Delta open base bandsaw?

Dave Black

Member
Messages
638
Location
Central PA
I keep seeing a delta open base 14" bandsaw at the local lowes on clearance and the price has been dropped 2 or 3 times. Jeff Bergman said that supposedly you can get it for $250. Heres my question I know its a bunch off what they normally sell for but is this a good bandsaw or would I be better off trying to get a used one for that price or under. I know delta quality isn't quite what it used to be. Should I make an offer on it or just keep looking?
 
Dave,
I can't tell you what to do but I can tell you about my expierance with lowes. several years ago Lowes was clearing out their stock on the Jet Contractor table saws at half price ($395 for a saw that had been offered for $795) . I looked at them and I was ready to bite but didn't pull the trigger. I was talking to my son who worked at another Lowes store and he said that I should offer them $150 for the saw. I looked at him in disbelief and he said that they will bargan and if they are clearing them out I can name my price.
I have been using that $150 saw for several years now and never regretted it. I'd say go for it. I know that I can get my original money out of that saw any time I want to sell it.
 
Dave,

I have been using that $150 saw for several years now and never regretted it. I'd say go for it. I know that I can get my original money out of that saw any time I want to sell it.

Thats what I was thinking, if I don't like it I should be able to sell it and not lose anything. I am assuming I would need to ask the store manager. I believe they are clearing out the delta stuff because all the other delta is gone and porter cable is in its place now.
 
Thats what I was thinking, if I don't like it I should be able to sell it and not lose anything. I am assuming I would need to ask the store manager. I believe they are clearing out the delta stuff because all the other delta is gone and porter cable is in its place now.
That was the sitation with the Jets saws. I got ahold of the department manager when I made the offer.
 
My experience with Lowe's, yep they'll deal. If you make a deep offer and the guy says he can't give you an answer, ask him to call someone that can. Had an evening where I bought three bandsaws, a chop saw, a table saw and two drill presses. They were refreshing their demonstrators. I bought them without boxes, averaged $100.00 each! And they were assembled and loaded in my truck. They had to call someone at home, he told them to sell them. Now with that said, the bandsaws are used and work well, that dang Delta drill press wobbles and the chuck falls off constantly. It will go this summer in the yard sale.
 
I picked it up for $200 today, it must have been my day. I was pondering it for a while on and off and seeing it on clearance for a few months and today when I walked in it was sitting out in the main isle on clearance for $349. I asked the tool department manager about it and he said its the last one and I wouldn't have to pay $349, I said will you take $150 and he said the lowest they can do is $200 and they are losing $ at that price so I walked out with it. It didn't come with a blade so I need to get one. Lowes only had the vermont american blades that I had tried before and seem to be junk. Any thoughts about where to get one and what brand.
 
Congrats, Dave. :thumb: Suffolk Machinery is where a lot of folks get their blades. Their Timberwolf blade is one of the most commonly-used blades around. Their phone staff is good at helping you decide what blades would work well for your intended purposes.

That said, I've started buying mine from Ellis Manufacturing for about 1/3 the cost, but they do have a $50 minimum order. (I just stock up, since bandsaw blades wear out and I'll be eventually replacing them out anyway.) The Ellis blades are every bit as good in my opinion as the Timberwolf blades I've used in the past.
 
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