This discussion of gear box oil ha=s gotten me to thinking.....
I have a JET HVBS-56M 5x6 metal cutting bandsaw I purchased new in September 2009. I run it at the slowest speed always. The blade runs cooler and it is less likely for the teeth to loose temper this way. Some aluminum, some tough alloy steels, mostly mild steel like rebar and structural shapes.?
I confess I have not yet changed the gearbox oil. The manual recommends change after 90 days of operation and every six months thereafter. In 14 years I think I used all of 20, maybe 25 blades.? Few wore out, most were take out of service for chipped or broken teeth or the blade just broke while cutting, usually from poor setup. The machine sits for many months without being used then I will have a project that may require a single cut or big projects may require a dozen or more cuts, some small some big, then it sits idle for another 3 to 6 months. The manual calls for MOBIL SHC 634, currently priced at about $25.15/qt on amazon dot com.
Maybe I will change the oil this winter.
Before roasting me for lack of maintenance on my saw, consider this: How often - time wise or mileage wise -? do you change the gear oil in the rear axle of your pickup truck? How many miles has that band run around the wheels?
Raymond
