Tool review: Deluxe 14-inch Bandsaws

 

Steel guide blocks sit a few
thousandths of an inch from
the blade. The thrust bearing
snugs up behind the blade the
same distance; the blade runs
against the thrust bearing's face.

 

With bearing guides, the front
bearings ride just behind the
blade gullets. (Back bearings
support only blades 1/2" or
wider.) The blade edge runs
against the thrust bearing's rim.

 

Four points of ceramic side contact
prevent blade twisting better than
bearings. Rather than a thrust
bearing, this guide uses a ceramic
insert.

More things to look for

Quality blade guides. A bandsaw with great power and cut capacities but lackluster blade guides is like a Mercedes without power steering. Adjustable blade guides mounted above and below the table prevent the blade from twisting or wandering side-to-side during cuts, greatly enhancing accuracy. The best guides prove easy to set and adjust, because you'll do this every time you change from one blade width to another.

The tested saws feature three types of guides, shown at right: steel blocks, ball bearings, and ceramic contacts. All held blades true enough in our curve-cutting and resawing tests, but we like the ceramic guides best because they completely eliminated blade twisting. (Although it wasn't a big problem, the other guides allowed slight blade twisting when we cut circles less than 1" in diameter.) The Laguna guides contact the blade at four points on each of the upper and lower guides, twice as many contact points as the other saws. The steel blocks created more friction--and potential blade-damaging heat.