"Brett A. Thomas" wrote in message ...
So my recent article on the Jet 18" caused me to go back and pick up FWW
170, where they reviewed 18" bandsaws. And it got me thinking - does it
make any sense *at all* to rate these things on wheel size? They do a
head-to-head comparison of (among others) a $1,200 Jet with a 1.5 HP
motor and 10" cutting capacity against a $2,900, 5 HP, 18" capacity
Laguna machine. GUESS WHICH WON? Why did they even need to write an
article to figure that one out? How is it useful to even _compare_
these machines? They're obviously in completely different leagues!
It's like grouping tablesaws by miter gauge width, or something...
Wouldn't it make more sense to compare bandsaws by cutting capacity,
since there seems to be such a wide variation in the capabilities of
machines that are the same wheel size? Or am I just showing my bandsaw
ignorance, here?

-BAT

Totally agree. How about doing the comparison based on the sticker
price, most people shop based on a fixed budget amount anyway. If I
have 1k to spend on a saw, how about showing me the entire range I
could get for that amount ( or an approximate range).

Perhaps some vendors may not like THAT perspective, others who offer
more value would love it. I'm not in the publishing business, but I
think perhaps it reflects how a company with extra bucks to spend on
publishing 'relationships' can skew a contest.