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My old band saw finally gave out during a big custom order last Thursday
I was working on a special cut for a restaurant in Seattle, a 40 pound pork shoulder that needed a really clean bone-in cut. Halfway through, the motor just started making this awful grinding noise and the blade slowed to a crawl. I had to finish the job with a hand saw, which took forever and the cut wasn't as clean as I wanted. I've had that saw for almost 12 years, bought it used from a guy who was retiring. I always thought I could nurse it along with oil and new blades forever. The repair guy said the main bearing is shot and it's not worth fixing. So now I'm looking at new saws, but I'm lost with all the options. Anyone have a good brand they trust for heavy daily use?
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nancy_wood10d agoMost Upvoted
Wait, are you saying the old ones are actually better or just that you gotta hunt harder for a good used one? Because I've been thinking about this a lot since my old Cabela's bandsaw finally gave up last year after 15 years of abuse. I kept it running with zip ties and prayers for the last two years honestly.
I had the same debate with myself when mine died. I looked at those shiny new models at restaurant supply stores but something felt off about them. The frames felt thinner, the motors sounded whiny instead of solid. I actually ended up finding a used Hobart from a bakery that went under, it weighs like 200 pounds but that thing just runs smooth no matter what I throw at it.
The trick with used industrial models is that you gotta really check for rust inside the casing and make sure the blade guides aren't worn down too much. If the previous owner ran it with dull blades it can mess up the tension mechanism. But if you find one that was properly taken care of, they'll last another 20 years easy.
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sammartinez10d ago
haha yeah nothing like that moment when your trusty old tool finally says "nope, I'm done" right in the middle of a rush order. Hand sawing a 40 pound pork shoulder sounds like a real workout, hope you got your steps in for the day! That grinding noise is the machine's way of telling you it's been holding on by a thread for years but was too polite to say anything. Sounds like you got a solid 12 years out of a used saw though, that's pretty good for a retirement special.
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barbara_jenkins662mo ago
My uncle ran a butcher shop for 30 years and swore by his old American-made bandsaw. The new ones, even the expensive brands, just don't have the same guts in the motor. He said they build them to fail now. I'd look for a used industrial model from a shop closing sale before dropping cash on something shiny that'll break in five years. That old saw lasting 12 years proves they don't make them like they used to.
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