# Anyone try the Porter Cable band saw?



## DCuch86 (Mar 12, 2014)

Just wondering if anyone has bought or tried out the PC saw Lowes is selling and if it's any good. Also have been looking at the Ridgid and Craftsman 14" saws if anyone has feedback.


----------



## Dovetails (Jun 8, 2014)

I'm sure they'll work great. If you are just looking to run various shapes you don't need much, besides they are all basically clones of each other, and all built in the same part of the world...

If you are expecting to re-saw hardwoods, it will require a much higher investment. 

In my opinion, it doesn't take much to make normal bandsaw cuts in various woods...

With that said, I am a firm believer in the used tool market... Especially entry tools like these... Tons of people buy them and sell them fast to upgrade, or they are ditching the hobby.


----------



## ryan50hrl (Jun 30, 2012)

I've looked at the porter cable, grizzly and craftsman saws, and of the three the craftsman wins hands down in the under 500 category. It's an almost carbon copy of the rikon that gets excellent reviews. It has a larger table, more resawing capacity and the price is better. 

I plan on buying one pretty soon if nothing shows up used.


----------



## mengtian (Nov 8, 2012)

ryan50hrl said:


> I've looked at the porter cable, grizzly and craftsman saws, and of the three the craftsman wins hands down in the under 500 category. It's an almost carbon copy of the rikon that gets excellent reviews. It has a larger table, more resawing capacity and the price is better.
> 
> I plan on buying one pretty soon if nothing shows up used.


Which Rikon are you comparing this to? All their 14" Bandsaws have more than a 6 inch resaw capability and they all have a larger table.

I am not saying anything bad about the PC Bandsaw. Just curious how you are comparing between the two companies. As far as Grizzly: you can get a great saw (I have the 555 right now) which you can add a riser block for later if you want to increase the resaw capability. The PC I believe you are stuck with 6 inches.

The Grizz is 1 HP. The PC does not list HP but draws 10 amps. That makes me suspect it could possibly be 3/4 HP or 1 HP.


----------



## ryan50hrl (Jun 30, 2012)

Sorry...I'm comparing the craftsman to the rikon. Specifically the craftsman 32607 to the rikon 10-321. 

Both have 8 inches of resawing capacity and a larger table than the porter cable.


----------



## DCuch86 (Mar 12, 2014)

I've never had a BS before and it's been about 15 years since I used one in middle school wood shop (they got rid of HS wood shop, what a shame). I've never done any resawing but am interested in one day doing it. Mainly I'm looking for the patterns side of it. Originally I was just going to buy a benchtop model but everyone convinced me to spend the extra and get a 14" instead. The PC shows 1.5 HP on the Lowes website FYI. 

I've seen the PC and CM in stores and the CM certainly does look like a much nicer saw. On CL around me I usually see a bunch of bench tops and older Delta Rockwell models and Ridgid BS14002 which from what I understand was not that great of a saw compared to the newer model. I did see a Powermatic 043 listed about an hour and a half from me last night for $300 but I couldn't find too much info on that model. And yes, it is a 043 not a 143.


----------



## ryan50hrl (Jun 30, 2012)

10 amps isn't 1.5 hp...somewhere there's a printing error, or marketing got ahold of it and fudged the numbers.


----------



## mengtian (Nov 8, 2012)

ryan50hrl said:


> 10 amps isn't 1.5 hp...somewhere there's a printing error, or marketing got ahold of it and fudged the numbers.


 That was my first thought also


----------



## mengtian (Nov 8, 2012)

DCuch86 said:


> I've never had a BS before and it's been about 15 years since I used one in middle school wood shop (they got rid of HS wood shop, what a shame). I've never done any resawing but am interested in one day doing it. Mainly I'm looking for the patterns side of it. Originally I was just going to buy a benchtop model but everyone convinced me to spend the extra and get a 14" instead. The PC shows 1.5 HP on the Lowes website FYI.
> 
> I've seen the PC and CM in stores and the CM certainly does look like a much nicer saw. On CL around me I usually see a bunch of bench tops and older Delta Rockwell models and Ridgid BS14002 which from what I understand was not that great of a saw compared to the newer model. I did see a Powermatic 043 listed about an hour and a half from me last night for $300 but I couldn't find too much info on that model. And yes, it is a 043 not a 143.


If you are interested in resawing get a saw that gives you more capacity at the start or with the option of a riser block kit. Trust me and thousands of other folks on this. You will not be happy with 6 inches down the road for resawing.


