TOOL REVIEW: RYOBI BANDSAW BS904G

[@serrysingh]

*Perfect band saw for the hobby enthusiast **MyBest.Tools** Easy to set up and square. Had it running in 10 to 15 minutes. Quality of cuts will depend on the quality of the blades.*

[@robertstewart9658]

I have the BS902 which came with a light and a fence. Odd that the newer models would not include that. I have used it only a few times. The cuts seem to wander, but my blade is thin so I think I'll check on a wider blade. Thanks for the review.

[@BaldAdventures]

Nice review friend, after your review, I am going to pick up mine at Home Depot to add to the shed workshop! Thanks bro!

[@jimmyjohn2611]

Good review. Thanks for taking the time to do it.

[@joelsmith2974]

Jimmy John thanks man, appreciate the feedback!

[@dscritter614]

Thanks 4 this review. I am considering buying this, as it is n my price range. I wish I could get a 14" one, but man, they're expensive. Never thought a band saw would cost more than my table saw. Reviews on the lower price ones r all over the place. Some will say it's crap, another loves it. Just gotta roll the dice.

[@carreramike]

That blade guide has tlowered to 1/8" clearance just above the wood youre cutting as per the manual. Thanks for the review

[@30YearOldBunta]

Great review. This will work perfectly for what I need and it's on sale at home depot.

[@d.beaumont9157]

Good review, thinking of getting one of these. Small, cheap reliable.

[@Mr_Rick]

You mentioned a stall cutting a small log. Can you make cabriole legs on this bandsaw? Stock would be 2.5" x 2.5" x 24"

[@joelsmith2974]

I dont think it would handle that, I would get a larger bandsaw if that is what you intend on doing

[@Mr_Rick]

@@joelsmith2974 I think you're probably correct. Ryobi's 9" is on sale right now at a very attractive price. Makes me wonder if they're coming out with a larger one & clearing this one out. I don't use a B/S much but need it for this one job. Thanks.

[@mildyproductive9726]

@@Mr_Rick It would do that no problem. I cut 3.5" oak on my 9" saw; straight as could be, following a line no problem. I have a 14" saw, too, but the little Ryobi will handle anything you can fit on it, if you use the right blade. 4 TPI. And if you know how to set a bandsaw. Took me a few years to learn that.

[@Mr_Rick]

@@mildyproductive9726 thanks for sharing. I would really like to get one but can't afford to buy a 14" and don't want to end up with something that is chicken shit. When I saw it home depot it was so dinky that I didn't feel very good about it.

[@dominicmogridge3920]

thanks my friend.you've answered my main question..shod I buy it.I think I will after viewing your excellent review.they're on sale for 90euros in Ireland,and looks like it would manage a lot of tasks without,as you say,getting more tools out.this would love on the end of one of my benches,and be used a lot.thanks again.maddog,west cork. republic of Ireland

[@joelsmith2974]

Glad I could help, enjoy

[@Jesusistheonlyway549]

Where in Ireland are they that price?

[@dominicmogridge3920]

@@Jesusistheonlyway549 they're in dunmanway,west cork.small village between bandon and bantry.funny little supermarket with post office in.they get all sorts of weird stuff in but usually very cheap.I suspect,(as boxes quite dented) that he got a job lot cheap.original price was 260,reduced to 90'i also purchased a wet/ dry vac(40e)a bench top belt sander(90),and a bench grinder(40e)all ryobi,and not Chinese fakes.all came with two year warranty.as I said the boxes dented and Styrofoam packing bust in places,but tools intact.noticed lid had been revealed so assume he had to check them all out,and for them cheap as damaged item's(maybe some were broken)the only way I can think they selling at that price.nice ryobi drill press for 90e I intend to purchase next week.my cottage I'd spent 50yrs restoring was burnt in an arson attack and lost all my tools in fire.this has made it possible to 're-equip my workshop,to make craft item's,to sell,to raise money I need for materials to rebuild.I did work erecting huge marquees,stages,lighting,and rope access,but covid stopped that.I'm getting a bit of tree work,as my reputation gets around,and just love being up as high as possible for work and pleasure.anyway my workshop coming together.hope they get a disturbing lathe.I miss turning so much hope this answers your question.and a few more.sorry,only see people once a week for couple of hours when shopping.rest of week I'm alone with my adoring hound,a puck goat,Charlie,selassie the horse and Rambo the cockrel.they great company and all follow me round like puppies.mad dog,west cork, republic of Ireland

[@Jesusistheonlyway549]

@@dominicmogridge3920 do they have more there? I'm not too far off from there maybe 30 min. I'm so sorry those scumbags did that to you. It's a heartbreak when you lose everything you work so hard for. I hope the Guards caught them. Although they would prob get a slap on the wrist the way they hand out sentences nowadays.

