JET 708749 JWBS-16 16-Inch 1-1/2-Horsepower Woodworking Bandsaw with Guide Blocks, 115-Volt 1-Phase

by Jet

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

This 16-inch band saw brings the high quality of construction and design found in JET's 18- and 20-inch resawing band saws into the price range of smaller shops and serious home woodworkers. This saw's most prominent benefit is the one-piece, dual tapered column design that offers superior rigidity and strength, minimizes vibration, and keeps cuts clean, smooth, and accurate. The saw has a powerful, totally enclosed, fan-cooled, 1-1/2-horsepower motor with a blade speed of 3,000 sfpm. There's a nice large cast-iron worktable (17 by 17 inches) that tilts 45 degrees to the right and 10 degrees to the left. There's also a T-slot for a miter gauge, and while a rip fence doesn't come standard with this model, JET makes a good one that can be purchased separately and easily installed. We like the smooth precision afforded by the rack-and-pinion upper-blade guide adjustment and the generous 10-1/4-inch-maximum cutting height it can dial up. While we'd prefer the roller bearing guides found on JET's 18- and 20-inch models (that guide set can be purchased separately and added later), the block guides used on this saw do offer plenty of support and low friction, and help fit the saw into shops with a tighter budget. This tool's versatility just keeps on going, accommodating 123-inch blades from 1/8 to 1-1/2 inches wide for equally smooth curve cutting or resawing. For the price, you'd have a hard time fitting more saw than this in your shop without making a serious compromise in quality. --Brian Trinen

Product Description

Motor Voltage: 115/230V

Product Details

Product Manual [855kb PDF]

• Shipping Weight: 310 pounds
• Shipping: This item can only be shipped to the 48 contiguous states. We regret it cannot be shipped to APO/FPO, Hawaii, Alaska, or Puerto Rico.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B00006J6PJ
• California residents: Click here for Proposition 65 warning.
• Item model number: 708749
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #313,557 in Home Improvement (See Top 100 in Home Improvement)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

48 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Except for a bad table, November 26, 2004

By 

Richard Kapuaala - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: JET 708749 JWBS-16 16-Inch 1-1/2-Horsepower Woodworking Bandsaw with Guide Blocks, 115-Volt 1-Phase (Tools & Home Improvement)

Set up was extremely fast. 15 minutes including removing the rust coat on the table.
I didn't have any trouble dealing with saw on my own. I put the feet on by myself and managed to remove the wooden packing feet by myself. I'm not a championship weight lifter, but I am a pretty big guy 6' 1" 230 lbs.
I also thought adjustment on the guides lower and top was fairly easy.
My first cut was a 3 X 3 x 36 piece of curly rock maple. I sliced a thin 1/16 X 3 X 36 veneer from the face. No burning, minimal chatter considering the blade, and no noticable load on the motor.
I guided the piece through at about the same rate I would a similar piece of wood through a 21" Oliver I use to use at a shop I worked at.
No doubt about it, the machine is quiet and almost vibration free. I am very impressed with the smoothness considering the price, and the type of construction; the saw is not a cast iron monster like the olivers and deltas I am used to working with, it is fabricated metal.
The blade tracks perfectly with out adjusting anything but the blade tension to the exact marker for the blade size. That's a thrill.
The saw was delivered right to my garage, the package was somewhat damaged and they only strapped one 40" pallet right smack in the middle of the box (which didn't give me much confidence I expected it to come on a full pallet or crated)but the contents was not damaged, not a scratch or a ding.
I would give this bandsaw a 5 based on it's price and size if it weren't for the table. I took a Starett 36" straight edge and some winding sticks and the table is tweaked about 1/32" on one corner. Doesn't make for very accurate cutting. Hopefully it won't take too long to get a replacement table.
Have I used better saws? Yes
Have I used better saws at the same price range? Definately not.
The bad table aside, I would highly recommend this saw for any woodworker on a limited budget who wants the features of a resaw and bandsaw all in one inexpensive unit.

UPDATE Dec 20, 2004
For historical reference please read my review above. Jet makes a good bandsaw, and they responded promptly to my problem with the table. However Amazon does not allow Jet to replace defective parts. All replacement orders must go through Amazon.

Since Dec 1 I have been trying futilely to get the table replaced.
The first time I called their 800 number the rep never sent my request ahead to the "Appropriate Department". I have called once a week religiously and still no satisfaction.
I wouldn't be so bothered if this was just a cosmetic issue, but the saw is unusable without a flat table, it is just setting in my shop taking up space and collecting dust.
I would say to you, buy a Jet, but don't buy from Amazon unless you are ready for a lot of headaches and frustrations.

UPDATE Dec 28 2004
The manufacturer is finally sending me a replacement table. Got the saw Nov 24 2004, set it up Nov 25 2004 and hopefully I will be able to use it by January 5th 2005. Only 47 days after it arrived!

50 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Powerhouse!, February 22, 2003

By 

C. Bayne "taxicab33" (Rockville, MD United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: JET 708749 JWBS-16 16-Inch 1-1/2-Horsepower Woodworking Bandsaw with Guide Blocks, 115-Volt 1-Phase (Tools & Home Improvement)

I purchased this bandsaw because I burned out the smaller Delta I had. I thought it might be too big for my small space but once I set it up I found it does not take up a lot of room. I also thought its weight might be too much to handle but I can slide it without too much trouble when I need to. I have not yet entered onto a larger project but the dozen or so times I've used it, ranging from 3/4" stock to 2x4's, it cut smoothly and effortlessly. The blade does not wobble at all so it is no problem cutting a straight line. Large curves were easy (I have the 3/4" standard blade now) but I will be getting a 3/8" blade for finer work. Also I thought the 1 1/2 HP motor would be loud but it is not as loud as a circular saw. All in all, it seems to be a powerful, smooth, efficient saw that I envision using for many, many years.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding resaw machine for under a grand., October 19, 2004

By 

YellowAndGreenBoardBuddy (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: JET 708749 JWBS-16 16-Inch 1-1/2-Horsepower Woodworking Bandsaw with Guide Blocks, 115-Volt 1-Phase (Tools & Home Improvement)

My budget didn't allow me the dinero to purchase a Laguna, so this was my second choice. And what a great second choice it is - I am not the least bit disappointed. While not an industrial-grade machine, the Jet does everything a hobbyist like myself could want.

Unpacking and assembly took about an hour. The crate weighs in at 300 pounds plus, so unless you are a champion weight-lifter, better get a few pallbearers to help you lift this thing.

Fit and finish were excellent, and I had no trouble setting it up and tweaking it. The unit comes mostly assembled; the user need only attach the table, feet, and a few knobs. Adjust the guide blocks and blade tension, and you're in business. The optional fence and rail assembly is definitely worth getting, and I had it installed in just a few more minutes.

I plugged it in, started it up, and began my resawing fun. I pushed a 4 foot long piece of 6" wide quarter-sawn white oak through the saw, and made up a nice little stack of 1/16" thick veneer. The 1-1/2 HP motor provided plenty of muscle to cut through the wood. All this using the standard-issue Jet 3/4" blade. And without adjusting the fence. No drift. I didn't even install the little resawing bumper thingy. Just resawed boards flat against the fence. I can't wait to see how it performs with a nice 1" Timberwolf blade.

This is the third Jet stationary tool I have purchased, and every one is a champ.