Why no 3-wheel bandsaws?

Hard as it might be to believe; the big manufacturers don't KNOW how to des ign a three-wheeled saw. They haven't even solved the first problem: making a drive wheel adjustable for tracking. Most of them haven't figured out ho w to combine tension and tracking in the same assembly. The "leading" manuf acturers won't invest a penny in research or development because you bought the idea: "if it ain't broke........" So band saws are generally the wors t designed tool in the box. I make the kind of saw you'd love to have but y ou can't afford it and I can't afford it either. Big corporations don't "DO " niche market products like mine because they're expensive to build (not e nough profit). I do, but I'm not as "popular"

Popular manufacturers don't know how to build three wheels that work becaus e they barely know how to keep a two wheeler working. They didn't know how to apply a simple lever-action to the tensioner until I introduced the conc ept in 2003. They don't how to combine tension and tracking in one assembly and they still haven't even figured out how to track their drive wheels. T hey DO know that such saws would be expensive; a niche. The big box stores couldn't sell them because you wouldn't buy them.

Its the tight small radius that the band has to make that causes the band to fail.

All the manufacturers realized this and stopped manufacturing them.

IDIOT

replying to woodchucker, William Falberg wrote: All the manufacturers realized this and stopped manufacturing them. Stopped making"them"? The blades, or the three-wheelers?>

The wheel radius or the cut radiuses? You're not clear on terminology.

William, you'd do better to use google groups directly rather than using the home moaners hub website as an interface to USENET. It would make it easier for you to quote the article you are responding to using idiomatic USENET quoting.

No manufacturer currently sells a homeowner-grade three-wheel bandsaw.

Because the wheels are typically much smaller than those in a two-wheel saw, the blade is subject to extra stress on the blade weld, which causes premature failure. Tracking is another problem endemic to three-wheelers.

Unless you can find one of these:

The wheel radius is the problem, the blade has to bend too much around the 3 smaller wheels and the blades prematurely fail as a result.

Why would I want a 3-wheel BS except for the throat depth? It seems that they are a solution to a problem that has better solutions.

I think you've already described the reason they exist.

They tend to be shorter, easier to use on top of a bench top.

You are right both 2 and 3 wheel blades go through the the same 360 degrees of bending during each revolution and the degree of bend for each wheel is less on a 3 wheel unit. However There are still 3 bend/straight cycles on a 3 wheel and only 2 on a 2 wheel.

And on a 3 wheel bandsaw, there's one more set of wheel, axle, bearings, etc to add to the machine.

But you get more throat clearance for the given length of blade...and in some 50 years, I've yet to have a BS blade fail by "fatigue"...

Yep. OTOH, it does take up more bench space.

And from a manufacturers perspective: how much can they save by not having that third wheel?

rees of bending during each revolution and the degree of bend for each whee l is less on a 3 wheel unit. However There are still 3 bend/straight cycles on a 3 wheel and only 2 on a 2 wheel.

One of these could negate his "moving it around/less space efficient" argument. Just saying. I'm not defending 3 wheelers, just noting that there's another option re: space, other than black or white, 2 wheeler or 3.

es of bending during each revolution and the degree of bend for each wheel is less on a 3 wheel unit. However There are still 3 bend/straight cycles o n a 3 wheel and only 2 on a 2 wheel.

However, as far as I know, the wheels on a bench-top 3 wheeler are always smaller than the wheels on your typically 2 wheeler. That means that the bends are sharper on a 3 wheeler. Sure, the degree of bend is less on a

Unless of course, you are talking about one of these. ;-)

...

Not than a saw with equivalent throat depth, though, methinks...

But they can provide larger capacity saw for less than the full-blown frame I'll bet...