I made the jump to a 14in Bandsaw

Sean Wright

Member
Messages
902
Location
WNY, Buffalo Area
Well, I finally did it. I had been seriously looking at the SteelCity 14in'er, but being that this is only a hoby (with limited resources:(), I had to opt for the best combination of features for the best cost.

I ended up getting the Craftsman Pro 22401 14in bandsaw. Initially the Craftsman name turned me off, and I didn't pay much attention to the saw. However after some research, I had to reconsider my opinion.

Here are some of things that helped me make this decision.
-Online feedback from owners has been very good.
-Including feedback from FWW member Jeff Miller. - Thanks Jeff:thumb:
-Popular Woodworking gave it a Best Value in their Nov.06 issue.
-Woodworkers Journal said "...this saw seems an exceptional buy."Aug.07
-This saw is made for Sears by Rikon, who's bandsaws are highly rated.
-Cast Iron wheels
-Large cast iron table 15 3/4in by 20 1/2in.
-8in resaw capacity
-Ball bearing guides
-2 dust collection hookups (4in and 2 1/2in)
-Blade tracking window
-Nice extras: a light and a fence
-Cost - all of that for less than $500

I felt that I made an educated decision with this purchase as I already know the things that aren't quite 100%. The fence is Ok, but not great. Eventually it will get replaced with a Kreg. They cheaped out on the guide bearings. They will evenutally spit grease and need to be replaced, but they can be replaced with standard skate bearings so this isn't a big deal. The trunion doesn't provide the best support when it is loosened for adjustment. However when it is tight it supports the big table very solidly. The blade is a non standard size 99in. Not as big of a deal as it sounds, Suffolk Machinery (make the timberwolf blades) makes all of their blades to custom length, and the cost isn't as much as you might think. Being a steel frame, it is not expandable beyond the 8in resaw. I only have a 6 in jointer (and am not planning on upgrading that anytime soon). I wanted something bigger than the standard 6in, but 12in was too much. It should work well for sawing blanks for the lathe.

I made a mobile base for it, and will post some pictures when I get a chance.

I have been pretty busy and a little sick lately so I don't have it 100% set up. I still have to allign the guides, wax the table, and a few other fine tuning items. I will update this post when I get it up and running.
 
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Sounds to me like you did your homework Sean. :thumb:

Have fun with your new toy.... Uh, tool. :eek:

DT
 
I also have been eyeing up this band saw, but, I see now that it may have been discontinued.
It is no longer on the website and as someone else stated is not in their most recent tool catalog.

The saw did get great reviews on the Sears website and high marks on tool forums as well.

Congrats you may have gotten the last one!
:dunno:
 
Sounds like you made a good decision Sean. Many folks here and elsewhere that have that saw speak very highly of it. That's always a good sign. Add to that the fact that there will be a pool of others to discuss any additions, questions or features and you've got yourself a pretty good thing going. Congrats.
 
Congrats, Sean. I looked at that saw real closely when I bought my Shop Fox, and I agree that it sure looks like a good machine for the money. Have fun with it. :thumb:
 
How the Craftsman lines up to the Rikons

I had mentioned that Rikon makes the 14in Craftsman Pro (22401) for Sears.

I went to Rikon's site and did some digging before I made my final decision.
Rikon has two 14in bandsaws. The 10-320 and the 10-325 Deluxe. Typically the 10-320 goes for about what the Craftsman goes for, under $500. The 10-325 Deluxe usually goes for in the $700 range.

The Craftsman is not a duplication of one of those saws, but a blend of both at the right price.

The stickers are even the same on both the Rikons' and the Craftsman, with the exception of the brandname.

Resaw:
10-320: 6 inches
22401: 8 inches
10-325: 13 inches

Wheels
10-320: cast aluminum
22401: cast iron
10-325: cast iron

Motor
10-320: 1Hp
22401: 1 Hp
10-325: 1.5 Hp

Built in Light
10-320: no
22401: yes
10-325: yes

Fence
10-320: no
22401: yes
10-325: yes

Table size - same for all

DC ports
10-320: Two 4in & 2 1/2in
22401: Two 4in & 2 1/2in
10-325: One 4in

2 speeds - all have 2 speeds for cutting different materials.

Blade Tracking Window
10-320: no
22401: yes
10-325: yes

Quick Tension Release
10-320: no
22401: no
10-325: yes

Rack and Pinion Trunion
10-320: no
22401: no (same trunion as the 10-320 - cast aluminum)
10-325: yes
 
New Saw Update

I know its taken me a while to get these up. Things have been pretty crazy with work recently.

I haven't had much time to spend in the shop lately. For the handfull of cuts I have made with it, it has worked well.

I swapped out the stock guide bearings for ABEC-7 inline skate bearings from my local sporting goods store. They seem to work fine and it was an exact fit.

In the picture of the saw I don't have any DC hooked up to it. I have run it with out DC and with just my shop vac connected to the 2in port that you can see under the table. It definitely needs some sort of DC hooked up. The shop vac does a decent job of controlling the dust for quick cuts. If I was going to use it for any extended cutting, I would also hook my DC up to the 4in port on the side.

The 2nd picture isn't great but it shows the 8+ in resaw capability.
 

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