Thanks for taking your time to read our reviews on the best band saws that are currently available on the United Kingdom marketplace.
A Band saw is an electric powered saw with a band of teeth that rotates on two wheels through a table. A set of guides above and below the table hold the blade in position. You can then place a board on the table and push it through the rotating blade.
They are available in benchtop or floor standing models and are an expensive purchase. They are used mainly in woodworking but can also be used to cut metal and plastic with the right blade inserted.
The average home owner will never need to own one of these. You will find them in woodworking shops, kitchen manufacturers and some factories. Some very keen home DIY people may have a bench top version of these in their garage of work shed and we have included "hobby" type saws in our top 5 ratings.
When it comes to buying any tool, and especially expensive ones such as a band saw, then the single most important question you can ask yourself, is "Do I Really Need This? The average price of a good quality one is anything between £150-200, so although not crazy money, it is still a substantial enough investment, and as such you should give it a fair amount of thought, before parting with your hard earned cash. If you want something of high quality and want to have the best type of band saw then the prices get high and around £700 for a high quality band saw with a stand.
Just below you will see our top 5 list of band saws. However, we also know you are busy, so if you don't have time to read our full review, we would highly recommend the Lumberjack Bandsaw BS254 Professional 254mm 10" Tilt Table.
Band Saw Buying Advice
Here are a list of questions that should help you decide if you really need one of these or not. If you already know that you want one, then please skip to the next section. For those that are indecisive, then these should help you make your mind up.
Questions and Considerations On Deciding To Buy A Band Saw
What type of work will you be using the band saw for?
This is absolutely the main consideration that you will need to figure out. The main purpose of a band saw is to allow you to cut curved or irregular shapes in wood. It can also do the same with metal, by changing the blade type. Although it can also cut straight lines, but that is not its main purpose.
Band saws are also really useful for cutting several boards at the one time. There are also scroll saws for more intricate work and these are popular with people who do crafts. A band saw with the right blade can also do this type of work.
A good quality band saw is able to so rip cuts and cross cuts and can handle curves, angles and compound cuts. They are also useful when making tenon joints or for smaller rabbet joints
What size of wood or metal will you be using this on?
The distance between the blade and the frame will determine the maximum width of the cutting ability of the saw. This is commonly referred to as the "throat capacity." No, I don't know who comes up with these terms either, but that is what the industry calls it.
The bottom line is though that the bigger this is, then the wider your cuts and larger pieces you can work with. When buying a band saw, you need to be sure that this throat capacity is big enough to be able to handle the sizes of wood that you will be working with.
How often will you be using your band saw?
Is it a couple of times a week, every day, or just on the odd project? Band saws come in different models including a bench top, floor models, portable and cordless. Knowing how often, and what you are going to be using this for, will help narrow down which type will be best for your own particular needs.
Will you get enough use out of it?
For me this is always the toughest question to answer. As this saw can also do miter joints and angled cuts, it is a good universal saw to have in your workshop or garage. My general thoughts on this, is that if you are someone who enjoys working with wood, enjoys doing home improvement or home projects, then you should get one of these for your workshop.
If you are a carpenter, cabinet maker or joiner then I am probably preaching to the converted.
The key things to take away from these questions is that when you answer them, you should be able to make a more sound decision if you know exactly how and why you will be using it ahead of time. Make a short list of any projects or tasks you will be taking on in the next few months. Then just ask yourself, would a band saw help me get these done? If the answer is yes, then you will know that you need to purchase one.
As many old carpenters like me would say, this particular saw is an old work horse of mine, it is just a matter of picking the right one.
Hopefully these questions have helped make your mind up as to whether you would like one or not. If you have decided that you do, then let's dig a little deeper and try to find out which one would be the best for you.
Below we have created a list of the top selling band saws in a comparison table which should help you understand what is available in the market right now.
Best Band Saw by Buyer Rating
The top 5 are as follows:
Just below, we have also completed some summary reviews on each of these, so as you can see which is the best option for you.
No 1 - Lumberjack Bandsaw BS254 Professional 254mm 10" Tilt Table Summary Review
90% customer satisfaction from over 100+ buyers
- 90% customer satisfaction
- This is a professional level unit
- Huge 6''/150mm Cutting Depth Capacity
- 10''/254mm Cutting Width
- Comes with a great Cast Iron Work Table and floor stand
- Table size - 360mm x 320mm
- Cast iron table tilts from 90 degrees to 45 degrees
- Dust extraction facility
- Very handy LED ight
This is a superb unit that has a massive cutting depth. The build is top quality and it comes with everything you would want.
No 2 - Einhell TC-SB 200/1 4308018 200 mm Band Saw Summary Review
86% customer satisfaction from over 3,500+ buyers
- 86% Customer Satisfaction
- This is a great benchtop saw for a hobiest or DIY enthuisiast
- The throat is 200 mm
- It comes with a tilting saw table from -4 to 46 Degrees
- Saw Band 1400 x 7 mm
- Max. cutting height at 90° 80 mm
- Has Extraction Feature
- Great Value Unit
- Massive seller and very popular model
No 3 - Ryobi 1 5133002854 RBS904, 350w Summary Review
80% customer satisfaction from over 100+ buyers
- 80% buyer satisfaction rating
- Bench Top band saw
- Again its a good unit for a hobiest or DIY enthuisiast
- The cutting depth is pretty good at 80mm
- Cutting Throat is 233mm
- Dust extraxtion facility
- This unit can tilt up to 45 degrees
- Fitted with a lamp with adjustable hose. This is very handy actually
No 4 - Makita MAKITA LB1200F Band Saw Stand and Wheel Kit Summary Review
89% customer satisfaction from over 100+ buyers
- 89% buyer satisfaction rating
- This is a fully professional standard of bandsaw
- Comes with a moveable stand
- Cuts up to 165mm
- Cutting Speed L/H : 6.7m/sec / 13.3m/sec
- Blade Diameter : 2240 mm / 6, 13 and 16mm
- This is another superb too from Makita that really is the best in class. Pity it is so expensive !
No 5 - Dremel Moto-Saw MS20 2-in-1 Electric Compact Scroll Saw Summary Review
90% customer satisfaction from over 350+ buyers
- 90% buyer satisfaction rating
- this bench top unit will cut up to 18mm
- This is a very easy-to-use table saw
- Fully Portable and comes with a nice carrying Case
- Excellent Value at this price
- Totally aimed at the DIY market and is well capable for most light use
- You can get really precise cuts with this saw
- Its great for both straight and curved cutting
How to use a Bandsaw
A very quick video review
We have looked over all the video reviews and found this great short presentation on these bandsaws. It gives you an instant idea of what to expect as well as telling you all the features and spec in and easy to understand format.
I hope you enjoy watching it as I always think its much better to see a tool in action rather than just reading about it or seeing pictures. This guy is particularly good at explaining the features of the saw and he is well known for demonstrating tools.
In Conclusion
Obviously the Makita Model is head and shoulders above the rest of these units as iIt's a fully professional Bandsaw. This is reflected in the very expensive price, and that's why its down our ratings a bit.
Buying a Bandsaw like this totally depends on how often you will be using it and what size of material you will be cutting. All the models shown here are excellent and if you just need something for a home workshop then the Dremel is brilliant value and will do most jobs at it's own speed.
Its good to remember that these are high powered tools and i would recommend watching the video below for safety.
Hopefully you have found this information on band saws useful. If you don't think this is the saw for ypu then you might want to have a look at some of our other articles on Electric Power Saws. Or if this is not the sort of thing you need then check out our article on all the different types of saws.