Just because we buy high quality equipment doesn’t meant we get spared from the occasional breakdown. Our band saw suffered from having the lower alignment bearings lock up. This can happen for a number of reasons but most often from getting foreign material inside. Lately we have been cutting a significant amount of pine which can leave a lot of residue behind (seen on the blade). We’re pretty sure that was the culprit. The two old bearings are in my hand while the new ones are installed and ready to go. All in this was a $17 fix and the first time we had to do this since owning the saw. Not too bad considering we’ve had this in the shop now for almost a decade.

Getting the most out of your tools means taking the time to take care of them. Regardless of you spent top dollar or received a low cost hand me down. If you maintain them properly you will get years of use.