Cheap bandsaws (again)
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- Опубликовано: 28 сен 2024
- Hi everyone! In this (slightly long) video I take a look at the Screwfix Titan bandsaw as an alternative to the Aldi. Also some folllow-up to the previous video, hence the longer vid. Enjoy!
Previous bandsaw videos:-
£80 Bandsaw vs £200+ Bandsaw - • £80 Bandsaw vs £200 ba...
Axminster HBS200 bandsaw unbox & set up - • Axminster HBS200N band...
Also bandsaw blade change - • Bandsaw blade change #142
Cheap bandsaw, worthwhile or just a waste? - • Cheap Bandsaw - worthw...
Aldi bandsaw max capacity rip in Oak - • Aldi Bandsaw max. capa...
Bandsaw onsite, a surprising success - • Bandsaw onsite - a sur...
Axminster BS200 manual - goo.gl/RAcr2B
Scheppach bandsaw - goo.gl/HI8kAI
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Used/featured in this video:-
Festool Midi extractor - amzn.to/2tCIN3Q (US: amzn.to/2rKNIOx)
Aldi bandsaw - goo.gl/BpaVhN
Titan bandsaw - goo.gl/rZgEdA
Axminster bandsaw - goo.gl/eMkB4k
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Thank you Peter for reassuring me I bought the Aldi band saw . As I'm a retired bricklayer I've been doing bits and pieces and now spend hours everyday hiding from my wife in my shed . I only paid £60 for mine happy days 👍
Great price! And thanks! 👍👍
Peter, Thanks so much for posting , I have watched many of your videos and find them first class, after watching your reviews, I have bought the Aldi one, ordered it on line and was delivered within 3 days, haven't put it together yer, thats my job for tomorrow morning, keep posting big thanks once again from Garry in South Yorkshire UK
It’s a pleasure Gary. Enjoy your bandsaw - they’re great little machines, and simply astonishing for the money 👍👍
Hi Peter, The instructions for the band saw must have been written by a doctor as I didn't undertsand a thing lol, I came onto youtube and watched an American expert who set up a very large bandsaw but with the same principle, within 10 minutes I had mine set up pretty much spot on, thanks for the tip, and thanks to you I saved over 100 quid on a more expensive machine .
Nice one, Garry, well done! 👍
Wow, Peter, I loved your vlog about your ALDI bandsaw...then you did the comparison video...THEN this one!! SO MUCH information. THANK YOU. I’m 50 this year and want to add this to my collection of tools...I’m going for the Titan. X
That said the scheppach does sound tempting!
Thanks! These vids are a couple of years old now; Axminster have introduced an entry-level bandsaw with a cast iron table at around the same price as the Titan; if I was buying today, I’d be giving that one serious consideration 👍👍
Peter Millard ooooOOOoooW! That’s THE deal breaker! Once again...THANK YOU sir. Do you know, I find it REALLY refreshing to watch a video from the uk, I have absolutely nothing against any other countries’ Vlogs...it’s just the different terminologies,measurements,screaming music and shouting I can’t bare. 🤯🥴😬🥴🤯 Your channel is like sunlight on a crappy day! You don’t mig weld too do you? 🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂😂...Axminster does have some terrific stuff. #subcribed 👍🏼
Gail Pengelly Thanks Gail, that’s really kind of you to say, and I really appreciate the kind comments. Actually I am booked onto a welding course, as it’s something I’ve always wanted to try, so watch this space! 👍👍
Peter Millard, ME TOO, I got a mig welder for my 49th birthday...I’ve made a couple of bits but I REALLY want to master it. Our eldest granddaughter did an engineering cause & reckons tig is the easiest to get to grips with. I just can’t find a RUclips’r that is a concise as your videos. I will indeed watch this space. Thank you again.👍🏼🤟🏼👍🏼
The purpose of the leaver that removes the tension on the blade is
a) to prevent imprinting the blade on the rubber tire when the saw is not being used for long time. Those imprints result in uneven wheel surface that create vibration and lead to lower cut quality
b) prolonging blade life by removing stress from the weld when the blade is not being used
Due to slight variation in blade lengths the tensioning mechanism must be used every time when changing blades.
The lever is there only to take the tension off when the saw is not in use and put it back on the same preset amount before use.
It is a useful feature (if it works)
I have the Mastercraft (sold by Canadian Tire), a dead ringer for the Titan. The problem I have is with the lack of adjustability of the guides and thrust bearing. Very little available adjustment if you want to go to a 1/8" (3.125mm) blade.
I just picked up a MasterCraft bandsaw and going through it for the first time. Yes those tiny little metal nubs for the guides are difficult to work with
Now that watched the video a bit, you're right, it's exactly the same. The only minor difference I can see is the on/off switch
I bought the Aldi band saw and found it had really bad vibration. I had to balance the top and bottom wheels which improved the operation of the saw. It didn't take much to balance the wheel and I used hot glue as weight, which worked really well.
Interesting! I’d have just chucked it back to them! 👍
Love it. Try clamping the fence down on the TITAN. I wish that when you mention the price in pounnds you could tell us in US funds it would be. If that's possible
Regarding the wobbley fence!! Someone used doublesided tape to stick an aluminium ruler to the bottom of the fence which took the play out of tge fence. After that, the cuts were square!
Thanks for another incredibly helpful review, Peter. I only subscribed last week but have blasted through a raft of your content, and taken delivery of a Benchdogs rail square with 5% discount . The best bit so far was your use of the phrase, ‘fannying about’! Not heard that for ages……..
