bandsaw or power hacksaw

[j45on]

I'm looking for a bench power saw should I get a bandsaw or a hacksaw 
They must have their pros and cons ?
I have been eyeing up these two

http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-sieg-g1-powered-hacksaw-prod366124/

http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-axminster-mcb100a-compact-bandsaw-prod781243/

Ignoring the price difference which would be best for occasional use and I need to be able to store it under a bench as I have next to no room left in my shop/shed

[John Rudd]

I have a Warco CY90 bandsaw at home, previously I had access to a powered hacksaw at work.

IMHO, after using the bandsaw and for ever replacing blades, I'd go with the hacksaw....( I guess after posting this my band saw will throw a hissy fit and snap its blade again!!! )

[wheeltapper]

John,
I have the cy90 and I found a fault with the blade guides.
one of the metal blocks that hold the guide bearings was drilled out of line causing the gap to close up.
it was trying to get a blade through a gap a quarter the width of the blade.

with mine it kept breaking the bearing but it could be the cause of your blades breaking.
if you have the manual its part No 55.

I got a replacement part from warco and it works a treat now.

sorry to hijack the thread.

Roy

[Bogstandard]

I have the Axminster power hacksaw, but if I was buying it again I would get it from Arc, it is much cheaper, even after adding the carriage. Exactly the same machine except for the colour.

http://www.arceurotrade.co.uk/Catalogue/Machines-Accessories/Saws

It cuts reasonably fast, exactly square, and the blades seem to last forever.

It does really need a mod doing before using. Because the air strut is fairly strong, it doesn't allow the blade to cut as heavily as it should. I modded mine by putting an adjustable weight so I could regulate the downwards force more accurately.

http://madmodder.net/index.php?topic=1397.0

It is NOT a machine for lifting up and down, it took two of us to lift it onto the bench, but it does have a fairly narrow footprint, and that allowed me to tuck it fairly tight into a corner.

It is a difficult choice for you to make, and really only you can decide. We can tell you the pros and cons, but it is your money that is being spent.


Bogs

[No1_sonuk]

The MCB100a can also be used as a vertical band saw if you make a table for it.
I've not done that yet for mine.  If you do, make sure it's bolted down - it WILL be unstable otherwise.

The biggest problem I have with mine is getting the cutoff adjusted properly.  There's a collar, grub-screwed on the hinge, which activates the cutoff switch.  I've not been able to get mine to work properly so far - it either runs on, or stops too early.
So I've set it to run continuously and I keep an eye on it and manually stop it when it's done.

WRT weight:  I can lift the MCB100 on my own, but I do make sure where it's going is clear first! 

[75Plus]

I was curious as to what a power hacksaws were going for on this side of the pond and was surprised to find that three of the largest suppliers, MSC, Enco and Grizzly, no longer list them in their catalogs.

While I was searching I ran across this discussion on "The Home Shop Machinist" forum. Quite a number of interesting opinions.

http://bbs.homeshopmachinist.net/showthread.php?t=27939

Joe

[Dean W]

Joe, did you happen to find any place that sold power hacksaws in the States?  I'd much rather have one of
them than the typical small shop bandsaw!

Dean

[kwackers]

Lots of saws available 2nd hand, I'd be inclined to buy whatever was near me and well priced.

For a home workshop though I'd err towards the hacksaw, simple, cheap, not much to go wrong and blades available from B&Q (if you're desperate).
If you do a lot of cutting then a bandsaw is faster.

Finally, cheap bandsaws are more of a risk than cheap hacksaws.

(out of the two links you show, I'd buy the bandsaw. But look around for 2nd hand. I paid £50 for a decent hacksaw with a lifetimes supply of blades)

[Darren]

I've had two hacksaws one industrial size about 400kg and two Chinese bandsaws .... I stick with the Chinese as I much preferred it and sold the others just recently.

[Powder Keg]

I have a cheep bandsaw. I buy quality blades for it and keep the guides adjusted so It cuts square. The saw has three speeds. In my home shop I'm not in a hurry. I've never taken it off the slow speed. No need to. I use my saw a lot! the last blade probably lasted over a year. I always keep an extra on the wall so If one breaks on Sat afternoon I won't be without a saw the whole weekend.

No experience with A power hacksaw. I almost bought one that was a hundred years old a few weeks ago. But I'm running out of room in my shop and I have enough projects

[Lew_Merrick_PE]

Power hacksaws are simpler mechanism-wise.  Bandsaws are more complicated mechanism-wise.  The (relatively) cheap Chinese drop-bandsaws suffer from the same "quality workmanship" that other Chinese product suffer.  However, that said, there are steps you can take that will rectify that situation at a fairly low cost.

1. The main index & clamp area of the saw is rarely flat.  A trip to the milling machine solves this easily.
2. The index angle is neither square nor well-fit to the pivot.  A trip to the milling machine and some boring (replacing the poor screw pivot with a shoulder screw) solves this easily.
3. The pivot bar about which the saw itself pivots is rarely parallel to the table -- making the saw cut at a non-90° angle.  Reboring the pivot holes and installing bushings solves this relatively easily (you may have to add material to the base).
4. The blade guide ball bearings are often of "less than acceptable quality."  (I paid $12 for 4 good quality ball bearings.)

I got a "deal" on my first purchase of a Harbor Freight drop bandsaw back in the mid-1980's as something had punched a hole through the base.  Luckily, I am good friends with a "magician caliber" welder who repaired the broken area for beer.  I made the repairs noted above.  Using good blades (I will only use Starrett blades), I can cut a 4" X 6" piece of steel bar and have a 63 micro-inch finished surface that is flat within .004 FIM and square to the two index surfaces within .004 FIM -- it is just a very slow cut.

