Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[MossRoad]

Can you please post the video?

One of these should cover it....

 

[stuckmotor]

I had to shim the foot putting a nut under one edge, to get its notch parallel to the blade so I could estimate where it was going to cut.The guide roller screws were loose and soon fell out. After completing what should have been final quality control at the factory it's a good tool.

California,
Are you talking about cutting in the vertical mode? For horizonal cutting, I just lay the blade down on the material to be cut, it shows exactly where the cut will be. You probably do that too.

 

[5030]

No issues with mine on alignment but then mine is old. I replaced the guide rollers a while ago with good skate bearings. Mine had served me very well, but mine was 150 bucks, not 250. Inflation is inflation so the 250 is really 150 anyway.

 

[dirtymartini]

I fell off a stepladder a few months ago. I've never fallen off my band saw. :laughing:

I fell off a stepladder last July and broke my back! Think before you reach!:duh:

 

[sixdogs]

An ice dam took down part of our gutter. That pulled the soffit open on the north side of the house. A bird went in, and managed to go up and over two peaks to the west/south corner of the soffit and was flapping around in there for 2 days, right outside our bedroom window. It couldn't find its way out. So, I had to use a 6' step ladder to open up the end of the soffit, then go and pound on the soffit with a broom handle upstream of the bird to chase it down to the now open end. Just as the bird poked its beak out of the opening, the opening snapped shut. So I asked my wife to stand next to the ladder while I climbed up to re-open the soffit end. She did exactly as I asked... she stood next to the ladder. I didn't ask her to hold it. :laughing: As I went up 3-4 steps the ladder pretty much jumped out from under me. It went left, I went right, the back of my head hit the house, my back landed on the ground, and my butt landed on the ladder. I laid there for about a minute expecting something to start hurting.... nope. Just my pride. I was sore the next day, though.

Same thing happened to me and note to others. If you want the wife to actually hold the ladder you have to say so. Assume nothing.

I was at the top of a 25 ft ladder many moons ago and wife was at the bottom, presumably holding the ladder I asker her to stand next to. When I glanced down from the top rung she was just standing there. "I did what you asked me to". With corrected instructions spoken quickly and loudly, we were back on task.

 

[weldingisfun]

One of my interests, in the HF Bandsaw is ability to operate horizontal or vertical. Do you guys use your vertically? Any issues with the table?

The stand is flimsy. Replace it if you can. Have never used mine vertically, never had the need.
TSC and HD sell the 64½" blades.

 

[stuckmotor]

I've used my HF bandsaw vertically many times. When ripping, I often clamp a straight edge to the auxilury table to use as a fence. I've also used the saw to chamfer the edges of stock before welding it.
The table was way too low to suit my back. Building a taller one was one of the best things things I did.

 

[California]

California,
Are you talking about cutting in the vertical mode? For horizonal cutting, I just lay the blade down on the material to be cut, it shows exactly where the cut will be. You probably do that too.

Cutting horizontal, like a hacksaw.

I started out and all my cuts curved off to one side. On examination, the shoe the blade passes through was way out of line with the direction of cut and giving me a false impression of where the cut would go, so I shimmed it true.

Here's a post with photo I put over on Welding Web illustrating this.
Any luck with the HF porta band?

 

[stuckmotor]

Calfornia,
Thanks for explaining. I didn't realize yours was a porta band.

 

[ArTrvlr]

One of my interests, in the HF Bandsaw is ability to operate horizontal or vertical. Do you guys use your vertically? Any issues with the table?

I've only used the table a few times over the years. Its more of a bother to find it and the mounting screws from the last time I used it. It works O.K. :laughing:

When I first got my HF 4X6 saw, I used the vertical table a few times. I agree, it is a pita, esp. for a small/short cut, then have to remove it to cut horizontal. Now, for vertical use, I just use the small flat square around the blade (where the table mounts) as a "table". All I ever do is saw a notch or a short curve, and that little spot of support is all I need.