Shop Fox W1706 14" Bandsaw with Cast Iron Wheels & Deluxe Aluminum Fence

I put it to the test and it did every job so far very well.

I spent quite awhile comparing mid-priced band saws and, given that Amazon took on shipping costs, decided on this one. Not just for saving the shipping costs but because of other reviews and getting the features I needed.This has been in operation for about 3 months now and has been (mostly) flawless.PROS:Easy setup (just make sure you have someone around to help lift the unit on the base, this thing is HEAVY!).Cast iron wheels with tires already installedSome convenient storage in the baseSolid cast iron tableEasy blade changes (check out Alan Snodgrass' excellent YouTube video on doing this right)Solid miter fenceSorta CONS:4" dust port; my setup is all 2-1/2" for the Shop Vac)The trunion knobs are kinda hard to put on as the attaching bolts are free-floating on the tableCON:The rip fence has a tendency to not lock down solidly (so I use clamps and an auxiliary fence when reswaing)A feature we haven't used yet is the dual speed, but it appears easy to set up.Also, buy other blades than the cheap one that comes with it.So far, we've done a LOT of resaw work on 1x4 poplar with a 1/2"x3tpi blade at 3100FPM and it's been a dream. I also did a quick bandsaw box that came out well.Certainly, as the shop grows, we'll be looking at more Shop Fox tools. If you're looking for a mid-price bandsaw, this is the one to get!

Was delivered as promised,quickly and safe and sound. It took about 2 hours to set up including adjusting the lower drive wheel out to make in in the same plane as the top wheel with proper blade and tension set up. The saw is quiet, has cast iron wheels for more sawing inertia than you would get with aluminum wheels.Considering everything including free shipping this saw was a bargan. The closest thing was an almost identical saw from Grizzly which was about $60 less (including shipping), the only difference was the Grizzly had a cheap stand/base and this Shop Fox had a really nice stand/base which had storage room, for about $600 shipping included.The quality of this saw is as good, or better, than similar saws from Steel City, Jet and Delta at 1/2 to 2/3 the price. Only the Powermatic has a similar sized and similar designed saw with better guides and slightly better wheels, but it's double the price. If your gonna consider the Powermatic, then just go get the Laguna 14 inch European style saw for only $200 more and enjoy their really great saw which has even better guides, table, fence and a brake.However if you want a simple quality 14 inch saw that is much less than the Jet, Steel City, Delta and Powermatic go get this Shop Fox or look at about 4 variations of this saw from Grizzly with prices ranging from $395 to $795 depending on things like stand, table/fence, wheel upgrades etc. Remember that Grizzly charges shipping, but this saw from Amazon.com comes with free shipping.

This is an excellent saw - solid and a good value. The cast-iron frame is very solid. The saw runs quietly. Setup was straightforward. Saw required little in the way of setup adjustments; just the blade had to be adjusted on the wheel. The guide bearing are easy to adjust (much better than on the cheaper saws). The cosmoline grease packed on the table required some work to get off, but was not hard. I recommend mineral spirits (not Simple Green as someone suggested - didn't work). I then put on Boeshield T-9 and paste wax as another suggested. The fence is excellent as is the miter gauge - they fit well, are easy to install, out-of-the box true, and well made. You will need a helper to set the saw on top of the base - it weighs 150lb. The base is well made and took the saw on top very well. Bolts lined up well. The instructions are good, but if you have never used a bandsaw or set on up, I recommend you look at some video on-line first (very helpful; M Fortune is a good video).