[sanddrag]

We had the G9742 horizontal bandsaw in service for about 3 years before retiring it. The real limiting factor was the 3/8 blade. We installed a good starret blade and flood coolant, which made it almost like a whole new saw, and after a while we got it dialed in to cut dead nuts straight. But, it was a bit of a project to get it cutting well. Over its life, we cut A LOT of thick bar stock on the thing, but we did break A LOT of blades (even good ones), caught the motor on fire (yes, with actual flames), and broke the power switch. We swapped out the motor with a much better one from Harbor Freight, and replaced the power switch, and the saw still cuts fine but it has quite a vibration and it feels like the worm gear is just about completely worn out. Also, the G9742 auto-shutoff at the bottom of the cut never worked properly. Impossible to adjust into a working position. We upgraded to the G9743 and haven't looked back. It's a night and day difference. And other than the new one splashing coolant on the floor, we really like it.

On the vertical bandsaw you selected, are you sure you have 3-phase power in the room? Most washers/dryers are single phase.

For welding, we've been very happy with our Miller Diversion 165, though it can be a little under powered if welding 1/4" aluminum plate on a cold day. It will handle 1/8 all day long without a problem. I've done 1/4 steel on it too and while it works, it's a little slow. The 180 is available for a little more dough. We have the Elite Classic series helmets which have worked well. We've had good experiences purchasing through Cyberweld.

Don't underestimate the need for and expense of things like workbenches, tables, toolboxes, computers, chairs, bits, blades, consumables etc, etc. It all can really add up. The Same Club Seville Classics workbench is a good value. We own 10 of them. On toolboxes, the Harbor Freight 44" 13-drawer is hands down the best quality and value.