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Made by: JET
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Product Description -- Jet's 12-inch band saw is an affordable machine that would make a great addition to any home workshop. The saw features a fully enclosed, 1/2-horsepower induction motor with a V-belt drive system that turns 2,750 sfpm and has heavy-duty cast-iron and steel components. Parts are well finished and the saw suffers little vibration. It boasts a 6-inch-high and 12-inch-wide cutting capacity, which is more than adequate for a saw of this price and size. The saw comes with an open-base stand that isn't as sturdy as the closed stands featured on larger models but is fine for this smaller-application saw. The saw uses 82-inch blades from 1/8 to 1/2 inch and features the same V-groove guide and steel blade locks found on higher-end Jet saws. The 14-by-14-inch tilting table provides ample work space with plenty of room in front of the blade. We like that the industrial start/stop switch is designed to fit a padlock that helps prevent accidental start-up and discourages unauthorized use of your saw. It comes prewired for 115-volt outlets and is quick to set up.
Jet 12" Band Saw -- After reading the reviews in fine woodworking about the 14" jet, I was almost convinced to buy it. Then I sat down and analysed my needs for the saw and the budget. I figured I wouldn't be resawing wide boards that often so I chose the 12" saw. I was impressed with the finish on the table and the painted surfaces. This is a quality machine. It went together in less than 2 hours. I also purchased a mobile base. I actually spent more time on the mobile base assembly. After making the initial adjustments, I fired it up. Immediately I knew this was a good machine. It's smooth and quiet. The blade tracked steady and true. My first cuts thru some oak were as smooth as silk. I then cut out some plywood boat hull moulds freehand. I found I could easily track just to the edge of a pencil line and split the layout holes made with an ice pick. I'm impressed. I wish I had bought this machine years ago.
Real Quality! -- It was time to replace my 10" Craftsman (best suited for cutting cardboard). JET band saws were rated the best choice at several online reviews. Friends who do similar woodworking have 12" Delta's and both agreed that getting a saw that would take a 1/2" blade is critical (their Delta won't). This 12" JET goes upto 1/2", changing blades and adjusting is a breeze. It's also much heavier (solid cast iron housing and table)which helps reduce vibration. It's MUCH quieter than my old Craftsman. Assembley and adjustment took me 1.5 hours (by myself). Documentation was excellent. Too bad they don't include a miter gauge and light. Overall I feel this is a much better saw than Delta.
Reviews:
Great upgrade on a band saw! -- In the woodworking world, the hobbyist is often out of luck when it comes to power tools. You can buy a 10" band saw at Lowes for $100, and its suffices for small jobs and cutting up to 3". BUT if you want to upgrade to a saw with 6" cutting capacity, the price jumps to $500...a little steep for most non-professionals.
At a list of $329 (with $25 off, 1.5% discount, no tax and free shipping) mine came in at $300. This is an affordable and well-built saw. It assembles quickly and fires right up. It is quieter than my 10"!
Don't hesitate.
Think twice before you buy... -- I recently ordered this bandsaw from Amazon (Tool Crib) for use in my growing collection of woodworking tools. Since my jointer has a max capacity of 6", I couldn't see much need for a bandsaw with a resaw capacity higher than 6". This 12" bandsaw has a max capacity of 6" for resawing.
First the good stuff. The item arrived in excellent condition and when promised. It was well packed and the assembly instructions were simple to follow. The finish is excellent and the adjustments were very easy to make.
Now my concerns: There was a significant amount of vibration when running this saw. I was able to bring the vibration down by making some adjustments to the tracking and the tension on the blade, but I could never get past the feeling that one of the wheels was out of balance. This is really the only complaint I have regarding the performance of the saw however I do want to make an observation.
As I mentioned above I purchased this saw for woodworking and I suppose that if I hadn't been so underwhelmed by the vibration it might have worked fine. But even without the vibration issue, knowing what I know now, I might still stay away from this saw.
