Porta band??

Bill DeShivs

Bill DeShivs

Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Jun 6, 2000
Messages
12,552
Guys- I have a dedicated 4 X 6 bandsaw that I'm going to continue to use, but I have given thought to adding a portaband with stand.
What are the good ones?
 
Swag off-road is the best in the game for the table. Their configurations support almost any portaband you can buy these days. I’d recommend adding a foot pedal switch to the setup as well.

Dewalt for me, but a lot of folks have had good luck with the harbor freight Bauer ones as well.
 
I took @Horsewright’s suggestion and got a wired dewalt with a swag table. I found lots available used & cheap as everyone is moving to battery-powered saws. Cuts through metal, wood, micarta, acrylic…..
 
mine has a short blade, around 33" and it goes through blades pretty fast. It's literally the biggest I can fit in the space I have for it, but if I had more space I'd definitely go for a larger version. Less blade failures/changes, and more clearance. Mine is milwaukee with a cord, and don't have a table for it. I really like the idea of a foot or knee switch, and I think I might try to make one. Being able to turn off the machine immediately would make getting those little wedge shaped cut offs gagging things up slightly less of a pain in the ass to deal with
 
CasePeanut said:
I took @Horsewright’s suggestion and got a wired dewalt with a swag table. I found lots available used & cheap as everyone is moving to battery-powered saws. Cuts through metal, wood, micarta, acrylic…..
Click to expand...
+1 on corded. A tool of this size really needs a cord for our purposes.
 
Milwaukee corded with Variable speed pedal on Swag table....9 years of service so far. I replaced the rubber tires twice and one set of brushes, and one set of guide rollers.
 
I had a wired Dewalt that lasted for 7 years with nearly daily use. It died a year or so ago and I was having a hard time finding a replacement because of Covid and so I got one from Harbor Freight. The first one didn't work out of the gate and the second, replacement one, just didn't have the same performance. As a result I went back to Dewalt again recently.
 
I traded in my 4x6 for the Milwaukee with the off road swag table. Shoulda done it years ago. Either name brand should serve you well.
 
Yeah, corded Dewalt variable speed with a Swag table for the win. I zip tie the trigger and use a lightbar as the on and off switch. Cause I might use it for hours and hours at a time. Solid.
 
Any quality portaband + SWAG is the way. I like Milwaukee because it has a variable speed dial by the trigger that I forget is there all the time. I have mine plugged into a switched outlet receptacle I got 3 of for $10 on Amazin. Velcro cord keeper came with my SWAG table to hold the trigger down, so I turn on/off at the outlet switch at the bench. Slick setup, and versatile.
 
Milwaukee has a deepthroat, I think that may be worth it.

You have to check what SWAG works with, they have different models

I have the OLD style HF, works great.
I think the new style Bauer HF would be even better. I think SWAG supports them.

Without a doubt, corded.
 
I have a corded DeWalt that has worked awesome. I made a small saw table for it using existing screws. Then no stand for me I mounted it to a wall using the handle as bolt on . I didn't want a stand alone bandsaw on a bench. Wall mounted is awesome. Wish it was easier here to post pictures. Lenox blades it's unstoppable.
 
had a bunch of off cuts that I screwed together to hold this saw in place. Not pretty, but pretty solid. I used a bike spoke for the trigger lock. Pretty sure I can make a knee actuator for the trigger out of some more bike parts
 
I have the Bauer Deep Cut from HF. I made my own table with a 12x12x1/4" thick piece of mild steel. I used the bandsaw to cut the slice into the table for the blade and opened it up a bit with a Dremel Cut Off wheel for less binding when installing. For the Bauer, M5-.8mmx 20mm long screws work to attach the table to the bandsaw. I removed the existing blade guide and replaced it with the table. I used 4 pieces of wood dowel for the legs, but now that I can weld, I will be welding angle iron legs to the table when I drag out the welder next! I zip tied the power grip switch and added a HF foot pedal to control it on and off. Working great!!! SWAG tables are nice, but more expensive than my PortaBand! 12x12x1/4" steel was around $25-$30, couple bucks for screws and either a 1.5" diameter dowel or some angle iron and you are all set! If you need help figuring out where the screw holes go for the table, take 2 more screws, grind the head off, make one end into a point, and hand screw into the holes. Put the plate in place and tap it down onto the points to mark the steel for drilling. You can do it with one screw, measure the distance to the other screw as well. Or get it close and drill larger holes thru the table so you have some wiggle room and do a wider countersink for the screw head to sit into. I think my table and the foot pedal was maybe $50-60 total to do myself??

You could also weld a steel bar under the table and clamp that bar to the arm bar of a 2x72 belt sander instead of doing a table with legs.

Oe8Vadw.jpg
 
Just my two cents, but like many others I bought the Bauer portable band saw from HF. I realize a lot of folks like theirs. But, from day one I have wished I had spent the money for a Milwaukee or maybe Dewalt. Perhaps the quality control for HF/Bauer is bad (say it ain't so! haha) but when running, the motor sounds like somebody sprinkled sand in it, and is extremely loud. Also, it tracks badly, with the blade running off the rear of the top tire, and off to the front at the bottom. I have spend quite a bit of time tinkering with it, but to no avail. The thing works, and I guess I will live with it until it craters. But, when it does I am going to invest in a better saw. I guess I should have known better than to expect much quality at Harbor Freight! :confused:
 
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