[@dominicmogridge3920]

@@Jesusistheonlyway549 they don't answer there phones.there was one left but suspect they've more out back.the belt sander came with no instructions,warranty and round disc.manager wasn't there but assistant said they would look in ones out back to get me replacement.it's called gala.has post office in.I think address is main street,dunmanway.I won't be in town till next Tuesday but will enquire and let you know straight away.hope life good for you and you safe and happy.be lucky.dom you can Google it.might be able to e-mail them.Will get back to you tunes afternoon anyway

[@reaper060670]

I'm getting me one of the Axminister for about 1300/1400.. I can't think of the model number atm but it uses a proper real sized blade for cutting.. This was priced at 230 Euros in Ireland.. It's not worth that money to me but have at it if u like Ryobi tools.. They make decent tools tbf..

[@SkyeWelse]

Hello and thanks for review. I'm thinking of adding this saw to my collection of other Ryobi saws, but what I was hoping to do with it was to have an easier time of making interior cuts within a piece of wood after pre-drilling a hold large enough for the blade to go through. I do have a jigsaw that I sometimes use for this, but I thought something like this would be more accurate. How effective would this be for interior cuts within say a piece of wood that is less than an inch thick? Is it easy to take the blade off/ on to allow it to feed through the pre-drilled hole? Is there a better tool for this that I should be looking at instead? Thanks!

[@joelsmith2974]

This would not do what you are wanting because the blade is a solid loop. You would need a scroll saw so you could remove the blade, slip it through the hole and then re-install the blade and make the cut. Hope that helps!

[@SkyeWelse]

@@joelsmith2974 Great! Thank you very much. I was wondering what was really different about a scroll saw and that sounds like exactly what I would be looking for. Thanks again!

[@keith_dixon]

The indicator for your deck angle is still in the factory position pointing away from the deck position gauge.

[@puneetkaur8141]

would you cut down on the width of laminate flooring with this

[@joelsmith2974]

Absolutely, I have used it for vinyl plank flooring and it makes a great cuts, nice and clean

[@MTSADMIN1]

Hey I want to buy one for knife making. Do you think it’s good enough to cut through 1/4 inch metal or even half inch ?

[@joelsmith2974]

chris T I think you could easily cut through the 1/4” with a proper metal blade, not sure how the 1/2” would go. I tend to think the blade may wander on the 1/2. It is a great saw for the money though. Buy it and try it, you could always return it.

[@MountainFisher]

This band saw WILL NOT cut steel, it moves to fast and is under-powered. It will cut brass and aluminum.

[@ThePhilmm]

@@MountainFisher Will it cut aluminium?

[@fryncyaryorvjink2140]

@@ThePhilmm it doesn't cut metric

[@victorchozen4205]

Quick and to the point.was debating on this or scroll saw. This would work for me. Thank you

[@joelsmith2974]

Thanks for the feedback, appreciate it! I will say this, I had a scroll saw and ended up selling it because I rarely found a use for it. They are mainly for small detailed cuts as im sure you are aware. Band saws are much more versatile I feel.

[@paragjh284]

Power rating of its motor?

[@mustafanaik5866]

hey man, great review. Was wondering if buying this for making roof rafters is a good choice, I already have a ryobi table saw. A second opinion would greatly be appreciated.

[@joelsmith2974]

The saw cuts quick and accurately, the only thing I would caution you on is making sure you would have enough clearance in the throat of the saw. I have run into that before and am not able to make the cut between the body of the saw and the blade...

[@mustafanaik5866]

@@joelsmith2974 that makes sense. But would it be easier than say a jigsaw if I had enough space? (In terms of cutting speed and accuracy)

[@joelsmith2974]

It is much faster and smoother of a cut than a jigsaw

[@tidesrollin5343]

Other than the color its identical to my harbor freight Band saw

[@ShainAndrews]

Yeah I can't see any difference at all.

[@jakeryan4680]

pros of a 100 dollar band saw: compact, easy, efficient, little dust cons of a 100 dollar band saw: this band saw cannot be used for lumber milling. love the video

[@joelsmith2974]

Jake Ryan thanks man, appreciate the feedback!

[@jaynelson212]

Not with that attitude you can’t

[@3dmagictricks]

is it worth 60 bucks used

[@joelsmith2974]

I would say yes, the biggest drawback for me is not having a fence

[@bingo-fuel]

The new ones comes with a fence now

[@joelsmith2974]

they finally listened to the customer!

[@mwatsonphoto]

Harbor freight sells the EXACT same bandsaw as this for less. Ryobi just rebranded this and sold it for more.

