Record Power BS250 Benchtop Bandsaw

Product Information

Very easy to adjust and get the guides just kissing the blade. The Record BS250 Bandsaw is quite easy to adjust. This BS250 is a very good machine for the money, and with a couple of minor tweaks it can be improved still further at very little cost.

The machine runs very well but wobbles no-matter where I position it as one of the four mounting feet is higher than the other three and this is part of the main welded body of the machine so it is not adjustable. The BS250 was delivered safely with no damage to the outer box but the complete lower blade guide assembly was missing and the motor housing was dented. As this mounting foot shows no signs of being bent or damaged, I have guessed that the main welded body of the machine is a little "twisted". I have resisted buying an up-rated fence from a third party and have got used to always have to set it against an engineers set square every time it is fitted or moved as it cannot be adjusted or set to stay at right angles to the machine table. In the box is a DVD “Bandsaw Master Class” by Alan Holtham – I was advised in the shop that it is worth watching and totally agree. The DVD goes through the basic features, adjustments and settings, maintenance and making cuts.The guide bearings on this bandsaw last around 12 months before getting full of dust, especially the lower ones. If you look for the best affordable bandsaw, then our fourth recommendation will surely appeal to your taste! Here’s Silverline Trade Quality 350W Bandsaw and Converter Plug Blue SIL441563! The Record Power BS250 is a bench top band saw with a cast irontable. The user benefits from stability normally only found in muchlarger models. The stand and wheel kit have still not been taken out of the box yet as I am using the machine on a workbench.

The BS250 has long been one of our best-selling bandsaws and has a solid reputation as being probably the best benchtop bandsaw on the market. Following our development of the SABRE-350 and SABRE-450, we decided to take some of the DNA of these revolutionary new machines and inject it into the BS250, to produce the definitive small bandsaw with premium features and unparalleled performance at this level of the market. So having watched the DVD I set up the bandsaw taking care to align the table square with the blade. The only other problem that I have with the machine in use is that the fence has to be set against a machine square every time it has its position moved as it will not pull-up correctly when the lever is tightened. The lower guides are again three ball bearings that can be moved once you release the caphead bolts, a bit more fiddly as there is not so much room, but nicely made and again strong. There were countersunk bolts fixing the main extruded tube to the cast square end fixing and must admit that I replaced these with two hexagonal head bolts and washers. It does feel better, but does limit the movement of the adjustable fence.

For the model maker this is a far better bandsaw than the Proxxon MB-240 that I tested last year. I would give the Record BS250 4 stars – sorry lost one star as the fence is not as good as it could be. In this configuration it has quality and features well ahead of many of the lower cost floor-standing machines available in the market. The end result is a premium-quality, affordable bandsaw which retains the compact size of the BS250 while offering improved capacities, usability, accuracy and performance. A compact machine designed to offer those with limited space or budgets a real bandsaw with sensible capacity and performance, as an alternative to lightweight hobby machines. The machine can be bench mounted or fitted to the optional stand and wheel kit (NOT SUPPLIED) providing great flexibility in a tight space. If these four are not enough, here’s yet another interesting choice! Familiarize yourself with Axminster Hobby Series HBS200N Bandsaw The Record BS250 Bandsaw is a great bandsaw that is more than capable of doing all that I will ask of it. It is extremely well made and the overall frame is very stiff – the most important thing to look for with any bandsaw.