10 Best Bandsaws for Resawing (2020) – Reviews & Buying Guide

Last Updated on August 13, 2020

Most of us love our bandsaws. They are safer than table saws, simple to use, and super versatile. They are often considered the go-to saw for cuts around the shop. Purchasing the right bandsaw can transform your woodworking experience and results. The key to their success is versatility.

Want to cut a circle in a piece of ply? No problem, all you need is a small jig that takes minutes to make and BINGO! You have the perfect circle. Want to re-dimension some 2X4 to make face frames for some new cabinets? Again, between your jointer and bandsaw, it is only a matter of minutes. Now you are staring at some beautifully milled pieces that are ready to go.

Want to create some beautiful book-matched drawer fronts, then the bandsaw is your go-to tool. A few minutes to set up and cut, and you have drawer fronts with the grain flowing from piece to piece like water. So, which is the best band saw for resawing on the market today?

Our Favorite Band Saws for Resawing on The Market Today [2020]

10 Best Band Saws for Resawing - Reviews 

Our Winner

Buyers’ Guide: Choosing the Right Bandsaw for You

You want to find the best band saw with a strong exterior casing, that will not ruin or cause damage to the material surfaces you are working around. It is also important to look for band saws that has easy to use features, allows for ease of transport, and gives you different settings, so you can do a variety of tasks or projects when working on a particular job.

The top rated band saws will also guarantee accurate cuts, regardless of what you are working on, or what type of materials you are trying to cut through with it. It is also a good idea to look for something that has a guide light, or other indicator, so you can see what you are cutting or sawing through, especially when you are working at a faster pace with the device.

Of course a strong exterior body is essential, and you should look for the saw that offers simple settings, and device knobs, so you can easily adjust the speed and power settings, when you are working on a specific project at home, or if you need something that is a little more high powered, when you are doing work on a specific job site.

1. Power

Along with the blade, the power of your bandsaw’s motor is the key to how effective it is.

There is plenty of bandsaw models on the market with motors in the one horsepower range or less. While this is sufficient for most cuts, it is found short when it comes to resawing.

When resawing you tend to be ripping a board across its widest point. That needs more power than your typical bandsaw will provide.

When it comes to bandsaw motors more is better. Look for a saw with a minimum of a 1 horsepower. There are plenty of band saws on the market that feature a 1 ¼, 1 ½, or even two-horsepower motors.

Sufficient power is vital for 14-inch bandsaws. Anything less than one horsepower and the saw will struggle to drive the blade through a thick board.

2. Throat Capacity      

A bandsaw’s throat capacity is the size distance between the top blade guides and the table saw. Several smaller band saws have a limited throat capacity of 4 to 5 inches. Such a small throat is insufficient for resawing purposes. To create beautiful bookmatched cuts, you need a minimum capacity of 8 inches or more.

Just like horsepower the more, the merrier when it comes to throat capacity. Most of the band saws featured in our review can cut a 10-inch board with ease.

3. Guide Wheels -Aluminum vs. Steel

Another factor that can affect a saw’s performance is the material of the bandsaw’s wheels that drive the blade.

The heavier the wheel driving the blade, the more inertia and momentum is behind the blade, and the easier it cuts.

Think of it like catching a tennis ball or a baseball thrown at the same speed with your bare hands. Even though both balls are traveling at the same speed, the increased weight and heft of the baseball will cause it to have a more significant impact.

Bandsaw wheels can be either aluminum or cast-iron. Aluminum is much lighter, and you can find them in cheaper saws. Cast iron wheels are heavier and can be found in higher quality machines. Cast iron wheels are always the best option to go for when choosing any bandsaw.

4. Variable Speed

The ability to vary the cutting speed of your bandsaw is a great asset when resawing. Slower cutting speeds are always preferred when resawing. The reduced speed will produce a slow, steady cut.

This method of cutting prevents the saw from binding, while it is removing a lot of material with each pass. For other more intricates cuts you can then switch back to a higher speed to produce cleaner, faster and more accurate cuts.

5. Blade Guides

Blade guides are there to ensure that your blade stays true, square to the table, and prevents it from turning. The guides are rollers that sit on either side of the blade to keep its movement straight and true. There is also the thrust support which presses against the back of the bandsaw blade. The thrust support prevents the blade from moving backwards during a cut.

High-quality machines will have two sets of blade guide, one above the saw table at the bottom of the blade guide enclosure, and one underneath the table. Low-end machines are often lacking the bottom blade guide set.

There are two bandsaw types of guides available on the market. You can have blade guides made from either sealed bearings, or from ceramics.

Bearing guides are an older invention while ceramics is a more modern take. One thing to note is that both do a great job, but ceramic blade guides are less durable and often harder to replace. Traditional sealed bearing guides are more durable, easily replaceable and overall are a much better proposition.

6. Bandsaw Fence System

You can make a lot of bandsaw cuts freehand, but to resaw a fence is a must. Without, a decent fence resawing will be an unsatisfying chore that yields poor results. You will end up making an auxiliary one to achieve the results you want. The ideal bandsaw fence it strong, stable, and sits square to the blade. The height of the fence is also vitally important; you want to be able to support as much of the piece as you can. Ideally, the fence should be as high as the piece of timber you are trying to resaw.

Getting a 10 or 12-inch high fence may be difficult, but there are plenty of bandsaws with 4 to 6-inch models. Make sure to find a design that has the option of attaching some t-tracks. That way you can fix a piece of ¾ inch plywood to better support the timber you are cutting.

The ability to lock down the fence securely to the table is also important. Make sure the fence cinches down well and does not move especially at the back. Some great fences have a micro adjust featurethat lets you dial in those perfect cuts.

7.  Precision

Precision and accuracy are the difference between a bandsaw that is joyous to use, and one that is nothing but frustration. One of the most common problems you will have to deal with is blade drift. Often the blade starts to cut slightly out of square and stays that way. You then have to make minor adjustments to the feed angle to correct the drift.

Cheaper models can suffer from significant blade drift making them difficult for freehand cuts, and almost impossible to use for resaw cuts. High-quality bandsaws will drift a lot less and make life easier all around.

8. Dust Extraction

Dust extraction can be an issue with most bandsaws, even the most expensive ones.
Under the table dust extraction is improved with a large dust port. Saws equipped with a 4-inch dust ports below the table are much more efficient than those supplied with a 2 ½ dust port.

Above the table, extraction is more complicated. Invariably the best option is an aftermarket posable arm that you can position just above the cut. Placing the suction directly above each cut lets you eliminate as much dust as possible.

9. Bevel Capacity

If you plan on doing more complex cuts like dovetails on your bandsaw bevel capacity is crucial. Being able to accurately and securely set the saw table to the blade adds a ton of versatility to your machine. Look for a bandsaw that can tilt at least 45 degrees for miter cuts; great bandsaws will even go a couple of degrees higher than that.