Bandsaw/drill press info.....

ryan9977

ryan9977

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Feb 16, 2006
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Ok so what do u guys look for in a quality bandsaw and drill press....I'm looking at buying a nice wood bandsaw and a drill press.....the absolute most I could spend wold be like 2 grand delivered.....I'd like to spend less of course....so what do I look for....

Any advice on things like the speeds, size of motor etc....I'm not sure what are the big differences between a four hundred dollar drill press and a thousand dollar drill press.....I know this is pretty vague but I really don't know a lot about em and wanna start searching a little so I can make an educated purchase.....ryan
 
I would honestly get the best drill press/bandsaw you can afford. Just do a ton of research and read reviews! You can also check out craigslist for used stuff and maybe get lucky and score some quality stuff. Delta and Grizzly make some decent stuff in you price range so check them out first. Good luck
 
I you don't have a metal cutting bandsaw I suggest your get a metal cutting, you can buy a wood cutting blade for the bandsaw to cut scales and such, but you cant cut metal on a wood bandsaw.

I highly recommend a free standing drill press rather than a table top. you will also need speed control, mine is just belts but I don't change the speed that often but a dial speed control would be nice.
 
As a woodturner that uses stock that I cut from felled trees I can tell you that horsepower is probably my biggest concern. In my case I need a bandsaw that can stand up to cutting through 10-12" logs without bogging down. The bandsaw is a pretty basic piece of equipment so i wouldn't look for a bunch of features that your not going to use. For me it's about horsepower and durability. A 1.5-2hp motor I would consider minimum unless your doing only flat stock furniture work. The same for the drill press. I burned out one of those 1/3hp bench models quick. Lasers sound nice but are not really necessary unless your doing really detailed work. However, a good table is important. Most of them tend to be too small. At the end of the day your going to burn out the motors before anything else go's wrong with the saw or drill press.
 
ryan9977 said:
Ok so what do u guys look for in a quality bandsaw and drill press....I'm looking at buying a nice wood bandsaw and a drill press.....the absolute most I could spend wold be like 2 grand delivered.....I'd like to spend less of course....so what do I look for....

Any advice on things like the speeds, size of motor etc....I'm not sure what are the big differences between a four hundred dollar drill press and a thousand dollar drill press.....I know this is pretty vague but I really don't know a lot about em and wanna start searching a little so I can make an educated purchase.....ryan
Click to expand...

Why do you want them?

What do you see your uses as ?

Everything depends on this.
 
Get a metalcutting saw if you can. You can cut g10, steel, wood and micarta with it. I'm selling my 14 inch wood working band saw right now. As for a drill press get one with a 1HP motor or get a milling machine instead. I have a harbor freight floor press with a 1.5HP motor and it works well. Was around 600 dollars though and I think I'm going to sell it and buy a mill.
 
You can get you a good floor drill press for around $500. Look in Craigslist for some of the older American made models. New models you could be looking for are Porter & Cable or Delta.

I'd spend the rest on a metal cutting bandsaw.
 
Thanks for all the suggestions so far, even though I can get a better deal on Craigslist or somewhere else I'll probably buy new....I don't know enough about it I think to buy some Random saw that may or may not need work.....I'll look into some of the brands listed.....ryan
 
Ryan,

You really need to know what you're looking to do to know what the "best" saw or press will be. If you're looking for detail cutting of thin stock, you don't want a big bandsaw designed for 3/4" - 1" blades. If you're looking to rough out large blanks for turning or carving, a 1/2HP saw designed for 1/4" blades will drive you up the wall.

I have a Grizzly G0555 with the riser block kit and haven't regretted it one bit. I use it for cutting contours on hardwood up to 2" thick and softwood up to 6" thick with few issues. Buy GOOD blades!

I have an OLD Rockwell floor drill press that will tear you fingers off if you're not careful. Better than the "modern" Delta I got rid of. Again, buy GOOD bits.
 
Wood-cutting saws operate at higher speeds , generally from 1,200 to 3,500 FPM. In wood cutting, you can also cut soft/
mild steel/metal, however, you have to run the blade 50 to 300 feet per minute . ( which requires speed reduction,of course)
What type of work are you into? Do you also do resawing? Or just general wood cutting?
Are you a hobbyist? Well, a 14" with 1-3 HP will likely do most of what you need. Or you may want to buy the biggest
one you can afford. There are lots brand names that made it on top, Rikon, Powermatic, Grizzly, Laguna, Delta etc.
No matter what saw that you need, in the need, you'll surely need a good quality band saw blade.
 
I bought a 14" Rigid wood band saw from Home Depot a couple years ago, and though I strongly recommend a 14" wood saw, I strongly recommend staying away from Rigid... POS. it has now broken twice due to a cheap casting pivot arm breaking in half, yes both times in the same location on both parts. Poor casting part (for those interested, huge voids from shrink porosity in the middle of the part- looked like a sponge) in a structural part. This failure mode must be known by Rigid... I have approx 5 or 6 hours on this saw.
 
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