Which portaband to get? Corded or cordless?

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five.five-six

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california
Ok, I have always wanted a portaband saw ever since my apprenticship. Just never had enough strut and allthread to cut on one job to justify buying one. I'm starting a job that justifys buying one.. And I have decided it will pay for itself in labor costs saveings.

my considerations.

cordless is +200

corded variable speed, battery one is on off

My current cordless setup is all bosh and it's been running for 5+ years and getting tired, my next set will be Milwaukee 18v fuel. His saw comes with battery and charger. I insist on all my tools have a common battery/charger.


from what I have read, the cordless sets are every bit as powerful as the corded saws, nd the batteries run a good long time

any help would be appriciated.
 
You make a good point, 25 years in the trade and I could count on one hand the number of times I have used one more than a few feet from the stack of material.



edit: how do you get to be a moderated member?
 
I have a corded Milwaukee deep cut band saw ( made pre Milwaukee ChiCom ownership), and a Milwaukee 18V model, like them both but the 18V is the go to tool just because of being ready to use if the batteries are charged, rather then drag out a cord.
 
five.five-six said:
You make a good point, 25 years in the trade and I could count on one hand the number of times I have used one more than a few feet from the stack of material.



edit: how do you get to be a moderated member?
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When you join and make your first few posts, those posts will not show up until they have been approved by a moderator. You are a moderated member until a moderator decides that you are not a robot spammer ands allows your posts to show up immediately.
At that point you are a normal member.
 
ActionDave said:
Insult the host of the site and the moderators, use gratuitous profanities.....there are a few other tricks, but that should get you started.
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I don't know how this thread got sidetract from helping me pick a portaband saw to a FAQ on how to fit in at electrician talk, but I wish we'd get back on topic.
 
five.five-six said:
I don't know how this thread got sidetract from helping me pick a portaband saw to a FAQ on how to fit in at electrician talk, but I wish we'd get back on topic.
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edit: how do you get to be a moderated member?
Click to expand...
You asked the question and now you are asking how the thread got sidetracked? If you feel that strongly about it, maybe you should have PM'ed your question or started a new thread?
 
We use corded portable band saws everyday in various brands (Porter Cable, Milwaukee or Dewalt) and I prefer the Dewalt hands down over the other two brands for it's speed accuracy and most importantly balance in the hands. We also use a Milwaukee cordless but it's only good for occasional cuts because it's heavy and slow when compared to the Dewalt corded.
 
My goto bandsaw when piping is the cordless Milwaukee M12. It's small, lightweight and can be used with one hand.

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I am a big fan of good cordless tools, but, my corded Milwaukee Portaband is still going strong after (probably) 20 years. I admit I don't use it every day, but it has seen a lot of miles. Batteries might be a problem after 10 or 20 years.

On the other hand, those new smaller portabands sure look convenient.
 
I owned a Milwaukee corded bandsaw for twenty years,its been great.About two years ago I purchased all Dewalt 20v cordless tools,one battery(various AH) and four chargers along with one extra battery. The Dewalt cordless bandsaw cuts up to 2",easy one hand use.The whole Dewalt 20v series has more than met my expectations(saws,roto hammer,drills,LED work lights,etc.)
 
Barbqranch said:
I am a big fan of good cordless tools, but, my corded Milwaukee Portaband is still going strong after (probably) 20 years. I admit I don't use it every day, but it has seen a lot of miles. Batteries might be a problem after 10 or 20 years.

On the other hand, those new smaller portabands sure look convenient.
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10 years out of a battery? lucky to get better than 5. I still have my 9.6V makita that I apprenticed with. The stick battery has been dead as a brick for about 15 years. For some reason I can't bring myself to dispose of it. It's in a roll-away drawer with my first set of bags and my grandfather in law's brace bits.
 
I have to go along with the corded group. We had an
ancient Craftsman which worked well and a fairly old
Milwaukee that cut probably tons of angle, strut and
box. Only requiring greasing in the grease fittings and
the occasional band change. Controlling the feed rate
definately saved alot of bands once we got the
pneumatic feed rate adjustment set. We always had
a temp. or a regular service. ( the temp. was sometimes
a generator outside)
I guess it depends on how much cutting is anticipated.
Battery for small/medium or a plug in that can be cutting
for twelve to fourteen hours.
Decide what best suits you and go from there, they both
have advantages and drawbacks.

JR
 
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five.five-six said:
10 years out of a battery? lucky to get better than 5. I still have my 9.6V makita that I apprenticed with. The stick battery has been dead as a brick for about 15 years. For some reason I can't bring myself to dispose of it. It's in a roll-away drawer with my first set of bags and my grandfather in law's brace bits.
Click to expand...

I have a couple of those 9.6 Makitas as well. Great tool in its day. No, I was more referring to possible difficulty in getting new batteries.
 
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