10 Best Band Saws in 2022 – Reviews & Buying Guide best

There is no acquire in woodworking more intimidating than a stand-up band saw. These monsters can operate over $1,000, and that is ahead of factoring in substitute blades, added elements, and routine maintenance. If you get the mistaken 1, you can’t precisely take it back again to the hardware keep the up coming day.

Nevertheless, band saws are also 1 of the most gratifying instruments in any workshop. Slicing irregular shapes, sawing plastic and steel, thinning boards into slats, creating exceptionally clean cuts – they can do it all. There’s sufficient reason to make the leap into possessing your very own.

Go through on to learn which band saws defeat out the opposition, which tumble short of the mark, and which you will want for your personal aspiration venture.

Comparison Table (updated in 2022)

The 10 Best Band Saws:

1. JET JWBS-14DXPRO Band Saw – Best Overall

At times, a machine’s design and style does just about every little thing appropriately, and the JET JWBS-14DXPRO is one of these equipment. Jet’s well balanced, reliable band saw is our top decision. Its big slicing capacity – 13½ inches wide and twelve inches tall – signifies you can use it for just about any lumber without having the hassle and cost of installing a riser block. Each the blade and basic safety guard are effortless to alter, and the fifteen-inch sq. desk with a fifty five-degree tilt assortment (ten still left, 45 appropriate) adds to the comfort.

The forged-iron frame and shut base make this 1 of the most secure band saws accessible. We truly like the storage compartment in the base, which can easily in shape tons of little tools. The 1¼-HP motor is ample to get most slicing speeds you’ll need, however you may possibly want to substitute the blade.

The only thing we can say in opposition to the Jet JWBS-14DXPRO is that it does not arrive with a rip fence. That might have been an intentional selection, as a lot of woodworkers choose to install their own fences, but it can make this band noticed just a small considerably less obtainable to newbies.

All in all, we think that this is the best band saw of the yr.

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2. Grizzly G0555LX Band Saw

The Grizzly G0555LX arrives with a whole lot of functions that you wouldn’t count on on a product at this cost level. It has fantastic chopping ability, stable efficiency, and best of all, it is easy to use. The fence and a ball-bearing blade guidebook adjustment is between the best of the class. You will be assembling it your self, but if any components do not suit, Grizzly has an incredibly responsive client treatment line.

Even though it is less costly and far more decked-out with functions than the Jet JWBS-14DXPRO, it also has a much less powerful motor at one HP. We docked it a bit for that and for its weak dust collection. On the complete, even though, if you want an affordable band saw supported by reliable extras that will previous you for many years, you could do considerably even worse than the Grizzly G0555LX. We believe this is one particular of the very best band saws for home stores, although, simply because of it’s attributes.

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3. WEN 3962 Band Saw – Best Value

The WEN 3962 not only helps make great cuts, but it also gives you outstanding benefit for the cash. This two-velocity, 10-inch band observed functions a table that can tilt up to 45 levels, making it highly adjustable. If you presently very own a dust collection technique, there’s a very good opportunity that it’s suitable with this machine, which consists of a three-in-one dust port.

Preliminary setup can get a long time relative to other models, which is what retains this design out of the prime two. If you’re a band saw beginner, you could uncover the blade adjust to be more challenging than on other models. Nonetheless, as soon as it is set up properly, it’s one particular of the straightest-slicing and most powerful units on the industry.

Like the Grizzly G0555LX, the noticed by itself retains up well, also – we utilized it to resaw an 8-foot board without the calibration varying measurably at all. Note that as a mostly bench-best noticed with a much less strong motor, it is mostly for hobbyists and DIYers.

We also seen that when managing the observed at the more quickly speed triggers the belt to rub from the motor’s mount, which may possibly direct you to have to exchange the belt faster than you’d like.

All in all, we consider that this is 1 of the very best band saws for the price.