[@randybobandy9828]

No they didnt.

[@Jimstacyray1]

I have one mine can't cut a straight line. Put mine to the road last night. Blade falls off easy.

[@joelsmith2974]

James Ray you need more tension on your roller wheels to keep it straight and on track

[@MountainFisher]

To adjust and tweak this saw like I did follow the instructions of the Band saw clinic by Alex Snodgrass. The video I referenced will teach you also NOT to set the blade in the center of the wheel, set it centered on the gullet of the teeth. I adjusted mine and get absolutely no drift even using the miter gauge cutting 1/8 brass plate. You CANNOT cut steel with this it is under-powered and too fast. Steel cutting band saw are much slower and if you want a cheap one get a porta-band and rig it to be stable for cutting steel. kzbin.info/www/bejne/rXjFi6SNlshjoLc

[@MountainFisher]

@@joelsmith2974 No, he doesn't have it adjusted in every direction correctly nor do you, see my other comments and watch band saw clinic by alex snodgrass if you think you've adjuste this saw right. I followed his instructions and now my band saw cuts straight with absolutely no drift.

[@george5697]

It's at $180 right now at homedepot,, the fact that it doesn't come with a fence kind of bugs me,, I might just go with a Wen product

[@joelsmith2974]

I agree, hindsight I would have gone with the wen also as it has the same specs pretty much and comes with a fence.

[@babagalacticus]

brother joel; happy new year & best wishes for continued health, success & prosperity for u & yours! firstly, the music is just fine esp as u knew when to fade it out. in fact, being a music junkie, i wish u would identify it🎧🤗. now i need a VERY small hobbyist band saw & saw this 1 on a "whalegot.com" for $53.80(???!!!) & thought, "that looks TOO good to be true" so i looked at the same item on amazon & it's 3X the price(???!!!). looked at the reviews which were mostly cheerful & encouraging but the most detailed & articulate & knowledgeable sounding reviewer just completely TRASHED IT w/a ONE STAR rating so that, as u can imagine, gave me pause. your demo-lec is pretty good but would have liked to know:1. how much does this thing WEIGH? 2. EXACTLY which blade do u have in there? (TPI?) 3.how much did YOU pay & from WHERE?.4. what do u plan on using it for? i also notice on whalegot.com that the casing actually is offered in a variety of colours such as black, barley, SAUGE & AMIRAL; yeah, i have absolutely no idea what those colours are either. at the price i'm hoping to pay at the aforementioned site this looks somewhat attractive, although the absence of a fence really is just weird. not even a design provision to add a real fence so you're left to juryrig something. a headscratcher IMO but i'm coming to a more seasoned view of RYOBI which i had, in my inexperience, thought was better that entry level-live & learn. bottom line for me is, at the price i mentioned i figure i can take a chance. thanks again for the useful review.

[@harrybond007]

if it's a scam website either edit or delete your comment

[@MrThenry1988]

I bought one. I was expecting more. I've tried the blades that came with it and the same, I was expecting more. I'm gonna get more blades for it and retry it.

[@joelsmith2974]

My blade wont track straight and I have the tension all the way up. I am thinking the blade is stretched so I am going to try a new blade also

[@mildyproductive9726]

A 4 TPI blade will cut wood of any thickness that will fit. Just be careful trying to cut tiny stuff with a coarse blade. It can grab and flip the piece, so watch your fingers. It helps to make a better table insert and to stiffen up the table with a shim, so it doesn't flex.

[@bryanbree5915]

Not a strong blade. It was sparking when I was cutting 1/8 trim board. I bought mine at Home Depot and I wish I Hadn’t. When I plug it in the wheels don’t turn and I have to physically turn the wheel to get it to move.

[@specialkoz569]

Sounds like you may have to adjust your tension and or tracking

[@fryncyaryorvjink2140]

A bit late to the party, but that may be a fuse. I don't remember exactly, but if you turn on an electric motor and it just hums, doesn't spin, I think it's a bad fuse or something

[@paulround8501]

The blade that comes with the saw is garbage, it has very little to no set so will not cut straight. With a decent after market blade the cut is reasonable. Only real problem with this saw is the plastic blade guide assembly, very flimsy and not possible to set blade guides accurately.

[@DJ-ll4fm]

Sounds like a bad capaciter

[@timg8337]

I've had a Ryobi bandsaw like this and, quite frankly, it's a P.O.S!

[@AzTurboMini]

Why?

[@petertitan2186]

my old Ryobi came with fence, 0 clearance insert makes big difference to

[@joelsmith2974]

I wish the new one still came with the fence. I have seen videos on the zero clearance insert, what does it do just make the blade travel less?

