4x6 bandsaw options in 2021

Soloz2 said:
Thank you for your post. I suspected there were some differences, but could you be more specific about what is beefier on the Jet vs the HF? I suppose it is also possible things could be different now. I'm not too sure.
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If I recall correctly, the castings on the Jet are beefier. It's been a while since I've thought about it. Mine was made in Taiwan and the quality control is definitely better than the Chinese versions. All I can say is that I have never had a single issue with my saw, ever. I have seen MANY threads with issues with the Chinese saws.
 
I have an MSC 4×6. It cuts well enough in both horizontal and the vertical positions. Cutting angles is not its strong suit. I have an abrasive chop saw that I will only use outside, and I try to avoid that as well. So, I totally understand why you don't want to go that route.
It sounds to me like you would be happy with a well tuned 4×6 for straight cuts, and a porta band type saw on a mitre stand for angled cuts.
 
Well, I know you don't want to go this direction, but here goes......Get a Cold Cut saw and never look back. I have a large hydraulic horizontal bandsaw (Grizzly) and a 14" vertical metal cutting bandsaw and a 10" bandsaw dedicated to wood and aluminum cutting and "HAD" an abrasive cut off saw.
A few months ago I saw on Craigslist a fellow selling an Evolution Cold Cut saw for $200 and I grabbed it...............Easily one of the best things I ever bought for my shop.
The cuts are extremely accurate. The finish looks like it was machined. Cool to the touch. Very clean with no cutting fluid. It is super fast on the thickest material......Simply nothing like it to make big pieces of steel smaller.
I use mine outside the shop door in a designated area and simply let the chips fall where they may. I mounted it on wheels and move it inside and out as needed. But lots of YouTubes on building chip collectors that keep the shop at least as clean as my bandsaws do.
The abrasive saw was donated to a young, up and coming fabricator.....
 
I have a Jet 5x6 that I bought in 2015 or so; use it with Starrett or similar quality blades, that I order from McMaster Carr. You need a minimum of 3 teeth in the material, so a 10-14 tpi works with 1/8" steel, but I have other pitch sizes as well.

The main upgrade I did was to order a hydraulic feed control mechanism from Nebadawn Engineering. I always struggled with getting square cuts, and the weight of the top will push the blade obliquely. The spring mechanism that comes with the saw is too crude, and does not allow easy correction for the type and thickness of material. Since I installed the hydraulic feed control mechanism, I am getting beautiful square cuts. Get the one with the dial, which allows an easy adjustment. See it in action here.

The second upgrade is a plate for when I use it in vertical position, from 3/16" steel. Makes a big difference.

As for comparison between HF, Grizzly, Jet, etc, I think you get what you pay for. Yes the castings look similar, and they may all come from one (or a few) factories in China, but the Chinese can make HF disposable junk as easily as beautiful, high-end Apple products. The client orders the specs and QA level, and the Chinese will build to spec. So despite superficial similarities in shape and casting, the various brands have different quality, fit, and finish levels. Jet is about a mid-level product.
 
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Until you get the saw, you can cut straight with the angle grinder and cutoff wheel, by clamping the metal vertically in your workmate and use the flat workmate top as a guide by placing the grinder rest on it .
 
martik777 said:
Until you get the saw, you can cut straight with the angle grinder and cutoff wheel, by clamping the metal vertically in your workmate and use the flat workmate top as a guide by placing the grinder rest on it .
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That's a great idea. Unfortunately I don't have a workmate. I may need to snag one!
 
Is this worth going to look at? Looks like it's seen better days, but seller says it works.

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I've been thinking a bit more about mitering and while I haven't ruled out the 4x6 handsaws, I am considering a mitering version. I figure if I add a hydraulic downfeed adjustment to a jet I'll be in the same price range as one of the mitering versions.

I so came across the Hem Saw by Femi 782XL. It is a smaller, bench top model, but miters and is made in Italy. I'm intrigued by this as it's actually cheaper than the Jet 4x6. There's a few models similar and I might take a closer look at a few of them. I'm not sure if I'd miss the capacity moving to a smaller saw, or if losing the ability to walk away while cutting and doing something else would be a deal breaker for me or not. Has anyone compared one of the smaller bench top models like the 782xl to the more traditional 4x6 style?
 
I have the Grizzly g9742 miter head 5x6-1/2

The rigid vise and swivel head feature is very nice, since I do alot if angled cuts. It was expensive for it's size, but I'm happy so far.

 
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I decided to go with the Femi 782XL. The small size and lower price won out for me.
 
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