Bandsaws, for woodworking at least, seem to fall in to two catagories: hobbiest and woodworking. The hobbiest versions are those small ones that you see sitting on the work bench being used for cutting small pieces of plywood or flat boards. Woodworking versions are the ones you see standing on the floor that are able to do all the flat cutting as well as resawing (to some extent at least).
This saw seems be in the gray zone between hobbiest and woodworker and I don't know if it really comes up to snuff at either. It's more than a hobbiest might need (for size alone) but not really enough for even the semi-serious woodworker. It just doesn't have the "gravity" that I want a machine like this to have.
So, I am sending mine back and having to pick up the return shipping to boot. Not that I blame Amazon. I should have listened to that little voice urging me to spend a bit more. Oh well, hopefully someone can benefit from this review and I can consider this a lesson learned.
This is a nice saw for the small shop -- First band saw for me. Very nice fit and finish, easy to adjust. Plenty of power with no noticable vibration. This saw has a fairly small footprint if you're tight on space, it's very convenient on a mobile base. I installed Cool Blocks on the upper and lower blade-guides and purchased additional blades. Resawed 6" walnut with great success, separated a series of small trim pieces from each other deftly, and cut curves in MDF to make bending-forms. Very pleased with the tool.
Dust collection is a must (a shop-vac works), and a magnetically attached work light is a big help. I wish the tool had been supplied with a rip fence and miter guide. I will probably purchase these two things since I'm tired of clamping wooden fences on the table (although this gets the job done). The stand is fairly lightweight, but is sufficiently stable on the mobile base. The saw is nice and solid and is probably all the tool I will ever need for my amateur furniture-making adventures.
Quality Machine - More than worth the price -- I wanted to get the Grizzly 14" bandsaw, but at this price, I couldn't pass up the Jet 12". For $275, no tax, no shipping, it can't be beat. I picked the item up at the local freight center (they run a great operation), and assembly was straight-forward and the manual was okay. The base is a little bit light duty.
My first cuts with the saw were great, and the blade that comes with the saw is a good general purpose blade. The saw has plenty of power for my needs. The saw will even re-saw 6" hard maple, provided you use the APPROPRIATE blade. Invest in Lonnie Bird's "Bandsaw Book". It is a good resource and will help the beginner set-up the saw correctly and choose the right blade for the job.
The bandsaw had some vibration when I first set it up due to the lightweight stand. I put it on a home-made mobile base using 1-1/2" thick MDF and casters. After securing the saw to the mobile base, the vibration wasn't a problem. It may also be that the belt needs a little use to even out.
The Pros:
Price
Power is adequate for most jobs
The fit and finish is good
The manual was easy to understand
Blades are easy to change
Cast-iron table
Dust collection fits 4"
Cast iron Frame
The Cons:
Some vibration but the problem was solved
Lower guide blocks/bearings hard to get to
Blade tension mechanism could use a bigger handle
lightweight stand
American manufacturers are in trouble -- This is a great machine. I have done without a bandsaw for years because I had no specific need for one until a recent project (a solid cherry sleigh bed) required one. I believe in "you get what you pay for". This is why I have a Delta Unisaw and other quality (expensive) tools. When I started the hunt for a bandsaw I first looked at the 14" models from Delta then Laguna and Powermatic. When I ran across the Jet 12" I couldn't believe how much saw you get for the money. I can't imagine any project that I would take on that would require more capacity or power than this saw provides.
The box arrived in good condition, all parts and hardware were packaged securely with nothing missing. One thing that stood out to me was the quality of the paint job - perfect. Assembly took about 2 hours from opening the box to making first cut. The machine is solid and vibration free.
This machine was bought from Amazon for $275.00 including shipping. An amazing value. Sadly, I'm afraid that basic american manufacturing is over. How can we compete with this quality at this price. This is my second piece of Jet equipment. I put Jet right up there with Delta.