Thanks Ady, and welcome! Lots of back-catalogue to catch up on! 👍👍
I'm tempted to get a second bandsaw - I use my monster one for ripping and changing blades is a real PITA when you need them set up very precisely - a little cheapo with a 1/4" for scoll work would be a real luxury. BTW ALL cheapo manufacturers quote the INPUT wattage (bit dishonest marketing BS) which is usually 20 to 30% more than the actual output wattage - Axminster and proper brands dont do this - they'll all have equal motors, Titan here isnt direct drive which means less stress on the motor and a gearing advantage but a slight drop in power (though its less likely to stall)
After reading your very good review and thank you for that, I purchased the Titan, and I thought like you that the blade tension release lever did not work, but I found at least on my one, if you turn it anticlockwise as far as it goes until it touches the tracking knob it does work even with the tension knob set as far as it will go on maximum tension.
I agree with you about the 15 turn door screws, I have modified mine and now has (32mm diameter) large knobs the same style as the others on the machine with now only 4 turns with a circlip fitted into a groove in place of the squashed washer that they fit.
The last mod that have made was to fit a ( about 32cm long) flexy LED light that can be directed towards the blade as required.
Thanks for that update Raymond, very useful. I’ll take another look at the tension quick r lease, but I’m pretty sure it didn’t do anything on mine, whichever way I turned it! 👍
Thanks Peter for your reply. As the release lever is turned anticlockwise the rubber roller moves Downward (and not upward) resistance is then met (keep turning) as then it Compresses the spring all the way until it meets the tracking knob and then takes tension off the band.
I love how in the 1st video you were like “nah, don’t really use a bandsaw, meh” and now you have 3 😂
Not any more! 😂👍👍
I have an Aldi bandsaw (the older version with curved top), it still works fine for me.
Haha in the second shot you look like a giant against the tiny bandsaws. Love this video
Oh man you just keep giving!!! More of these please! I love reviews :) Testing of cheap/no name stuff is really fun to watch. Maybe some patreon thing could support you buying, testing, selling to keep a healthy amount of reviews going. Sorry for grammar .. brain is squashed after work and English is not my main language (latter is a bad excuse though)
Thanks! Patreon link in the description of every video, and at the end of every video. Very grateful for all the support, but always room for more! And your English is perfect! 👍👍
Hello sir. Nice review. If you don’t mind I would like to say that your information on the tension handle is a little off as it is designed to release the tension by pushing down on the mechanism not up. If you are in front of the saw you turn it clock wise & it presses down making the wheel move down. There is no need to move the tension knob on top. I only realised this the other day whilst changing my blade. Thanks. Mark.
On the Titan? Thanks, I understand what it should do, but mine simply does nothing. 🤔
Peter Millard I have just been out to check mine as it did nothing also. He is correct. If you pull the lever/cam down it removes tension. Good shout UKCD. 👍🏼
I'll take another look, but in this video, at around 9.40 I show that the cam the lever moves doesn't make contact when the blade is tensioned. It literally just spins around.
Peter I will do a short video to maybe better explain what I mean.
OK, thanks. My bandsaw’s pretty inaccessible right now, so I’m working from memory, and from the video, lol!
My aldi tracking feature for the wheel is useless now, had it two years, changed the blade on it, and it tracks the blade off. The metal on it is cheap and flexible and it got use for the price. However on a new job at the moment which I need my saw for. Not very happy with it now. It was ok for ripping but nothing finessed.
Nice compare, I have the new Scheppach with casted table, it's much better than the old one. If you bay a power tool within this price section, you have to know that you have to tune up and improofe some parts by your self. Nobody can expect high quality for less money.
👍👍
I find the input and output power ratings very confusing. Some of the stat blurb given only gives one rating, so it could be either. It would be great if manufacturers only gave the out put power which is the important one.
Bought an Aldi bandsaw yesterday. Looking forward to using it soon.
Excellent! Let me know how you get on 👍
S1 and S2 ratings, if there’s one thing I’ve learnt today is the difference - thanks to you and fellow subscribers. In my electronics world (where I originated from) we used continuous power ratings for components. At that point you quickly learned the price difference between it will go all day versus it goes up in a puff of smoke. Thanks Peter.
Thanks Mike. Yes, it was something I learned from my outstanding subscribers, too! Fortunately for my usage, it’s pretty academic, but interesting nonetheless. 👍
Hi Peter. Thanks for the video on the bandsaws. Could you give me a link to the axminster fence you bought for the Titan. Cheers Lee
Hi Lee, and thanks! I’m deliberately not linking to the fence until I know that it fits and works as I didn’t want steer anyone to the ‘wrong’ product. I bought the “Axminster Small RIP Fence Upgrade” at £13.50 (if you wanted to search it out yourself...) and it looks like it’ll do the job, I just haven’t had a chance to fit it yet, so no guarantees... 👍
The bandsaw are back in ALDI and are priced 79.99 as of today 03/06/2018.
Yes, thanks! 👍
S1, S2 reminds me of how amplifiers and speakers are rated. Cheap stuff usually quotes that they can handle for a very short moment or with lots of distortion giving huge amount of watts while expensive pro stuff always quote the continuous high quality level.
Yes !That’s so true, and the perfect way to describe it, thanks! 👍
Yes, when looking at amplifier output, decent equipment will quote the RMS power (root mean square) where as cheap equipment quotes PMPO (Peak Music Power Only).
Hi Peter ,
Yet more questions...
The Axminster seems to have some advantages for me such as being able to take up to half inch blades, which neither of the others do being limited to quarter inch blades. Also the cast iron table rather than aluminium or steel.
* Did you not consider the larger blade size worth the extra for the Axminster?
