Fedler FB 610 Bandsaw?

[DavidCBaker]

Any of you have this model? I need a bandsaw. I had a similar model years ago and sold it (unfortunately). Want something that'll last forever and have tight tolerances. I probably only need 15+ inches of capacity, and this has more. I want the X-Life and ceramic stuff or equivalent.

I'm describe myself as a serious hobby builder. Not commercial. Furniture, cabinets, boxes, etc. I'll be resawing and cutting patterns.

This thing requires single phase (4 hp), so I'll have to upgrade the electrical entrance.

Just wondered if you've been happy with your purchase.

 

[TomGadwa1]

I do not own a Felder, I am a happy owner of the Laguna 14SUV combined with the Driftmaster fence using the Precision Pro mount, This saw is very accurate and powerful as well. It has a tall resaw capacity and cuts using the fence VERY accurately.

 

[DavidCBaker]

Whoa. That price looks about one-half of what I'm being quoted, even with a discount.

 

[escan]

I was shopping for a 610/710, read positive reviews on sawmill creek but your best bet is the felders owners group on yahoo groups.

You have to email the admin for registration but well worth the wait, plenty of members and resources.

 

[DavidCBaker]

Thank you! Really appreciate it.

 

[lwoirhaye]

Like Festool, Felder makes some terrific stuff in some categories and in others it may be not much different from competing Italian products sold at lower prices.  Felder's line boring machines come to mind.

I think Felder band saws were made by Meber.  Maybe they've changed suppliers.  Some folks say the Agazzani saws were the best of the Italian-style modern steel frame saws.  In any case, no matter how refined the saw, a wonky blade can make wonky cuts so you have to keep an eagle eye on the behavior of your tooling with band saws.  I us a less-than-new or fancy band saw and get cuts I can accept, mainly because I solder up my own blades from coil stock and because the darn saw has  3 wheels and the blades break from work hardening before the get dull enough to wander.  YMMV.

 

[nclemmons]

David - did you end up purchasing the larger property for a home and new shop?!

 

[DavidCBaker]

David - did you end up purchasing the larger property for a home and new shop?!

Yep. 61 acres, including a three-car detached garage that'll be my shop, and another 30 x 60' metal barn.

 

[junk731]

I have the FB 600 which was the introductory for Felder making their own larger bandsaws. It cost me $3000.00 CDN in 2010. Before this saw the  Felder FB540, 640 and higher were ACM rebrands much like Laguna was doing. With the FB 610 they introduced the 45 degree tilt table. Its been a good saw and more than adequate for anything I've needed and runs on 240 V single phase which is a bonus. I run a Lenox CT Woodmaster blade that works extremely well for resawing and ripping for a fraction of the cost of the Laguna Resaw King. I honestly can't see the need for anything larger unless you plan on doing extreme resawing or huge table cuts but its your cheque book.

 

[DavidCBaker]

I have the FB 600 which was the introductory for Felder making their own larger bandsaws. It cost me $3000.00 CDN in 2010. Before this saw the  Felder FB540, 640 and higher were ACM rebrands much like Laguna was doing. With the FB 610 they introduced the 45 degree tilt table. Its been a good saw and more than adequate for anything I've needed and runs on 240 V single phase which is a bonus. I run a Lenox CT Woodmaster blade that works extremely well for resawing and ripping for a fraction of the cost of the Laguna Resaw King. I honestly can't see the need for anything larger unless you plan on doing extreme resawing or huge table cuts but its your cheque book.

I'm teaching a seminar all day, but plan to head to the local Woodcraft store on the way home and look at what they have and make a tougher decision that I thought was going to be easier. What can you tell me about the Rikon and Laguna brands, if you don't mind?

 

[junk731]

I know nothing about Rikon but they all appear to be in the light weight category. It depends what your expectation are and the type of work. Personally no matter what, IMHO, if you have the budget don't go for anything less than a 20"/510mm machine with good resaw height and you will have a great all around machine. The Laguna 24" if its european made should be good machine but have heard some not so great things about dealing with Laguna. Agazzani was sold to Panhas in Germany but has machines in NA and then there is the SCM/Minimax stuff made in Italy. You could also consider Grizzly just as long as it the heavy weight line, Taiwanese made but that's not necessarily a bad thing as they are producing some great equipment. David there is a lot of BS out there to wade through with most coming from those with an agenda, don't believe all the hype about Italian machines or any of the sideways comments about higher end Taiwanese. I don't fully trust anything coming out of mainland China mainly because of the loose interpretation of material specs. Lastly I own a Felder that has worked good for me and was had at a bargain basement price but I don't consider the FB 510, 610 or 710 to be top of the line machines.

