Factory-Reconditioned Skil 3385-01-RT 2.5 Amp 9-Inch Band Saw

The band saw arrived in good condition without any damage or missing parts. Assembled in about 15 minutes and did not need any adjusting. It works well, fairly quiet and with enough power to do the job. The laser and LED lights are a nice touch, but not really that useful. The case is plastic, so it may not last for decades, but the unit is well worth $100. This is not a top of the line band saw, but it is better than I expected for the price. Overall, I am happy with the purchase and would recommend to others.

I was in a hurry to make some band saw cuts and picked up one of these at a local retailer for $114 plus tax. Wish I could have waited a few days for it to be shipped. Although not a high quality tool, this saw performs better than I expected for the money. It does have a bit of that "made in a third world country" feel about it, but after making all the adjustments and doing a couple of test cuts, I'm pretty pleased. It's easy to set up and adjust and the features can't be beat for the price. It even has a laser indicator line and work light. Just be sure to spend a few minutes adjusting all the blade guides as you would with any new saw. This is no replacement for my 18-inch Jet bandsaw, but should be perfect for those quick small cuts when I don't want to wrestle the 300-pound machine.

PROS:
* mostly functional right out of the box (with a few adjustments)

* design looks good,everything seems easy to reach

* base and frame seem adequately solid

* all the adjustments seem to be functional, even if
flimsy or rough-feeling

* gear-driven blade guide arm is a nice touch.

CONS

* basically everything is very light-duty and has a thin,
flexible feel to it, including the table. I had to put
washers under one side of the table and change the mounting
bolts to get the table square to the blade - the fence and
miter gauge also have quite a bit of 'slop'.

* table angle pinion and rack gears feel rough, and it didn't
go far enough to get the table square with the blade (see above)!

* the fence is super cheesy and lightweight. You have to eyeball it
to make it straight (the stripes on the table help), but then...Read more