Craftsman band saws

[worm1595]

Is it me or do the new Craftsman band saws look very, very much like the Rikon saws ? I am in the market for a good 14" machine and am looking at Ridged, Delta and Craftsman presently. I know that Steel City made my Craftsman table saw and it is VERY well made. I wonder if Rikon has a hand in thier band saws :dontknow:

 

[Tarhead]

My 9in Craftsman is the same in every respect as the 9in Rikon except mine has a bigger cast iron table. The Rikon version has a cast Aluminum. Oh...mine was only $80 from one of John Skipper's buds who runs a perpetual Craftsman tool yardsale near Spindale. If you can get past the label they're worth looking at.

 

[CarvedTones]

To me, the biggest problem with the label is their seeming desire to compete with everyone at every level of quality. Look at the current line up of table saws:
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/s_10153_...ble+Saws?keyword=crafstman+table+saw&sLevel=2
One under $100, one over $1400 with several in between. There isn't a clear line up, at least it isn't clear to me. Out of 12 saws, it looks like 7 different designs (and possibly as many different makers). Some look very nice and some, well...

Craftsman used to mean more than "Sold by Sears". They still sell some good stuff, but you have to evaluate item by item.

 

[worm1595]

I look at tools the way I view guitars. ( I have 25+ years playing music)I examine each item as an individual and forget about who makes it or who's label it has on it. SOOOOOOOO many people buy stuff because of a name/label and that is a big mistake IMHO. I like to research it, look and touch it and talk to folks to have owned them. Then and only then do I pull the trigger. I know so many folks who go out and buy a 2K + Gibson or Fender guitar only to later realize that half of that cost was in the "Label". A tool/machine is either good or not good and with a little research and inspection can you can avoid buyers' remorse I think. I agree that the Craftsman line of tools is very " up & down" and most of thier table saws are of average quality at best BUT after doing my homework and close inspection of the now discontinued model #22124 w/ Biesmeyer fence I realized that it was a diamond in the rough and jumped on it at my local Sears after it was clearenced down from $1199.00 to $839.00. Great saw iMO !

just my 2 cents worth of course ccasion1

 

[worm1595]

I think when the 14" Craftsman band saw go's on sale, I'm gonna' get me one. They look/built soooooooo much like a Rikon it's not even funny for less $$$$ :icon_cheers I did a close inspection of one today and it is well made.

 

[Joe Scharle]

Sometimes a parts catalog will give you a big clue. When Steel City came out (I already had the Orion 22124), I checked part numbers on-line. Yep, the only difference was that the Orion label has an 'O' in front of the same numbers!

 

[CarvedTones]

Sometimes there are common castings with the fittings changed. I got the lathe extension for my Rockler/Excelsior lathe from PSI (for the TurnCrafter) and it fit right up perfectly; just needed some black paint. But the motor specs are slightly different and the speed readouts are in different places, so I would be very hesitant about getting headstock parts from them. HF now has a lathe on the same casting also, with yet another set of slightly different specs. Anyway, my point is that looking close at the exterior and measuring down to thousandths is about the casting and doesn't guarantee much else. Joe's advice is dead on about part numbers; they don't always do that, but it seems very common. I have Googled for lots of things using a number and leaving the letters off and finding it as a diferent brand.