 

[Peter_C]

Yep. 61 acres, including a three-car detached garage that'll be my shop, and another 30 x 60' metal barn.

I don't think anyone on here could complain about that setup

If you have metal working aspirations in your future, I would also recommend getting a bandsaw that can be slowed way down. Vertical bandsaws work excellent for metal working, but wood specific models won't work for metal due to their higher speed. Metal/wood projects are a progression, and open up lots of options. Just trying to mess with your head a little more

 

[live4ever]

Yep. 61 acres, including a three-car detached garage that'll be my shop, and another 30 x 60' metal barn.

I don't think anyone on here could complain about that setup

If you have metal working aspirations in your future, I would also recommend getting a bandsaw that can be slowed way down. Vertical bandsaws work excellent for metal working, but wood specific models won't work for metal due to their higher speed. Metal/wood projects are a progression, and open up lots of options. Just trying to mess with your head a little more

Not to detract from David's original intent with this thread, what you said piqued my interest.  Of the "big-name" bandsaws that are usually thrown around for woodworking, are any suitable for metal work in your opinion?  Or does it make more sense to have a smaller, cheaper bandsaw for that purpose?

In my limited experience mixing metal and wood in the end-product is awesome, but in the shop is not!  [tongue]

 

[lwoirhaye]

It's not a problem to cut both metal and wood on one saw if it will run slow enough.  The metal dust can get carried by the blade and embed in the wood though.  If that happens, it may cause wear to other tools and finishing problems.  I'd tend to avoid planing stock that had been run through a thickness sander for the same reason.  My stuff is set up to cut and work with clean, new material.

 

[nclemmons]

David -

You might want to call Jesse at Eagle Tools in LA. www.eagletools.com  They were the national distributor for Agazzani before they went out of business.  But he can tell you the legacy of most of the tool brands in terms of where they are made and their quality.  He's a great guy and knows a lot about bandsaws.  I am not sure what bandsaws they are offering today, but I've been to his showroom and seen his inventory.

He was an early distributor for Inca and today is the prime source for those of us looking for Inca parts. That's how I know him as I have several Inca tools that are approaching 35 years old and still going strong.

 

[DavidCBaker]

Thank you, Neil.

 

[John P Clark]

I have had one since 2014, and it has been a great bandsaw.  I updated to the ceramic guides when they became available(I think they come with them now). I have no complaints with the saw as it runs great.  If you have any specific question, let me know and I will answer to the best of my ability

 

[DavidCBaker]

I have had one since 2014, and it has been a great bandsaw.  I updated to the ceramic guides when they became available(I think they come with them now). I have no complaints with the saw as it runs great.  If you have any specific question, let me know and I will answer to the best of my ability

Well, I'm going to take you up on that, then! Placed my order this morning for the 610. The specs indicate the ideal blade length, so my two questions are:

1) What's the very best blade brand? I don't want to spend this much on a bandsaw and not match it with a terrific blade.

2) Which two blades should I get? I need one for resawing...and one for finer detail work.

You can see that I'm a newbie.

 

[ScotF]

I have had one since 2014, and it has been a great bandsaw.  I updated to the ceramic guides when they became available(I think they come with them now). I have no complaints with the saw as it runs great.  If you have any specific question, let me know and I will answer to the best of my ability

Well, I'm going to take you up on that, then! Placed my order this morning for the 610. The specs indicate the ideal blade length, so my two questions are:

1) What's the very best blade brand? I don't want to spend this much on a bandsaw and not match it with a terrific blade.

2) Which two blades should I get? I need one for resawing...and one for finer detail work.

You can see that I'm a newbie.

Awesome!

You need several blades - I would get 1.25 inch carbide resaw blade. I have the Resaw King from Laguna and love it and there are other brands that are good too - Lennox makes several. You will need a variety of other blades, depending on what you are cutting. To get by with two blades will limit your cutting - you need small blades for finer scrolling and tight curves and wider blades for more general work. I would say for most things 1/2 and 3/8 will do lots of work and 1/4 for tighter curves. Then there are the number of teeth and the tooth-set to consider. I recommend getting the Lonnie Bird's book on bandsaws as a good tutorial on set-up and blades and of course Mark Duginske is an expert on the subject with some of his books on the topic.

 

[DavidCBaker]

Very much appreciated. Off to start reading!