Bandsaw or small tablesaw?

[Mark]

Related to my recent post about the Achilles heel of the tracksaw being a hassle to rip narrow pieces of stock got to think more about getting small bandsaw for my shop. I don't have one right now and don't foresee myself doing any resawing or having the space but would a bandsaw be a better solution for ripping lumber down than a contractor saw? My thoughts are that the bandsaw will enable me to start to build things like chairs and curvilinear projects whereas the contractor saw would be a big overlap purely for ripping.

I'd love a reason to get a Carvex for this purpose, but the task is to be able to rip down something like a 2x4 or smaller for trim.

Maximum size of bandsaw I can accommodate would be a 14" and the Rikon has gotten some good reviews. I could be convinced to go Laguna as well though

Thanks in advance for any advice/support. Aloha.

 

[Timtool]

Before i had a decent band saw, i used to do all my ripping on the panel saw, but even it's 5hp 3x380v engine would sometimes struggle and it is just exhausting work if you have large batches.
Now that i have a Hammer band saw i barely ever use the table saw for ripping anymore, all is done on the band saw. With a good machine and good blade you can rip fast, with a minimal kerf, pretty straight and with much less effort
It does require a planer to get the wood perfectly flat again, but with the table saw i did the same.

 

[nclemmons]

I use my bandsaw (Inca 10") much more than most of my other stationary tools.  Great for precision work, ripping, occasional cross-cutting in shorter pieces, etc.  And it is a lot safer than a table saw on most cuts.

neil

 

[leer]

A bandsaw is an incredibly versatile tool.  I have two.  My first was a small benchtop Delta, and it is an integral part of my lathe work.  I keep a very fine blade on it for things like squaring up the ends of pen blanks after inserting the brass tubes.  I am often trimming off a 1/16" slice or less.  It is also handy for cutting up small items used in model making, where I would not want to run a small piece thru a big powerful bandsaw, where safety would be a big issue.

I also have a 14" Powermatic, and I use this mostly for cutting curved pieces, and occasionally mounting a resaw blade on it for creating my own thin slabs, which are them run thru the planer, for segmented turning glue-ups on the lathe.

These uses dictate having a bandsaw.  But if I were just ripping long 2X lumber, I'd not want to do that on the bandsaw.  And I do have a table saw with out feed table, so I'm well set up to rip long pieces of lumber.  With the bandsaw, I would have to set up a roller stand, and it just is too much of a pain.  The one place where I do rip on the bandsaw is when I want to break down a smaller piece of exotic wood, and I want to minimize the loss from kerf waste on the table saw.  But these pieces are typically not long pieces, and therefore are pretty easy to handle on the bandsaw.

Based on your possible need to cut curves like chair legs, the bandsaw might be the best single solution, if you cannot opt to buy both saws.

 

[jacko9]

I have a Powermatic 20" bandsaw but, I would never rip lumber with it since it is so much easier to do it on my table saw.  If I only had a small amount of curved work I just use my Festool Jigsaw.

I would buy the Table Saw first.

Jack

 

[leakyroof]

As long as you're not needing a wider piece cut that exceeds your Bandsaw's capacity, you could be happy with one for all the reasons you listed. I have a 14" Rikon, with the 1 1/2HP motor. I love it.
Table saws are great too, I'd hate to lose mine, but if your shop is small, a decent Bandsaw can handle flat and curves plus more with ease, and take up very little of a footprint in your shop. [smile]

 

[Oldwood]

I prefer the band-saw for ripping lumber. I would get as big as you can afford, once you have it you will want to re-saw some stock. Ripping loose knot lumber on a table saw is quite a challenge but the band-saw is not an issue at all.

Gerry

 

[Jalvis]

The latest Fine Woodworking Magazine has a write up on the latest 14" Jet Bandsaw.  Looks like a great saw for the size and money.  Might want to check into it.

Jet JWBS-14SF Bandsaw