New bandsaw available

[Bill DeShivs]

For the past 20+ years I have been using a Grizzly 4" X 6" horizontal/vertical bandsaw. It has been modified with a larger table and is always used vertically. It has been a good saw. The footprint is pretty big.
I have been thinking about buying a portaband/Swag setup for a benchtop saw. Both bench and floor space is at a premium in my shop. I could theoretically keep the floor model and add the portaband on a bench.

I shopping around, I found that Grizzly has a very nice vertical metal cutting bandsaw for less than $600. https://www.grizzly.com/products/grizzly-10-variable-speed-vertical-metal-cutting-bandsaw/g0994

Has anyone used one? It appears to be a very versatile saw with a reasonably small footprint and variable speed.

If I can find someone locally who would buy my HF 4 X6 for $150, I think I would buy one of these.

What say ye?

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

Unmount the saw from the horizontal base at the hinge and make a couple brackets to mount it on the bench. I did that with a HF 4X6 and used it for 20 years. I mounted it on the corner of the bench where it took up almost no usable room. I got rid of the gearbox and used a simple motor and belt setup.

I use a portaband 90% of the time now. It is mounted on a cheap HF welding cart. I can sit on a stool and cut blades for hours if I want.

Tips on making any bandsaw more efficient:
1) Use a foot switch to turn it on and off. This gives you two hands to control the metal. I like the dead-man type, but an On-OFF one works as well. I have most shop tools on a foot switch.
2)Change the motor to a 3/4HP 3-Ph motor and use a cheap VFD to control speed. This is be a good thing to do with drill press or wood bandsaw, too.
3) Use good blades.

 

[Linus Knives]

I hadn't seen that before and looks like a pretty good option. I just have a Milwaukee portaband with a Hercules table from harbor freight. It works quite well and I usually get my blades at Harbor Freight as well.
This is a picture from last year when I got it.

 

[Ken H>]

Linus: I had a portaband setup like that will a larger table. My first attempt was just like your table, with the slot to the back. Wasn't long before I turned the table around so the slot is in front making blade changes much easier.

 

[Ken H>]

Bill: I've got a 14" Rikon bandsaw I added the variable speed option to thinking I would use it for metal as well as wood cutting. After all, it doesn't take "that" long to change blades. Well, in less than a year I found myself using my 4X6 bandsaw with a good metal cutting blade mounted in vertical position for metal cutting, and bandsaw for wood. I've decided I wasted my $600 ($800?) for the variable speed setup for the bandsaw since 99% of current use is for wood.

With the bandsaw setup with a good metal blade it works real good for metal, but so does the 4X6 bandsaw.

 

[DanF]

I switched from the HF to a Milwaukee on a swag, blade changes much easier and faster than the HF was (and not as many blade breaks).

 

[Drew Riley]

I have an older Wellsaw verical/horizontal and just upgraded my old DIY benchtop portaband setup to a SWAG with a Milwaukee deepcut and a foot pedal. 95% of my cutting and profiling is done with the benchtop. The SWAG was definitely a well worth it upgrade, and covers about 99% of my bandsaw cutting needs.

That Grizzly looks like a pretty nice saw for the money. My biggest hesitation might be that the blade doesn't appear to be offset from the frame like a portaband/horizonal bandsaw would be, so you'd be limited on cutting longer stock down without hitting the frame. For the average knife maker and what most of us are cutting with our bandsaws, however, this likely won't be a big deal.