Budget portaband?

[52 Ford]

I had a HF and it's blade guide bearings all failed. Cheap-looking bearings. Rest of saw ok. I started to just replace the bearings, but
I decided to get a DeWalt instead and it has been used daily for 3-4 years now.

I have a lot of hours on my Bauer. Bearings still holding up fine. I'm certain they're Chinese bearings.

I might have talked about this before, but what you encountered is a crib death.... infant mortality. Fix those bearings and it's liable to work great for a very long time.

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[goggins]

Yep, buy used name brand. Check Marketplace, Craigslist (or equivalent), and Ebay. If you're wanting it for in the shop, I'd buy corded.

Yeah, definitely going corded since I'll only be using it at home.

[Sberry]

I meant to buy one when the time was right and just never did. They are handy, clean and quiet. No fire.

[Lis2323]

I can honestly say that much as my Makita is an excellent tool I could have gotten by fine without it.

[Sberry]

I dont have one. When I started there was hacksaw and a torch, we cut almost everything torch. I use a common chop saw in the shop, not continuously fabricating 8 hrs a day from new steel stock. Where I cant reach plasma or shop torch or chop saw it usually ends up with one of 2 heavy duty battery sawzalls. So I agree with Lis that after a while a guy finds what he uses so to speak and doesnt need every tool they ever invented. If I was doing handrail continuous no way not to have it. I dont think buying one is the dumbest idea I ever heard, its not that big a deal.

[tapwelder]

Beware. There is a least one models of Milwaukee and dewalt are obsolete and unsupported. I had them both. My first Milwaukee was near 30 years old. The dewalt was discontinued after I purchased it probably 6 yrs ago.

[52 Ford]

I meant to buy one when the time was right and just never did. They are handy, clean and quiet. No fire.

When they're working right, yeah. I DID melt a motor on one

I was cutting a bunch of heavy angle iron. With a fresh blade it took about 3 minutes per cut. After about an hour of doing that back to back, it done gone and let the smoke out.

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[Sberry]

I ruined my good chop saw that way. Like a dumbazz put some 4 inch pipe at 45 in it and sawed like a madman, shame is there was no reason I had to rush. A cut or 2 and it would have been fine. Was 20 yrs old and would have went another 20.

[smithdoor]

I use a torch it is faster.

I have used a Sawzall too.

The portable bandsaw I used but never own one. When being paid by hour it great tool.

Dave

When they're working right, yeah. I DID melt a motor on one

I was cutting a bunch of heavy angle iron. With a fresh blade it took about 3 minutes per cut. After about an hour of doing that back to back, it done gone and let the smoke out.

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[52 Ford]

I use a torch it is faster.

I have used a Sawzall too.

The portable bandsaw I used but never own one. When being paid by hour it great tool.

Dave

With a GOOD blade, it's a lot faster than a Sawzall and it's easier to get a clean cut with it.

At the time I didn't have a cutting torch or a plasma cutter. If I had to do those same cuts now, I'd use the plasma cutter.

[jpump5]

I bought a used Milwaukee 25+ years ago.
Never a problem with it.

[StandarDyne]

I bought a Milwaukee 6225 about 10 yrs ago, and love it. Don't know how I ever got by without it. After about 10 yrs, the tires dry rotted and I had to get new ones...if you buy a knockoff, you might want to be sure it's a clone of a Milwaukee for future parts compatibility.

[smithdoor]

But have Sawzall and almost never need to use it in steel. I use a torch most time

FYI I found the blade does not last long on Sawzall.

Dave

With a GOOD blade, it's a lot faster than a Sawzall and it's easier to get a clean cut with it.

At the time I didn't have a cutting torch or a plasma cutter. If I had to do those same cuts now, I'd use the plasma cutter.

[StandarDyne]

FYI I found the blade does not last long on Sawzall.

Same here, seems like it's hard to keep the throttle backed-off enough to prevent cooking the blade, and once it gets too hot, it's goodbye Charlie.

I used a bimetal blade to cut off a big 1.5" SS or Monel rudder shaft that got bent/torn on my boat, it took a long time with as slow as I had to go. If I could have fit my Portaband into the confined space, it would have gone a lot faster, I suspect...

I hate using recipro saws on metal, even when it goes well, seems like you get all beat up.

[N2 Welding]

Beware. There is a least one models of Milwaukee and dewalt are obsolete and unsupported. I had them both. My first Milwaukee was near 30 years old. The dewalt was discontinued after I purchased it probably 6 yrs ago.

I got a BNIB Dewalt 20v XR tool only for about $140 iirc at Home Depot about a year ago. Might of been a model that was being replaced by a newer model but at the price I had no complaints and almost bought 2 so I could flip the second for a few pennies. Figured someone else might need it more than I did the extra change. That and I did not feel like going through the hassle of having to sell it. Still have yet to use it. Now I have 2x Milwaukee portal bands and the Dewalt cordless. Keep forgetting to list the Milwaukee saw. One is still practically brand new and has the big red plastic case. Not sure which Milwaukee to sell. The one that shows more sign of use would sell faster as I’d list it for less money. It seems like that one cuts better though :/

[smithdoor]

Most work was A36 steel.
When use the Portable bandsaw was on 4" stainless steel shafts work great 👍.

Dave

Same here, seems like it's hard to keep the throttle backed-off enough to prevent cooking the blade, and once it gets too hot, it's goodbye Charlie.

I used a bimetal blade to cut off a big 1.5" SS or Monel rudder shaft that got bent/torn on my boat, it took a long time with as slow as I had to go. If I could have fit my Portaband into the confined space, it would have gone a lot faster, I suspect...

I hate using recipro saws on metal, even when it goes well, seems like you get all beat up.

[Lis2323]

I can honestly say that much as my Makita is an excellent tool I could have gotten by fine without it.

I really should elaborate. I realize the versatility and value of portabands.

It's just that it hasn't been of great value to ME for the type of projects i work on.

[smithdoor]

I agree 👍
They look great

Dave

I really should elaborate. I realize the versatility and value of portabands.

It's just that it hasn't been of great value to ME for the type of projects i work on.

[52 Ford]

Same here, seems like it's hard to keep the throttle backed-off enough to prevent cooking the blade, and once it gets too hot, it's goodbye Charlie.

I used a bimetal blade to cut off a big 1.5" SS or Monel rudder shaft that got bent/torn on my boat, it took a long time with as slow as I had to go. If I could have fit my Portaband into the confined space, it would have gone a lot faster, I suspect...

I hate using recipro saws on metal, even when it goes well, seems like you get all beat up.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/DIABLO-9...24536-23-12075

Yeah, I've had times where I was going through a BIM blade per cut. Carbide is the way to go. You have to be careful not to chip the teeth, though.

You can also get a carbide tooth pruning blade from Diablo (I think Milwaukee has one, too). They're pretty impressive! With a cordless Sawzall or a compact cordless "Hackzall", they'd be really nice for pruning fruit trees and that sorta thing.

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