| Review by Marv88 | posted 10-03-2015 07:16 AM | 6317 views | 0 times favorited | 11 comments |  |
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- Craftsman BAS 350 "Special Edition" 14" Bandsaw
- Brand: Craftsman | Category: Bandsaws
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This is the Rikon 1 HP 2 speed 10-321 clone with upgrades that include:
All black knobs instead of red
Magnetic safety switch
Semi enclosed base with integrated dual port dust collection
Integrated Delta style mobile base
Aluminum rip fence with resaw guide
Aluminum T bar miter gauge
Battery powered LED work light
Runs very smoothly/quietly, has plenty of power for me, comes with ball bearing guides that work well however are a little bit of a pain to adjust and the rack and pinion height adjustment is excellent (has 8” resaw capacity).
Dust collection is very good however I think I can improve it by sealing between the bottom of the table and the base where the port is with some foam tubing.
Rip fence locks securely and sliding action was improved by adding a little UHMW slick strip under the far end. The 4 wing nuts underneath the rail allow it to be quickly removed for blade changing.
Larger than typical table has dual miter slots and more table in front of the blade which works great for me since I do a lot of scroll cutting. Miter gauge has a short sliding aluminum fence that should provide plenty of support for what I’ll use it for however there are no positive stops (even at zero) and it’s pretty sloppy in the slot (good enough for a bandsaw IMO but not good enough for other machines that require more accuracy).
LED work light shines nicely on the cut line and can be adjusted to different angles or easily removed for changing blades.
Mobile base raises/rolls easily and is solid when parked.
All in all an excellent machine IMO and a much better value than the actual Rikon with my only complaints being the trunnion which allows the table to flex and the table is a pain to tilt.
-- "Post count on a forum does not denote level of knowldege, skill nor experience"
11 comments so far
RogerBean
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1605 posts in 3219 days
#1 posted 10-04-2015 12:02 PM
Thanks for the review. I have the 12” version of this saw that I bought for small work, so I wouldn’t have to keep changing blades on my 20” Delta. I’d agree that these are very nice saws sold by Craftsman and a really good buy. And lots of features, even a good fence. My little 12 is a bit small for furniture work, but the 14” or larger would be more than adequate. I’ve been completely happy with my saw. Powerful enough, and no complaints at all. My “big” saw now sits most of the time, with a carbide blade on it waiting for the resaw jobs.
Roger
-- "Everybody makes mistakes. A craftsman always fixes them." (Monty Kennedy, "The Checkering and Carving of Gunstocks", 1952)
Marv88
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87 posts in 2165 days
#2 posted 10-04-2015 06:23 PM
You’re welcome Roger and my goal also was to get a smaller second bandsaw to set up exclusively for scroll work so I wouldn’t have to change blades on my Delta. The 12” you have would have been perfect however they no longer sell that one and the table on the 10” Craftsman/Rikon several recommended was too small for me (the similar to yours Rikon 12” was actually more than the 14” at nearly $1k!) I came across this one in an open box at a Sears outlet store and couldn’t pass it up for the price which was actually less than the 10” would have cost!
-- "Post count on a forum does not denote level of knowldege, skill nor experience"
Todd
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411 posts in 1942 days
#3 posted 10-09-2015 04:31 PM
I have an older one with the enclosed base that I bought used. “Used” meaning the guy only used it 3 times. My only complaints are the table trunnion and the guide bar because of the difficulty in getting it adjusted. However once I got the guide bar adjusted and the table square I was good. I never tilt the table anyhow. I also replaced the tension knob with a ratchet. Much more convenient to de-tension now.
-- Todd, Huntsville, AL
Marv88
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87 posts in 2165 days
#4 posted 10-09-2015 05:18 PM
I actually came across your handy looking ratchet idea while doing research Todd however I don’t release the tension on this saw since I use it daily for scroll work. Overall I really like the saw and would definitely recommend it.
-- "Post count on a forum does not denote level of knowldege, skill nor experience"
cobrahd1999
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15 posts in 1226 days
#5 posted 10-09-2015 09:05 PM
I have a Craftsman Item # 00932607000P Model # BAS350 band saw and wondering what type of blades I need teeth per inch I am a newbie with a band saw. So any help would be greatful
thanks for your time.
Marv88
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87 posts in 2165 days
#6 posted 10-10-2015 12:07 AM
It depends on what material as well as what type of cuts you will be making and here’s a bandsaw “How To” that may help you out..
http://www.allbandsawblades.com/how_to.htm
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cobrahd1999
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15 posts in 1226 days
#7 posted 10-10-2015 03:32 PM
Marv thanks..
Marv88
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87 posts in 2165 days
#8 posted 10-11-2015 03:29 AM
You’re welcome!
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troyd1976
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8 posts in 2347 days
#9 posted 11-14-2015 05:50 PM
where/how are these special editions being found? ive looked online..2 of my local sears stores…did i miss the boat on this one?
jonah
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1999 posts in 3564 days
#10 posted 07-10-2017 03:21 PM
This saw (minus the fence) is on sale for $350 now. Any comments a couple of years or so after purchase?
Marv88
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87 posts in 2165 days
#11 posted 08-01-2017 05:17 PM
Imo it is a great saw overall (smooth, quiet, plenty powerful for what I do) and about the only gripe I have is the table angle adjustment is a pain however I have only needed to use that a couple of times. One thing to note is 99% of my use for this saw is scrolling and I have never re sawn on it so I don’t know how well it does that. Also, I do not use the lower guide when scrolling so I have not had failed bearings like others I had read about and when the top ones go (they are still working well) I will just swap them with bottom ones
-- "Post count on a forum does not denote level of knowldege, skill nor experience"
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