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4. Rikon 10-305 Band Saw

If you are undertaking more compact tasks, you need to check out out the Rikon 10-305, another band noticed that can get you some additional reducing electricity on a tight funds. Like the WEN 3962 at #three, it is a smaller sized bench-top product that can match very easily into your shop with no taking up too significantly place (unlike the 9362, though, it does not arrive with its personal stand).

The ten-305 has a large worktable, tough steel development, and a large stage of adjustability in its fence and blade manual. If you really don't like the preliminary factory blade – and we didn’t – this product helps make it easy to change in a new a single.

The main reason this is so much down is the underpowered motor. Horsepower is not the only element you ought to use to choose a band saw (see the buyer’s guide for far more information), but with the Rikon ten-305’s ⅓-HP engine, it’s going to just take permanently to reduce most woods.

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5. Shop Fox W1706 Band Saw

On the larger facet of the value spectrum, this freestanding band saw from Shop Fox features a one HP motor, cutting at 1725 RPM, a 93½-inch blade, and a fourteen-inch square table. The only point here which is truly missing is the 6-inch chopping top, however that can be boosted to twelve inches with an added extension package.

The W1706 is excellent for fitting into little stores, and cuts straight and correct via softer woods. Nevertheless, it is tough to neglect that other band saws give you that twelve inches of capacity for totally free. A handful of other problems, such as a shaky rip fence and inexpensive manufacturing unit blade, place this Shop Fox solution firmly in the middling group. The two-yr warranty is nice, though.

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6. WEN 3959 Band Saw

With a 2.5-amp motor capable of two,five hundred FPM blade speeds, this compact benchtop band observed from WEN is fairly capable, thinking about its modest measurement and affordable value. Deep cuts to three.5 inches are feasible, and it can also generate forty five-diploma bevel cuts thanks to the tilting table. To top it off, a rip fence and miter gauge are incorporated, and there’s a 2.5-inch dust port vacuum attachment constructed-in.

On paper, almost everything appears excellent. On wood, the saw tends to drift and did trigger many boards to be ruined. This was produced even worse by the low-cost high quality rip fence that would not stay put. Also, the desk has some warped locations which intended the boards did not slide easily and sometimes obtained hung up whilst trying to push them through.

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7. SKIL 3386-01 Band Saw

While numerous stand-on your own band saws will consider up a huge chunk of your workshop real estate, this more compact tabletop design from SKIL has a noticeably more compact footprint. Of training course, the small dimensions also arrives with some negatives. For occasion, it has a maximum chopping ability of 3.5 inches. Wonderful for trim and decorative function, but not wonderful if you require to make large cuts. This model is also not expandable with a riser block.

For the lower cost, it’s surprising how several additional functions are integrated. For starters, there is an LED operate light-weight to preserve your minimize well lit, and there is a dust port with an attachment for a vacuum. Also incorporated are a miter gauge and a rip fence, although the fence was too weak to be beneficial. So why doesn’t this SKIL saw rank larger? Well, to start off with, the two.5-amp motor lacks energy. If you want to minimize hardwood, you will want to seem at a diverse product. Also, the blade adjustment does not operate well, and the blade retains coming off the wheels. On leading of this, the extreme vibration when trying to minimize a thick piece stops this saw from reaching the cleanest cuts.

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8. Delta 28-400 Band Saw

This Delta band saw is made up of a stout 1-horsepower motor that operates at two speeds, 1,620 FPM and three,340 FPM, to permit slicing of each wooden and metallic. That explained, changing speeds is a royal discomfort. The sturdy, outsized desk measures 15¾ by 18⅞ inches and tilts 45 levels to the appropriate. Precision ground nine-spoke wheels make blade tracking changes easy. The massive six-inch substantial chopping ability is respectable, even though no riser block can be extra to make it greater.

This model characteristics a evident disadvantage which stops it from achieving a higher position on this listing. Changing the blade calls for using a hex wrench to change the established screws in six separate guides in get to get the new blade coplanar. At this high price position, we hoped to see a resource-free of charge adjustment for the blade-guides like on the older Delta designs and current designs offered by other manufacturers. For the price, it also seems like you are not obtaining a lot of characteristics. No miter gauge or fence, no gentle, not even a dust port.

