Replies

1. 
   forestgirl | Jun 01, 2004 04:22am | #1

   Welcome, John!  What kind(s) of work do you plan to do with your BT band saw??

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
   Another proud member of the  "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>) 

1. 
   johnp1 | Jun 01, 2004 04:33am | #3

   HI. Right now I'm working on building a table. I'll also use it to rip rough sawn lumber and as a general purpose tool. john

2. 
   nikkiwood | Jun 01, 2004 04:23am | #2

   I think there would probably be widespread agreement that the Inca 10" bandsaw sits atop the heap -- for both quality and price. Check it out on the Garrett Wade web site, and go from there.

   
   

   ---

   Edited 5/31/2004 11:32 pm ET by nikkiwood

1. 
   jazzdogg | Jun 01, 2004 07:54pm | #8

   "I think there would probably be widespread agreement that the Inca 10" bandsaw sits atop the heap -- for both quality and price. Check it out on the Garrett Wade web site, and go from there. "

   Nikkiwood,

   A friend has a 10" Inca, and I was so impressed by it that I bought the 20" Inca. Although Garrett-Wade no longer imports them, you may want to check with Jesse at Eagle Tools (Los Angeles) to see if he has any left in stock.

   I would also check the classifieds and estate sales for a used Inca.

   Just realized you're not the original poster - hope this message gets thgrough to him or her just the same, -Jazzdogg-

   Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're right.

1. 
   nikkiwood | Jun 02, 2004 12:26am | #9

   re: Inca Bandsaws

   I have the 10" model, as well as the 570 planer/joiner.

   Are we up the creek when it comes to spare parts for stuff that breaks down?

1. 
   jazzdogg | Jun 02, 2004 02:19am | #10

   Nikkiwood,

   I sure hope not!

   I take some comfort in the relative simplicity of my bandsaw: the things most likely to require replacement are bearings, blade guides, and the motor. Hopefully, they're generic enough not to require unique parts available only through Inca.

   Having said this, of course, a proprietary part will likely need to be replaced next week ;-(

   Prayers should help - usually do,-Jazzdogg-

   Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're right.

1. 
   nikkiwood | Jun 02, 2004 04:31am | #13

   I'm most worried about the planer/jointer, since I would practically have to tear up my whole shop to reconfigure it for separate machines.

   This think has been chugging along contentedly for almost 15 years with nary a murmur. After hearing this news, I know she is already depressed, and now I just hope she won't decide to get sick.

   Maybe I should start a new thread on preferred planer/jointer combos -- or has that already been done in the last couple of years?

2. 
   jazzdogg | Jun 02, 2004 05:27am | #14

   "Maybe I should start a new thread on preferred planer/jointer combos "

   Nah - no need to tempt fate

   Nikkiwood,

   As a first step, you might want to call Jesse at Eagle Tools (Los Angeles), or Garrett-Wade (N.Y.), and ask about the availability of replacement parts, as well as the kinds of parts that are most likely to crap-out based upon their experience, and see if you can invest in some inventory for the inevitable rainy day.

   FWIW, it's a pleasure to converse with you: I look forward to your thoughtful and cogent posts,

   -Jazzdogg-

   Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're right.

2. 
   bakesale1 | Jun 03, 2004 06:48am | #17

   I see the Inca BS on ebay all the time, both 10 and 20 inch.

1. 
   jazzdogg | Jun 03, 2004 07:43am | #18

   Grab one! You won't be sorry,-Jazzdogg-

   Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're right.

3. 
   Dustmight | Jun 01, 2004 12:50pm | #4

   Most of the benchtop bandsaws are the 9" two wheel type and are extremely similar (Delta, Ryobi, Craftsman, Tradesman). One exception is the 12" 3-wheel type....total junk, poor design with a slim possibility of performing well. I'd recommend you avoid those regardless of brand (Grizzly, Harbor Freight, Craftsman). Another exception is Grizzly's 9" heavy duty BS. It's got alot more metal on it, and has better wheels and guts than the $100 models, but has similar capacity restrictions.

   I've got the Ryobi BS900. It's not a great BS, but was worth $100 to me, and has been better than no BS at all. The throat is only 9", resaw capacity is about 3-1/2", and I think it's only 1/3 or 1/2hp motor. Nonetheless I've managed to cut 3" hard maple without much problem using a Vermont American 1/4" 6TPI blade. Have also cut curves in 9/8" hard maple using the same blade. There's a bit more vibration than I'd like, but it's not severe. Clamping it to the bench helps. I'm sure the Delta or Craftsman will have similar performance. Some of the newer models come with a light for the same price I paid.

1. 
   johnp1 | Jun 02, 2004 03:23am | #11

   Thanks, Scotty, and to everyone who replied. I appreciate the advice!

4. 
   Dave45 | Jun 01, 2004 05:03pm | #5

   I would think twice about a bench top band saw.  I had one and realized that it was undersized and was more trouble than it was worth.  A band saw is one of those tools that you should "overbuy".

5. 
   nikkiwood | Jun 01, 2004 05:34pm | #6

   I just found out that Garrett Wade is no longer selling Inca equipment of any kind.

   A search in this forum for "Inca Bandsaw" will fill out this information.

   I would certainly not want to buy a piece of equipment where spare parts are not available.

   Too bad, though. The Inca 10" is a great piece of equipment.

1. 
   Grande | Jun 01, 2004 06:49pm | #7

   I also have the Ryobi BS900. It's not great, but for the money, it allows me to do what I need it for.

2. 
   johnp1 | Jun 02, 2004 03:24am | #12

   Nikki -

   I took a look at Garrett Wade last night and discovered the same thing. I'm going to look around and see if there's a used one out there. GW mentioned they'd support with parts for a while...

6. 
   stancalow | Jun 02, 2004 05:34am | #15

   John P

   I had the Ryobi for a couple of months, and replaced it with a Delta I picked up cheap at a garage sale.  It is OK, but if your intent is to resaw, I'd say forget it.  The 3 1/2 " capacity is too small to resaw anything significant.  At that size, you could re-saw on the table saw, as easily (albeit less safely).   Also, it is hard to find good blades at that length and in resaw config.  Widest I found was 3/8", and I could not tension it enough on the small saw.  If you want to stay cheap, another $100 or so could get you the Harbor Freight 14" Delta-clone, which appears to be a decent saw for the money. 

7. 
   CharlieP | Jun 02, 2004 06:57am | #16

   I got the Delta benchtop and couldn't figure out why anyone bothered with a bandsaw.  It did what it was supposed to do, but poorly.  I took a class to learn to tune it, and had an expert set it up another time, still didn't work well for more than a few minutes at a time. 

   I finally was convinced it was the saw, not the operator or unrealistic expectations, so bought the Jet 14 inch.  It worked well - night and day difference.  Dust collection on the Jet was terrible, and I later realized that the Grizzly was built from the same castings and had more features for less cost.  The Jet wasn't bad, but my choice could have been better. 

   After I had the Jet a few months, someone walked into the shop and said "if you ever want to sell that bandsaw, let me know."  A week later I had the Grizzly G0555.  Great little machine.  It isn't a 5 hp 20 inch production bandsaw, but it is a solid machine that I use for both scroll-type work (with a 1/8 inch blade), as well as for resawing with a 1/2 inch blade. 

   Be sure to get Timberwolf blades, at least to start.  If you plan to resaw, consider getting the riser block at the start (you don't take it in and out, so all your blades should be the same length). 

   ________________________
   Charlie Plesums  Austin, Texas
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