Delta SM400 Shopmaster 3 Amp 9 Inch Benchtop Band Saw

Customer Reviews

Delta SM400 Bandsaw

2008-02-17
I own two larger bandsaws - 12" and 14' - but needed this 9" table top for a separate location. I have only used it sparingly so far, but it seems to be a neat little machine for a decent price. It comes well packaged and is a snap to assemble. The Delta blade that came with it is worthless and I took the advice of other reviewers and bought a Morse blade - which was a thousand percent better.

nice saw

2007-12-28
nice saw, not too big. you need to have the correct blade for the job

Good bang for the buck

2007-12-18
Good machine for its size. Set up is easy to understand. I have cut some 2 inch hardwoods and motor keeps a steady pace. My only issue is the stability of the cutting platform. It can not be considered a stable platform as it does tend to vibrate.

Great bang for the buck

2007-11-14
This is a good saw for the money. It's a huge step up from the jig saw that you may be using. It's not a heavy-duty item--you should not plan to resaw white oak. But if you need to cut some curves and don't/can't put out a few hundred bucks for a 14" saw, this is a great choice. I've had mine for several years. With a sharp blade, it does what a band saw should.

You'll Pay More In The Long Run

2007-10-30
I had bought a 9" Kawasaki bandsaw, much like this one. After only four months of moderate usage, the bandsaw tires were too worn to hold a blade and had to be replaced by the company. This delayed the project I was working on because I had no other place to get nine inch replacement bandsaw tires; ten and fourteen inch are the standards. If you buy this bandsaw, pretty much expect the same problem sooner or later. Get a 10" bandsaw and not have to worry about finding replacement tires along the way.

Not What I ordered!

2008-05-19
I ordered a Delta sM400 Shopmaster Band Saw, but that is NOT what I received! They sent me a Black & Decker 9inch Bandsaw - NOT a Delta! The Black & Decker is the same size and has the same features as far as I can tell, but it does not fit the DELTA Stand I paid $80 for and had waiting for this saw!

I have not used the bandsaw yet so I cannot comment on it's performance, but I am pissed that I was not sent the Product that I ordered and now have to drill-out the stand to make it fit.

Not Bad at All

2008-04-18
This was my first band saw purchase and I am very satisfied with it. I did change the blade to an 18 tooth for cutting brass for slot car chassis. Also the blade guides that came with it did not work and I replaced those with "Cool Blocks". So far it has performed flawlessly and am quite happy with it. The price was ideal, even with the replacement parts that had to be purchased. Out of the box I believe I would not be as happy.

Excellent low cost band saw

2008-04-01
I purchased this saw for $119. As an experienced craftsman, and considering the price, I received excellent value. The saw does exactly what I want it to do, which is reliably cut aluminum sheet and extrusions. At the outset I replaced the stock blade with a Morse blade having more TPI and narrower width. Setup required about an hour to get all the little brackets and tensioners aligned and properly tightened. My only complaint is that I find it somewhat challenging to get a new blade started on the two wheels. Once the blade is in place, it stays well. The housing is easy to open and clean with compressed air.

Good Saw for the Money

2008-02-28
Much of the criticism regarding inability to make a straight cut and blade wander is fair. The Morse blade helps a great deal.

If you have a very small shop (as I do) the saw will perform well with proper adjustment, a low tpi blade and reasonable expectations. With a shop built fence and some patience it does a reasonable job of resawing hardwoods (up to 4 inches thick). It is very slow but the result is acceptable. Mostly I am resawing slabs into 1 inch fountain pen blanks and the saw works very well for this.

Compared to the other bench top saws this appears to be the best.

Delta SM400 Bandsaw