Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Yes, it's pretty cheap - and there is a good amount of plastic, but for the money it's pretty handy. I wouldn't attempt to cut heavy stock very often, but for the quick & simple jobs it's pretty good. When hooked up to a vac/dust collector it leaves almost no sawdust behind. (beware that the vac connection on all Powertec tools [that I've used] is non-standard, but hunting around the shop usually finds some kind of non-standard adapter.) The base on mine was a little warped (welded wrong?) but bolting it to a 2x12 fixed the issue and added better support. Overall, a cheap solution for quick jobs and light materials. Update: "December 2012 Woodworkers Journal" Review of 9" Bandsaws While the Powertec is not mentioned, it is obvious that the same OEM company is manufacturing these as the specs & styles are all pretty much the same with only minor variations. Identical [for the most part] machines: Craftsman, Ryobi and Central Machinery. They all have minor differences but all share the same frame, case walls and fittings. Update: Jan 2013: Having used it for over a year now, I'm upgrading the score from 3 to 4 stars. I'm grateful that I bolted it to a 2x12 stock of wood; it seems to really help for my purposes. This unit offers greater versatility than I first imagined, and is tougher than I first gave it credit. I guess the old days of all metal are history [in this price range]. I'm happy with this product considering what I paid for it. I haven't broken any bands, yet, but I'm glad I purchased a bunch of extra styles to have on hand when I ordered this unit. Update: Sept 2014: Still running just fine. Update: Aug 2015 No problems, still working as expected.