WEN 9-Inch Band Saw, 2.8-Amp Benchtop (BA3959)

I just received this little band saw. The assembly took about 20 minutes and I was cutting soon after that. I looked at the Ryobi (at Home Depot), the Craftsman at Lowes and the Harbor Freight saws. This one was the least expensive of them all so I was skeptical about taking a chance (the "you get what you pay for" adage usually holds true). I needed to cut some cherry wood or varying thicknesses (1/8" - 3/4") for a jewelry box I am constructing. I am a retired woodworker who previously owned professional-grade power tools and now I was looking for a saw for my tiny basement workshop for occasional use. My assessment? This is a very nice saw with some nice features and it does the job. In fact, I prefer it for small, delicate, work over my 12-inch Delta! It's construction is sound and for the weekend craftsman, it is a steal at this price. I wouldn't recommend it for the serious DIYer who needs to routinely rip 4-inch stock, but for light duty work, it's perfect. Highly recommended.

I read all the good and bad reviews about this band saw, plus looked at other brands before deciding to give it a try. I found that the instructions were in clear English, and gave details about how to make every adjustment. The blade was correctly centered and tensioned by the factory so I started it up. There was no hesitation and minimal vibration. The base was sturdy so I didn't need to bolt it down . The table adjustment angles were clearly cast (compared to other reviewer complaints) and 90 degrees was spot on. The push guide and fence also measured accurately. Perhaps the company has improved on their quality or I just got lucky.I've been without a band saw for years so this was a good choice for my for medium/light hobby and household work. Much easier than using a vice and trying to cut straight!

Similar to other 9" bandsaws. I won't be pushing it beyond it's limits...no resawing 3 1/2 inch hardwoods, for instance. The manual is clear but misses a few finer points of setup process. And it does need to be set up! But once it is dialed in, it works like a charm. Rips or crosscuts 3/4 inch Cherry or Walnut with ease. I have managed to rip strips consistently as narrow as 1/4" or less.It's a solid, basic, somewhat unrefined design. The guide rollers are finicky, there is no tension release lever, the clamp-on fence has limited usefulness and is a pain to square up to the blade, and the miter guide fits loosely in the (1/2 inch, not 3/4!) slot, making it impossible to cut accurate 90 degree crosscuts.It may sound like I'm complaining. But I'm not. Once you set it up properly, as long as you don't expect too much of it, it cuts like a dream.The keys to success include setting the guide rollers very carefully, centering the blade on the wheels, and tensioning the blade (a bit looser than you might imagine. Look up Alex Snodgrass's videos for an excellent walkthrough. The other thing it to get a small, high quality machinist square or 6" combination square, to adjust the limit screw on the table so that the blade is absolutely perpendicular to the table when in the un-tilted position. This is harder than it needs to be, as the bolt is secured to the frame by two 10mm nuts. One nut cinches down to the top of the lower wheel's cover, and the other is inside the lower wheel cover behind the wheel, pushing upward.In order to lower the height of the bolt, you have to first loosen the nut on top of the wheel cover, then turn the bolt while reaching into the lower wheel with a finger to keep the lower nut from spinning. Then, you have to continue to hold it in place while tightening the upper nut. Then put the table back to horizontal and check level again and repeat if it's not level.The other head-scratching issue is the non-standard vacuum hose port. Very hard to find the correct solution to hook it to a 1 7/8 inch vacuum hose end. The solution that I finally found (and it works great!!) is to buy a $12 "ID 1.75" to 2.5" Silicone Reducer Coupler Hose" here on Amazon. These are found in the automotive department and there are several manufacturers. Once I discovered this solution, it's smooth sailing! Keeping sawdust out of the lower wheel section, where it can get imbedded in the rubber tire and mess up the blade tracking, it important. Running the saw without a shop vac is asking for trouble down the road.

First time this was ship there was a minor defect, this was returned and a new one arrived the next day. This one was intact and used right out of the box after adjusting the blade. Perfect for a Small jobs around the house. I'm glad I purchased it.

Light weight not for heavy use, but good enough for what I need it for.

Let me say that while I'm not new to bandsaws, it has been a number of years since I used one regularly. Like so many other reviewers, I researched many bandsaws in my price range, read a bushel basket of reviews, and watched at least a dozen and a half online reviews about WEN, and their competitors. So let me that much to pleasure the bandsaw assembled pretty easily with the help of the instruction manual. I read where others had some problems with "tuning" the saw blade. Again, pleased to say that my sander was "dailed-in" from the get go. I have made one cut of a knife handle with some curves with no need to relief cuts, so I was pleased. Conditions may vary with you, but for the money I am an extremely happy camper hobby woodman and surprised at its potential usefulness and design. Full marks to WEN!

The media could not be loaded. I am very impressed with the WEN Bandsaw. Im replacing a Ryobi I've had for 20 years, and compared to the WEN, the all-plastic Ryobi was just junk.The blade holds true and cuts well without too much wandering.I like the quickly release latches on the door. Very convenient.It has a gallop sound and vibration when running, but that's due to the weld on the blade. A better blade will have a smoother joint and run quieter.It was very easy to set up, and the instructions were not bad at all.Perhaps most importantly, the table is very flat! Unlike other reviews I read that complain about a warped table, mine is very flat. When I held a straight edge on it, it was flat in all directions.The fence is handy. While it will not lock in perpendicular, you need to use a right angle to position it, but once locked, it holds securely.

Maybe small but is perfect for my small shop. Makes smaller jobs with curves very easy. Great price and quality compared to other bigger name brands.