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9. POWERTEC BS900 Band Saw

With a minimal value and a small footprint, this benchtop band observed from POWERTEC could be regarded as when just getting started out in woodworking. For significant wooden cutting although, you may want a more powerful observed. The 2.five-amp, .5-horsepower motor spins at a respectable one,725 RPMs, even though it seemed to lavatory down quite swiftly when reducing.

The 11¾-inch square tabletop tilts 45-degrees for angled cuts and can nonetheless lower a depth of 2 inches in this place. When flat, this observed has a max depth of 3⅝ inches, even though it doesn’t have adequate electricity to reduce anything at all that thick. It functions a swift-release blade stress lever, but it is cheaply created and could easily break off. The one particular-12 months guarantee may protect it if so, but only at the company’s discretion. It does characteristic a 2-inch dust port for a vacuum relationship, as well as a miter gauge. Despite these extra features, you’d be better off with a single of the increased-ranked band saws that has a far better monitor file.

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10. ShopSeries RK7453 9” Band Saw

Taking into consideration the minimal price of this ShopSeries band observed, the specs are well worth examining out. The two.five-amp motor allows reducing of up to 3⅛-inch thick wooden. The tabletop tilts to forty five levels for angled cuts and a two-yr warranty provides safety from flaws. Additional attributes this sort of as developed-in flexible work light and miter gauge incorporate much more value to this tiny benchtop observed.

The knobs do not seem to truly alter the blade how they’re meant to. This also makes it very hard to attempt to get the blade to observe effectively. As a result, acquiring a straight reduce was extremely challenging, since the blade retained wandering. We identified that there is only a bearing on one particular side of the blade, as opposed to all the other saws on this checklist which have a single on each side. All round, we can not advocate this product as there are much better alternate options in the value assortment.

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Buyer’s Guide: How to Choose the Best Band Saw

The above critiques should give you some insight into locating the greatest band saw for your demands. Like with all power tool purchases, the most important factor is to comprehend just what you want to do with the bands observed after you buy it.

We do not know what tasks you have been dreaming about, but we can give you as much standard tips as we can to aid you match a band observed to your strategies, your expertise, and your spending budget.

Price

Just due to the fact a electrical power resource is costly, doesn’t imply that it has fantastic benefit. Although shopping for a band noticed or anything else for your workshop, don't forget that price and high quality are only loosely correlated.

By the identical token, less expensive doesn’t constantly imply even worse. But that also doesn’t indicate you must just snap up whichever band saw comes initial when you type lower-to-higher on Amazon.

Whilst value is usually the first factor rookies consider about, we feel it is more of a tiebreaker. We suggest narrowing down your choice of band saws as much as achievable before utilizing price tag to make the closing choice. If you’re really strapped for money, check out our guide to the top band saw picks under $500.

Durability

To make cuts, band saws use a one blade underneath very substantial tension. This signifies the complete body of the device is underneath pressure all the time, kind of like how a guitar is usually held a tiny tense by its strings.

The blade and physique of a band saw perform together to maintain that pressure. If both one is manufactured of inferior resources, it will not just begin to crack — it’ll also set extra anxiety on the other one.

When you have got your eye on a band noticed, get as a lot of reports as achievable on how long it lasts. To get a basic concept of what makes excellent development, search for these supplies:

• Tables should be made out of cast iron. If it’s not, eliminate that particular saw right away.
• The best quality frames are also made of cast iron, but rolled steel and aluminum are also acceptable — and might be better if you’re looking for a lighter machine. Plastic is the sign of a cheap product that will break down quickly.
• Blades are the least important when buying a new band saw, because if you don’t like the one the factory-installed, you can always just replace it. The best blades are made from carbide steel or cobalt.

