The UK's bestBand Saws2022 Review

Based down in Devon, Axminster have been one of the leading names in woodworking tools since they started more than half a century ago. Famous for their solid own brand tools and legendary customer service, the Axminster AC1950B is probably the best floor standing band saw on the market today.

The table is made from thick cast iron. It’s thick enough to be completely stable and rigid, and Axminster have machined a 19 mm wide standard mitre slot into it to receive your own jigs and gauges. The included rip fence is an excellent bit of kit though. Supplied with accurate measurements on either side of the blade, it’s locked into place with one handle but still feels solid.

Thanks to the oversize construction of this band saw it can cope with rather large workpieces. You can cut timber up to 135 mm in height and the maximum throat size of 260 mm is the widest on my list. Changing the blades is no big deal either. Thanks to Axminster positioning the blade release channel on the side of the table, you can swap blades without needing to remove the rip fence.

Weighing 39 kg with the steel stand and large 550 Watt motor makes this a heavy addition to any workshop, but the extra weight should help to keep things steady. You can even select between two blade speeds: 660 and 840 m/minute.

Overall, this is a quality woodworking tool for serious DIYers who demand quality from their kit. It’s easily one of the best band saws in this price range and would be a fine addition to any shed or workshop.

Coming from the same UK firm that makes the impressive 10 inch freestanding band saw, Lumberjack also make a decent benchtop version. Their BS228 benchtop 9 inch band saw is ideal if space is at a premium, or you know you’re only going to work with smaller pieces of wood.

There’s a 300 Watt motor under the hood that powers the 1575 mm long saw blade round at 635 m/min. The maximum cutting capacity for height is 90 mm and has a throat that’s just under 230 mm in width. That’s an impressive capacity for what is a small, benchtop saw.  

The table is made from reasonably heavy gauge cast aluminium, and features cast aluminium wheels as well. Lumberjack have also managed to make this band saw run rather quietly, which is always a good idea. The soft start mechanism helps to keep the vibration and noise down as well.

For the money, this is one of the best band saws available right now for hobbyists. It might not have all the bandsaw features and premium materials used in a proper professional saw, but it’s much less expensive than one of those.

Coming from the same Devon-based wood wizards as the big AC1950B, this is Axminster’s best benchtop band saw. The Axminster Craft AC1400B is a capable but compact band saw that can cut odd shapes of timber in ways that other saws just can’t.

Even though it’s a small 8 inch band saw, it still takes a 1,400 mm long blade. Powered by a 250 Watt direct drive motor, it’s fixed at a cutting speed of 800 m/min. It’s got a decent maximum cutting capacity of 800 mm in height, but the 200 mm wide throat is the joint smallest on my list. It’s not bad for light benchtop bandsaws like this machine though.

Weighing just 20 kg, this is an ideal saw for a small workshop where space is at a premium. You can always store it out of the way when it’s not needed, in comparison with the big Lumberjack 10 inch band saw that needs to sit on a large stand.

Even though it’s a small band saw, you still get a sturdy cast iron table and a solid spine. This makes it a robust and accurate saw, even though it’s in a small package. And at 300 x 300 mm square, the table isn’t undersized for a benchtop machine.

British tool firm Lumberjack have been making waves in the DIY scene in recent years for their affordable yet quality kit. Their 10 inch band saw is a hugely capable floor standing woodworking machine that can tackle seriously big bits of timber.

Setup is relatively easy, although you might need to tinker with the blade guides before it will cut straight and true. Supplied with a steel stand, everything is solidly welded together and should be incredibly rigid and reliable.

Kitted out with a 375 Watt motor, it’s not as powerful compared to the Axminster Craft AC1950B, but it’s still got enough grunt to tackle big bits of material. In fact, you can cut materials up to 150 mm in height and with a throat of 254 mm, there’s a lot it can handle. The table is slightly bigger as well.

