It would be great if you could decide up any band saw as cheaply as you could get a cordless round saw or corded jigsaw, but the unhappy reality is that these fixtures of the workshop can go for a rather penny. If you want the precision and ease of a band noticed, you may well consider you have no selection but to cough up.
But if there’s a single thing we stand for below at HealthyHandyman, it’s that anyone can be a fantastic carpenter with exercise – and if there are two factors, the other 1 is that more pricey does not usually equivalent far better. If you require to purchase a band observed at a cheap price, you don’t always have to settle for inexpensive quality.
We wrote these testimonials of the very best bandsaws under $five hundred so we could open up your eyes to the extensive variety of reliable, budget-friendly band saws on the industry. We simply cannot a hundred% promise that you are going to uncover your new favorite tool right here, but if you do…don’t say we didn’t warn you.
A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites in 2022
| Rating | Image | Product | Details | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Best Overall
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WEN 3962 Two-Speed Band Saw |
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CHECK PRICE |
The Runner-up
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Rikon 10-305 Band Saw |
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CHECK PRICE |
Best Value
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SKIL 3386-01 Bench Top Band Saw |
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CHECK PRICE |
| Best Portable
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DeWalt DWM120K Portable Band Saw |
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CHECK PRICE |
| Premium Choice
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Gryphon C-40CR 37″ AquaSaw Diamond Band Saw |
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CHECK PRICE |
The 5 Best Bandsaws under $500
1. WEN 3962 Two-Speed Band Saw – Best Overall
When the dialogue turns to substantial-capacity band saws that typical individuals can pay for, we always deliver up the WEN 3962 initial. It’s acquired a 6.five-amp motor with a 6-inch chopping depth and a 9¾-inch maximum width, giving it the energy and ability to manage a wide selection of projects.
The extra functions would be at house on a much more expensive item. The WEN 3962 has a worklight attached for looking at your cuts in depth, and a detachable stand, so you can choose whether you want to use it on your workbench or the floor. Its two speed options — 1520 or 2620 FPM — perform excellent for lumber of all various hardnesses.
The calibration is amazing. This band saw can rip prolonged planks even though wandering less than a tenth of an inch every single time. The spacious work desk, at 14⅛ by 12½ inches, is an additional big offering stage.
Even with all the reasons to advocate it, we will not claim this is a powerful or expert noticed. At these speeds, it is the best bandsaw for newbie Do-it-yourself. 1 other caveat: when managing at 2620 FPM, the saw belt rubs in opposition to the motor mount, which wears through it fairly rapidly.
- Spacious work table
- Reasonably powerful motor
- Two speed settings
- Cuts are always straight
- Removable stand makes it more portable
- Doesn’t cut fast enough for professionals
- Poor belt design
2. Rikon 10-305 Band Saw – The Runner-up
To be truthful, our impression on no matter whether the Rikon ten-305 beats out the WEN 9632 changes nearly every day. Right now, even though, the ten-305 is in 2nd location — but that does not suggest you must count it out.
First off, the ten-305 has an really minimal shop footprint. If you’re anxious about room, it’s only 18 by 13 by 35½ inches, straightforward ample to fit on to any workbench. Yet that compact dimension doesn’t make it any much less consumer-friendly: it’s received a reducing capability 9 inches wide and 4½ inches tall (up to eight if you add riser blocks), and a 13 3/4 by 12½-inch table.
To deal with the elephant in the place: yes, ⅓-HP is not really good for a band observed motor. But the Rikon ten-305 has issues heading for it other than horsepower. For one particular issue, it has the ideal-created steel physique we’ve noticed at this value level. It is also received a much better dust collector, blade-modifying method, and instruction guide than the WEN 9362.
What leaves this saw at #2 is that it is benchtop only, and doesn’t come with its possess stand. The manufacturing unit-mounted blade is also highly unimpressive switching it out is well worth the value.