I have reworked several (8-10) such saws in the intervening years.  Were I billing my time at commercial rates, it would not really be worth it (i.e. it would be cheaper just to go out and buy a really well made saw).  However, if sweat is less dear than cash, a good bargain may be had.  I probably spent 25-30 hours getting my first saw up and running properly.  Recent efforts have been completed in 6-8 hours on average.

Also, I threw away that miserable excuse for a table that comes with such saws and made a plywood on to replace it.  The plywood one is longer (with outrigger supports) and has more useful fences that I power with air cylinders for untended cutting (don't apply more than 15-18 lbs of force to the operation on such a light saw).  Half-inch (1 cm) nominal X 6" (150 mm) stroke air cylinders show up in "recycling yards" quite regularly around here for $5.  Creative application of C-clamps, CA adhesive, and some pieces of angle iron make this an amazingly useful addition.  It takes (about) 10 hours to make a 6" long cut in 3" thick steel plate, but I can let it run overnight!

FYI: I get about 150-200 hours of cutting out of a $13 Starrett blade (barring stupidity such as unclamped cuts that bind and break a blade).

[j45on]

Cheers for all the words of wisdom guys 
I'm kind of leaning towards the hacksaw at the moment especially since bogs pointed out the cheeper seller 
But it will have to wait until next month now as the tax man has just relived me of 245 squid for road tax 

[Bluechip]

SQUID ?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SQUID

??

    

Dave BC

[j45on]

  That had me seriously confused for a minute   

[NickG]

I have decided on this, but not bought it yet 

http://www.engineerstoolroom.co.uk/bandsaws.htm

[Trion]

I recently bought myself a band saw, just like the B1180 at the bottom of this page http://www.engineerstoolroom.co.uk/bandsaws.htm

My first impressions are not good. The machine looks like it has been assembled by a child. Screws are screwed in at such an angle that they loook as if the were beaten in place. All screws are of the lowest quality you can get your hands on (4.8), and several are already bent despite the saw rarely having been used. There is at least 10mm of axial play in the vise tightening screw. Then comes the hydraulic lowering of the blade.. The needle valve which sets the down-speed has no dial or way of showing what speed you have set it at, or at least to find the same speed as the last time. Anyhow, when you eventually have found a suiting speed and set it at that, the saw will stop lowering itself after a while. But when you try to adjust the ultra sensitive valve, the blade suddenly drops onto the workpiece, jamming the blade. The blade is now also junk..

But I hope that with a bit of work, I will make the saw better than new. Watch out for a new project

[Jonny]

Anyone know where to get parts for these saws?
I have a 1997 SM65 Sealey brand QR vice that needs new guides and bearings, originals lasted around 12 months.
Same head as others but different base.

[j45on]

I went with the power hacksaw from ARC in the end and should have it monday 

[Bogstandard]

Jason,

Although I didn't mention it before, it seems that this hacksaw doesn't lift the blade on the return, non cut, stroke.

So when the first end wears out, (it only strokes half the length of the blade), turn it around and use the other end.

I would expect a blade to last at least a year, maybe a lot more, depending what you are cutting and how often. Mine lasted over 2 years, with a fairly heavy cutting regime, and even then it wasn't completely knackered.

I just hope that you think you have made the right choice.

BTW, I did make another mod that I forgot to tell you about. Mine came with brass grease nipples, which I hate, because they can snap off fairly easily, especially if you use a good gripping grease nozzle. I fitted mine with steel ones, just for peace of mind.


Bogs

[j45on]

Postman has been
But I don't think I will be taking this home on my push bike



Thanks for the tips Bogs  I think I have some nipples at work.

[j45on]

I finally have the saw home
I have checked it over at work and it looks good apart from no lube behind the gearbox nipple ?
I popped the others out and they have grease inside 



I am presuming I don't pack this with grease but just add a bit while it's running ?

[NickG]

Shouldn't there just be gear oil on the gears not grease? Like the change wheels on lathe, I just apply every now and again - not sure if that's correct though! 

[Bogstandard]

Jason,

I mentioned that I changed the grease nipples for steel ones, just so that my power greaser wouldn't snap them off.

You don't need to put too much grease in there. I let my power pump do one cycle and then stop, I suppose that is the same as one pump on your grease gun handle. I don't lubricate it like my other machines because it doesn't get used all the time, just when I actually use it do I give a squirt into each nipple.


Bogs

[j45on]

  Thanks Bogs
I have loads of nipples at work but not a single one fitted  I will just have to be careful for now

[Bogstandard]

Jason,

I just recut the grease nipple threads in the saw to fit ones I had in stock. Plenty of grease on the tap stops the swarf falling inside.

Have you tried cutting anything yet?


Bogs

[j45on]

I just recut the grease nipple threads in the saw to fit ones I had in stock. Plenty of grease on the tap stops the swarf falling inside.

I never thought of that 

I have not cut anything yet I wanted to be sure about lubrication but I'm off work all week  so first thing tomorrow I shall have a play

[Graz]

I have the Axminster band saw in the link It's a good little saw and cuts straight

[j45on]

I tried it today Bogs gave it a grease and stuck a piece of 15mm steel bar in it and she cut lovely
I see what you mean about the air strut
Then I put a piece of 2" stainless steel and got about 4mm into it before the blade was blunt