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Aldi bandsaw

Nero

Re: Tired
I do a fair amount of woodwork, ranging from building boats and speaker cabs to DIY jobs around the house. I've been thinking about how a bandsaw could simply a few jobs, but never felt I could justify the money or space.

Cruising down the aisle of shite at my local Aldi yesterday, I see they are offering one at £79.99, and it looks rather like more expensive ones elsewhere. The reviews are quite good, with one or two avoids, just like all online reviews, but does anyone here have any thoughts or recommendations? Worth a shot, or should I spend more?
 
TBH the Aldi gear of my acquaintance is pretty good. 3 year guarantee, and they honour it. I have a hand held circ saw, it's great. used it to build my shed roof, no problam. My dad has a bench saw from them, I think £80 or £100, again no probs. The guard is a bit plasticy but it all works. We used it to saw up a beech bench top and make a garden chair. The cuts are good, even if the capacity is a bit limited. It still handled 2.5 " x 3/4" hardwoord, so it's no slouch.

If the bandsaw id as good as these I'd say go for it. You aren't a pro user, after all.
 
For the two or three times you’ll use it per year, better rent a proper one. You will swear less when using it, and your missus will thank you for not clogging up more space.
 
Depends on your use for it. If it is for glorified jig saw work or just chopping blanks for turning etc then go for it but if you want to do accurate work like making veneers and shaping chair backs etc, you will find a cheap bandsaw one of the most frustrating tools in the world. The blade quality is 80% of the struggle so throw away the std one and get one from Tuffsaws

This bandsaw comes up every so often, there are short threads here and here in UKWorkshop
 
Thanks for the tips. I’m not sure renting is an option as I like to have and hold tools for the off-chance jobs. The links are interesting - I had already highlighted the lack of a cast plate as a weakness, so I might pass in this one. My uses will be cutting blanks to correct dimensions before finishing with a plane. Yes, I agree it’s all down to the blade quality too
 
Is it the Bin Saud model?
Groan.
Of course, it was probably a bit daft to post on a hi-fi forum, but I'm often amazed by the depth of nerdery there is here. Sense of humour a bit suspect though.

I think I'll pull the trigger and report back. I think it will do me, but I do tend to spend over the odds on tools normally, so I only have myself to blame
 
The alternative is a bigger, heavier used one. My dad sold an old one, as in really old, having been designed to run off an overhead belt, for which he had made a guard and fitted a washing machine motor donkey's years ago, for £150. It was a beast. Cast iron table, cast body, the lot. About 8" throat. They are out there.
 
What other options do you have for the money? I feel the Aldi and Lidl stuff is good value, after all you won't be using it every day. If its a Rolls Royce you want you will have to buy one from a company who no longer exists ( Wadkin Etc assuming you have the room and a floor that will take the weight) as most good tool manufactures have sadly gone, startrite is the best Band saw manufacturer I know of and the still sell parts and used saws.
This place sells them ( Cant find a Startrite link?)
https://www.scosarg.com/manufacturers/startrite
 
Yes, they look nice, but I won't be justifying over a grand for the use it will get. I don't really have the space for a floor mounted one either. Thanks anyway.
The one in the Aldi store has a part number HBS20 and indeed there is a Scheppach helpline number on the box, so looks equivalent to the Screwfix one at £30 more, although the pictures are by no means identical and the Screwfix one only has a 250W motor.
I've ordered the Aldi one on-line anyway, as the website was the only place where a 3 year warranty was mentioned - the box says one year. Will keep the Tuffsaws recommendation anyway, as I expect I'll need a better blade
 
The way I look at it is if you wear the Aldi one out then you must use it enough to justify a better one, you might be surprised how useful it is.
I have an Aldi Power file I was so impressed I bought a spare one!
 
+1 for Startrite.

I have a 352 fantastic bit of kit, but I am not sure I would be cutting parts for speaker cabs with it.
A track saw would be better, you have just missed the Aldi one.

Pete
 
See the videos Peter Millard did on his YouTube channel 10minuteworkshop

He rated it very well (Though ultimately went for the a Titan equivalent). He’s a professional cabinet maker though, so I reckon for the DIYer the Aldi/Sheppach will be just fine.

He also covers the 250w/350w thing. It’s the same motor and those numbers relate to s1 and s2 measurements. i.e. it’s exactly the same saw as the Sheppach.

In fact I’ve convinced myself: I’m going back to my local Aldi tmrw to pick one up...
 


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