Portable bandsaws worth it or not

To buy or not

  • Yes

    Votes: 16 84.2%

  • No

    Votes: 2 10.5%

  • Other ideas (comment below idea)

    Votes: 1 5.3%
  • Total voters
    19
I have an HF portable and a 4x6 bandsaw. I started out with just the portable and it worked well, although pretty noisy (ear protectors took care of that). After getting the 4x6 I still use it for some things. Portable, ya know?
 
I have 2 of the larger and 1 of the smaller Milwaukee portaband saws, while very handy, they are far from precision, way too much blade flex. I bought a bench clamp for one, it was such junk, I gave it away, the guy I gaveto, used it once and threw it away.
 
Of the 4 types of saws that have been discussed in this thread (floor model horizontal bandsaw, power hacksaw, abrasive saw, and portable bandsaw I have 3. They are the floor model horizontal bandsaw, power hacksaw, and abrasive saw. The floor model horizontal bandsaw is used by far the most. I would say 90% of the stock that needs to be sawed is done on this saw. It cuts straight, is relatively quick, and doesn't need to be watched or attended to. It has multiple speeds and can cut anything you throw at it within it's cutting range.

The second most used saw is the power hacksaw. It is also relatively quick although slower than the bandsaw, cuts straight, and doesn't need to be attended. I bought this saw as a backup for times when the bandsaw is busy.

The least used saw by far is the abrasive saw. I only use it on the rare occasion that the other saws are busy, the material is in such bad shape I might ruin a blade on the other saws, or the material is small dimension aluminum which it cuts well with a blade similar to the one linked. For other materials it's messy, noisy, doesn't cut nearly as straight as the others, and requires a full time operator. It can't be setup and left to run on it's own like the bandsaw or power hacksaw. Should you consider blades similar to the ones in the link be aware a different blade is needed for ferrous and non ferrous materials. They each start in the $100.00 range and go up from there. Top of the line blades are in the $300.00 to $400.00 range.

I don't have a portable bandsaw because so far all the cutting has been done in the shop and I think the floor model bandsaw is far superior for the things I cut. Should I need to do some cutting in the field I wouldn't hesitate to purchase one. I' used them at work (Milwaukee brand) and was satisfied with their performance.

The only downside of the floor model bandsaw is the cost of blades. Bandsaw blades cost around $45.00, but last 2 to 3 years. Power hacksaw blades are generally around $10.00 to $15.00 depending on the brand and TPI. My only concern if I was buying one today would be the availability of blades. I currently have over 50 in stock so it's not a problem for me for the foreseeable future.
 
Yeah, a porta-band is a must have for me. But I would buy something with better quality. Your better off getting a used commercial level tool instead of a throw away. My Milwaukee corded porta-band is probably over 20 years old now. Those battery powered units aren't as durable. I do have a battery powered sawzall for quick cuts away from the shop. I find the sawzall more useful in the battery version. I also like getting the tools repaired and ordering parts, I've kept a number of tools alive because they had manufacture support years after the sale.

I've tried lots of battery powered tools running large commercial construction jobs and the best value with durability has been the Makita 18 volt models. They have good quality batteries, I have some over 10 years old I still use often. Ryobi not so much, we used that stuff on a construction job once a few years ago, just once. Rigid from Home depot was a little better, but the batteries didn't last, had some drill failures way early. Had lots of Bosch for a while, had too many early failures, dead batteries bit me more than once. They failed without warning, but those were mostly 24 volt drills.

My last Makita 18 volt hammer drill is still working great after four years, original batteries still going fine. Dewalt has been okay, but the batteries are not as good as Makita in my experience. Pick one good quality brand and stick with it so you have the interchangable batteries.
 
Is a power hacksaw a little bit more feasible then a bandsaw for a smaller shop? Due to blades being cheaper. Can you buy new now?
 
How is the harbor freight horizontal band saw? Was there modifications needed to make it a good machine?
 
As far as I know the only "new" power hacksaws available are made in India. They are industrial models and expensive. If you're considering a power hacksaw I would recommend Racine brand. They are commercial/industrial saws and come in many different sizes. Mine is a 66W2. The model is indicative of the size and configuration. The 66 means it can cut stock 6"x 6". The W indicates it is a wet saw meaning it can be used either with or without coolant. The 2 designates it has 2 speeds. In this case the speeds are 100 strokes per minute and 140 strokes per minute.

These saws have some nice features such as selectable down feed pressure, lift on the return stroke, coolant capability, adjustable angle vise, and automatic shutoff at the end of a cut, among other things. They are heavy in that the dry cut models weigh in at 550 lbs. The 2 speed wet cut weighs in at 770 lbs., and the 4 speed wet cut weighs in at 825 lbs.

They are durable. We had a 66W4 (wet cut 4 speed model) at the shop I worked in. It ran 8-10 hours a day for the entire 20 years I worked there with the only maintenance being needed is a good cleaning, replacing the coolant, and replacing the blades. Mine came out of an industrial shop that upgraded to a horizontal bandsaw. It was filthy when I got it, but only needed a good cleaning, new oil, and a new blade. I've had it a little over 5 years. It doesn't get used on a daily basis, but has performed well whenever I use it.

As an FYI there was recently one advertised on our local Craigslist with an asking price of $250.00 or best offer.

Here's a 1957 brochure with the sizes available:
 

Attachments

  • 1957 Racine Saw Brochure.pdf
    3.8 MB · Views: 6
RandyWilson said:
And I just realized your link is to a cordless saw. I didn't know Ryobi made that. I have nearly every other Ryobi 18V device. Crap. There goes my birthday money.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I think I'm going to add one of these. It will probably pay for itself quickly as I will be able to cut down stock to fit into my truck onsite and save the $4 / cut fee. Only reason I haven't got one before is I would have to start a new battery collection. I've got several Ryobi tools, mostly yard tools but the batteries are the same.

Brento said:
Is a power hacksaw a little bit more feasible then a bandsaw for a smaller shop? Due to blades being cheaper. Can you buy new now?
Click to expand...

Power hacksaw is typically smaller than a similar capacity bandsaw. I have a 4x4" hacksaw and it is only about 2/3 the size of my 4x6 bandsaw. I don't know that I would say blades are cheaper, maybe marginally but probably works out to be similar in the long term. Hacksaw is probably slower but you can set up and let it run so not really an issue unless you are in a rush. Generally easier to swap blades on a hacksaw so you can put a fine tooth blade on for thin stock and a course blade for thicker stock with less hassle than a band saw.

The only new power hacksaws I know of are large industrial types probably not suitable for your needs. It might take some time to find, but you can usually find power hacksaws suitable for a small shop for $50 to $400 with many under $200. Many consider them obsolete so they don't usually ask a high price.

Brento said:
How is the harbor freight horizontal band saw? Was there modifications needed to make it a good machine?
Click to expand...

Mine has worked fine right out of the box. For the $200-ish I paid for it I have no complaints, these are on my list of the top 5 things HF sells.
 
I have a HF portable bandsaw along with the Swag table. It's the only power saw I have for metal and I'd be hurting without. I quickly realized that cutting stock to size with a hacksaw is nuts. I've been cutting some thick stock (up to 2-1/2" thick) lately. It works great with better blades. I would buy a larger horizontal saw if I had the space, but I don't.

This saw is not a lot of money and doesn't require a lot of space. Get one!
 
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