Going to buy a bandsaw this spring and I’m just looking around. Was thinking about a good 14″. I’d love the Jet 16″, but I can’t ignore my shop space, an unheated veranda shop: 10’x14′ (who laughed?!). Just been looking at the Incas at Wade Garret and I saw the Inca 10.5″, at 85 lbs. with 6″ resaw, 3/4 HP, 1/16-1/2″ blade width. Seems like I can have near 14″ capacity (usually around 13″) and save a whole lot of floor space. I don’t expect to be resawing much more than an occasional drawer front or a box top, and even then, I could buy veneer (I’m no pro…). Tenons, table legs and lawn furniture seem more up my alley.
Is 85 lbs. too light? Is $800+ (US) worth it for this benchtop sized machine? Should I save floor space and sacrifice capacity?
Thanks for your input.
Plinthe from Quebec (P.S. It’s minus 20 in my shop right now!)
Replies
PLINTHE,
I have owned the INCA 260 Bandsaw for over 10 years. It is remarkable a really great saw. Smooth cuts and I veener down to 3/32 with no problem. I love the Saw, you will not be unhappy with it and it stays aligned. I have resawed 8/4 OAK with a Tmberwolf 1/2" blade 3TPI all day. Never bogged down, never missed a beat. I do some intricate work during the holidays and make these little Bandsawn Boxes for the Children, They love them and it is such a great maching, Small, Compact, Quite, Just a joy to use and people who come to the shop look at it and then at me and say where did you get the Mattel TOY Bandsaw. I turn it on, run a 6" piece of Hard Maple through it and hand them the 3/32 piece that I cut uniformily all the way down the board length. They Look and say WOW I guess I was decieved.
Buy it!
Chuck
Plinthe,
I think it was Walden who said " A man who cuts his own wood warms himself twice" this has no relevance to your question, but, what the 7734 upside down and backwards.
Anyhow, you might want to retink the space issue or at least give it a second look. The Inca or any table top model is gonna have to be on something and you'll need space around it for hte wood..legs, boards, etc. I have limited space also and through experience have decided machines on a movable base is my only salvation. I looked at he Jet 16" also...nice... just a few thoughts
Are you looking in a current catalog? Inca disappeared from Garrett Wade catalogs last year, at least in the catalogs I receive. As far as I know, nobody else sells Inca in the US.
Jamie:
Actually I saw it on their web site. Your post actually made me realize another potential problem : service and/or parts (if ever GW drops the line entirely, I have to go to Switzerland for spare parts...).
By the way, my wood is not kiln dried, but freeze dried (which is off-topic).
Thanks for your thoughts.
Plinthe.
Hunh! You're right, Inca stuff is still on their web site. But it is not in the print catalog. As I recall, there was a flurry of discussions on woodworking forums last year because Garrett Wade had decided to drop Inca. The disappearance from their catalog happened around the same time. If I were considering buying Inca from Garrett Wade's web site, I'd certainly ask very pointed questions about future support from them.
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