Skil 9 IN. Band Saw

First impressions and setup

I put this 9-inch benchtop bandsaw on a compact bench to see if a budget machine could earn permanent space in a small shop. Out of the box, it’s a straightforward assembly: mount the table, square it to the blade, attach the rip fence rails, and plug in the articulating LED light. The footprint is friendly to crowded workspaces, and at just over 30 pounds it’s easy to lift onto a shelf when it’s not needed.

Like most small bandsaws, it rewards careful setup. I spent the better part of an hour doing the basics—tracking the blade on the wheels, setting the thrust bearings and side guides just off the blade, and aligning the fence to account for drift. The rack-and-pinion table tilt is a welcome touch at this price; it makes dialing in precise bevels much less fussy than on the typical pivot-and-bolt setups. Once tuned, the saw ran reliably, but skipping the tuning would have meant wandering cuts and frustration.

Build and design

The design is typical of this size class: a 9-inch throat, compact steel frame, and a single-speed motor optimized for wood. The structure is light-duty. If you overtighten knobs or clamp down the fence with enthusiasm, you can feel a bit of flex in the assemblies. The trick is to snug everything rather than torque it. The blade guard post raises and lowers smoothly, but the adjustment hardware is on the lighter side; treat those knobs gently and they’ll treat you well.

The articulating LED work light is better than expected. It’s bright and actually holds position, which does more for cut accuracy than you’d think—being able to see the scribe line clearly reduces steering and drift. There’s an “EZ View” tracking window on the upper wheel that helps you center the blade during setup; it’s simple, but it speeds up the process and makes small adjustments less of a guessing game.

The rip fence and miter gauge are what I’d call serviceable. The fence locks reasonably square once you align it, but it isn’t a micro-adjust unit, and you may need to toe it to match blade drift for straight rips. The miter gauge has a little play in the slot; a strip of tape or a brass shim tightens that up.

Cutting performance

In pine and poplar, the saw moves quickly. In hardwoods like oak and maple, the one-speed motor has enough grunt for clean cuts if you respect feed rate and blade choice. The included 6 TPI blade is a decent general-purpose option for curves and light ripping, but it’s not my choice for resawing. Swapping to a coarser, sharp blade transforms the machine. With a 4 TPI blade and a slow, steady feed, I was able to resaw stock around 3-1/2 inches tall with predictable results. The key is letting the teeth clear chips—forcing it will deflect the blade and telegraph vibration.

Curves are where this saw shines for its size. With a narrower blade installed and the guides set correctly, it tracks around gentle arcs smoothly. Tight radii still require relief cuts or a very narrow blade, but within reason the saw handles template work and small project parts well. For straight cuts, accuracy depends on guide setup. If the side guides are too loose or the thrust bearing is too far back, the blade will wander; closing those gaps to a paper-thin clearance made a huge difference for me.

The motor is single speed, and while the specs say it’s suitable for wood and some metals, that needs context. It will nibble through aluminum and brass with a fine-tooth blade and a touch of wax, but I wouldn’t plan on cutting steel beyond very thin sheet. Without a lower blade speed, heat becomes an issue quickly with ferrous metals.

Vibration, noise, and dust collection

On startup, there’s some rattle from the covers and overall vibration until the blade settles. This isn’t unusual in small bandsaws, but it’s more noticeable here when the machine is running without load. Cutting actually damps the rattle. I improved it by tightening the cover knobs, checking wheel nuts, leveling the feet, and placing the saw on a firm, non-resonant surface. A strip of thin foam tape along the cover lips further reduced chatter.

Noise is moderate—shop-vac loud rather than table-saw loud. The 1-1/2-inch dust port is handy, though you’ll likely need an adapter to match a standard shop vac or a step-up to a 2-1/2-inch hose. Connected to a vac, dust capture at the lower wheel housing is decent for a compact saw; you’ll still get some fines on the table and front of the cabinet, but cleanup is quick.

Adjustments and usability

The rack-and-pinion table mechanism makes angle changes repeatable. The bevel scale is small but accurate enough once you verify with a square and mark your common stops. The fence is easy to remove when you need open-table work, and it returns to alignment consistently if you mark a reference and set it to the same position.

Blade changes are straightforward: release tension, pop the covers, swap, and re-tension. Tracking adjustments are responsive, and the indicator window helps confirm position. As with any bandsaw, the machine behaves best with a fresh, quality blade suited to the cut. Don’t judge it on the stock blade alone.

Maintenance and blades

Keep an eye on guide wear and wheel tires. Because the machine is light, a dull blade amplifies vibration and drift more than on a heavier saw. I clean pitch from blades, the table, and guides regularly, and a quick shot of dry lube on the guide post keeps height adjustments smooth. Check fasteners after the first few hours of use; a couple of mine relaxed early on and then stayed put once snugged.

Blade selection matters:
- 4–6 TPI: ripping and resawing thicker hardwoods; feed slowly.
- 8–10 TPI: general purpose in thinner stock.
- 14+ TPI: non-ferrous metals and very thin material; slow feed, use wax.

For tight curves, run a narrower blade; for straight cuts and resawing, go wider within the saw’s limits. Set the side guides just off the blade and the thrust bearing a hair behind it—close enough to support, not so close that they’re spinning constantly under light load.

Limitations

This is a small, single-speed saw with a light frame. That means:
- You can’t brute-force cuts; feed rate discipline is mandatory.
- The fence and miter gauge are basic; expect to finesse them.
- There’s some cabinet rattle at idle; it can be mitigated but not eliminated.
- Hardware is light-duty; overtightening knobs or levers is a bad idea.

If you need to resaw wide boards for veneer, cut thick hardwood daily, or want a fence with precise micro-adjustments, a larger, heavier saw is the right tool.

Who it’s for

This 9-inch saw makes sense for:
- Small shops and garages where space and budget are tight.
- Hobbyists and woodturners prepping small blanks, bandsawing curves, and doing light resawing under about 3-1/2 inches.
- DIYers who are willing to tune a machine and choose the right blade for the job.

It’s less ideal for pros who rely on a bandsaw as a primary milling tool or anyone expecting cabinet-saw precision from the fence out of the box.

Recommendation

I recommend this small Skil 9-inch saw for beginners and budget-conscious woodworkers who value a compact footprint and are willing to spend time on setup. It offers meaningful features for the price—rack-and-pinion table adjustment, a genuinely useful LED work light, a functional fence and miter gauge, and a dust port that works with a vac. With a sharp, appropriate blade and careful tuning, it cuts predictably in hardwoods and excels at typical benchtop tasks. The trade-offs are typical of its class: light-duty build, some vibration at idle, and accessories that benefit from fine-tuning. If you understand those limitations and work within them, it’s a capable, affordable addition to a small shop. If you want faster feed rates, dead-straight resawing of wide stock, and rock-solid hardware, step up to a larger, heavier bandsaw.