Ease of use

Person-friendliness in band saws can arrive from a good deal of locations, but the largest element is a single we alluded to just now: how straightforward it is to change out the blade. The far more you use your band observed, the more you’ll want to alter the blade, both to cut different materials successfully and to change it when the enamel use out.

Some band saws make blade substitution very straightforward, while others…don’t do that. No person will get into woodworking since they are excited to replace observed blades, so ideally, altering yours will demand as small vitality as attainable. The very best way to determine this out is to speak to folks who’ve utilised various versions and read reviews of each.

You are going to also want to research how effortless it is to established the blade peak, and how effortless it is to work the basic safety characteristics. Following modifying the blade, those are the things you’ll be carrying out the most often.

Power

Much more horsepower is usually far better, correct? Not always. You don’t want to be like that man who drops his little ones off for soccer practice in a jacked-up truck that looks like it must be racing System One. Often less is a lot.

A 1½-HP motor is enough to manage practically any task. You are going to only actually begin working into difficulties if you go below 1. Even then, you are more at chance of boredom than disaster — you can still deal with most woods, it’ll just just take lengthier.

If you are thinking about doing work with exotic hardwoods, or sawing sheet metal, you might want to go earlier mentioned 1½ HP into the 2½ to 3 variety. Beware that motors this powerful require a specialized higher-voltage electrical provide.

Base

There are four kinds of band observed bases: flooring, open up, closed, and panel.

• A floor base is a solid piece of metal on the ground, attached to another, narrower piece of metal that supports the band saw and hides the lower wheel. It’s one of the more stable bases, capable of absorbing most vibrations.
• A closed base is a metal box that supports the rest of the band saw, including the lower wheel. It’s empty, but some band saws add a door so you can use it for storage. This base is also very stable.
• An open base has four exposed support legs, sometimes connected by bands. Since it has fewer points of contact with the floor, it’s not as stable as a closed or floor base. With less material, it doesn’t soak up vibrations as well.
• A panel base is an open base with metal panels mounted onto the support legs. The panels don’t serve any load-bearing purpose, so a panel base has the same flaws as an open base.

Any of these bases can occur with wheels attached. If you plan to be moving your band saw again and forth, these can really help save you some pressure. They can also be included on afterwards if your needs modify.

Riser blocks

Thickness ability is a measure of how thick a material a band saw can cut by way of. It’s equal to the length among the desk and the highest height of the upper guide assembly or blade guard.

You might uncover a band saw that’s ideal in every way apart from for its thickness capacity. Luckily, you can function around this difficulty with a riser block.

A riser block is a component that you can insert to the frame among the desk and the higher wheel circumstance, adding up to twelve inches to the thickness potential. They usually value under $100. To make positive you do not injury your machine with a very poor suit, it is ideal to get a riser block from the identical firm that made your band saw.

Keep in brain that putting in a riser block will increase the length of blade that you want for the device by a factor of two. If your band saw is utilizing a 93½-inch blade, and you include a six-inch riser block, you’ll require a one hundred and five-inch blade to make use of that new thickness potential.

Table tilt

With a tilting table, you can make angled cuts on a band saw. If you’re arranging a task that’ll need a great deal of bevels, seem for a band observed with desk tilt, which can go up to forty five levels.

Conclusion:

The JET JWBS-14DXPRO was our favorite band noticed, due to its huge capability and table and excellent power. The Grizzly G0555LX was a excellent band saw general but lost the very first position simply because of a badly-created dust collector. The WEN 3962 is a great band observed for specialists, and functions wonderful, but is not the least difficult to use. The Rikon 10-305 is fantastic for small initiatives and working with softwoods but struggles with more challenging woods and lacks the potential for huge projects. The POWERTEC BS900 has a lot more flaws than upsides and should not be high on your checklist.

With any luck ,, our evaluations and our buyer’s information have assisted make it very clear what you must be seeking for when you’re purchasing for a band saw. It is not constantly straightforward to shop on-line, but we hope that you now know which is the very best band observed for your demands.

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