This band saw is a serious heavyweight as well. Coming in at a massive 43 kg, it’ll need a dedicated space in your workshop and a strong section of floor as well! You can choose from two different blade speeds, 400 and 800 m/minute, which gives you a bit more versatility than most benchtop models.

More famous for their clever cordless power tools and brilliant ONE+ battery system, Japanese pro’s Ryobi also dip their toes into woodworking tools as well. The Ryobi RBS904 benchtop 9 inch band saw is powerful, easy to set up, and features a decent work light.

One of the first things you’ll notice about this band saw is the big motor. Compared with the Axminster Craft AC1400B, it’s got more power to play with. You get 350 Watts of cutting power from the belt-driven brushed motor stowed down below. This powers the 1572 mm long blade round at a fixed speed of 660 m/min.

The cast aluminium table is slightly bigger compared with the Lumberjack BS228, at 305 x 305 mm. There’s plenty of space to work with, and you get a decent sliding fence and mitre guide too. With 80 mm maximum cutting height and a 230 mm (9 inch) throat, it’s more suitable for smaller pieces of timber.

The narrow blade that comes installed in this saw makes it an ideal woodworking tool for cutting curves and other irregular shapes. Weighing in at just under 20 kg makes it ideal for the small workshop. It’s not so heavy that it can’t be stowed away when it’s not in use.

German tool manufacturer Scheppach have close to a century of experience making excellent kit for professionals as well as DIYers. Their HBS20 benchtop 8 inch band saw is a basic and lightweight piece of woodworking machinery that’s suited to a workshop where space is at a premium.

Featuring a 250 Watt motor that sends the blade round at a fixed speed of 650 m/min, it’s not the fastest machine, but it still cuts well. The maximum cut height of 80 mm is decent, but it’s let down by a relatively small 200 mm throat.

There’s an aluminium quick release fence, and Scheppach have included a useful plastic push stick as well. The table itself measures 300 x 300 mm, but it doesn’t feel quite as sturdy compared with the Axminster Craft AC1400B. You do get measurements on the table itself though, which is a nice touch.

Overall, this is an affordable bandsaw. Unless you’re looking for a high precision, professional machine, this is one of the best budget band saws on the market right now.

One of the biggest and most respected tool brands around, Japan’s Makita make a huge range of power tools from impact drivers to electric chainsaws. What sets this Makita DPB182Z portable bandsaw apart from most of the other band saws on my list is that it’s handheld and powered by Lithium-Ion batteries.

It’s worth noting that this is a very different beast compared with the big freestanding band saws elsewhere on my list. It’s not going to replace the big Axminster Craft AC1950B in your workshop, but it’s one of the best handheld band saws on the market, especially for cutting metal.

The continuous cutting motion is far superior to the reciprocating motion you get from a jigsaw tool for most jobs. Weighing just over 4 kg, it’s nicely portable too. The blade goes round at 192 m/min and can handle materials up to 64 mm in diameter.

One of the most recognisable tool makes, the bright yellow and black stylings of US firm DeWalt are known around the world for their tough gear. The DeWalt DCS371N-XJ portable bandsaw is no exception. This is a hugely powerful handheld bandsaw that’s ideal for slicing through just about anything you can get into its jaws.

Similar in design to the Makita DPB182Z, this is a cordless band saw that makes use of DeWalt’s excellent XR battery system to make it go. Manufactured specifically for cutting metal and odd-shaped materials, it replaces the good old hacksaw or even an angle grinder in most applications.

Sporting a comfortable rear handle and large front auxiliary handle, this is comfortable to use, and slightly lighter than the Makita at just 3.9 kg without the battery. One of the main benefits of a tool like this is that it creates a lot less sparks than an angle grinder.

The 63 mm cutting capacity has nothing on a full-size woodworking band saw, but this is a totally different beast. If you’re trying to cut a lot of pipes or even things like rebar, this is one of the best metal band saws on the market today.