Ridgid bandsaw

[sprucegum]

I bought one of the lowest rated Chinese knock off bandsaws. The only thing good about it was the 50 dollar price tag. The tires were non-existent, the legs were bent and wobbly, the table was rusted and the upper guide was broken. A harbor freight mobile base fixed the legs, elbow grease cleaned the table, new tires weren't expensive, and I bought some lower end ball bearing guides on eBay. I'm waiting for my box of assorted blades and some half oz stick on wheel weights to balance the wheels. It will probably never be a great saw but it's a upgrade from my 12 inch craftsman. I put the Craftsman on marketplace and got 125 dollars for it for a quick sale. I would have kept the Craftsman just to leave a narrow blade on but I don't have room enough.

 

[woodtickgreg]

Thats actually not a bad saw once its all tuned up.

 

[ripjack13]

I bought one of the lowest rated Chinese knock off bandsaws.

The entire internet agrees. replacing the tires, balancing the wheels and adjusting the motor pulley is a good place to start.
Ridgid is hit or miss with their offerings. Hopefully you can make this work in your favor.

 

[sprucegum]

The entire internet agrees. replacing the tires, balancing the wheels and adjusting the motor pulley is a good place to start.
Ridgid is hit or miss with their offerings. Hopefully you can make this work in your favor.

I've got a Ridgid 6 inch jointer that I bought new at least 15 years ago and it's a very good machine.

 

[sprucegum]

I finally finished putting this thing together, the stick on wheel weights worked good for balancing the wheels. The vibration is not bad and I think when I replace the dried up old drive belt it will get better. The eBay sealed bearing guides run quiet and the cam adjustment works good once I figured it out. The assortment of blades that I bought are pretty fine toothed for resawing but it seems to have enough power if I get a couple of course resaw blades. If I deduct the $125 that I sold the old one for the upgrade to a bigger saw only cost about $180. I've been collecting materials and doing back of my mind design for a fence that will adjust for drift and will cost mostly time.