Small hobby Bandsaw options

[rcx132]

You probably recall from my last post that I bought one of these Scheppach mitre bandsaws. It's mainly sold under the Scheppach name but also under some other names. It was a real game changer, made work more enjoyable, faster, took up little space. And then it broke. I could repair it but having seen inside the saw the quality is atrocious, very very thin castings are the main issue, it won't last. The seller can't replace it under warranty anyway and has offered me a refund.

So I started looking at alternatives. The Clarke cbs45md is available unbranded for £350 and has a very good reputation. It has a long history. The minus is it's size, it's much bigger. It also seems a little old fashioned with it's small motor and three speed pulleys that require the belt to be moved around.

DeWalt, Makita, and Milwaukee have largely pulled out of the corded mains powered bandsaw market as they focus on battery powered now. The Milwuakee BS125 is now the only corded saw I can find from the mainstream brands. It's £500 and no official stand. A stand can be made or imported from the US.

The Femi 782XL is apparently a very serious saw and I think it's made in the EU in Italy. It can be got for £400 if ordered from Italy, but £500 from a UK supplier. There is a very similar Chinese product for £350.

I'll probably go for the Femi. It's not cheap but if that's what quality costs. I'm at the point in my life where I have most tools I'll ever need, so I now prefer to buy quality that will last.

 

[Sergei Slovenija]

The Italians are not bad, but the younger models, IMHO, differ little from China. Avoid tables made of tin.

 

[Milkybars]

 

[Milkybars]

They dont stock them at the moment ..but food for thought whatever you end up with.

 

[Gragson]

I've got the aldi one and a femi 780xl, which looks identical to the 782 pictured, it is good, although a few gripes on nasty plastic lock levers (which can be replaced)
The vice is good but it does not have variable speed as much as the workzone / Scheppach one - 2 fixed speeds
Got it off ebay little used from an Italian guy, still had 2 pin plug on it.

Capacity is greater than Scheppach but its not that much bigger overall size.

 

[Onoff]

I have the Scheppach but think it's a different model to yours. It's been great though the vice is a bit dire.

There was I think someone on here designed an adapter to add a table and make it into a proper, upright bandsaw.

 

[Scalarocco]

I have a BS-85, which I think was from Vevor. I'm really pleased with it.

 

[wyn]

I've never changed speeds on my clarke bandsaw in the years i've had it (15 ish).

 

[Gragson]

If you do get the Femi, get the upright table option with it.
Makes it really versatile and works as an upright really well. Mine came with that.

 

[Scalarocco]

I started to make one of those table thingies just before Christmas for my saw. It still needs finishing off though...

 

[skotl]

I have the Scheppach but think it's a different model to yours. It's been great though the vice is a bit dire.

There was I think someone on here designed an adapter to add a table and make it into a proper, upright bandsaw.

Might have been me?

Aldi /Sheppach Bandsaw

In case anyone's interested.... I just noted that Aldi and again selling a Sheppach 1100 127mm cut bandsaw - for £149.99 on their online store only. It looks like it's a new model though - before it was the MBS1100, this one looks like it's an MBS1200. I've no idea what the difference is...

www.mig-welding.co.uk

 

[Onoff]

Might have been me?

Aldi /Sheppach Bandsaw

In case anyone's interested.... I just noted that Aldi and again selling a Sheppach 1100 127mm cut bandsaw - for £149.99 on their online store only. It looks like it's a new model though - before it was the MBS1100, this one looks like it's an MBS1200. I've no idea what the difference is...

www.mig-welding.co.uk

I've looked back, it was @cr500dom

 

[not done it yet]

Certainly not cheap, but Starrett is yet another portable that looks like a good quality machine. Femi are popular and well reviewed. I wouldn’t be so keen on the vevor, sheppach (and clones) or machinemart. The battery offeeings look good, but only for occasional use as I expect they are hard on batteries.

Yet another alternative might be to make a mechanical hacksaw? The Hemingway kit of the ET Westbury design (a bit updated?) is portable, quite compact and works well, apparently. It is the design I would build if I could find space for it.

Blondihacks, on you tube, often uses a hand-held bandsaw. Not sure of the make and whether tied to the mains or battery operated - but pethaps worth a look?

