Harbor Freight has a sale right now, and if you’re on their email list, you probably get a new coupon just about every day. I had a 15% off coupon and “needed” some odds and ends, so I took a trip to Worcester to check out their nearest retail location.
I’d been looking at horizontal band saws off and on for years, I just could never justify the cost. I think that changed when I used one to cut a 6″x3″ piece of mild steel in half. It took minutes, and was probably the quietest machine in the shop – even quieter than the fan. Any tool that efficient has a special place in my heart.
This one is an import and usually runs about $250. I was planning on getting this model at some point anyway, but right now it’s on sale (in-store only) for $189. With 15% off that’s only $160!!
I took a look at it in the store and was surprised to find that most of the parts are cast iron – not sheet metal like I expected. The bearings aren’t fancy, but the arm moves smoothly and the machine feels pretty solid. The bed and vise have a machined finish. The nice thing about this model is that you can lock it in the upright position and add a cutting plate to use it as a vertical bandsaw.
I haven’t even put the thing together yet, so I can’t say if it works as well as the one I’ve used, but for $160 I doubt I’ll be disappointed.