When buying the used band saw, it is not bad to check the quality first. The longer the saw being used by the previous owner the better choice you can have. You can check first the blade. Is it still usable or it has been replace by new one since the last owner bought it. Also check the other parts such as screws, the spinning parts and other important parts of the machine. The price may vary on the materials that previous owner used. There are some owners who replaced some of the materials of the machine to improve the performance. This will be an advantage for the second owner. When checks the condition of the machine before you buy consider the replacement that previous owner did. You may notice that although it is already used the price is still close to the new one.
Some features that you might consider when buying used band saw that will give you comfort are; first is the frame, it is best to choose the welded frame because it can absorb strong vibration as you operate the machine, especially in heavy load cutting. Second is the base it is more comfortable to choose the close floor base style because it withstand strong vibration. The base holds steady the machine while you operate while the frame holds steady the materials being cut. Third is the motor if you are just cutting materials that are below 3 inches thick it is best to use the ¾ horse power motor but if you are regularly cutting thicker materials and do a lot of sawing it is best to choose at least 1 horse power or even more. Next are the switches, wheel cover and tensioning knobs. It is easy to check or changing blades if you are using hinged type of wheel covers. Using column mounted switches can give you more convenience. Tensioning knobs should extend above the housing of the wheel in order to prevent skinned knuckles. It is also easy to use compare to others. For regular use it is good to use 2 ¼ dust port but if you are doing a lot of “resawing” it is best to use bigger port that hooked up on the dust collector.