Both Femi and Starrett offer a conversion kit for vertical operation (starrett one doesn’t seem to be available in the UK - but if a kit can be supplied, one can always make one’s own.

 

[striker]

I have the generic 6x4 Chinese bandsaw like the Clarke. Like a lot of chinese tools they're pretty poor out the box. A little time fettling and modding and they can be made quite capable. I never change speeds, just run on lowest. I replaced my first saw with the biggest evolution chop saw. After a couple of weeks of sore ears and chips spraying everywhere I instantly regretted it. I bought a second 6x4 bandsaw. I had to do all the mods again that I'd done to the first one!
The stand was the first to go!

 

[Mark 2]

I have a BS-85, which I think was from Vevor. I'm really pleased with it.
View attachment 379970

That's the same factory as the Femi, surely?

 

[rcx132]

That's the same factory as the Femi, surely?

The casting have slight differences so it's probably a copy rather than being from the same production lines.

 

[Jasper42]

You probably recall from my last post that I bought one of these Scheppach mitre bandsaws. It's mainly sold under the Scheppach name but also under some other names. It was a real game changer, made work more enjoyable, faster, took up little space. And then it broke. I could repair it but having seen inside the saw the quality is atrocious, very very thin castings are the main issue, it won't last. The seller can't replace it under warranty anyway and has offered me a refund.

So I started looking at alternatives. The Clarke cbs45md is available unbranded for £350 and has a very good reputation. It has a long history. The minus is it's size, it's much bigger. It also seems a little old fashioned with it's small motor and three speed pulleys that require the belt to be moved around.

DeWalt, Makita, and Milwaukee have largely pulled out of the corded mains powered bandsaw market as they focus on battery powered now. The Milwuakee BS125 is now the only corded saw I can find from the mainstream brands. It's £500 and no official stand. A stand can be made or imported from the US.

The Femi 782XL is apparently a very serious saw and I think it's made in the EU in Italy. It can be got for £400 if ordered from Italy, but £500 from a UK supplier. There is a very similar Chinese product for £350.

I'll probably go for the Femi. It's not cheap but if that's what quality costs. I'm at the point in my life where I have most tools I'll ever need, so I now prefer to buy quality that will last.

I have the same one, got it from Aldi early December and I think it’s already on its was out. The motor is starting to smell and it is like a firework display looking inside the motor housing. Made a vertical stand and just bought some good blades from tuff saw. Like you found it really useful for the playing around I do and ideal at that price. Looked at the Mikita 18v but the same blade size is just under £400 which goes against by tight **** view for hobby use. I’ll see if I can wait it out for the next batch in Aldi or Liddi.

 

[Richiew]

I love my Clarke Bandsaw. If it died tomorrow, I'd get another. Agree with Wyn and Striker. No real need to change to belts but a bit of fettling and a sharp blade is required to get straight cuts. Motor seems adequate for its requirements. You can pick them up second hand much cheaper fairly easily. Mine wasn't new when I got it.

I have an abrasive chop saw that never gets used and my evo saw is pretty much resigned to chopping wood with nails in. I've found that the evo is very good for cutting flat bar though.

 

[clogs]

Mine is pretty much like the clarke 45.and i've never ever changed the speed.I made a stand out of angle iron,and fitted swivelling castors to the front,so i can roll it around easily.This is my second one,the first one tipped over in the big eartquake in 2011,which broke the casting.Got a new one through insurance,and sold the broken one on,so did pretty well.

 

[Turbo]

I too have a generic version of the Clarke, commonly known as a 6x4 bandsaw. There's loads of info online about fettling them but once done they are very accurate. Downside is that its fiddly to adjust the vice to cut mitres.
One on ebay at £30! https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/39439787...4NgaXc=|tkp:Bk9SR9T_3cOyYQ&LH_ItemCondition=4

Sealey do a version which uses the same cutting head mounted on a base, the whole head swivels on the base, making cutting mitres a doddle.
https://workshopping.co.uk/machine-...bandsaw-150mm-230v-with-mitre-quick-lock-vice

The handy part is that the whole top section lifts off the stand so easy to bench mount.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/165812930341?hash=item269b388725:g:xs4AAOSwKw1i4OGC