Factory-Reconditioned Skil 3385-01-RT 2.5 Amp 9-Inch Band Saw

by Skil

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

This is a reconditioned power tool. Reconditioned generally means that the tool has been returned to the manufacturer, who brings the tool back to like new conditions. Some tools may contain cosmetic blemishes. Factory-Reconditioned Skil 3385-01-RT 2.5 amp 9-inch band saw with light has a powerful 2.5 Amp motor with laser cutline guide for accurate cuts. It has a 6-TPI band saw blade that cuts through a variety of wood materials. The dust port accepts standard shop-vac hoses.

Product Description

This is a reconditioned power tool. Reconditioned generally means that the tool has been returned to the manufacturer, who brings the tool back to like new conditions. Some tools may contain cosmetic blemishes. The latest addition to the Skil family - the 3385-01 Band Saw with Light. It has a powerful 2.5 Amp motor with laser cutline guide for accurate cuts. It has a 6-TPI Band saw blade which cuts through a variety of wood materials. The dust port accepts standard shop-vac hoses.

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 41.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B001V9K69E
• Item model number: 3385-01-RT
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #26,992 in Home Improvement (See Top 100 in Home Improvement)
  • #15 in Home Improvement > Power & Hand Tools > Power Tools > Saws > Band Saws

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

52 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good band saw, well worth the price., May 19, 2009

By 

T. Janecek "nd96" (Princeton, TX United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Factory-Reconditioned Skil 3385-01-RT 2.5 Amp 9-Inch Band Saw (Tools & Home Improvement)

The band saw arrived in good condition without any damage or missing parts. Assembled in about 15 minutes and did not need any adjusting. It works well, fairly quiet and with enough power to do the job. The laser and LED lights are a nice touch, but not really that useful. The case is plastic, so it may not last for decades, but the unit is well worth $100. This is not a top of the line band saw, but it is better than I expected for the price. Overall, I am happy with the purchase and would recommend to others.

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good saw for the money..., May 15, 2009

By 

Stephen A. Nesbitt "Steve" (Houston, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Factory-Reconditioned Skil 3385-01-RT 2.5 Amp 9-Inch Band Saw (Tools & Home Improvement)

I was in a hurry to make some band saw cuts and picked up one of these at a local retailer for $114 plus tax. Wish I could have waited a few days for it to be shipped. Although not a high quality tool, this saw performs better than I expected for the money. It does have a bit of that "made in a third world country" feel about it, but after making all the adjustments and doing a couple of test cuts, I'm pretty pleased. It's easy to set up and adjust and the features can't be beat for the price. It even has a laser indicator line and work light. Just be sure to spend a few minutes adjusting all the blade guides as you would with any new saw. This is no replacement for my 18-inch Jet bandsaw, but should be perfect for those quick small cuts when I don't want to wrestle the 300-pound machine.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars before buying compare to HF's, May 10, 2011

By 

Paul Shepersky - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Factory-Reconditioned Skil 3385-01-RT 2.5 Amp 9-Inch Band Saw (Tools & Home Improvement)

PROS:
* mostly functional right out of the box (with a few adjustments)

* design looks good,everything seems easy to reach

* base and frame seem adequately solid

* all the adjustments seem to be functional, even if
flimsy or rough-feeling

* gear-driven blade guide arm is a nice touch.

CONS

* basically everything is very light-duty and has a thin,
flexible feel to it, including the table. I had to put
washers under one side of the table and change the mounting
bolts to get the table square to the blade - the fence and
miter gauge also have quite a bit of 'slop'.

* table angle pinion and rack gears feel rough, and it didn't
go far enough to get the table square with the blade (see above)!

* the fence is super cheesy and lightweight. You have to eyeball it
to make it straight (the stripes on the table help), but then
again you could also just clamp a board onto the table!

* wheels seem VERY light duty - not quite true(out of the box the upper one was
scraping slightly on the frame, which went away with a little adjustment).
I can't imagine putting any wider blade on for rip cuts, without things
flexing too much.

* The blade guide surrounds the blade and obscures the cut, unless
you have it mounted at a ridiculous height (eye level!), or bend down to look

I don't really have any comment about the laser, as I don't use it -
however, its pretty wobbly where its attached inside the case, so good luck getting it
to stay in the same position over a long period of time. One more thing that
could be nice with a little modification.

Overall, I think this would probably be OK for very light-duty, craft-type work
on thin material. . .

CONCLUSION:
I would have rated this 3 stars if I hadn't gone to Harbor Freight and seen a
very similar 9" saw that seems much better implemented (single speed, but motor
looks more solid, table and angle mechanism MUCH more solid and smooth. Also has
a toothed belt. No fence, but you could probably make something). Theirs is $119, but you
can find a 20% off coupon in the mailers or online, bringing it down under $100.
In retrospect I would have gone with this (probably with the extended warrantee).
Hope this helps.