Hi Kev

You should not be afraid to use a bandsaw. Follow the instructions, look at a couple of videos and take advice from FOG members and you will be fine. I could not manage without mine.

I have a very old Electra Beckum machine from Germany. They have been taken over by Metabo. Mine appears to be like their BAS 317 model but I could be wrong.

I use two blades; a 6mm blade for scroll work and tightish curves and a 18mm blade (might be 19mm) for everything else. With the larger blade I regularly re-saw timber upto 6 inches thick. I recently bought some Idigbo in a huge lump about 80mm thick by 330mm wide. My little bandsaw just ate it up with no problem at all. When you buy a cheap bandsaw throw the supplied blade away and buy the best that you can find. I do very little ripping of wood on my table saw as I prefer the bandsaw followed by the jointer/planer.

Peter

Oops - forgot the pictures...

I used the have a Elektra Beckum BAS450 (now metabo as Peter mentioned) and thought it was ok, even though it could not cut straight or very deep without wandering.
Now i have the Hammer N4400 and it's terrific, for the money it's really a great machine. I'm using it 10 times more than my previous one, it's so precise that i do all my ripping on it instead of the panelsaw. Now i am using my panel saw allot less. Changing blades is relatively quick.
The negative part would be the small size of the table, but i built a long out feed table for it. Ans also when working with wood like pine the sawdust tends to stick on the rubber of the wheels and i need to clean it with a solvent each time i change blades. Something my Elektra never did.
And this machine must also absolutely be used with DC, otherwise the wheels will blow the fine dust in your face. Again something my Elektra didn't do.

But anyway i would very much recommend it, i have a couple Jet machines and they are decent but i would take a Hammer over it anytime when in similar price category.

Hi Kev,

You hear a lot of good things about the Hammer over here in the UK, and the Jet models are also seen as being pretty solid. Woodguy has got an 18 inch Jet if I recall, hopefully he'll chime in with his thoughts. I've got a big Startrite and wouldn't be without it, it's one of those tools you wonder how you did without. Go for it.

Cheers,
Rick

I have no idea what the tires are made of, but there are some elastomers like EPDM that would be subject to attack from these solvents. As I said it would be best to contact Felder about it.

I bet you could find a nice Wadkin or other english BS down under.

...gidday Kev...
I just had a looky at the Hammer at the Brisbane WWWS... most impressed compared the Jet, Carbatec...etc.
I definitely will grab one within the next couple of months.
Watch out at the Sydney WWWS, Hammer/Felder will be there.

Glenn

Never seen a Wadkin down here ... just checked local machinery suppliers, the only Wadkin I saw was an old monster.

I'm really warming to the Hammer ... somehow I need to conjure up about 20 sqm of planet earth to fit it in, along with a high volume chip collector and a jointer/planer & thicknesser.

It sounds like you are going through exactly the same process I am. Including the spouse reaction. The planer/thicknesser will likely be a Hammer A3/31. It's capacity seems to match very well with the N4400. Haven't decided on a extractor yet, I don't know if I need a centrifugal or I can get away with a single stage...

I guess one thing in my favor is my wife lived on a farm in Austria for a year as an exchange student, a time she has fond memories of. The Austria angle will be a help.

I have a Metabo ..
Though Germany is written, it seems to me all the same China.
I can say about this saw. all plastic handle (turn the table and lifting the rod) fell off at once. saws as well as normal, it all depends on the canvas.
I want a Powermatic.

Metabo BAS 317 PRECISION

Paisley White was another manufacturer that was big on importing into Australia too.

I am still on the hunt for a 36" Tannawitz.....

I think that most of the Italian made bandsaws will work well...personally I have a Laguna and I have had nothing but the best experience from them...of course, I live close to their HQ and know the owner and a few of their sales folks very well.  I would not hesitate to recommend them or their machines and they have stood by their products -- I had a casting break that supports the upper wheel and they gave me a new part free of charge on a saw that was 9 years old at the time -- to me, that is customer service...this machine is well outside the warranty period and they could have easily said that it was not covered.  Granted, this problem is a rarity and a defect from the manufacturer, but the fact that they replaced with no issues speaks to what they will do on service. 

Most of the ACM line of bandsaws will work great, regardless of the brand stuck on them -- Felder's ACM line, Laguna and a host of others come from the same factory and they are all well engineered, accurately made machines built to last.  Felder has the newer version of the 24 inch machine that they make in Austria and of course Aggazanni makes a nice saw too...I know Jesse at Eagle Tools and have crawled around those machines too -- all are close in price and really it comes down to what type of guides you like (ceramic or euro-style) and what kind of motor you want (Baldor vs. Euro).  Other features like table tilt can come into play (some machines only tilt 20 degrees, others 45 degrees); DC out of the crate (some have two ports, others have one and you can modify your saw to accept two).

Scot