Thread: Horizontal Bandsaws

The Chinese can make the best of the best if you are willing to pay for it. H&F can source top quality chinese stuff from an expensive chinese supplier BUT, people like you and I will complain about the price and probably not buy it. So, they source the cheaper chinese suppliers, but the quality is lacking. To stay in business, it's all about catering to the masses NOT the occasional person who wants to pay a bit more for better quality. Unfortunately.

I would rather Chines stuff than stuff made in India.

Simon

Originally Posted by simonl

To stay in business, it's all about catering to the masses NOT the occasional person who wants to pay a bit more for better quality.

Why not cater to both? Plenty of power tool shops carry Makita AND Festool. Opposite ends of the market.

Originally Posted by simonl

I would rather Chines stuff than stuff made in India.

Me too, but the Indians are catching up. I bought a Dormer tap the other day. It was beautifully finished and cuts well. Made in India.

Not sure why they dont cater for both. If i was to have a guess id say it comes down to the bottom line. They have a finite amount of floor space. What tools will bring them the most profit.

I didnt realise festool was so bad....


Edit: its been 7 years since i bought a new machine tool and im likely never to again. I have since bought quite a few older worn out machines of better build quality and even with their age, they are simply nicer to use. Having said that, my chinese mill and lathe have brought me many hours of joy and i have learnt many skills using them.

Dormer made in india? I may have to start rethinking my attitude towards stuff made there..

Simon

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Originally Posted by simonl

The Chinese can make the best of the best if you are willing to pay for it. H&F can source top quality chinese stuff from an expensive chinese supplier BUT, people like you and I will complain about the price and probably not buy it. So, they source the cheaper chinese suppliers, but the quality is lacking. To stay in business, it's all about catering to the masses NOT the occasional person who wants to pay a bit more for better quality. Unfortunately.

I would rather Chines stuff than stuff made in India.

Simon

Whole heartedly agree with this.

In the pneumatics and hydraulic tool industry over the last 10 years many of the big players have parts or complete units made in China. Their quality cannot be questioned. It is as good, or if not better than where it was being made. Specially if the company was having trouble with their bottom line and had started to cut corners before the move to China.
Companies like H&R are supplying a market and we as customers must take some responsibility for this.

That being said the crack in the casting is wrong and should have been spotted long before it got to the customer.
As an ex-foundry man the casting quality itself is a bit average and from what I have seen at H&R it seems to be par for the course.


Its the old get what you pay for.

Originally Posted by simonl

They have a finite amount of floor space.

True, but a significant amount of that space is occupied by enormous machines in the $40K+ price range. I'd have thought the market for those machines was tiny.

Originally Posted by simonl

I didnt realise festool was so bad....

Wash your mouth out!

Ha!

Yes wrt floor space and the type of machines they stock, im all out of explanations!

Like i said before, im glad im no longer in the market for any new machines because i cant afford the best and i hate the cheap end as well.

Of my 7 machines only 2 were bought new and one of those was inherited. The rest were all made in the 50's 60's and 70's.

Simon

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Originally Posted by simonl

The Chinese can make the best of the best if you are willing to pay for it.

Simon,
We are not asking for the best of the best. Indeed, our only expectations are that the product offered is fit for its purpose and it does last up to the warranty period at the very least.

Some Chinese manufacturers are known for quality fade, wherein a product is offered that meets the buyers' needs and specifications initially after a passage of time Over time various declines in quality occur

When poor manufacture occurs increasingly over the passage of time it is time to take a stand. The importer has to a responsibility to the end customer to provide equipment that works out of the box and lasts for a reasonable time.

It is the importer that negotiates with the manufacturer to get the best quality for the money, spent, not the end customer.

If at any stage past the initial negotiations re the product, it is up to the importer to monitor ongoing quality and take the said manufacturer to task if there are any quality reductions.

If you are doubtful of some manufacterers behaviour have read about it in Poorly made in China by Paul Midler, westerner who worked with them for a decade.

Grahame

I don't think that crack was there when it left the factory, or maybe even when it left H&F, but it happened after the blade support mechanism was adjusted.
This is not an excuse for the crack happening but let's not blame people for poor inspection when the crack may not have been not present.

Originally Posted by BobL

I don't think that crack was there when it left the factory.

It almost certainly was Bob. The saw came in a sealed box, so H&F never touched it. And I didn't adjust the blade guide. I only loosened the bolt and slid the guide out to get a better look at the crack.

I swapped the saws today. While loading the dodgy saw onto my trailer I noticed a second crack. This one appears to bear the impact mark that caused it. The new saw had a very dodgy motor mount. Just two M10 bolts through oversize holes the casting into a thin steel mounting plate. It was impossible to tighten the belt properly, because as I tightened the tensioning screw the tabs on the mounting plate bent. So I reamed out the threads with a 10mm reamer and fitted a 10mm axle. Much better.

Oh dear.

Was motor mounted the same way on the first saw?

I don't know. I stopped looking after I discovered the crack. I don't recall the belt tension adjustment being so sloppy.

Good to hear you got it sorted and it wasn't your fault, enjoy your saw.

To get the best from your Horizontal Bandsaw, heres a guide from one of the bandsaw blade makers.

Bandsaw technique.jpg



Grahame

Interesting Grahame. They are the opposite of what my machine's manual says. Also different to the Jet manual shown here: