Opinions on this particular Kalamazoo band saw??? - Model H9AWV

[MikeInOr]

I have been looking to upgrade my steel cutting capabilities for quite a while. Currently I have a HF abrasive saw and a Delta 14 vertical band saw factory geared for metal cutting speeds. I have been seriously considering a Evolution EVOSAW380 14" dry saw. I have a mess of really nice stainless rod and thick wall tubing that I picked up at a recent auction (thanks alloy!) and the abrasive saw just sucks. From what I have read I am a little worried about cutting thick ( 3" - 5") stainless with a dry saw.

The following Kalamazoo 9"x16" band saw became available locally for $1000 firm. Compared to other H9AW saws I have seen this appears to be a good price. What do you guys think? Like most here I am just a hobby guy and speed of cut isn't of much importance to me but squareness of cut is. This Kalamazoo is in the upper price range that most of the used Chinese / Taiwanese horizontal band saws go for locally. From all the youtube videos I have watched the Kalamazoo's are pretty hard to beat for squareness and cut quality when using a good blade. From the serial number I believe this is an older version of this saw but I don't know the difference between a H9AW and a H9AWV... I would guess the "V" model might be newer???

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This is a working Kalamazoo Model H9AWV Horizontal Band Saw 9". -S/N 16906 I am guessing from the paper taped to the saw that this couldn't have been left outside too long? The other assorted rust makes me think it is plumbed for coolant?

 

[matthewsx]

Looks like an upgrade to me

Assuming they will power it up for you and let you take a test cut.

John

 

[Latinrascalrg1]

Looks like a beast....if you have the space and coinage then go for it.

 

[projectnut]

The same saw is currently listed on eBay for $999.99. It's being sold by a dealer with another nearly 20,000 items for sale at his store. Very few of the items are machine shop related, so I would bet he doesn't know anything about the saw. While it is less expensive than some others listed I doubt he paid anywhere near what he's asking and regardless of the claim of the price being "firm" I would bet there's some leeway if you find the machine has problems.

Having said that Kalamazoo saws are generally well built and dependable. However like all equipment it does wear. If there's any chance to inspect it I would do so. Check for things like a working coolant pump, along with worn blade guides, and bearings. Power it up to be sure the motor and transmission work properly, and check the bearings that lower the head and the retard cylinder and condition of the band wheels and bearings.

Keep in mind this was an industrial saw and as such parts won't be cheap. Even things as small as the blade guide bearings can cost $30.00 t0 $40.00 each (you'll need 4) from a Kalamazoo parts vendor. I would also check the blade width and length. Most premade bandsaw blades sell in the neighborhood of $50.00 to $75.00 depending on length and tooth configuration.

In short they are good saws if they are well maintained. It does appear to be coolant equipped, but personally I would run it with dry cut blades in a hobby situation. Coolant gets nasty over time, and is hard on blade bearings and guides. I use my Startrite H175 on a daily basis with bimetal dry cut blades. They generally last 2 to 5 years depending on the size and amount of material cut.

 

[MikeInOr]

The same saw is currently listed on eBay for $999.99. It's being sold by a dealer with another nearly 20,000 items for sale at his store. Very few of the items are machine shop related, so I would bet he doesn't know anything about the saw. While it is less expensive than some others listed I doubt he paid anywhere near what he's asking and regardless of the claim of the price being "firm" I would bet there's some leeway if you find the machine has problems.

Having said that Kalamazoo saws are generally well built and dependable. However like all equipment it does wear. If there's any chance to inspect it I would do so. Check for things like a working coolant pump, along with worn blade guides, and bearings. Power it up to be sure the motor and transmission work properly, and check the bearings that lower the head and the retard cylinder and condition of the band wheels and bearings.

Keep in mind this was an industrial saw and as such parts won't be cheap. Even things as small as the blade guide bearings can cost $30.00 t0 $40.00 each (you'll need 4) from a Kalamazoo parts vendor. I would also check the blade width and length. Most premade bandsaw blades sell in the neighborhood of $50.00 to $75.00 depending on length and tooth configuration.

In short they are good saws if they are well maintained. It does appear to be coolant equipped, but personally I would run it with dry cut blades in a hobby situation. Coolant gets nasty over time, and is hard on blade bearings and guides. I use my Startrite H175 on a daily basis with bimetal dry cut blades. They generally last 2 to 5 years depending on the size and amount of material cut.

I am actually looking at the saw listed on ebay. It is about a 4 hour drive from me. I would show up cash in hand and a chunk of stainless in my pocket for a test. If ebay fees and paypal fees can be avoided I am sure I can cut a deal where we both come out ahead. Thank you for the list of things to look for! This will be a weekend saw at best so running dry blades makes a lot of sense.... thanks! I will need to sell a couple machines that I am not using but I should be able to make it fit. I recognize that this Kalamazoo is bigger than what I will probably ever need... but it makes more sense to me than buying a Chinese HF for the same price or a Taiwanese Jet/Wilton 5 x 7 for twice+ the money.

