When I am ready to purchase such a machine I will probably get something secondhand. I don’t like shipping my money, and work overseas. US company, products are manufactured in Germany and China.

I figured they had, I just couldn’t find the info on their site. Some sites just don’t update their content as often as we’d like.

Chuck:
The Gaming Chair is actually the first post that turned me on to Toolmonger… I’ve been an avid reader since. I’ve been eyeing the Hobart Handler 140 - just ’cause I don’t want to go through the hassle/expense of doing the MIG conversion on the 125, or not having the flexibility to do it at all with the 125 EZ. So the 140 is nice for me too ’cause it’ll run on 110.. It’s currently on my Amazon wishlist.. even though I personally wouldn’t likely purchase it there - if someone else is getting me something, they’re more than welcome to buy it where ever they please

As far as metal vs. wood bandsaws go, it’s both the speed and blade. Good vertical bandsaws for metal are much more expensive than their wood counterparts, and I’d be reluctant to try and work both materials with the same fixed power tool — even if the tool was capable of it. The waste materials (sawdust/metal chips and dust) don’t really mix well, so you’d have a clean-up from hell each time.

But that said, you can indeed rotate a relatively inexpensive bandsaw like the ones we were talking about in the previous post to vertical and do some cutting with ‘em. They’re not going to work like the $5k to $10k uprights you see in the chopper shops on TV, but you can often get the job done. With the right combination of a horz/vert bandsaw, a small plasma cutter, an angle grinder with flap discs, and files you can make just about any shape you need to make without the high-dollar fixed tools.

I’m also really glad to hear that you’re thinking about trying some metalwork. It’s a lot of fun, and you’ll find that your opportunites expand quite a bit once you’ve added that capability to your shop. Even if you just pick up one a decent inexpensive wire welder for $300-$400, you’ll be able to tackle all sorts of projects. We really built the chair with the little Hobart Handler (even though we have a Millermatic 250 MIG in the shop), and besides a little extra grinding work, it worked fine.

That said, I didn’t see the review they were referring to where Rikon won editor’s choice. The only one I saw was from 2003 on Steel Bodied BandSaws - but the Rikon isn’t discussed. There may be a more recent review in their paper issues that doesn’t appear on their site yet.

That said.. looks like a nice saw.. Right now I’m planning long term to see what major equipment I pick up over the next couple of years. I’m torn between woodworking and metalworking - I’ve got more experience in woodworking, but I do a lot of automotive work on my car, and your gaming chair back in the summer really got me itching to get a welder and learn how to work with metal.
That said, the direction I choose will likely impact what tools I acquire. Some are going to be unique to one or the other (like a router for woodworking, or a welder for metalworking) but some like band saws could go either way. From what I can tell, something like the Harbor Freight vertical/horizontal bandsaw that you guys wrote about last week or the week before seems to be more prevalent in the metalworking community as it’s commonly used horizontally. But in woodworking they tend to use band saws vertically, and the Harbofreight Style one seems to be quite week in that area. - This Rikon looks like it’s very good with the wood. But doesn’t really address the metal side of the house.

Anyone that’s more familiar with either/or both - is it just a matter of using the appropriate blade what decides what material you can cut? Or are there other specifications that tailor a band saw to metal over wood or vice versa? (Like say HP, saw speed, etc.)