[@petertitan2186]

less tear out and small pieces don't jam up like when your cutting thin slices they wanna fall in hole of stock insert. I use stock insert for angle pieces cause using zero clearance will rub on blade when you tilt table

[@joelsmith2974]

@@petertitan2186 Thanks for the info, I will have to look further into making a zero clearance plate for mine!

[@georgewilmore7599]

I bought and took it back. Something was wrong with the electrical components blew my circuit breaker. I got a refund and bought a more substantial 14" bandsaw.

[@joelsmith2974]

I agree, I wanted a larger more capable bandsaw but I am limited on space so had to go with the smaller one

[@squarelevelplumb]

Ree-obi proper pronunciation. Like Tokyo Japan

[@NBGTFO]

I bought this a couple of months ago and have used it many times. Honestly, it isn't great. I have a good-sized collection of Ryobi tools and of them all, the band saw is by far the worst. I always look at budget tools and try to get the best bang for my buck, which is why I own a lot of Ryobi tools, but this time, they let me down. If you're looking to buy a band saw and expect to use it moderately to heavily, I would strongly recommend you look at something else at least a step up from this.

[@randybobandy9828]

Maybe tell us why it isn't good.

[@carmelomorales5905]

The fact that looks plastic got me scared

[@joelsmith2974]

It’s a good mix, I think the parts that have to be metal are and it should hold up.

[@fryncyaryorvjink2140]

Use it to make some wood reinforcement

[@Aztecs911]

Dude your intro music is weird for a tool review. Sounds like intro music for a chick flick.

[@linus1428]

Hi

[@babagalacticus]

ok, so an update on my earlier comment(s) about obtaining 1 of these rigs through a website named "WHALEGOT.COM"; DO NOT USE THIS WEBSITE AT ANY COST FOR ANYTHING!!!!! it is sadly enough just another scam online 'store' that will either send u a fake or simply not send u anything at all. after looking for a review of this 'business' i found "bestbinaryoptionswatch.com/whalegot-review/" & found 2 comments; here is "TANYA"-"I ordered a DeWalt power tool kit from whalegot it didn’t give me no order number hasn’t sent me no email I have no history of it I tried calling the number the number just kept on ringing repeatedly I also emailed the website still no response the address is in Indiana the phone number is Ohio and when I called my bank the money went to Ralph and Martha Ervin of Minnesota Minneapolis" i personally had EXACTLY the same experience in that i called the tel# listed under "contact us"-the address is in lafayette, indiana but my phone said OHIO(no one ever p/u even though i let it ring for about 3 mins 2X. furthermore there is NO such business listed w/directory assistance. some of u reading this may be laughing & saying to yourselves "well of course it's a scam @ that price, what did u think"? i will remind u that everyday some of the smartest, most careful ppl get snookered & gaslighted. sigh. in any case i felt responsible to put this out there after already mentioning this site in my previous comment. best wishes to all for a good year!!! (even though we know it won't be😅😳.

[@cekuhnen]

This is such a plastic saw - even the blade guide shaft is plastic - the SKIL is mainly metal and same price

[@bigviper64]

It will NOT cut a straight line!..Period.

[@paulround8501]

Whole blade guide assembly on this is plastic, absolute garbage.

[@zaraking2711]

Sound not very clear, would have liked to see how you do the blade tension on set up. Was going to buy this Ryobi but would like to see a little more on the setup. Do away with the music!

[@joelsmith2974]

Zara King thanks for the comment. I will try and make a separate video on the setup and tension for the blade.

[@ThisBoringLife]

Wow. Any other complaints?

[@MountainFisher]

To adjust and tweak this saw like I did follow the instructions of the Band saw clinic by Alex Snodgrass. The video I referenced will teach you also NOT to set the blade in the center of the wheel, set it centered on the gullet of the teeth. I adjusted mine and get absolutely no drift even using the miter gauge cutting 1/8 brass plate. You CANNOT cut steel with this it is under-powered and too fast. Steel cutting band saw are much slower and if you want a cheap one get a porta-band and rig it to be stable for cutting steel. kzbin.info/www/bejne/rXjFi6SNlshjoLc

[@JamesWilliams-ji4mg]

What if you lower the speed

[@MountainFisher]

@@JamesWilliams-ji4mg No, it doesn't have the power.

[@FenrirRagnulf]

Could have done this without the music

[@patrickarchuleta9594]

No fence not good.

[@joelsmith2974]

I agree, without the fence it limits what you can do with the saw

[@larrybilse2547]

if you give a review of something its best to have used and demonstrate ALL features. you havent used the bevel or vacuum ?

[@mikec9537]

I'm done with videos that have a sound track, just do the review.

[@lucasglenn4815]

That track was a bop