Customer Reviews

JET 708113A JWBS-14OS 14-Inch 3/4-Horsepower Open Stand Woodworking Band Saw with Graphite Alloy Guide Blocks, 115/230-Volt 1-Phase

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Way-back-when the first really good small band saw came out we bought it and loved it (the R-brand which is now the D-brand). A while later JET came onto the market with a 14" but being reluctant to change something that wasn't broke we kept our R-brand for many more years. One day someone offered us a lot of gold for our whole woodshop and the old enclosed base band saw went with it. Later we started a new shop that produced models and prototypes for other shops. When outfitting the shop and generally being in like with our wallets slightly more than our machines we considered the JET 14" for the first time. After a few trials and a lot of jabber on the jungle telegraph we took the chance. At that time the open base was a new thing. While not as svelte looking as the enclosed base we soon found that it was easier to clean up after and we could store stuff underneath - valuable space for those once-in-awhile jigs. It also seemed to run quieter without those flat sheetmetal walls. About the only thing the D-brand has over the JET is the quality of the motor but that was not enough to convince us to part with the extra money. The JET 14" has very good everything else and is a valued piece of equipment in the shop. Of all the 14" saws it is clearly amongst the best - which is good as it is also one of the least expensive. Hints: Buy the frame extension - it does not weaken the frame measurably and you will enjoy the added working height. If you do not buy it now you will accumulate blades which will not fit if you buy it later. Use a 3" 45 degree PVC elbow modified to a clamshell to fit over the lower guide and blade to provide better dust extraction. Keeps the sawdust off the lower wheel. Wear safety glasses. Pay attention: this is not a machine where you want your attention wandering unless your goal is to receive disability payments. Somewhat enigmatically I still wish we had the closed base. It looks better.

I ordered this saw because I have an old JTAS-10XL table saw, (from the days when Jet products were US made and blue in color) which is an excellent precision machine. I also got 10% off and free shipping on the bandsaw.
The bandsaw has so far been a disaster. I received mine on May 22 and immediately found a table with 14 mil dish. I called the WMH Tool customer service and they sent me another in a week, 3rd day air: just as dished. Another call to Cust Svc, with a request that they get a Quality Control person to check stock to find a flat one. Well that took another 10 days, even 3rd day air, and the table was barely acceptable with a 6 mil dish. I still had to deburr the slot, though.
Then I took the saw out of the box and put it together. Seemed to run ok, so I added the JRB-14 riser block kit and fence kit. All seemed to be going well enough until I tried to install the extended guide post that supports the upper blade guide and guard. No way! the saw frame and original guide post are 19mm diameter, but the one in the riser block kit is 22mm. Another call to WMH Cust Svc, with another request that someone measure the part, got a replacement guide post sent out, ups ground this time, and guess what: another 22mm guide post. Another call to WMH, and yet another 22mm guide post, this time the short one. Fourth call finally yielded the right part (!) Looks like the saw they sent me was old stock, which does not match up with the riser block kit any more.
So! Now it's been 8 weeks since I got the saw, 9 calls to WMH, lots of aggravation, and I have two useless cast iron tables and three useless 22mm steel bars. The saw finally runs ok with the riser. It cuts curves well enough, but it ain't no resaw: bogs down on 8" beech with a new Olson blade.
Other beefs: the stand is thin enough that the top flexes easily when using the saw, making the saw wiggle back and forth. The trunnion support casting is also weak enough to flex under load, so the table does not stay true to the blade. The riser block takes about an inch off the throat. The guide block adjustments are pretty cheesy (I wonder how long the guide adj. screw threads will last in that aluminum casting). I had to drill the fence to fit the saw table, and the fence has no adjustment for lead or drift.

In summary, my admiration for Jet tools is gone. Even though this is a cheapie, they should do better with it or not try to sell the product. They are clearly having quality problems and do not have enough control over the changes in their product to be able to send out the right replacement parts. If I were to do this over, I would not buy Jet.

This is my first bandsaw. It's pretty solid and easy to assemble. It needed some tuning before using it to get it to cut right but once that was done it's working great. The picture Amazon shows is not the same design as the bandsaw I got, however. The motor is to the side and it's not a 2" dust chute but a 4" on the side of the saw.

I'm a bandsaw rookie, so I'll make no promises that I know what I'm talking about. That being said, I lean on these reviews for my purchases, hopefully this will be useful for someone else.
The Delta v. Jet debate was settled by a clearance of this saw at Menards! It seems that the folks unhappy with the Delta thought the Jet was a better machine. So when I can get it for less than the Delta, decision made.
1. Pros: I really enjoy putting a new toy together. The Jet assembly was nearly flawless. I even had my 2 1/2 year old helping (true - I've got pitures). About halfway through the stand assembly I figured out that you can make a shelf on the leg braces (17x20 is perfect). Almost a two man job (two year olds don't count). It is HEAVY and AWKWARD. All of the Jet assemblies were put together well, the blade tracked correctly and needed no adjustment.
2. Cons: Lower guide blocks are really tough to reach and adjust (all of the saws this way?) A couple of the tapped holes had paint in the threads, just an annoyance, but not a big deal.
With a good double check, crossed fingers and a smile you flip the switch and.....a beautiful Fathers' Day whirrrrr.

this is a replacement for a hand me down i had. works very well. i have not had any issues at all.

I've had this saw for about a year. This is the first band saw I have owned. Everything fit together nicely and have it mounted on mobile base. I also ordered the fence and 6" riser block. One thing important to remember on any band saw is to use the right kind of blade for the type of sawing you are doing. For example, if you are cutting curves you will probably want to use a narrower blade (1/4" or 3/8") with 12 tpi. For resawing, I use a timberwolf 1/2" 3 tpi blade. This blade is about $30 but makes resawing a pleasure. It's gonna be a little slower cutting then a machine with a 2hp motor but then again the bandsaw is a lot less $ then a lot of the bandsaws out there. If you are a full time professional woodworker you are probably going to want something more robust, if you can afford it. However, for the basement shop(me) or garage shop woodworker it will work just fine. Note: I gave this saw a 5 star rating even though it only shows 2 stars.

I actually have a cheaper, but very similar, Reliant 14" open-base band saw. It works very well, both for fine work and pretty heavy work (cutting a stack of 4" logs into rustic coffee table legs). I have not tried it as a resaw; its not designed for that. The blade guides must be adjusted upon each use, and whenever anything is moved, and occasionally while it is in use. But this has not proved inconvenient, and is common on much finer band saws. I have had no trouble with blade tracking - the wheels and wheel bearings were good originally, and have held up, and the frame is perfectly rigid. I do not have to realign the wheels. The bottom adjustments are relatively inaccessible, in comparison to the knobs on the Delta, so I don't adjust them as often as I should; I compensate with the upper adjustments when possible. The table has remained even across the blade slot. I think that is the key point when purchasing such a saw: get one where the table is not twisting. I have seen two similar band saws with broken trunnion castings; mine is fine (I don't tilt the table).