Hare and Forbes BS-4A

Hare and Forbes Australia Metal Cutting Bandsaw Hack saw Hacksaw Hafco Metalmaster power saw horizontal vertical cutter

Hare and Forbes BS-4A

	I purchased this metal cutting bandsaw from Hare and Forbes in Sydney for $279. Whilst it is not the most necessary tool in a workshop It is without a doubt the most frequently used. So far it is running at 10 to 1 in use against any other tool. I would suggest this saw as a great entry level machine for those on a budget. The blade can cut at speeds between 80FPS and 200FPS depending on the pulley settings. The biggest cut made so far was a 100mm x 100mm aluminium block. This cut took a whopping 28 minutes.

An overall shot of the saw. The black box on the side is the on / off selector. When the cut is complete, a small metal tab presses on the stop button which automatically cuts out the motor. Simple yet very effective.

This view from the top shows the blade pretensioner knob. This pulls the top blade pulley in thus tensioning the saw blade. The clamp udjusts to accomodate 45 degree cuts. I use a precision square to ralign the clamp to 0 degrees when finished with 45s

In this position the saw can be used as a vertical vand saw. There is a table that needs to be fitted if you use it this way. I have not had the need hance the table is never on the machine.

Inside are two pulleys that turn...dahh how obvious. Did I mention that the blade goes round and round? It is quite easy to change a blade in minutes. This is the original blade, they seem to last and last .

This is the speed control. Very simple with no electronics. There is a tensioner bolt that makes it a breeeze to change speeds only if you remember to loosen it.