Looking for opinions on pivot head bandsaws

I'm looking to upgrade my ability to cut steel. Currently I'm using grinders with cut-off wheels, a Fein 9" metal cutting circular saw - and a Dewalt cold saw.

The grinders and Dewalt saw I typically use outside the shop if I can because of the mess they leave behind. What I really want to do - is be able to cut a LOT more accurately than what I can with the equipment I have.

So I looked into bandsaws - and what I want is to get a piece of equipment that will last for a while, cut accurately, and cut some larger stock. My shop is also crowded - so the pivot head bandsaws seem like the best option.

There seems to be a lot of options out there - but not a huge amount of reviews or information about all the options.

I've looked at the following:

Jet J-9180
Jet J-9225
Dake Zip 22
Hem Saw 2200XL
Hem Saw N215XL
Hyd-Mech DM6 (used - no longer in production)
Ellis 1200 thru 2000 series
Baileigh BS-210
Baileigh BS-250
Grizzly G0614
Bolton Tools BS-315G
Kama EV-97

and a number of other ones.

I know everybody seems to like the Ellis saws - they seem to get the best reviews. For some reason they don't really appeal to me - I've read some bad reviews of the vise setup on those also.

The Baileigh BS-250M and the Jet J-9225 are the models I keep going back to - and the Grizzly G0614 seems really appealing because it's at a really good price point. I bought a Grizzly metal brake last year - which after some extensive comparison shopping I figured was pretty much the same brake as that sold by like 5 other companies (including Jet and Baileigh) - but Grizzly was a much better price.

So I'm wondering if the same trend would hold true with the Grizzly bandsaw.

What I'm really after though is accuracy - I've got a couple of jobs where I really need the parts to be cut square and to be dimensionally consistent.

I'm willing to pay more for a better say - but I'd rather pay less if what I'm really looking at here is the same saws with just different paint jobs on them.

I have heard good things about pretty much all the Italian made stuff like the Kama, Hem and the HydMech stuff. Are the Taiwan made saws like the Jet, Baileigh, and Grizzly of the same cut quality?


Any advice is appreciated!!

Roll-in & Baxter Verticut

Might want to read the rules regarding discussion
on some of your selections BTW.

Out of those, Ellis. I have owned 2 of them. For the price, you can't find anything better new and made in the US.
Find yourself a used Marvel if you want a real saw though.

If you are going to cut stainless steel or some tool steel there are things to take in count. As a pivot head saw will cut chips as starts thick and then are thinner in the end of the cut, you will find stainless will go so hard that the blade starts to slip and get dull. I have such experience from cold saws. I went from a pivot head cold circular saw to a parallel head circular cold saw. It is much better for me, every teeth cut chips of the same thickness through the cut.
IMO a circular cold saw also cut better finish but a band saw has better efficiency.

Are you cutting large batches of same length parts or do you have a bunch of different dimensions to work to?

If it's the latter you'll see the most benefit from a nice work table and an easy to set backgauge. You don't need anything CNC, just something that can be set to a known dimension (typically just glue a tape measure on the rail with a little needle) and avoid the need for marking all of your stock.

Using essentially the same chop saw in two different shops we can hold tolerances of about +-0.015 with square cuts or +-0.075 with +-3 degree cuts, all because one has a nice table and backstop while the other is just a saw on a stand.

Marvel #8 or newer...... Awesome

Don't buy a POS throwaway saw shaped machine.

roll-a-leblond said:

Marvel #8 or newer...... Awesome

Don't buy a POS throwaway saw shaped machine.

Click to expand...

Ummm - yeah.

That's not happening. I simply don't have the space in my shop to dedicate to something like that - that's why I've been looking at the pivot head saws.

Looks like the Marvel #8's go for like $30k new. I'm sure they can be had for a lot less used. But I'm also not looking for a treasure hunt or a restoration project.

Strostkovy said:

Are you cutting large batches of same length parts or do you have a bunch of different dimensions to work to?

If it's the latter you'll see the most benefit from a nice work table and an easy to set backgauge. You don't need anything CNC, just something that can be set to a known dimension (typically just glue a tape measure on the rail with a little needle) and avoid the need for marking all of your stock.

Using essentially the same chop saw in two different shops we can hold tolerances of about +-0.015 with square cuts or +-0.075 with +-3 degree cuts, all because one has a nice table and backstop while the other is just a saw on a stand.

Click to expand...

I'm probably going to end up doing a little of both. Right now I've got a few projects lined up where they will basically be one-offs with a bunch of individual parts (large tubes) - but I need the cuts to be relatively precise - and square.