- Compact and light
- Excellent construction
- Good cutting capacity
- Efficient dust collector
- Easy to change blades
- Bad default blade
- More expensive than our #1 pick
- No stand
- Weak motor
3. SKIL 3386-01 Bench Top Band Saw – Best Value
The 9-inch SKIL 3386-01 is our choose for the best band saw for the funds, but we want to be clear about why. We have set it at #3 because it’s, bar none, the least pricey purposeful band saw we’ve ever witnessed for sale. This pick is about worth, and for us, anything at all that opens Do-it-yourself and woodworking to a lot more folks has price.
It’s not at #3 simply because it’s that great of band noticed. To be fair, the SKIL 3386-01 has some great unique features — even a lot more wonderful when you contemplate how minor you are going to pay for them. The doing work mild, rip fence, and miter gauge are much more than functional.
This observed also has much better slicing electrical power than you’d count on. Its a hundred and twenty-volt, 2.five-amp motor has an unloaded speed of 2,800 FPM, just about equivalent to an common handheld jigsaw. Once more, not wonderful, but completely usable.
The major thing that can make the 3386-01 come to feel cheap is its shaky design. This is real of both the entire body and the more compact components: the generate belt and blade guidebook, in particular, deteriorate quick. Also, you cannot put in riser blocks, which implies you are caught with a squat 3½ inches of reducing capacity.
- Cheapest band saw available
- Easy to adjust
- Great extras
- Flimsy
- Too light
- Small dust port
4. DeWalt DWM120K Portable Band Saw – Best Portable
The DeWalt DWM120K throws around the words “industry-best” an dreadful good deal. Let’s see if it warrants them. It’s a portable horizontal band observed, which indicates that rather of a table and a base, the blade is connected to a manage and designed to be operated with two hands. Weighing only 15 pounds, it is effortless ample to have from job to task.
This noticed is in the center of the price range on this list: squarely affordable, but definitely not low cost. In comparison to some of the motors on this list, its ten-amp engine is shockingly potent, and with a 5-inch cutting potential, it is in a position to crosscut nearly any board you are going to face.
Added features include a strong worklight, and rubber bumpers that help it stand up to hits. Following screening it, we feel its longevity and ergonomic construct make it an excellent jobsite device, however which is constrained somewhat by its need to have to be plugged in.
Largely, this horizontal band noticed justifies its “industry-best” boasting. However, we have left it at #4, because it is not what the vast majority of amateurs are seeking for in a band noticed. This list is all about lowering woodworking’s entry barriers, and the DWM120K isn’t the greatest device for that.
- Powerful motor
- Wide cutting capacity
- Easy to carry around
- Great at absorbing shocks
- Relatively low price
- Bad choice for beginners
- Needs to be plugged in
- Substandard factory blade
5. Gryphon C-40CR 37″ AquaSaw Diamond Band Saw – Premium Choice
“Hold on,” you may possibly be asking. “A premium selection? On an post about spending budget band saws?” Effectively, yeah. Some individuals have $400 to $five hundred as a price assortment. We want them to really feel incorporated.
In all seriousness, the Gryphon AquaSaw is a robust option for these of you inclined to shell out mid-assortment costs for a band observed. The “AquaSaw” identify arrives from its corrosion-resistant development: Gryphon utilised stainless metal and anodized aluminum to make sure the saw won’t rust or degrade in saltwater.
Although it’s meant especially to lower corals and other supplies for reef tanks, it’s far more than ready to minimize other supplies, including wooden, tile, glass, and stone. To make it even more resistant to use and tear, the AquaSaw has much less transferring parts than virtually any band observed on the industry. Its motor is strong sufficient that it powers by means of ceramic as however it’s wooden, and wood as although it is paper.
On the total, however, the rather slender meant use of the Gryphon AquaSaw tends to make it tough to advocate earlier mentioned #5. And there are other disadvantages: the blade calibration is way off, and the blade guides are positioned this kind of that more substantial workpieces hide them from see totally.
