I think I'm going to need to replace my Sears table saw soon and I've had there have been several occasions where a band saw would be useful also.
I'd like a more useful table saw (better rip fence & more sturdy / less top heavy). A contractor style saw would probably best suite my needs, as would a 14" or so band saw.
I'm considering buying decent used ones, if I can find them instead of waiting for the cash to buy good equipment.
What should I look (out) for when buying used equipment? Are there any band saws whose blades are difficult to find? What should I expect to pay (save), compared to new, assuming good condition?
Know any good sources of used equip in southwestern PA? ;)
Iturra Designs Winter 2003 Bandsaw Catalog has pages 87-90 of all text (
52 lines a page) devoted to advice on the subject "Purchasing a Used Bandsaw." The catalog is free. Unfortunately, they do not have a web presence; I'd offer their catalog on a website were it not copyright, it's that good.
Iturra's toll free number: 888-722-7078
R> I think I'm going to need to replace my Sears table saw soon and I've
This by itself could take days to answer. A quick "in 'n out" answer would be:
No cracks in any of the castings. No missing or broken parts. Nothing worn to the point of replacement. No binding in the workings.
Dirty/rusty/bad paint isn't anything to be annoyed by unless it contributes to the performance.
Actually used machines can be a deal even with some of the violations above. "Some people" would even say that buying and rehabilitating used machines is as much fun as wooddorking in the shop. Some machines only require some cleaning and they are performing like new again. Others will require multiple hours and days of disassembly, cleaning and re-painting before they are fit but once done you really have a machine that's in the same condition as it was when sold. Life don't get no better than that.
No. Band saw blades (and sanding belts) can be gotten custom made. Now, if you are wanting to pop down to Woodcraft/Rock-a-lars/Sears/Ace/Home Depot/Lowes to buy your blades then stay with something that will take a
93 1/2" blade (Delta and the Delta clones).
Once upon a time I sat and actually dumped all this information into a spreadsheet like "What I Paid (1)", "What I Shoulda Paid (2)", What It Woulda Cost New (3)". I'll spare you the complete outcome but there was a healthy spread amongst what I had at that time. Some I paid 20% of new and some I paid 75% of new. It's all dependent on condition and the seller. Some sellers are under the impression that machines stored in salt water are very valuable because "they don't make them that way anymore" while others don't have a clue. The rest are strung out in between.
Oh God! Are you serious? You can't swing a dead cat on eBay without hitting a seller from Pee A. There are two sellers located just off the ACE but I'm sworn to super secrecy and all.
If you are serious about buying used (vintage) machines you might want to visit the OWWM and maybe sign up for the forum.
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