Band saws are very useful tools but mostly used in workshops rather than at home. Band saws can be used for cutting a variety of materials, not just wood. If you are into woodworking, a cheap band saw can be worth considering. It is a versatile tool and can save you a lot of time.

The band saw is older than most people think. The first band saws were developed in the first half of the 19th century. The early band saws were large but thanks to improved technology, band saws have over time become both smaller and cheaper.

As mentioned, in workshops the band saw is a very useful power tool. A band saw wastes less material than a circular saw. With the right blade, band saws can cut almost any materials. But if you are serious about woodworking, a band saw can be sound investment. But unfortunately good band saws are relatively expensive.

So for what tasks are band saws good for? If you do a lot of wood turning, a band saw is the quickest way to prepare blanks. Sawing curves and cutting wedges are examples of work done quickest and easiest with a band saw.

The band saw is the best choice for resawing. Resawing means sawing lumber lengthwise into two smaller pieces. Although resawing using a band saw looks easy, you need to get a couple of things right. First you need to use the right blade, too many teeth and you will be wasting wood. Next, the blade tension has to be right, too little tension and the blade may start move erratically. Lastly, you need to feed at the right speed. This takes some practice to get right.

But of course almost everything you can do with a band saw can also be done by cheaper tools. It will take longer and can be more awkward but you can get the same end result with other tools as well.

One of the main advantages of a band saw is that the blade is going in only one direction, no problems with kickbacks or bouncing. Most people who get used to using a band saw, can’t understand how they ever got by without one.

Obviously, a good band saw is not good enough, you need good blades as well. A good band saw with a poor blade will not produce good results. And as you probably already guessed, good blades can be expensive. But it is well worth investing in a couple of good blades.

Note that you also need to have the correct tension. Otherwise the blade will not cut optimally and the life time of the blade decreases. This means that you need to check tension regularly. Most manufacturers also recommend that you relieve the tension when the machine is not used. But be careful, too much tension is not good, the blade may break prematurely.

You can learn how to use a band saw here