Tricky call Mike. If you need the half-inch blade, then yes absolutely worth it. Even if you don’t, it’s a better saw than the Aldi or Titan, provided you can live with the cut capacity. 👍
Wider blades have a couple of major benefits. First, they can make deeper cuts without twisting. With these saws, the max depth of cut is only 3", anyway. Another advantage is that a wider blade makes for smoother and straighter free-hand cutting to a scribed line.
The downsides, OTOH: Wider blades can't cut as tight of a curve. They suck a bit more of the available motor power and put a higher load on the bearings and frame. Because a saw is advertised that it CAN take a given band size doesn't make it a good idea. If it really pushes the limits of the saw, this could wear out the damper spring faster, for instance. And with less effective damping, the bearings would wear out faster.
Then there's an issue of the frame and axles torquing. Every band saw comes factory tuned for a specific tension. When you change blade sizes, the frame and axles change position, slightly, under load. Then the blade tracks differently on the bottom wheel vs the top, and this introduces a twist in the blade. On the larger band saws, you can easily adjust the bottom wheel to adjust for these changes. I haven't owned one of these better quality 9" saws, before, so I don't know if they can be adjusted this way. On the larger saws, the axle of the bottom wheel extends thru the back cover of the saw and there are 4 bolts in a steel box frame which capture the axle and are used for making fine adjustments.
Bottom line, I'd use w/e band runs the best on a 9" saw, and I bet in most cases it is a 1/4" blade. There's nothing you will regularly do on a 9" saw that needs a wider blade, IMO. If you resaw 3" wood a lot, you will want a larger saw, anyway. You don't really ever want to cut expensive stock with the blade guide all the way snug on top of the stock, because you can't see if/when the blade starts to wander. By the time you feel it, the cut will be properly buggered. And when a band saw blade gets dull, it will always get dull on one side more than the other and start to drift. That's the way wood cutting band saw blades are made. So don't believe you can tune all the drift out of a band saw; unless you are running carbide blade on a large saw, your saw will eventually drift because of blade wear. For practical purposes, you will probably want a larger saw if regularly cutting stock thicker than maybe 2".
I have the Aldi saw and for the life of me I cannot adjust it so that it will cut a straight line. The band just wanders, even when cutting 2mm ply ? What is the roller supposed to do ? It makes no contact with anything on my saw ? Any help appreciated.
Sorry you’re having issues, but this video’s getting on for three years old, so the Aldi saw you buy today won’t be the one I had when I made the video, and if you,look through the most recent comments you’ll see that there have been some quality control issues with this particular saw. Mine came pretty well set up out of the box, but it sounds like yours may need some more work. The roller behind the blade should just touch the back of the blade to prevent it from distorting when moving the workpiece through it, and the guides on either side should almost - but not quite - touch the sides of the blade when it’s running. With all that in place, and the blade tensioned properly - it should ‘ping’ a nice clear note when plucked - and a well clamped and square fence, then you should easily get a straight cut. Many entry-level bandsaw issues are resolved with a better blade - I recommend tuffsaws in the description - but if you’re struggling to get a halfway decent cut after the setup then with these supermarket saws I’d just return it for replacement of refund, rather than beat your head against a wall. Not sure if that helps or not! 🤷♂️👍👍
Great review! Land fill material. Global problem!
Hi Peter I am looking at getting the Titan did you manage to get the fence problem sorted?
Hi Thomas. I have the fence but haven’t fitted it yet. I don’t anticipate any problems though. Fingers crossed I’ll get it done this week, but can’t promise anything- work, you know... 👍👍
Hi Peter, Very useful videos thanks.
I have just collected my Titan bandsaw from Screwfix, and unfortunately I will have to return it.
The lower wheel is eccentric by around .5 to 1.0 mm causing the bvlade to move side to side and to catch on the guides during each rotation. Clearly a machining/quality control issue. I presume there is no way a user can correct this ?
Hi Mike. What a shame! No, no way of correcting that, that I'm aware of. At least Screwfix are decent about returns - fingers crossed you'll get another one without any issues. Keep me posted. 👍
im thinking titan but only because i want to mill some logs cut down on chainsaw mill ( small logs mill experimenting ) ok better blade and wood fence , a bit bigger version of the titan would probley do and fix it down well maybe.
I have just looked on the Aldi site today (1/7/19), and the saw is on show and apparently available.
Thanks! Just be aware there seem to be a few quality control issues with the current model - a few folks have reported problems with the blade staying on the bottom wheel. 👍
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☀️ It's 6°C in Jaip
Peter, great series of cheap bandsaw vids, thanks. As a first time buyer to bandsaws one thing that isn't clear is how well do these bandsaws cope with cutting out more complex shapes out of varying depths of woods? I know you did straight cuts easily, but many people will want to cut out shapes of some sort (I do).
So as good as your videos were, it doesn't help me determine if one of these will be ok for my use.
If you can let me know that would be wonderful
Thanks
Simon
Have to be honest shape-cutting isn’t something that I do a lot of, but certainly the bandsaw I kept (the Titan) does a decent job of e.g. cutting circles on a bevel in 18mm Birch ply. But for the kind of work I do, I don’t have much call for anything thicker or more intricate than that. 👍👍
the problem with all 9-10 inch bandsaws is total lack of power. they bug down with anything over 1/2 inch thick especially on turns.
Thanks for the review, Peter. Which of these three saws was the quietest? I suppose they all have induction motors, but Axminster stresses that they re-engineered the housing material to lower any noise that escapes. Wonder whether you noticed any difference between them.
