fence; that's pretty elusive I think even with a larger band saw. A good bandsaw fence is adjustable for "blade drift" and often the recommendation for resawing or long cuts is a simple "vertical edge" placed at the proper position next to the blade.

I'm certainly NO expert on bandsaws, but do know that it's not exactly the choice tool for ripping. Still, my little Ryobi cuts quickly, no vibration (you can leave the piece in the middle of a cut, with the motor running and it doesn't move), and a really thin curf. Blades are readily available, though the local quality isn't the best.

Overall, I use this little saw for much more than I ever imagined and I've had no problems with it. Yes, the recommendation is most often to "save your money" and "get a bigger bandsaw"... but for $99 how can you go wrong, even if it's as a backup to something bigger you might buy later.

I hope this helps,

CWS

[sscherin]

Is there a HF in the Tri-Cities? Of the people I know that have the 9" Ryobi they have been happy. If you can swing the cash and have the room you'll be much happier long term with a 14"

Yeah it's in Richland down the street from Fred Meyer's.

I looked at both the HF 9" and the sears 9" today..
It's the exact same saw with different stickers.

I've been watching CL every day.. The only Band saw I've seen is a Jet 14" 100 miles away for $650.. It must have the gold tension knob option w jeweled blade guides.

If I can swing the 14" I will.. I know the 9" saws are an upgrade waiting to happen.

I think the Ryobi is higher on my list than the sears/HF saw.

[Knottscott]

I think you'd be better off if you could muster up a little more cash and pick up something like the Craftsman or Rikon 10". The step up to a cast iron table adds a lot of stability. The Cashback from Bing.com for Sears had been 20% for the past few days, which would have made it $160...unfortunately it dropped back to 8% last night, but could certainly go back up. You might find a used one too...Cman has sold a lot of these.

[vanguard]

I have the Craftsman 9" and am happy with it. I think I got it on sale for about $100 a year and half ago. I noticed the HF and checked it out and I recall thinking the table on the craftsman was a bit better. Not a whole though and it's just the impression I had at the store - not both saws side by side. With a 20% off coupon, you'll probably be happy with the HF.

[docrowan]

I picked up a used 9" Ryobi bandsaw off of Craig's List last night for $60.00. It's in very good shape and not much used, but it was missing the manual and the miter gauge, neither of which I'll miss.

I wanted to see how much they're running at Home Depot now and could not find them on their website. Does anyone know if Home Depot is going to discontinue carrying the Ryobi bandsaws altogether?