Bandsaws. Good, bad, ugly?

[cardiffrob]

My ali bodied car project needs some woodwork for the frame so I need a bandsaw (I assume) to fabricate the Ash structure. Lots of them on Eb*y for just over £100, but are the any good? Are they safe to operate if they are bought 'on a budget'?

Does anyone have any feedback or even have something for sale?

Thanks

Rob

 

[lchris21]

If you're not after 3 tonnes of olde English cast iron......keep an eye out for a Startrite 301 or a Bandit.......

I picked up one last year from a garage clearout on Ebay. Have converted it to cut steel with a reduction box and it runs sweet. Very small footprint and very handy.

Avoid any Chinglish origin ones as they seem to be made from damp spaghetti

 

[RBDIVE]

After spending much of my project doing what you need to do,
you will need to buy a bandsaw quite large IE big throat depth, helpful to have a deep cut depth for ripping planks down, A big table that tilts with guides either side of the blade. Ive been using a Record floor mounted bandsaw, with a cast iron top which I think is a 300mm cut and throat, blade length is about 2.3 or 2.4m I would consider now this to be too small. Looking at the £100 fleebay things you will struggle. Have a look at the large record ones that bolt to the floor to see what I mean.
if I were doing this again I would buy much bigger

 

[pedrobedro]

What kind of woodwork, is it something you could do with a good quality jig saw ? I found a good one on a flea market, an old Black and Decker DN 39 with an infinitely variable speed control and an orbital action and it rips through timber.