Great question! Must confess it didn’t occur to me to do a Db test as they all have induction motors. I’ll try and do a quick one tomorrow, if I can - though they’ll all sound a lot louder when they’re cutting, if course. Certainly none of them stood out as noisy. 👍
Thanks Peter, that would be very interesting if it's not too much trouble for you. Db tests whilst cutting the same material would be great since like you mentioned, there's a world of difference between an idling and a busy machine. Also, do you happen to know how many of the blade guides are bearings vs static as far as the three models are concerned? I had a discussion with a London-based woodworking teacher and he mentioned that an important considerations for a band saw are the stability of the fence (which you discussed in detail in your video - thanks) as well as the question of guide style (bearing vs static). I plan to buy my first band saw soon and quality matters. Seeing how many Festool tools you are using (in your recent cabinet making/installation video), I assume you have the same focus on quality, so it's good to know that the Aldi bandsaw got your recommendation.
hackneymarshes All these bandsaws have static blade guides at the sides and a bearing guide at the rear. At this size / price point I think only the Scheppach Basa 1 has bearing guides all round, and I’m afraid I’ve no experience of them. I’ll check the relative noise levels though, for sure. Oh, and these cheap & cheerful bandsaws are great for the money, but aren’t ‘heirloom’ tools, not by any stretch 👍
Hiya. Sorry workshop full of painted stuff so couldn't do cutting tests, but whilst idling the Axminster was by far the noisiest. I took readings at 1 metre and close by the machine, in a room with 23db baseline, as follows:-
Axminster 63db at 1 metre, rising to 67db close to.
Aldi 60db at 1 m, 63db close to.
Titan 55db at 1 metre, 61db close to.
So the both the cheaper machines right up close were as quiet as or quieter than the Axminster at 1 metre, and the Titan significantly quieter overall.
Usual caveats apply; these are the only machines I have and it was not a scientific test, just using just a db app on my phone, but the phone was isolated from the bench, and the bandsaws located on another bench, so there should be little transfer of noise through benchtop vibes. Treating the db values as relative, rather than absolute would seem the best approach.
And all three saws are significantly less noisy than, say, the track saws I compared last year, and as I said previously, the Axminster didn’t stand out as being significantly louder in normal use.
HTH P.
i need to cut accurately mortice and tenon joints in 4x4 inch timber. What do you recommend please ? Think of a used ebay bandsaw, but not too big or heavy to transport in a car, but i do have a car trailer.
I've no idea I'm sorry - my bandsaw experience is limited to what you see here on the channel. 👍
@@10MinuteWorkshop thanks, to make accurate cross morises in 4inch timber......see this compound mitre saw.....
ruclips.net/video/OvagF0MeQqA/видео.html
Great video! I read somewhere else that you said you are going to upgrade the fence and blade? I got the axminster fence kit but am struggling to find a way to mount it! Is that the fence you are going to get?
Thanks! I’ve bought the cheap (
Great vid, just had text to say my Titan bandsaw is available for collection... some fettling and fence making for me over the weekend 👍🏻
Nice one Richard! I’d be very interested to hear about your ‘out of the box’ experience, see if it matches mine. Hope it goes well! 👍
Hi Peter, quick play on bandsaw today, short session as blooming cold (Boiler packed up, so shop heaters moved into the house, Just in time for the big chill 😣) . Bandsaw, easy setup, table is solid and rack & pinion adjustment is very good. Fence is garbage as you know 😀, less blade drift than you but still too much. I will probably make one. Fyi, the quick release handle on mine works, it does not touch at the top like yours, (not sure its sypposed to) but dropping handle left or right, moves the black metal casing which tightens the blade. Hope that's clear? Thanks Richard
Hi Peter, Thanks for the video! i couldnt believe my luck when i found you'd done a comparrison between the exact 2 band saws i've been deciding between! (Titan and scheppach). Im interested in which saw you went with in the end? Also if you went with the titan what did you do about the fence? thanks in advance! and please keep giving. your videos are incredibly informative!
Thanks James, glad you found it helpful! There’s a whole playlist with bandsaw videos on it here - ruclips.net/p/PL7S6M0i1Mz9r3-9wmNhCSUU2aI7UCk9Iq - that will answer all your questions. Short version; I kept the Titan, gave the Scheppach away to a subscriber, and I sorted the fence with a £14 upgrade from Axminster. HTH! P
@@10MinuteWorkshop Where did you find a fence upgrade for £14??
@@davidmilanovic4825 Was £14 when I bought it - link in the video description here - ruclips.net/video/EGgwDYl7T9M/видео.html
@@davidmilanovic4825 It was £14 when I bought it 2 years ago... 🤷♂️Link in this video description - ruclips.net/video/EGgwDYl7T9M/видео.html
Really useful thank you
great video, thanks. if money were no object, would you say the axminster is the best of the 3? does the axminster bed also tilt to 45%? many thanks.
Thanks!. Of the three, yes - though I don't think they make this specific one any more - but as I say in the video, I'd rather put a bit more money in and get something with more capacity, personally. 👍
Peter....i have tne aldi saw....just cant get it set up right. Any way you can post exactly how its set up and tuned? Love the channel. Learning loads. Thanks.
Thanks David! Have to say, all I did with the the Aldi is bolt the table on square to the blade, and start cutting. Is your blade tension OK? Tracking? I had no issues with my Aldi bandsaw at all.
Hi Peter. Just thought i'd let you know the 3/8 blade from bedford saws fits the titan like a dream so it now re-saws so much better. I also bought the 1/4 inch blade from bedford saws and it cuts like butter. i think it was about £8.50 a blade. Just need a better fence now. Any recommendations.