Very astute observation about the sellers other items... I should have thought of looking at that!

Looks like a beast....if you have the space and coinage then go for it.

Actually, this is the Beast saw that makes me smile... but I would have to add an addition onto my shop to accommodate it so that kind of kills the good price.

$800 and about 20 minutes away from me!

https://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/bfs/d/madras-doall-tf-14ha-vertical-bandsaw/7005072538.html

 

[projectnut]

If you're looking for a vertical saw something like this might better fit the bill:

DOALL #MP-20 20" VERTICAL BAND SAW | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for DOALL #MP-20 20" VERTICAL BAND SAW at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

We had a similar one in our shop for over 30 years. It can use several different size blades, and is variable speed. The one you posted is a good saw, but primarily setup for production work. The hydraulics are nice, but in reality take up just as much, if not more room than the saw itself.

I passed on a Do All hydraulic surface grinder for that very reason. I would have needed double the space the saw occupied to get the hydraulics and power supply in the room.

 

[MikeInOr]

If you're looking for a vertical saw something like this might better fit the bill:

DOALL #MP-20 20" VERTICAL BAND SAW | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for DOALL #MP-20 20" VERTICAL BAND SAW at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

We had a similar one in our shop for over 30 years. It can use several different size blades, and is variable speed. The one you posted is a good saw, but primarily setup for production work. The hydraulics are nice, but in reality take up just as much, if not more room than the saw itself.

I passed on a Do All hydraulic surface grinder for that very reason. I would have needed double the space the saw occupied to get the hydraulics and power supply in the room.

Thank you. The Doall I posted is just kind of a dream. Whole saw rotates for miter cuts and the whole heads feeds forwards via hydraulics for 1 button cutting... it is just really cool and only about 20 minutes away from me and is for sale for only $800. But like you said it will take up a huge amount of shop space and isn't practical at all!

I am actually a little worried about how much floor space the Kalamazoo H9AWV will take up. I would put it on wheels so it doesn't have to protrude from the wall into the work space of the shop at all times and I could just swing it out for long stock. I think I might cut a silhouette out of a piece of cardboard and try it out in my shop before making an 8 hour round trip.

I have gotten to the point where the priority of a good metal cutting saw is going up... and the Kalamazoo is well liked old American iron... which I really like!

 

[Cheeseking]

Cost may be an issue but just for grins check out the Kama EV-88 Its around $1,500 new but they are kick arse saws despite the small size. Personally I am looking and holding out for a used EV-996 but they rarely come up for sale. We have a power down-feed 997 version at work and its been bulletproof for well over 15 years in a production shop. New the 996’s (hand fed) are around $3500
There may be Chinese knockoffs for less like from Baliegh, Knuth, etc. to consider.

 

[MikeInOr]

$1500... GULP!!! For that little saw???

LOL

I know some really nice tools come in really small packages. I know some of the small gems can kick butt on their larger brotheren, especially when it comes to precision work. Small and precise frequently beats big and sloppy. My father had a little Hitachi wood cutting band saw that kicked butt all over my Jet 18" band saw. I don't think I could pay $1500 for that small of a saw though... but now that I know what it is and its quality I will know what to do if I happen to trip across a good deal on one someday. When buying used, which I do alot, knowing what you are looking at is 75% if not more of the battle. I will file Kama along with Doall and Kalamazoo so hopefully it will trip a neuron if I happen to see one for sale.

After reading more on horizontal band saws I wonder if anyone could share an opinion on a smaller swivel horizontal band saw vs a larger fixed head horizontal band saw? I am sure it all has to do with what you are doing. If you cut a lot of miters especially on longer 20' lengths of stock the swivel saw would be gold! I am thinking that since I use shoter stock and off cuts a lot the swivel saw probably isn't worth the extra money. I am thinking that the used $1000 9 x 16 Kalamazoo would be a better saw for me than a $1700 Grizzly 7 x 8.25 swivel band saw? The $1000 used Kalamazoo is stretching my budget but I don't want to need to upgrade my saw in the future. A new $1700 swivel band saw isn't in my budget currently but I would rather wait for my last band saw than waste money on an intermediate saw. Trying for foresee the future I kind of came up with 6" round stock is the capability that I would like to have as a minimum.

 

[Cadillac]

I have a Kalamazoo 610 and I love it. When I purchased mine I went through everything, cleaned everything, painted and resealed the drop cylinder. I added wheels for easy of moving. Love the saw had for over 10yrs with no problems. Cuts straight as a arrow