Bandsaw recomendations

[5030]

Countless smaller production shops have been bought out by offshore companies or taken over. It's an everyday occurence and it's destroying the very base that made this country what it is.

The vision, if you will, of the current administration (and past administrations) is that of a service orientated economy. Problem is, is that very few workers in that type of society are paid an equitable, living wage.

I'm constantly receiving e-mails from offshore entities concerning my business. They all go in the trash que that runs with my firewall. When the time comes that I can no longer turn out a quality product at a reasonable cost, I'll take my designs and quit doing business altogether.

The vision of past generations (coming to America to earn good wages and have a standard of living above where they came from) is getting to be a distant memory.

We sure did veer off the bandsaw recomendations thread the OP asked.

I'd like to see the OP get a nice American Made Roll-In but in reality, what home shop operator can afford 5 grand for a bandsaw. Not many I suspect.

 

[Short Game]

Well, if you know your English bikes, you saw what happened to their manufacturing base even before ours went down. In the big Monopoly game in the sky, we're lucky if we ever pass Go. The only rule is we can't quit the game until the winners have everything, and we we should be happy eating cake (of a major brand, of course).

 

[mjncad]

I know you hate foreign made chicom stuff. you must hate your Kubota:laughing:

+1 :thumbsup:

Candidly, I don't hate anyone or anything except maybe my ex wife......

I bet she hates you too. :laughing:

and.... Kubota and other offshore produced makes (yours as well) have a domestic presence and employ Americans in those facilities and they didn't put anyone out of business bringing in foreign junk, unlike Jet tanking Wilton or Grizzly buying the assets of South Bend Lathe and then prostituting the tradename on a oriental machine.

Wilton, Jet, and Powermatic are owned by WMH (Walter Meir Holding) and I suspect they are moving machinery to the Jet name due to greater brand name recognition of Jet for machinery than Wilton. It also keeps costs down only having to paint and badge the same thing for one brand instead of two.

I do agree with your assessment of Grizzly acquiring the South Bend name.

 

[deereman75]

It seems south bend still makes lathes in the usa....

 

[buggyman1]

Uh... the op needs a bandsaw, not a history lesson. I like Grizzly for the price. Delta makes a nice one as does Jet (prob. the same Co.) If you can catch a factory closing down, maybe get a 3-phase and change out the motor. C L is another option, or e-bay....You kinda get what you pay for in my opinion...get what you can afford.

 

[deereman75]

ok in response to my last post, it seems all southbend lathes are made in taiwan. But they stopped making them in the USA long before grizzly. In fact, the lathes sold to the US NAVY in the 80s or 90s, were made in spain, with american electrics. They are still very good machines now, but not made in the USA.

 

[5030]

In as much as I have 3 South Bend vintage (made in USA) machines, all restored by the way, I'm glad you came to the realization that the current crop of South Bend machines have nothing in common with the original company except the name which was purchased by an enterprising individual to place on chi-com machinery, one reason I would never purchase anything from him or his company.... Grizzly

South Bend had a rocky history becoming an ESOP and eventually liquidating to LeBlond who sold the last remaining hard stock and the name to Mr, Balola, who, obviously (at least in my eyes) has no scruples.

Yes, SB lathes, the Turnado line was made in Spain, howeverm SB still offered refit services on domestic made machines up until about 5 years ago. I had a lathe bed levelled and scraped in their facility in '02.

I also own a LeBlond Servo Shift and a Monarch 10EE, both fine American made machines, made back when American craftsmanship was supreme.

 

[5030]

Uh... the op needs a bandsaw, not a history lesson. I like Grizzly for the price. Delta makes a nice one as does Jet (prob. the same Co.) If you can catch a factory closing down, maybe get a 3-phase and change out the motor. C L is another option, or e-bay....You kinda get what you pay for in my opinion...get what you can afford.

Uh...History is a nice thing to know. Gives you insight into what is and what is to be.

We all expressed our opinions to the OP long ago, in spades. As usual, the thread wandered, this time into history and the demise of this country as an industrialized nation.

Yes, all the same. All come via container from a foreign port different paint but all the same workings.... and some fat cat businessman getting rich because you accept junk for good.

In the past you got what you paid for but now, that's questionable. reminds me of a video I saw a while ago, of kids in some arab country making ammunition on a rock with wood sticks and crude tools.

I wouldn't be surprised if Cabelas sells it.:laughing:

 

[ultrarunner]

Just received a catalog in the mail with saws starting at under $300... imported of course... they also sell the good stuff too...

Enco $279, Wilton, Rollin,Grob... didn't see any DoAlls...


Irvan-Smith, Inc. : Racing and Sheet Metal Fabrication Equipment

I just bought a couple of inner tubes from them... have not bought anything else...

As to Lathes... I always wanted a nice LeBlond for the garage... it would last me a lifetime...

My belt 10" SouthBend is just a little bit to small all around for my use... I'm still able to do a lot going slow.

 

[5030]

Just received a catalog in the mail with saws starting at under $300... imported of course... they also sell the good stuff too...

Enco $279, Wilton, Rollin,Grob... didn't see any DoAlls...


Irvan-Smith, Inc. : Racing and Sheet Metal Fabrication Equipment

I just bought a couple of inner tubes from them... have not bought anything else...

As to Lathes... I always wanted a nice LeBlond for the garage... it would last me a lifetime...

My belt 10" SouthBend is just a little bit to small all around for my use... I'm still able to do a lot going slow.

I believe DoAll is done. Roll-In and Grob are domestic. I know personally, the owner of Roll-In Saw, I worked for him for many years. Roll-In is out of Cleveland, Ohio and Grob is south of Findlay, Ohio. That's why I have a Roll-In. I know what is under the sheet metal.

Only the smallest LeBlond's were single phase, The Servo Shift is frequency drive, 3 phase as is the 10EE.

I have a restored workshop belt drive, a Heavy 10 and a benchtop shaper. I use the workshop regularly for modelmaking. Has a 3c handwheel closer and a QC box. The 10 and the shaper are eye candy.

I told my wife when I pass, there will be one heck of a sale and someone is going to get some nice American made machinery. Gee, I even have Lincoln (Euclid, Ohio) welders in TIG and MIG.

Lets not forget about the vintage Atlas floor lathe in pristine condition in the corner, completely tooled, even a toolpost grinder thats never been used and a complete set of Williams toolholders in the original case.....
I won't get into all the Starrett and Brown and Sharpe tools I have or the Gerstner boxes they get stored in.....