In this guide we’ll take a look at the best band saws for the money!
We’ve compared build quality, features, safety, and cost
to give you our top recommendations.
What Is The Best Band Saw?
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More Detailed Band Saw Reviews
Makita 2107FK 240V Portable Band Saw
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Makita 2107FK 240V Portable Band Saw Review
The Makita 2107FK 240V Portable Band Saw is one of the best band saw machines for site work if you don’t have the luxury of a spacious workshop.
The 710 Watt variable speed motor makes it suitable for cutting a variety of materials. The maximum dimensions for a rectangular workpiece are 4″ x 4″ and 4¾” for a circular piece. The Makita band saw is light and easy to transport yet it still feels very sturdy due to its aluminium frame and motor housing. The band saw machine saw comes with a blade, wrench and carry case.
This lightweight yet sturdy model is one of the best band saws for site work or where space is limited – it’s a very powerful yet portable band saw in a compact design.
Dewalt DCS371N-XJ XR Compact Band Saw
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Dewalt DCS371N-XJ XR Compact Band Saw Review
The Dewalt DCS371N-XJ XR Compact Band Saw is another portable band saw ideal for site work. It cuts a range of metal parts easily with no sparking and creates smooth burr-free cuts. The saw will cut metal pipe up to 2″ and can be hand held to cut in a variety of orientations including overhead. The saw comes with one blade.
This is a quite an expensive band saw machine but if you are regularly cutting metal and other materials on site it will save you a lot of time and effort.
Lumberjack BS254 Professional Band Saw
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Lumberjack BS254 Professional Band Saw Review
The Lumberjack BS254 Professional Band Saw is well built and sturdy with minimal vibration when in use. The 10″ throat width allows you to cut large sized workpieces with ease and the band saw machine will cut to a depth of 6”/150 mm. The 375 Watt induction motor is powerful and quiet and has two different speed settings (400 & 800 m/min). There is also a flexible working light which really helps you see what you are doing. The table is made from precision ground cast iron and tilts from 90 degrees to 45 degrees.
The saw comes with a 12 mm blade for producing nice straight cuts that are smooth and clean. You may want to order a 6 mm blade with this machine for cutting curves. The band saw also comes with a lock on rip fence, crosscutting mitre guide, mitre gauge push stick and circle cutting jig.
The saw is fitted with an integral dust collection drawer and the machine can also be attached to your dust extraction system.
There is a safety lock on the doors that ensures power is cut to the motor when these are open for blade changing or cleaning.
Overall this is a bandsaw with plenty of power and features for the money.
Dirty Pro Tools Professional Band Saw
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Dirty Pro Tools Professional Band Saw Review
The Dirty Pro Tools Professional Band Saw offers a good spec for the money and has a compact design suitable for bench mounting. The 350 Watt induction motor provides plenty of power to make light work of most cutting tasks. It has a cutting depth of 80 mm and width of 190 mm. The cutting table is 300 mm square and tilts from 90 to 45 degrees. It is supplied with a 6 mm blade.
This is a cheap bandsaw that is easy to use and ideal for craft and hobby uses, producing clean accurate cuts. It is not as heavy and sturdy as the larger machines but it is one of the best mini band saws for the smaller workshop.
Axminster Hobby Series HBS200N Band Saw
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Axminster Hobby Series HBS200N Band Saw Review
The Axminster Hobby Series HBS200N Band Saw is a great saw for the smaller workshop as it has all the features and power of a cabinet mounted saw in a bench mounted design.
The chassis is made from welded steel and the table is cast iron. It has a direct drive 250 Watt motor and balanced cast alloy wheels. The saw takes blades from 6-13 mm and is supplied with a 6 mm blade. It will cut wood up to a depth of 80 mm and width of 200 mm and is suitable for a range of materials including hardwood and steel with the right blades.
The saw is sturdy, smooth and quiet to use. It is easy to position the rip fence and cutting is accurate and clean.
This bandsaw is very good value for money and great for the craft workshop. It is also one of the best hobby bandsaws for the UK market.
Band Saw Buyer’s Guide
The bandsaw is a useful and versatile piece of equipment in the workshop. It is suitable for a variety of uses including cutting deep sections, curved and straight lines, and even circles. It can also make rip cuts, cross cuts and re-saw with ease.
The best bandsaws effortlessly cut metal and portable versions are excellent for site work and when space is limited.
When choosing a band saw machine a lot will depend on what you want to use it for, how much space you have and of course your budget.
There are however a few other things to consider when looking for the best bandsaw for your needs.
Power
The size of the motor will affect the bandsaw’s performance and its ability to handle heavier applications. A good range model for woodworking and hobby usage will be around 250 – 375 Watts. Professional saws will have a higher specification.
Frame
The quality of the frame determines the stability and durability of the complete band saw machine. If possible choose a band saw machine made from heavy duty material such as welded steel or cast iron.
Speed
The higher the speed the faster the cut. However, when cutting very hard materials you will want to cut more slowly so a variable speed machine is more advantageous here.
Cut depth
The larger the cutting depth the thicker the material you will be able to cut.
Cutting width / throat
The throat is the distance from the blade to the vertical frame section of the saw. This distance determines the width of cut that can be made. Most bandsaws have this measurement in inches from 10″ to 12″, 14″ and higher. Some products descriptions cite the cutting width instead.
Blades
A saw is only as good as its blade, so be prepared to invest in some good quality blades whatever saw you choose.
FAQs
What blade do I need to cut curves with my bandsaw?
The following table gives a general guide to the bandsaw blades required for cutting different curves
Blade width Minimum radius
13 mm (1/2″) 10 mm (3/8″)
6 mm (1/4″) 19 mm (3/4″)
5 mm (3/16″) 13 mm (1/2″)
3 mm (1/8″) 10 mm (3/8″)
Can I use one blade for cutting curves and straight lines with my bandsaw?
It is usually best to keep a separate blade for cutting straight lines as cutting curves will disturb the set of the teeth on the blade. This makes it virtually impossible to cut a straight line with the blade afterwards.
