Woodworking, Tool Reviews, Projects
Jet 14 inch Deluxe Woodworking Bandsaw ReviewLast Updated:[8/3/2006 3:07:01 PM]
The Jet 14" Bandsaw like many other bandsaws, is modeled after the old Delta bandsaw. I've had this bandsaw for about 1 year now. Of course during that time I have added a few upgrades to it. I can never seem to leave my larger shop tools in their stock configuration. The rubber tires were replaced with urethane tires, the standard v-groove belt was replaced with a 'Power Twist Link Belt', and a moble base was added. Assembly: When I purchase a tool I normaly open the box, find tons of pieces then end up spending all day putting it together. This bandsaw came in two boxes and took about 1 hour to put together. It is basically in 3 pieces, top, base and motor. Other manufactures should take note of how easy the setup is with this piece equipment. Motor: The bandsaw comes with a 1 1/2 HP motor. I've found the motor to be plenty powerful enough for my purposes. I wouldn't mind a little more kick in the motor but this is an economical bandsaw. If you want more power, a larger bandsaw is needed. Blades: The blade included with this bandsaw was total junk. The first piece I tried to cut was a 3" thick piece of poplar. I was really dissapointed and thought "Great now I am going to have to return it." I left it alone for a day and surfed the web... Well turns out the stock blade is no good. I ordered a new blade. To my surprise it actually worked great! The original blade was in the trash quickly after that left my possession the next garbage day. Fence: This bandsaw does not come with a fence. I figured that I might want to use one every once in a while so I did purchase a Jet fence for this bandsaw. Having a good fence can helpful but is not necessary for a bandsaw. Dust Collection: The bandsaw comes with a 4" dust port on the rear. The dust clears quickly and with no fuss. Cast Iron Table: The cast iron table on this bandsaw is 15". For a bandsaw this size that is about all you can expect. For most projects that is just fine. If you like to cut very large pieces on this saw you may have trouble unless you build an outfeed and infeed table. The table itself is nothing special. When cutting smaller pieces I've noticed the insert isn't flush with the rest of the table. This will cause the piece to tip in or get raised up. This is very minor, but it would be nice if it was more flush. Overall: This is a very economical bandsaw that has good quality for the price.
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