I've already been looking around at different infeed and outfeed work tables I've seen on different saws. I've run across a few setups where people made really nice outfeed extensions that gave me a few ideas - and I've seen some nice outfeed tables in the Hyd-Mech brochures that gave me some good ideas for creating work stops.

McMaster-Carr has glue down and screw down rulers - so once I figure out what saw I'm going with I'll figure out what I'm going to do for an outfeed table with a nice work stop on it.

calsdad said:

Ummm - yeah.

That's not happening. I simply don't have the space in my shop to dedicate to something like that - that's why I've been looking at the pivot head saws.

Looks like the Marvel #8's go for like $30k new. I'm sure they can be had for a lot less used. But I'm also not looking for a treasure hunt or a restoration project.

Click to expand...

Eggzachary !

While I have run them, and they are nice, they are big and expensive.

That's why I suggested the Roll-in/Parma/Work-a-matic/Verticut type.

Similar action (no tilting though) and much smaller and much less cost as well.

Very versatile, that's why they are popular in the small shops around here.

If you would like the pivoting frame (so you don't have to re-position your roller stands, and have long lengths out into the shop) every time you make a miter cut,there is a roll-in model (although I can't recommend it) and there is a Woodmizer tilt frame saw (IIRC they spun it off as "MetalMizer") that is shorter, and less money than the aforementioned "Marvel 8".

Ellis 2000: Have one at home. Works awesome, still on the 1st blade after 3 years of weekly use on a wide variety of materials.

Hyd-Mech S-10: Had one in operations here at the plant. Everyone in the shop used it to cut everything from PVC, .030 wall SST Tubing. Brake Tooling to rolls of paper. No one took care of it yet it cut straight and square if set-up correctly. Finally after 21 years of neglect it sits in the back room waiting to be repaired or scrapped. Head Rotation Bearing is out. Parts are not available but can be made. I might take it home and rebuild it and sell it off.

Hyd-Mech S-20: Replacement for the S-10. 8 months after initial set-up and it is holding it's own. We have a PM program for it, limit the materials cut on it so it should last a good long time until the gang decides to start abusing it again. Highly recommend.

Scotchman AFSVS350: Had this one in production for 16 years. Limited on size and Angle. Have a NC Feeder on it. Great little saw. Accurate and cuts clean. Using the feeder you lose about 9inches of material for clamping. Highly recommend.

A saw is only as good as the set-up.

Good luck.

To add to your list

FMB Phoenix. Italian made. We have two that have been workhorses. Set you back about $5k.

I suppose this is way too late to be much help to the OP, but, I have a saw that is basically the same model as the grizzly or jet or baileigh. It cuts square and the the miter angles are very accurate. Very happy with it. If I had to get another saw, I would get the grizzly without hesitation.

fortyonethirty said:

I suppose this is way too late to be much help to the OP, but, I have a saw that is basically the same model as the grizzly or jet or baileigh. It cuts square and the the miter angles are very accurate. Very happy with it. If I had to get another saw, I would get the grizzly without hesitation.

Click to expand...

You might want to refrain from suggesting Grizzly tools on here.

Just sayin...

I have a Jet 9x16 1" blade saw that I have been real happy with. It's not a hobby machine. It will cut 24" material, miter large I-beams and cut 10" solid bar. It weighs about 1500 lbs and I have it on large heavy casters which is really nice.

I recently added a large full auto Kalamazoo saw about 20x30 capacity 1.25 blade and it's a great saw, but it doesn't replace the Jet. I'm not going to miter cut I-beams in the Kalamazoo or put it's 5000 lbs on casters and roll it around.

I picked up a Ellis 1600 a year or two ago and bought their optional screw type vise, it's worked flawless for me. It's not a Marvel by any means but neither was the price tag.
Pete

Imet BS 3 plus GH Autocut Band Saw | Addison Saws

Is what i liked the most out of all the ones i have used. Difference between this and the cheaper baleigh ones and some of the other import ones is carbide blade guides, not roller bearings IMHO that and hydraulic down feed once set right give you crazy long blade life and great cut quality and squareness. Just set it going and walk away, cut after cut.

Being able to switch the side the clamp is and mitre the head both ways is a essential feature if your having to do stuff with bent tubes and such, its great for fab style - job shop repair type work. Now if your cutting 10" rounds to feed a machine shop, IMHO you want something far heavier, dual coloum but if your after mitring - fab use, this kinda saw rocks. Imet are nice, but to me the link - features in a saw like thats what you want more so than a particular brand, if you can get something local that ticks the same boxes with a solid build quality you won't probably be disappointed. Go for roller bearing blade guides, go for something thats only 18" off the floor or less than a 1" blade though and your setting your self up for disappointment - fighting cut quality and blade life span for years to come!