Timber Framers Guild Forums Tools Tool Forum Portable Band Saws

I'm interested in a portable band saw for cutting curves, corbels, rafter tails etc. I know there are some timber framing units available from Oscar, Falberg and Mafell but they are pretty pricy.

I also noticed that Makita, Porter Cable, Milwaukee and Dewalt have recently introduced some economically priced portable units (approx. $300 US) rated up to 4 3/4" thickness. This would work well for rafters and braces. Has anyone had experience with these units? Which one is best? They all look pretty similar.

Also, has anyone experimented or contemplated re-engineering one of these units to increase the throat to handle 8" material?

dave, I think the first peice of engineering you may have to deal with would be available horsepower. i run a bandsawmill that has 11 horsepower, and can cut 16". If you are looking to cut into the 6 or 8 inch zone, I would think you'll need more power than a $300 unit could offer. even at 5" in dry material, I'd want a good dose of hp..... the band needs good power to do a good job, otherwise it will slow down and the cut gets inconsistent and ugly.