----------



## DCuch86 (Mar 12, 2014)

Thanks for the heads up. My family has a lake house in the foothills before Yosemite and my FIL wants to cut down a bunch of Ponderosa Pines. He's telling me they are about 8-12" diameter. Would I be insane to cut them in to smaller logs say a 2' length and build a sled like I've seen online to resaw them into boards? Clearly, I would need a larger than 6" capacity for that so those saws would be out immediately. Is that wood even worth it?


----------



## DCuch86 (Mar 12, 2014)

*May have found a winner!*

So I found a guy with a Craftsman 119.224010 14" band saw which he claims was set up but never used and he's selling it for $120. I have an appointment to meet him in 3 hours. My theory is for that cheap, I can replace it with a bigger/resaw band saw down the road since this is such a cheap investment. My research has found that that saw was made by Rikon or at least in the Rikon facility for Craftsman.

Anything I should look for in particular?? Also, would it be bad/harmful to lay it down in the bed of my truck? Do I need to strap it down tight standing upright??

Thanks Guys!


----------



## ryan50hrl (Jun 30, 2012)

Lucky jerk!! That's a great saw. If it runs smoothly and is in good shape you'll have stolen it for 120...if one in good shape came up here Id pretty quickly pay 300 bucks


----------



## ryan50hrl (Jun 30, 2012)

Remove the table if at all possible before traveling. Bouncing in trucks had been known to break trunnions.


----------



## DCuch86 (Mar 12, 2014)

So I got there and minus a little rusty discoloration on the table it looks brand new! It's still in the back of the truck I had to switch to my car and go back to work and grab some casters for it. Pics will follow shortly! 

The guy had the manual, Allen keys, fence everything but a miter gauge. Not sure what blade is on it I will have to check that out.


----------



## ryan50hrl (Jun 30, 2012)

You officially suck!!


----------



## DCuch86 (Mar 12, 2014)

Hahaha I've been looking randomly and he put it up last night and I was the first of like 8 to get back to him. This is like last year when I found my CM Professional 6 1/8 jointer for $160 and my CM table saw for $120.....I've been very lucky with CL!


----------



## ryan50hrl (Jun 30, 2012)

I've been checking 8 Craigslist areas 4-5 times daily for over six months. There's two used older deltas on there...500 & 625...neither will budge on price.


----------



## DCuch86 (Mar 12, 2014)

Yikes! You need to come to the Bay Area and get one. There's some older Ridgids for like $300 and a slew of older Deltas around $400


----------



## epicfail48 (Mar 27, 2014)

DCuch86 said:


> Hahaha I've been looking randomly and he put it up last night and I was the first of like 8 to get back to him. This is like last year when I found my CM Professional 6 1/8 jointer for $160 and my CM table saw for $120.....I've been very lucky with CL!


You lucky bugger. Ive been looking for a jointer, but there has only been 1 to crop up on CL in my area, and it was massively overpriced. Id kill for a deal like that, or your bandsaw deal. Nice score mate!


----------



## DCuch86 (Mar 12, 2014)

Here is the new beauty after I got it out of the truck and set up. I ended up moving it to the back of the shop and redoing my entire set up and DC this weekend. I'll have to get some more pictures up later once I get home.


----------



## toolguy1000 (Oct 4, 2012)

great little saw. congrats. that price is eminently "suckable".


----------



## ryan50hrl (Jun 30, 2012)

Congrats..


----------



## DCuch86 (Mar 12, 2014)

Thanks guys. I'm not sure what the blade is other than a 1/4". Any way to figure out what brand it is? I'm planning to get some new blades in various thickness/TPI but I don't want to get rid of this one if its a good blade.


----------



## epicfail48 (Mar 27, 2014)

If it came with the saw, its not a good blade. They never are


----------



## DCuch86 (Mar 12, 2014)

The story of the saw is the guys bought it from has been sitting on it for about five years and never used it. He says he purchased it off a local guy by him who buys items people return to the local Sears and then sells them himself. He had bought the BS and a Craftsman 12 1/2" planner from this guy and the planner was still in the box. It's most likely the original blade based off that story I just wasn't sure if they're ever marked somehow so I could tell


----------



## tom d (Oct 23, 2013)

You did very well. good shopping!


----------



## DCuch86 (Mar 12, 2014)

Thanks Tom, I've been very lucky to find what I want for great deals recently


----------

