a good benchtop bandsaw and drill press?

[kevinT]

Can anyone recommend a quality benchtop bandsaw and drill press at a fair price?

thanks

[John_H]

This is a good value. Mine works great. Sears will take it back if it doesn't suit your needs. There's always a good selection of blades in the store by me.

[black_labb]

what are you using it for? makes it easier to get an idea of what size your after.

ive been borrowing one at the butcher shop i work at on saturdays for my guitar making, the boss doesnt mind as hes interested in what im making as he used to be quite into guitar playing before he got married and had kids.

[kevinT]

looking to use both of them for creating tooling for my winder, jigs, bobbin work, baseplate work...etc....

need something for the bench that is well built, and cost around $100-300.

[Joe Gwinn]

looking to use both of them for creating tooling for my winder, jigs, bobbin work, baseplate work...etc....

need something for the bench that is well built, and cost around $100-300.

What materials do you hope to cut, and in what thicknesses? Is this for production, or only for research?

[kevinT]

What materials do you hope to cut, and in what thicknesses? Is this for production, or only for research?

Plexiglass/plastics, forbon, wood (oak/maple). Probably nothing more than 3/4 inch thickness. It would be for both production and research.

[black_labb]

Plexiglass/plastics, forbon, wood (oak/maple). Probably nothing more than 3/4 inch thickness. It would be for both production and research.

cant see you having trouble with a fairly small unit, maybe a different blade for the plexiglass/fourbon. i assume it will come with a blade suitable for wood.

[David Schwab]

I have a big floor standing drill press, and also an Atlas milling machine that we do most of out drilling on, but I wanted a benchtop press to keep at home.

I ended up buying this one. The price was the deciding factor, as I also bought my winder at the same time, so that took a big bite out of my budget! (damn over-priced Schatten!)

5 Speed Mini Drillpress

It's made in China, and the quality is pretty good. Couldn't find anything wrong with it, and it's been working perfectly.

[David King]

The same 8" DP is often on sale at Harbor freight for $39. I have one and it works OK on the slowest speed. If I speed it up it starts jumping and bumping. I've discovered the QC at Harbor freight is luck of the draw. I now routinely take things back over and over until I get one that works the way I want. It helps that the store is 4 blocks away from me.

Someone in Seattle was selling the smaller Inca bandsaw for $250 on craigslist. That's a nice one at that price. Proxxon also makes a cool little bandsaw now for about that much.

[David Schwab]

The same 8" DP is often on sale at Harbor freight for $39. I have one and it works OK on the slowest speed. If I speed it up it starts jumping and bumping. I've discovered the QC at Harbor freight is luck of the draw. I now routinely take things back over and over until I get one that works the way I want. It helps that the store is 4 blocks away from me.

Yeah, mine was about $39 when I bought it. I have it on one of the middle speeds. It's very smooth running, and there's no noticeable spindle run out.

Someone in Seattle was selling the smaller Inca bandsaw for $250 on craigslist. That's a nice one at that price. Proxxon also makes a cool little bandsaw now for about that much.

Inca bandsaws are real nice!