I bought (but have yet to fit) the cheap one from Axminster (£13.50 if I remember right) which should work well - but as I say, I haven’t done it yet. I usually recommend Ian John at tuffsaws.co.uk for replacement blades, but always good to have another source, thanks! 👍👍
Yeah i looked at tuffsaw. There wasn't much difference. So i picked the slightly cheeper one. cheers for the fence details.
Hi Peter, Thank you for a very useful review. I'm looking at buying a bandsaw and did look at your previous video on the Lidl one a couple of weeks ago, as you say availability is not great so I decided to go for the Titan one, then I started looking at more expensive ones like the axminster then a record one and yesterday i'd talked myself into a Sheppach one at over £400 !!!! that I doubt iv'e even got room for. You've brought me back down to earth and I think it's now going to be the Titan (someone on you tube has put a video up on improving the fence) Can I ask if it says anything in instructions about blade width please. Screwfix says it's 6mm only !!
Thanks Mal! Ha, I think we’ve all allowed ourselves to succumb to ‘feature creep’ - only to end up with something vastly over-speeded for the work we do! I’ll check the manual about blade, though, not sure why they’d say 6mm only?? 👍
Hi Peter - just wondering how you got on with the Axminster replacement fence on the Titan? The "Baron Rouge" hack below sounds good, but wondered if the replacement fence would be a better permanent solution. Just bought the machine yesterday :-)
Yeah, the Axminster fence is still in its box I'm afraid - one of the many things on many lists that I haven't got around to, unfortunately. And yes, it's been about a year... 😱
@@10MinuteWorkshop Glad it's not just me that has that problem :-) One of the product reviews on axminster mentioned that it works well on the titan, but needs a few holes to be drilled before it can be fitted. Presumably they need to be drilled pretty accurately if the fence is to have a chance of being square.
@@diyengineer811 Oh I'm sure it works fine - there are a couple of guys in the comments thread here who've done it, I just haven't done it myself yet. There's some adjustment on the fence BTW, to be able to square it up afterwards. And yes, you need to drill a couple of holes through the table to fix it, and also pack it out from underneath as the Titan table isn't flat on the underside. 👍
Great reviews Peter, I've just watched all 3 of these, as I'm teetering on the edge of getting my first bandsaw in the next few weeks, and here in Australia, Aldi have got stock for the time being.. It's priced at $129, which I guess with currecny conversion, is around the 80 quid you paid.. I don't care much for the thin tinny table and lack of miter slot though, seems like they could have borrowed the cast version from the Axminster..
With regards to that, and the fact that those 2 are so structurally similar, could you not switch the tables..?
I plan on doing a lot more fine woodworking, so my current setup of an upside down mounted $90 jigsaw through a sheet of half inch ply, is not cutting it any more, (bad pun intended, sorry)
I don't really have a budget as such, so I'm also looking at a Hare and Forbes branded bandsaw, model BP-255, for around $470, the plus with that is the proper, solid table with -accurate- fence and miter slides, 152mm height, and 245mm throat, as well as a few accessories, but it is 4 times the Aldi price..
Decision, decisions..
Here's the link by the way:
www.machineryhouse.com.au/W950?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI1PmAt_Ss2gIVhQoqCh2aPQv3EAYYASABEgKsc_D_BwE
Anyway, sorry to ramble, it's nearly 2am, so probably best I go to bed now.. Thanks again for your reviews, and look forward to seeing more in the future..
Hi Gene & thanks! The Aldi is a great little machine for a beginner, or as a first bandsaw, but I think if you know what a bandsaw can do then you're probably better off going for something else, as I think you'd soon outgrow it. But for the money, it's excellent, as long as you use it within its capacity. And no, sadly, the Axminster table used a completely different mounting system, so they weren't swappable. That Hare & Forbes looks like a tidy machine - but as you say, at a much higher price. Best of luck with the decision - let me know what you go for. Cheers, Peter 👍
Are these any good for cutting bowl blanks?
A bit small I would have thought; 80mm max depth of cut. I've never cut a bowl blank though, so I'm not really sure what size machine you'd need. 🤷♂️
That is a shade too small unfortunately. Thanks for your reply and love your content.
@@trampsovercoat8372 Thanks! Aldi had a slightly larger machine on sale a little while back, not sure if that would do the job. ~120mm depth of cut, I think? Might be worth a look. 🤷♂️
Excellent video, thanks.
Thanks! 👍
bought a shepphach but it was impossible to track the band to get it in the centre of the two wheels the lower pulley was nowhere near in line had to put a spacer on the lower pulley to make it work .unless im missing something ?
Recent purchase? They seemed to have a batch that were really hard to set up, sounds like you may have one of them. I’d throw it back to the dealer/ retailer and get a replacement. 👍
@@10MinuteWorkshop bought it off ebay arrived yesterday spent all day trying to track the band but gave up lined up the lower and bottom pulleys bottom was 1/4 inch out of alignment with top one not sure what this co planar bollocks is but some on here say the pulleys never line up ,but surely two pulleys must be in line the tracking is only to centre the blade wierd really
4th April 2018 bought an Aldi today for $129. Still in the box.
Excellent - enjoy it! 👍
actually in ireland theres a bandsaw in lidl this week
Thanks! Apparently it’s the Scheppach, so the same as the Aldi one AFAIK👍
Hi peter I took your advice and I got rid of the Aldi bandsaw but I’m looking to buy a new one this week what would you advise me to get my budget is up to £150 I was looking at the Titan as it looks great
Don't have much experience of them other than the ones I tried tbh, and I've found the Titan to be very good for the money. Budget a bit for a better fence and blade - see videos # 293 & 294. 👍
Looked away from screen, realised I was learning about band saws from David Gilmour.
