Need recommendation on decent benchtop, metal, vertical, variable speed bandsaw

bmklawt · Jan 11, 2021

I have a Dake V-16 bandsaw I just don't use enough to justify the space, is there a decent benchtop model out there you would recommend or a horizontal-vertical unit I could use to replace both my Dake vertical and Johnson horizontal bandsaws. The only vertical horizontal unit I've seen worth a hoot was a Greenlee.
This is just for my hobby garage to tinker around with building live steam models and such, I do most of my work in steel and do like and use the variable speed on the bandsaw.

Your help is greatly appreciated,
Bruce

Superbowl · Jan 11, 2021

The Swag Offroad portaband saw stand works great as a bench top saw.
SWAG V4.0 Portaband Table For Milwaukee Portaband Saws | eBay

The only issue is cutting plate more than 10 inches wide (5 inches each way.) I have had one for years and the plus you can easily disconnect the porta band saw and use it free hand.

Erichimedes · Jan 11, 2021

The porta band plus vertical adapter table is actually a really nice setup. Newer porta bands have speed control. Pretty affordable too.

DDoug · Jan 12, 2021

Superbowl said:
The Swag Offroad portaband saw stand works great as a bench top saw.
SWAG V4.0 Portaband Table For Milwaukee Portaband Saws | eBay

The only issue is cutting plate more than 10 inches wide (5 inches each way.) I have had one for years and the plus you can easily disconnect the porta band saw and use it free hand.

Erichimedes said:
The porta band plus vertical adapter table is actually a really nice setup. Newer porta bands have speed control. Pretty affordable too.

Just what you want...to listen to a screaming port-a-band.....Ugh.

GregSY · Jan 12, 2021

I think you're nuts to get rid of a fairly decent saw to save space. No one has that little space....and if they do, they shouldn't be doing anything. If you are that tight on space, sell all the tools and buy an XBox and sit inside playing online with 11 year olds.

projectnut · Jan 12, 2021

I don't think you're going to find anything in a multi use bench top model that is near the quality of the saws you currently have. If space is at a premium I would first consider putting the Dake saw on a mobile platform where the wheels can be lowered to move it, then retracted for use. There are a few floor model saws that can be used in either the vertical or horizontal position. However like any multi purpose machine they don't excel in both positions.

For many years Startrite made the H175 horizontal/vertical floor model bandsaw. I have one in the shop, but use it exclusively as a horizontal saw. This particular saw was sold though Clausing and is still supported. As I mentioned the one I have does excellent work in the horizontal position, but I've never tried it in the vertical. I don't have the vertical table, and have a dedicated vertical saw for contour work.

I do occasionally see these machines listed on eBay and at equipment dealers. Most look like they've been rode hard and put away wet. I happened across mine a few years ago when a local shop needed a larger more automated saw. This one dates from the late 1980's.

bsg · Jan 12, 2021

Superbowl said:
The Swag Offroad portaband saw stand works great as a bench top saw.
SWAG V4.0 Portaband Table For Milwaukee Portaband Saws | eBay

The only issue is cutting plate more than 10 inches wide (5 inches each way.) I have had one for years and the plus you can easily disconnect the porta band saw and use it free hand.

I bought one of these for doing some HVAC work in my house, cutting Unistrut and other hardware instead of walking out to the shop and use the Doall...saved a ton of time and walking out to the shop!
I also bought the foot switch for hands free operation, it worked great!

digger doug said:
Just what you want...to listen to a screaming port-a-band.....Ugh.

I didn't think the saw was that loud?

Kevin

crrmeyer · Jan 12, 2021

You are unlikely to find a bench top band saw that is quality and takes up a whole lot less space than your Dake V-16 from my experience. But the horizontal band saws like the Johnson can take up lots of floor space. Since you are not a commercial machine shop and thus throughput is probably not a primary concern, this is one of the few times a smaller power hacksaw with added wheels might make sense. Keller and Miller Knuth made smaller power hacksaws that could roll under a work bench and be out of the way when not in use.

gbent · Jan 12, 2021

I think if my space was at a premium I would get rid of the horizontal saw and keep the vertical. I would replace the horizontal with a portaband. For cuts on long stock with a vertical, DoAll offered a set of guides that twisted the blade 45 degrees. Could something similar be fitted to your Dake if necessary?

Cyclotronguy · Jan 12, 2021

Been in that ditch and I think I know the way out. I too have an "off hours" home shop and suffer from metal illness..... and I'm not about to trade machines for an X-box. I kept my 16" vertical saw, sold the 10" x 16" horizontal and replaced it with a porta-band and 65A plasma cutter with 25 foot leads.

Plasma cutter sits on a shelf above the door, next to a mig machine , and just outside the door a welding bench with a large vise. If I need something outside the range of what I can do efficiently. I have it processed off site.

Last example was 2" A36 plate. Initial processing easy and economical if you supply the vendor with a cad file.

kb0thn · Jan 12, 2021

digger doug said:
Just what you want...to listen to a screaming port-a-band.....Ugh.

I have a Milwaukee M18 fuel (brushless) cordless band saw. The motor doesn't really make any noise.

bmklawt · Monday at 11:51 AM

I sold the Johnson vertical saw two years ago and bought a Dewalt portaband 5" and SWAG V3.0 Portaband Table.
A few times I wish I had the vertical saw but not enough that I regret getting rid of it.

mike44 · Tuesday at 12:03 AM

DDoug said:
Just what you want...to listen to a screaming port-a-band.....Ugh.

I have the Swag table and a portaband saw. No louder than the 5x6 it replaced.

drcoelho · 2023-01-18T01:36:13-0600

Checkout Roll-In bandsaw, very small footprint. I have one in my small shop and it has worked out great.

kb0thn · 2023-01-18T06:26:37-0600

Old thread ... but new experience, so might as well share.

I've seen some pondering of Kama bandsaws over the years on here. I bought a couple of their small bandsaws a few years ago. Both have been excellent.

I have a Kama EV 90DM Portable Double Miter KAMA Bandsaw I use at my home shop. Cuts nicely and the vise and work supports being moveable is nice.

I have a Kama AD 105S Portable Benchtop Bandsaw that it at my work shop. We use it multiple times per day for all kinds of things we don't want to put onto the big CNC bandsaw. Cutting stock for fixture making and setup pieces and the like. And over the last year it has cut a ton conduit and strut for building improvements. It's fine and happy enough to chop up a pine 2x4 as well.

Kama (Elderfield & Hall) do sell vertical variants. When I spoke with them a few years ago, they said they weren't popular.

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Need recommendation on decent benchtop, metal, vertical, variable speed bandsaw

bmklawt

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Superbowl

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Erichimedes

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DDoug

Diamond

GregSY

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projectnut

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bsg

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crrmeyer

Stainless

gbent

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Cyclotronguy

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bmklawt

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mike44

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drcoelho

Stainless

kb0thn

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