# craftsman 12" tilting head band saws



## jtrom (Dec 27, 2011)

What is the deal with these?... I see them all over CL for cheap. Are blades/parts hard to find?....are they junk?.....any insight?


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## dodgeboy77 (Mar 18, 2009)

They are relatively light duty saws. They are kind of a step between a 10" benchtop saw and a floor standing 14". There are a lot of alloy parts on them and nearly no cast iron. I have one and they are better than no band saw at all and can even do some re-sawing (not too thick!) if set up right. I got a 14" shop Fox a couple years ago and haven't used the Craftsman since.

I replaced the tires on mine with Urethane ones and put a fence on it. Something to be careful of is that the set-screws on the pulleys don't loosen up. 

The good thing is that if you have no band saw at all, you can probably pick one up cheap as they are all over (I think I paid $60 for mine). Being Sears, blades are available at their stores and other parts are probably still available. Tires and upgraded guides are available through third parties, too.

Bill


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## vinnypatternmaker (Mar 27, 2011)

Hi,
I own one, paid a lot more for it new (2 speed), and find it adequite. The head tilts (sometimes a plus) but the footprint is large. The table is a large size, (a +) if it fits your needs! Parts are still available thru Sears, and it works well. 
Dodgeboy77 got his for $60.00, quite a bargain, if you have the room!
Marena


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## Pirate (Jul 23, 2009)

Junk


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## jtrom (Dec 27, 2011)

Would these saws be good for making bevels on long peices of wood?


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