😂👍
Hello, nice overview ;-) im new to bandsaw and looking for my home shop for one, the titan looks nice but wher can i get a better fence for it, please and how i square i it to a so tiny blade, please?
Thanks! I bought the Axminster £14 fence - out of stock right now, so didn’t want to recommend it until I’m sure it fits. There’ll be a video when it arrives... 👍
Peter Millard thank you very much 👍
Assuming you can get metal blades, (add to my previous question) thanks.
Peter, you are hilarious. You bought the Titan to see what you get for that additional £20. You spent £100 to see what £20 would get you? WOW! Three band saws should satisfy you for a lifetime. I would like to ask what will it take to fully satisfy you in a bandsaw, and what would that cost be?
Yes, I bought another cheap bandsaw to see what the difference was and made a video about it. Not sure what part of the process you’re not getting here??
Of all the bandsaws available on the market--which one would it take to completely satisfy you; meeting your highest quality requirements, and you not find a manufacturing fault? What is the current cost of the said machine? I ask this question because I am trying to understand how 85-95% of males who make tool videos never seem to be satisfied with the tool--they always appear to find some mfg. fault with that purchase. Some have given the impression that unless you are willing to spend major money for a tool, then the rest is nothing but trash, junk, crap, etc., etc. So I am trying to discover what must be found in a tool for you to be completely satisfied without finding something to complain about regarding that tool (you used the term "fiddle about with the" bandsaw to get it to work the way you thought it should). Thanks for your insights as I prepare to purchase my 2nd and 3rd tools (router & scroll saw).
Calm down Kelley , anyone would think the money came out of your account
I assume that the Axminster has gone?
Long gone, I’m sorry 👍👍
I saw one in there yesterday .... not sure of the name on it though ;O)
Can you change wood cutting band to a metal/steel band
I believe so, but I’ve never done it. 👍
Rather difficult to convert direct-drive saw to cutting metal. You need to slow the blade to 150-250 fpm.
This is relatively easy if you have belt-driven saw. Just find a worm gearbox, a few pulleys to bring the rpm of the motor down on the saw drive shaft to give you ~200 fpm blade speed, put it all together and it will cut mild steel and aluminum.
Saws with cast iron frame can handle higher tension you have to apply on the blade. Cheap “pressed tin” frames are not rigid enough, which further narrows your choices for conversion candidate saw.
A used metal cutting saw may be a better option.
I have a bandsaw with two-stage pulley drive. The previous owner was using it to cut 1/8” aluminum ( he was building an airplane in his garage).
After trying it I opted to hunt for a used, cheap metal saw.
One thing you may not be aware of is that cutting metal is dirty. The combination of metal dust, chips and cutting oil will render the saw practically unusable for wood.
For a few occasional cuts mount a jigsaw with high quality tungsten or carbide-tipped blade upside down to the table. The jigsaw must have speed control as you still need the blade to move slowly when cutting metal.
Excellent review.
Thanks! 👍
Which blade do I need to cut 4mm steel?
No idea I’m afraid - not something I’ve done. Give Ian at tuffsaws.co.uk a shout - he’ll be able to advise. 👍👍
I have four children and in my house, only I have an income. You would recommend me ? The most resistant and reliable please.
Thanks mate
The Aldi saw handled everything I threw at it in the 6 months I owned it, I upgraded to the Titan and it's done everything I've wanted in the 15 months or so since. As I say in the video, the Axminster's a great saw, but I'd be tempted to spend a bit more and get something with a bit more capacity, personally. Bear in mind though that these are hobby bandsaws at this kind of price range - even the Axminster is only rated for an hour of runtime a week. I've done quite a few videos on entry-level bandsaws - they're all in a playlist 👍
@@10MinuteWorkshop Okay, from those three machines I think I'll go for the titan. Thanks again
@@jordee7069 That's the one I kept. 👍🤷♂️
The Titan quick release not working looks like a result of the blade being too long.
Thanks! Another user suggested this as a reason too - never occurred to me that blade length was a ‘suggestion’ rather than a specification, lol! I’ll be swapping blades before too long, we’ll see if that sorts it out 👍
I only know this as I have the same problem on my Record Power BS350. The advertised blade length for this machine is too long to adjust to the right tension. I get my blades from www.tuffsaws.co.uk/ and get them a little shorter.
Big fan of Ian at Tuffsaws- very knowledgeable and generous with his time. New blade will be from there, for sure 👍👍
Absolutely - nothing but good to say about him ;)
What's a quid ?
Slang for £1 - about $1.24 right now.
There’s Lumberjack record power
Anyone recommend a decent blade for the titan ?
I use the Tuffsaws SuperTuff Premium Bandsaw Blade - 1575mm x 1/4" x 6tpi
- bit.ly/TuffsawsPremium
@@10MinuteWorkshop thanks ill give them whirl. Is 1/4" the biggest we can go on the titan?
Hes probably using the wrong length blade thats why the quick release isnt working, his blade is too short
"He" is using the blade that came with the machine, that the manufacturer fits as standard 🤷♂️
Yeah sorry they all got sent to Australia 😂
😂👍👍
they are all made in the same chinese factory ! just some other color and stickers thats all!
