Hey everyone! I have a Jet 14" bandsaw and I usually release the blade tension after I'm done using it for the day. However, I often forget to do that, which leads to the blade slipping off the wheels and occasionally bending it. As you can imagine, a bent blade can lead to breakage, which is really scarey! So, I'm wondering how long it's okay to leave the blade tensioned? If I use the bandsaw almost every day, is it fine to keep it under tension if I'm using it 3-4 days a week? What do you think—should I loosen it for a day, week, month, or does it not really matter? I can adjust tension if the blade stretches, so leaving it tensioned might save me from having to replace blades frequently. Thanks for any advice!
3 Answers
As a pro, I've never loosened the tension on my bandsaw except when changing blades, and I've had no issues over the past 15 years. You should be perfectly fine leaving it under tension!
It sounds like you’ve gotten into the habit of releasing the tension, which is great! Try taking a scrap piece of wood, writing "RESET TENSION" in Sharpie, and leaving it on the bandsaw table. That way, you’ll have a little reminder every time you finish up!
Honestly, I always forgot to re-tension mine too, so I just stopped loosening it altogether! It feels less risky this way. I get that loosening is better for long-term storage, but for regular use, I'm not too worried about it.
I feel you! I've had my share of blades break after forgetting to tension again. It's a learning curve, but I think I’ll follow your lead and skip loosening it too.
I once read that leaving the tension on for a long time can deform the wheels' padding, similar to keeping a car parked too long. I let mine sit under tension for four months and it still works fine! Since you use yours frequently, I doubt it’ll be a problem for you either.