- Resistant to corrosion
- Perfect for cutting unconventional materials
- Simple design
- Relatively expensive
- Wonky blade calibration
- Guides are useless
- Meant for coral, not wood
Buyer’s Guide – Picking the Best Band Saws
We understand that not all people will resonate with a single of the five band saws on this list. That is fantastic. We want to be definitely sure, although, that you leave this write-up with the knowledge you need to have to buy the perfect price range-helpful band noticed.
Which is why we’ve set collectively this buyer’s information. Right here, you will learn about the diverse factors you should be conscious of when shopping for a band observed. Study it more than, then maintain it on hand!
Throat capacity
This is the very first issue you ought to believe about. Reference (or attract up) components lists for all your planned assignments, together with any pipe-desire assignments you might just take on in the long term. Seem for the greatest workpiece on each 1 that you are going to use the bandsaw on, and get a bandsaw with a slicing potential at minimum an inch bigger than that.
This is exactly where carpenters searching for band saws on a price range operate into the most problems since much less expensive band saws often have small, restrictive slicing capacities. If you discover one which is best in each and every way besides for how considerably wood you can in shape within it, think about setting up riser blocks, which can double the throat ability of some band saws. Be warned that you can not insert riser blocks to each band noticed.
Frame
Band saws are continuously beneath tension. They hold their blades straight by balancing stress among the saw and its body. Equally the body of the saw and the saw by itself have to be produced of superior components in buy to consider that fat.
The ideal way to find out if a band noticed will fracture in the first 6 months is to speak to individuals who have utilized it, or go through online evaluations. Nevertheless, the substance used to make the body is a good indicator of high quality — or an early warning indication.
Frame Types
- Cast iron frames are great at standing up to a lot of pressure over a long period of time. The trade-off is that iron frames are both heavier and more expensive.
- Rolled steel frames can also be good-quality, and often support higher throat capacities.
- Aluminum is cheaper than iron or steel, but not as durable.
- Plastic band saws will wear out so fast your head will spin. Run the other way.
Blade replacement
You will need to adjust your band noticed blade usually. Not only does the aforementioned stress use them out quickly, but various tooth counts and blade supplies are very best for reducing various factors.
The very best band saws make it as simple as attainable to alter your blade out. Really don't think every single advertisement that promises blade replacement can be carried out “tool-free” – it’s crucial to understand how much of a pain true people found that activity with the saw you want to acquire.
Power and speed
It’s simple to get stars in your eyes when you see a substantial horsepower or RPM variety, but best pace isn’t the very best way to determine what observed to get. Here’s our simple rule: appear for a band observed with far more speeds, not increased speeds.
What does the amount of speed options impact? Flexibility. You’ll need different speeds for distinct resources and varieties of cuts — generally, more rapidly speeds for more challenging components. The much more speeds you can established your band noticed to, the a lot more you will be able to experiment and locate the perfect location for crosscutting, resawing, and many others.
As for horsepower: as an beginner doing work with basic lumber, look for HP between 1 and 1½. A lot of price range saws go under one, so don’t really feel that spells doom for your task. Even a ⅓HP engine like the Rikon ten-305’s is not useless, just sluggish.
Conclusion
With these evaluations, we wanted to display you that no subject what your funds, initiatives necessitating band saws aren’t out of get to for you. We think more woodworkers make the planet a greater spot, and band saws below $five hundred are the ideal way to get started in Do-it-yourself and crafts.
It is distinct that our winner for the greatest band noticed underneath $five hundred is the Wen 3962, owing to its wonderful functions and price tag merged. As well as the fact that it is a best addition to your tool drop. Runner-up the Rikon 10-305 is a first rate noticed that will get the job accomplished at a respectable cost. We hope that this write-up has assisted you along your journey in buying the ideal band observed and that you locate one particular that suits all your demands.
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