15 turns.....1st world problems lol
Haha, true! Still, the bargain basement one managed it with a 1/4 turn. 🤷♂️😂👍
Only just discovered your channel today, what a breath of fresh air. Objective reviews which are really useful for beginners like me. Thanks
Thank you, and welcome! Be sure to check through the back catalogue - and don’t skip the adverts... 😆👍👍
Edited to add - if you’re interested in entry-level bandsaws, I have a playlist with all my bandsaw videos collected together 👍👍
I just had from Amazon a WEN 3962T 3.5-Amp 10-Inch Two-Speed Band Saw with Stand and Work light. for $335 us dollars. Don't know how that will compare
Very many thanks for a very interesting video Peter. I purchased a cheap bandsaw from Argos last year - £59, but unfortunately had to return it as it kept shedding the bands. It was identical to the Aldi saw you have. Since then I bit the bullet and bought the Titan and have to say that apart from the table itself, I am very less than impressed. I cannot tension the blade properly at all and am currently in discussions with a blade maker to try different sizes.
Thanks for your great work
Sorry to hear. The blade length does seem to be a bit of an issue for the Titan - I’ve had a couple of people suggest my blade being too long as the reason my quick-release blade tensioner doesn’t work! For blades, try Ian at Tuffsaws - very helpful, knowledgable, and generous with his time. Makes fantastic blades, too!
you should only care for S1 rating when comparing motors. S1 is always quoted but different manufacturers will quote different time duties like 60% 40% and 20% along with the S1(100%). Sometimes you will find S1 ratings on two motors and an S4 rating on one and S6 on the other. And you can't compare S4 to S6
Do a review on the titan planer thicknesser. Available from screwfix for £140. I'd be interested to see your views on it.
Never owned one so it would be a bit of a novice review! Heard good things about the slightly pricier Erbauer though👍
Few good reviews on RUclips for that p/t, gonna get me one whilst it’s 20 quid off, Rutlands do similar for 180, but it’s probably the same. 👍🏻
Try to get your hands on an old Wadkin
Titan thicknessers are driven with a belt not chain.I had two and the belt broke on both not long after I had them.Decided not to risk another so had a refund. Take from that what you will.
Would love to see a review of this machine, it keeps tempting me with that price. Usually even more tempted when arms are tired from planing...
Hi Peter, I've just got one of these, Titan have fixed the fence issue themselves, maybe even the slackening doobery, the fence on mine grips the front and back if the table and is solid when done up :)
Well Peter had a look at this review last night and based in all your comparisons I went and bought an Aldi this morning at 9am Special buy .... I'm looking forward to using it. Thanks once again for the great review.
Cheers Ger! It’s a great little bandsaw👍
Just to follow on from what Peter said re the Aldi's availability, although they can appear and disappear throughout the year, they tend to always show up in the runnup to Fathers Day (as do their famous chisels). Also, not to complicate things any further, I would be fascinated to know how the new Record BS9 would compare in this company. Can we tempt you to a fourth bandsaw Peter?
Thanks Ian - hadn’t made the Father’s Day connection, duh! Oh my, another bandsaw! I think, on reflection, it’s time to finish this up and move on tbh - leave something for another RUclipsr to cover, lol 😂👍
There’ll be one Aldi per local area that is a dumping ground for unsold special buys from all the other stores. I went yesterday and there was 3 bandsaws randomly there. They were a special buy here in Australia a cpl months ago. I might buy one
You can possibly make a larger cam obviously with maximum + minimum clearance and include any obstacle close , half a yingyang sort of shape without the pointy tip
I have enjoyed watching you strategy forward no noncentral diversions PS I really new at all of this but I love it
I was thinking of getting the Aldi band saw for cutting my catapults out of plywood which is 18mm but just struggling which one to get as I only have £120
The Aldi is great, as long as you use it within its capacity. It’ll deal with 18mm Ply easily, though I’d suggest budgeting for a blade upgrade before too long. I have a few ‘budget bandsaw’ videos in a playlist - may be worth taking a look as I explain my reasons for moving on from the Aldi after 6 months 👍👍
Were can i get a new blade for my Aldis band saw, and what size? Mine snapped!
Aldi currently have a DIY special buy event, for those who don't know. Cordless drill, scroll saw, digital calipers amongst other things. 👍 no band saws yet though. Thanks for the review, Peter. Interesting as ever!.👍👍
Thank! I’m not in the loop with the Aldi specials, so good to know 👍
ryobi looks same, made in same china shop
So the tension is an F#
that aldi is just a re-branded scheppach hbs20?? I think..it looks the same and is the same price roughly...ok..it gets mentioned...
it's probably easier just to retrofit the titan table onto the scheppach...or or whatever...just take the best from both and make a frankensaw....also you can quite easily make your own saw table for the scheppach with just some quality plywood....ofc you would lose some cutting depth.
Yep, as mentioned, many Aldi Workzone tools are rebadged Scheppach, and Scheppach handle all customer service. Way too much work involved to adapt the Titan table to the Scheppach, totally different mounting methods - and to what end, ultimately? I enjoyed the Aldi saw for what it was whilst I had it, and AFAIK its still doing sterling service for the lucky subscriber who received it in the giveaway draw 👍👍
As always a great video Peter - today was had a particular relevance to me as I've been looking at the Titan bandsaw to add to my Titan collection (table saw / planer / plunge saw). Maybe Titan don't do fences very well, I love their table saw but it's fence is terrible. I'd be very interested to know if you found a good fix for the bandsaw fence (other than a block of wood) as otherwise it sounds like a great machine that would appeal to a large percentage of your audience, maybe a great topic for one of 1 - 2 minute workshop tips if you find a good solution ?
