Australia is spoilt for choice when it comes to woodworking bandsaws, therefore it can be difficult to decide on the best bandsaw for your workshop. Fortunately, after many years in the industry, the Harvey bandsaws have establish a reputation as being one of the best on the market.
Up until 2020, the Harvey bandsaws were imported to Australia and around the world under other woodworking brands such as Grizzly, Laguna Tools, Axminster and many more. Harvey Machinery has since moved away from re-branding their high-quality machinery and are now importing the Harvey range of bandsaws under Harvey Woodworking through Gregory Machinery.
The C14 and C18 Ambassador bandsaws have been sold in Australia since 2012 under another well-known brand and there’s over 1,000 happy Australian woodworkers currently sawing on these Harvey bandsaws.
HARVEY C14 AMBASSADOR BANDSAW
The Harvey 14” Bandsaw has been around for over 15 years with more than 500 of these machines already sold in Australia. This bandsaw’s popularity is due to a variety of class leading features such as an extraordinary 14” (350mm) resaw capacity, solid cast (not spoked) flywheels that accommodate up to a 1” (25mm) wide blade, a sturdy frame and work table with solid cast iron trunnion supports and an easily adjustable rack and pinion table tilt mechanism. This heavy-duty, 3HP bandsaw is also packed with a number of safety features including a magnetic on/off switch and a foot brake with a micro switch to stop the motor. The Harvey C14 Ambassador also weighs close to 160kgs which is important for stability and to reduce vibration during operation.
HARVEY C18 AMBASSADOR BANDSAW
The Harvey 18” bandsaw has been engineered to be a reliable, sturdy and precise bandsaw. Featuring a powerful 3HP TEFC motor, a cast iron work table and a 14.5” (370mm) resaw height. This bandsaw has been manufactured to a standard that the Australian market has come to expect especially from the Harvey range of machinery. With the same safety features as the C14 including a magnetic on/off switch and a foot brake with a micro switch to stop the motor, the C18 Ambassador has the same fundamental build quality to provide many years of reliable and precise woodworking.
HARVEY HW615 15” ALPHA BANDSAW
The Harvey 15” Alpha Bandsaw is a new addition to the range available in Australia and is Harvey’s NEW premium bandsaw. Its heavy-duty construction and high-quality features have been redefined to provide a machine that stands out from the rest. Key features that differ from the Ambassador range includes the Golden TiN coated work table providing both rust protection and a low friction surface, a heavy-duty T-square fence system to ensure the extra-large aluminium alloy precision HiLo fence not only locks positively but also slides effortlessly into position. Superior safety features include individual micro-switching in both doors, a separately keyed and lockable magnetic switch, internal blade guarding in addition to the micro switched foot brake. This oversized and robust steel-framed bandsaw also weighs in at close to 200kgs and is ideal for commercial use.
All three bandsaws also include Harvey’s unique tool-less blade guides (upper and lower) with machined dual bearing guides offering effortless adjustment and accuracy. Ball-bearing or ceramic guides are available on the Harvey machines to cater to the personal preferences of all woodworkers.
Most woodwork enthusiasts want to buy properly the first-time round and the Harvey bandsaws offer woodworkers confidence to invest in the best. Especially since Gregory Machinery’s motto has always been “Quality remains, longer after price is forgotten.”