Of myths and machines

Which is more mythical – a unicorn or a DeWalt band saw?

I’ve been asked over the years why some tool manufacturers don’t make certain tools. Mostly, tool companies restrict their offerings to one of two categories: handheld/portable or stationary. There is some overlap, such as jobsite table saws and “portable” planers that are too heavy to be really portable, but most suppliers are known for producing one type or the other.

The tool that comes up the most is the band saw, which manufacturers famous for their portable tools just don’t seem to offer except for handheld saws used mostly in construction (and mostly for metal cutting, at that). And yet, woodworkers more than once have told me they’ve seen a DeWalt band saw.

Of course, I also have friends who say they’ve seen unicorns, Bigfoot and UFOs, so I’ve always been skeptical. But on one of the woodworking Facebook pages I frequent a guy posted a photo of a project he was working on, and what do I see in the background but a yellow band saw. I immediately started Googling.

And sure enough, not only is there a DeWalt band saw, there are two – a variable-speed benchtop machine (DW739), and a two-speed stationary version (DW876). What’s more, they’ve been around for years, but not in the U.S. They’re easy to find in Europe and Asia, just not here. Why? I have no idea, but it explains why I’ve never seen one.

Now, it is possible to actually buy one here through an importer, but it took me an hour of searching and I only found one place in Houston. The band saw is “for overseas use only (and) will not work in the U.S.,” according to the website. Still, they really do exist, even though they seemed for years to just be legends.

Perhaps I should open my mind to other things I always thought were mythical. If DeWalt band saws exist, are Bigfoot, unicorns and UFOs really that unbelievable? I’ll keep watching the skies.