Portable Band Saw Table, 24 In.H

The concept seems good. The ability to cut steel without all the problems of an abrasive cutoff saw, at a reasonable cost. Unfortunately, my unit arrived with multiple flaws. The band saw mounts to the pivot arm at a single point with a single bolt, which is normally the front "T" handle. The pivot arm appears to have been improperly cast or machined, so that the setup geometry as specified in the manual was impossible to obtain. I considered shims to effect a "kluge," but then there remains the second major flaw. The single bolt attachment to the upper case of the saw is not rigid enough. The result is that a small lateral pressure on the saw handle deflects the blade as much as 1/8 inch. Granted, better than hand held, but not acceptable to me. A nice concept, flawed in execution. Returned.

just as expected - great product -

It works ok. Takes a while to get everything square. The clamp can be a pain to use.

Makes an already versatile tool into an even more versatile bench tool. Easy to attach to porta band and bench.

I'll start by saying that this equipment will do what it is supposed to do- allow you to make repeatable, square cuts in material- once you have it set up and tuned.My problem with this table is what you don't get for the money you spend. The engineering is pretty pathetic. Since it is meant to be used with a portable saw it stands to reason that many users will be taking this table to the jobsite. Working on that assumption why not design legs that will support the table securely. a wide stance tripod is a natural choice but this table sports four sockets for attaching lengths of 3/4" pipe. The pipe doesn't even thread into the casting but into sleeves that pivot slightly in the oversized holes in the casting making the table "walk".The chain vise will hold your work securely but is a pain to use. With a bit of forethought in the design phase and a few pennies more in materials the vise could have been made much more user-friendly.Fit and finish are what you would expect from an overseas product if you are pessimistic. I had to elongate some mounting holes with a file to get the saw to square up to the fence. Not a big deal but I expected more from Milwaukee. If this tool were available from harbor freight (look for a no-name version to arrive soon) it would probably cost $70 or $80 and would be well worth it, flaws and all. At $299 you are paying an enormous premium for some red paint and a Milwaukee sticker (the sticker is peeling off already).I am keeping my table because I need it but I'm giving it a tripod sub-base (I'm borrowing the leg geometry from a Ridgid tri-stand) and will be redesigning the chain vise.

Just know that you will need a whole afternoon to modify this unit for any type of shop use. The chain mechanism is by far the worst I have ever seen.

It is NOT compatible with the Milwaukee Compact Band Saw (2629-20). It doesn't say it anywhere, received and found out for myself.

So you can dial it in to make consistent straight cuts. It's heavy. It's bulky. It's awkward. It turns your portable band saw into a really lame expensive horizontal band saw. You could buy pretty much any 4x6 horizontal band saw and it will be equally portable and so much more useful. For starters other horizontal band saws make angled cuts. Making angled cuts with this attachment is too difficult to be worth while.I got one used with a band saw. I stopped using it shortly after I got it. A band saw and a tristand is a much better combination for pipe, and the above mentioned horizontal band saw is a better choice for small or portable fabrication capacity.