How to Choose Between Bandsaw and Ringsaws

Ringsaw Advantages:

  • Lots of power, can cut thick glass.
  • Can cut in any direction, forwards, backwards, or sideways.
  • Can use the blade as a power file to trim into places inaccessible with a router.
  • The Taurus III (red color) is the quietest of the three saws and has a good work light, which the Gryphon C-40 Bandsaw and the Taurus II do not.

Ringsaw Disadvantages:

  • More expensive to buy.
  • Higher maintenance because of the more complicated drive train (more moving parts to wear and need replacement)
  • Non-repairable blades, when they break there’s no fixing them.
  • Cuts a wider kerf (0.052 inches)

Bandsaw Advantages:

  • Repairable blades (you can send them back to the manufacturer for repair)
  • New blades are cheaper than Ringsaw blades, especially if bought in twin-packs
  • Fewer moving parts means lower maintenance
  • Cuts a thinner kerf (.030)
  • Vertical cut enables you to cut stacks of up to four identical parts, taped together.

Bandsaw Disadvantages:

  • You have to think more about planning a cut, because you can’t turn 90 degrees in one move.
  • Minimum radius of a turn is about 0.125” (1/8”)

Print (pdficon2_small)