Official Luthiers Forum!

Any thoughts on these tools? The table and 17" band saw are $799 and the scope is $299.

http://www.harborfreightusa.com/usa/ite ... emid=93380
http://www.harborfreightusa.com/usa/ite ... temid=3179
http://www.harborfreightusa.com/usa/ite ... emid=95833

Being on a strict budget, I'd be interested in the bandsaw but would want to inspect it carefully first. Maybe show up at the store with some measuring tools to check wheels, guides, and so on. Looks a lot like the Grizzly 17" that is on sale for $770, and might come from the same factory.

Like most folks, I've had good and bad luck with HF tools. You just never know for sure what you're gonna get. But Grizzly has been fairly consistant for me; Not the best but workable with a little tweaking.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Yeah I have to agree with you that they probably come from the same factory. Just like the mini mills. The problem with checking them out is they are special order items. I think the scope is a pretty neat item for interior inspection and it's color with a AV out put and 3 LED lights.

Personally, I'd be skeptical. Most everything I've ever seen at HF was crap. I would never purchase the subject equipment you have listed without personally inspecting it first. Spending a few hundred $$ more on quality equipment would be my recommendation.

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

Hi Chris, I think the table is small for a 17" bandsaw.And 2HP motor is too small also.I'd rather have our 14" rikons.

I find some cool values at HF. I was able to turn their sheet metal nibbler into a fret tang nipper. I epoxied a fret crown file insert to their goose neckd screwdriver. Their deep throat clamps are pretty good value and good as a bridge clamp, with a 1 in 10 chance that the business end of it will actually align with one another.

But outside of maybe their drill press, I don't know that I would buy any equipment from them.

I'm sure that a lot of their stuff rolls down the same lines as the other manufacturers whose equipment we often hold in higher regard. But I think the difference is in quality control and what each one perceives as allowable tolerances.

I would therefore say a resounding no to the equipment purchases. I think a little webcam mounted on some brass rod with an LED headlamp and then spending the remaining $249 on zoot would be a better way to go. Of course I'm frugal and my middle name is Jerry Rig.

Darrin

Absolutely

_________________
Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"