Thanks! I have a blade & fence upgrade planned for the Titan, wether I decide to keep it or not, I think it’ll be a worthwhile experiment. And yes, with a bit of tweaking & fettling, the Titan cuts really nicely. 👍
Also interested to hear how you get on with the fence upgrade - thanks for the useful comparison videos
Pleasure - will keep you posted re the fence upgrade 👍
I did see somewhere sombody talking of a fix for the titan fence. I think it referred to the use of a 1mm spacer to fill the gap between fence and table.
Really good post this Peter thank you. Would you happen to know the size of the tiny screw holding the plastic insert plate in? I dropped mine in the workshop never to be seen again! Titan bandsaw.
Sorry John, I don't own any of these any more.
Hi , thanks for the reviews , but i notice that the Titan motor is offset rather than being direct drive as per the other two . is there a reduction in blade phrephial speed on the Titan ? , Mathias Wardle commented on his page that the direct drive ones where a bit fast
I’m afraid I’ve no idea - this video’s a few years old and I don’t have any of these bandsaws any more - but I certainly didn’t notice any difference between them in use. 👍
ITs a question of space I have a very compact garage space about half one side and an end so there is nowhere for a free standing band saw. The bench has shelves behind it so a tall item like this would block access to the shelves. How tall and wide is the Work station ALDI sells
Hi Patrick. I don’t own this bandsaw any more, so can’t help with dimensions. A number of people here bought them though, perhaps someone will be able to measure them for you?
Sorry Peter, forgot to ask....
When deciding between the Aldi and the Titan, what importance did you attach to the fact that the Aldi has a metal rising blade guide yet the Titan just has a plastic guide, and does it matter?
Doesn’t matter a scrap to me, for my usage - though as I say, I’m not a heavy bandsaw user, so it may make more of a difference to others. 👍
Wonder how the small harbor freight 9 in band saw would stand up to comparison?
Honestly i feel if you are using these for ripcuts, since they only can go to 3.5" high, just use a tablesaw instead. My cheap tablesaw can cut up to 3.5" thick
That's a really useful review Peter. Thank you.
Thanks Andy! 👍
Hi Peter,
The so called wobbly fence on the Aldi is fine. All I needed to do was "spin" the cam lever until it was tight enough to grip the table firmly, then clamp the fence in place.
BTW, did you notice that the Aldi appears to have no drive belt but seems to be direct drive. (one fewer problem area).
Thanks Mike. It was the Titan that had the particularly poor fence, btw - the Aldi wasn’t great, but it didn’t affect the cut. And no, can’t say I noticed the lack of a belt - I haven’t owned the bandsaw for a little while 👍
Aldi is selling the Workzone one at the moment. 23/09/2018. £79.99 and free delivery
Thanks Tony! Yeah, they do free delivery on anything over about £20 I think. Just be aware that the current version only comes with a 1-year warranty, apparently, not the 3 years of the one I tested👍👍
You can tighten the fence up. The cam isn't on a straight rod, it's a screw thread so just turn it clockwise a few times and it should grip the table no problem.
...oh and the Aldi one is being sold by Parkside from Lidl for £70.
Thanks - not my first rodeo, whilst this one will tighten, it doesn’t make it any more stable, sadly. Lidl Parkside tools are often rebadged Einhell, Aldi are usually rebadged Scheppach - I’d be interested to see if Lidl are starting to sell Scheppach. 👍
I had to send mine back because it wouldn't turn on when I bought it.
The replacement they sent me had been dropped or something as the base was bent and the post had ripped away from it on one corner.
The third one they sent me is on it's way now and it has come straight from Scheppach.
...and my bandsaw was delivered today!
...except it wasn't a bandsaw, it was a mitre saw :/
So, still waiting for my bandsaw...after a month :(
@@10MinuteWorkshop Maybe not relevant, but I just bought a Parkside compressor which is made by scheppach aparently.
@@diyengineer811 That's interesting, thanks Mark! Is it any good? I'm looking for a small quiet one... 🤔
own an aldi bandsaw for afew months now and i forgot to conect my dust extracter and the micro switches clog up with dust and is a pain to get it working again
Yeah, dust collection/extraction is never great on bandsaws, but anything’s better than nothing 👍👍
Thank you for the insight. Do you think you could cut aluminium bar stock on such a bandsaw, with the appropriate blade? Thanks.
I’m sure you can! 👍
Thank you. I shall check it out. Looks like it could be a nice fathers day present
👍
I assume they are all brushed motors at this price? Eg not Induction.
No, all induction motors. Never seen a bandsaw with a brushed motor 🤔👍
I’ve just ordered a press drill and promised my wife no more large(ish) power tools. So I hope you are proud of yourself, you’ve broken a marriage and made several power tools and myself homeless!
I bought a Titan brad nailer recently (which is now also homeless) which is far superior to the Stanley it’s replacing which lasted 1.5 uses. I didn’t know it was SF's own brand.
With the bandsaw it’s those spline sized cuts that really appeal to me for the corners of my picture frames. As they are decorative rather than strengthening I’m using a biscuit saw and beech biscuits at the moment. If I had a bandsaw I could make bigger ones which would make the frames more robust.
I commented on another of your videos about my difficulties, but this means any tools I buy have to be portable for me. Do you know a rough weight for the saws please?
Great video, I really like your presentation style.
Thanks Mark! And just for the record, I didn’t make you buy anything - I just made you *want* to buy 😆👍 According to the specs at screwfix it’s 19Kg, but I don’t know if that’s package weight or just the saw. 👍👍
Peter Millard Thanks Peter, much appreciated. Whenever I tell my wife I "need" something she will always question whether it’s a need or a want.
I do wish you would speak in English and use INCHES not those rubbish millimeters .
😂👍