I have been using this saw for about one year. It does a nice job of going through soft and medium wood, and plastic. The electronics are not sealed, so I wouldn't cut metal with this unit. The dust collector collects just enough material to keep the floor from getting completely covered, but you will still need to vacuum afterwards. The tilting head is a nice feature, but I rarely use it, and it is easy to lock in the 90-degree position. The light is nice. The guide is as useful as any guide is on a bandsaw, but if you go slow enough to let the blade cut, it will track straight. I did have a problem with broken front cover latches, but they have corrected this on later models (after 8/2006), and sent me a replacement door assembly free of charge.
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br /Overall, this is a nice little bandsaw for table top or apartment use. It cuts as straight as you can guide the material, doesn't make a lot of noise or a big mess, and is small and versatile. You really can't beat it for the price, especially when Amazon offers free shipping. It would make a great gift.
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We had to return two differnt ones. They both came broken and the plastic cover was shattered. It is cheap......but not worth it. Spend a lil extra money on something thats more durible. It is not worth the trouble that we went through. And Wow it is so heavy. The box was 101 lbs.

Made of metal and plastic. Like a toy. Arrived broken in many places - both metal and plastic parts. Major effort to fix or return. Would not recommend to anyone.

This is the first saw of this type that I have ever used, but my first impression of it is that it seems well built. The only thing I don't like is the use of plastic as closures on the housing. I have had to reglue them a couple of times already. They're just not strong enough to hold the housing together. There's also plastic on the housing hinges and one of them was broken when I received the saw. They're relatively easy to put back together. Just a drop of super glue and you're back in business. The rest of the unit is made of cast iron or steel and it is very solid. It took me about an hour or so to set the unit up. Setting the blade tracking and using a feeler guage on the guides takes some time, but when you finish, the saw works just about flawlessly. It makes a very straight cut, even in some very hard wood. The dust collection system works fairly well, but not as good as a vacuum system. For the price, this is going to be a hard unit to beat. All the saws that I have seen, of this caliber, are well over $200.00. If you use the super saver shipping, you can stay well below that price with this unit. To my surprise, it also included a stand, which isn't mentioned in the details. That alone should be worth another $30.00 to $40.00, maybe more. If you're in the market for a bandsaw, Amazon has got you covered with the Palmgren saw. You will NOT regret it.

I bought this for my wood-working husband, who is making us rocking chairs. He is very please with this machine, says it performs exactly as advertised. Also, the table adjustment is very smooth, in his opinion you can adjust angle to minutes. I have no idea what that means - but for $169 he is a happy man :)

After unpacking it took me about 10 minutes to set the guides and off I went...The blade was already tracking perfectly...Having never owned a tilting bandsaw of this type I immediately set it at 45 degrees and cut through a 2x4...No problem as this saw has plenty of power...
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br /The saw comes with a quality stand which is not mentioned in the description...I didn't need it but nice to have...
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br /The only complaint was the plastic hinges which hold the door closed were broken...I emailed Palmgren themselves and within a week I had 2 complete sets at no charge of course...
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br /I also like the lever action arm blade tension release which also includes an automatic blade tension spring loaded adjustment...I always release the blade tension after a days use and this system takes about 2 seconds to release and/or re-tension...Much easier than threaded systems I've used in the past...
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br /I have only used a few other bandsaws in the past but for $169.99 delivered I don't see how anyone wouldn't like this saw...I give it a strong recommend...

The product is good. I previously had the same saw as a Sears Craftsman brand, but this is no longer available. I was refered to the manufacturer by Sears, and then to Amazon for this model.
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br /However the shipping was a big problem. The carrier did not pay any regard to the markings on the box or the box was not adequete for the carrier; it arrived upside down with the box severly damaged. Unfortunately, my receiving department accepted it leaving no recourse.
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br /The blade housing was broken clear of the hinge, the latches were broken, and the tilt adjustment mechanism supports were broken. The housing and latches are plastic, but the adjustment support is cast iron; it was shattered from the frame showing signs of significant impact.
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br /I don't know if I would buy equipment from Amazon again; keep to books.