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Type of machine

Band Saw

Manufacturer

Inca

Designed in

Switzerland

Production status

Vintage

User rating (3 votes)

  • Inca Euro 260 Band Saw
Specifications
Power: 450 W Max cutting height: 155 mm
Table size: 320 x 320 mm Max cutting width: 260 mm
Wheel Diameter: 280 mm Blade length: 1850 mm
Blade width: 3-18 mm Working height: 370 mm
See detailed specs

Machine overview

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The Inca Euro 260 is a popular small band saw, with model number 342.186. What it lacks in modern features, it makes up for in reliability and accuracy. Mostly used for dimensioning smaller pieces and fine work, not resawing large planks.

The mitre gauge is rare, and interchangeable with the one of the Inca Universal, as both use the dovetailed mitre slot.

The Inca Euro 260 can be found quite regularly on the second-hand market. The Inca Expert 500 is its larger brother.

Tip: If your Inca bandsaw is missing the rip fence, Axminster in the UK sells one that fits perfectly (I’m using this myself). You just need to drill some holes in the rail to fit it to the table.

Reversed Saw Blade

One thing to note is that the saw blade is reversed compared to most modern band saw blades. Mention this when you are ordering your new blade and the shop will weld it the other way around.

Parts and Blades: One part that often needs to be replaced is the rubber tire around the wheel (tends to dry out). One possible replacement is a urethane tire, which can be found here.

A good source for bandsaw blades in Europe is TuffSaws, which sells many different blades that will fit the Inca.

Machine Atlas Verdict

Excellent small bandsaw, accurate, reliable, and affordable.

Value for money

AA

Quality

A

What we don't like

  • Lacks some modern features like a switch to relieve blade tension
  • Size of the table is quite small
  • Not very powerful

What we like

  • Highly accurate and reliable
  • Doesn’t take up much space
  • Cheap compared to modern machines of this level of quality

Resources and Guides

Know a useful link or video for the Inca Euro 260? Send me a message, and I'll update the page with your info.

General

Repairs

iconManuals

Discussion

Ask questions or share your experiences with the Inca Euro 260 with others

  1. I got one of these machines recently.
    Im really happy with it but the machine seems to miss the dust port. I read that some of them don’t have one.
    In their manual it says that you must always have a dust collector connected and running when using the saw. Of course the machine on the manual has a dust port but apart from that it’s the same machine.
    My question is now do I need to worry about dust collection?

    A
    Andrés Salazar
    1 person found this helpful
  2. Really like this machine, it’s probably the most used one in my workshop. When I got mine I had to replace the capacitor and the wiring. That seems to be a common issue for machines from this era, because over time the wires seem to degrade and expose the copper.

    R
    RobFounder
    1 person found this helpful
  3. Hello all, I just got a euro 260 bandsaw without a motor
    How can I know the exact specs(hp and rpm) just to get a motor
    Thanks

    s
    1 person found this helpful
    • Thank u sir…very helpful
      What about the horse power…. 3/4 or 1 hp?

    • 3/4 HP is more than enough for a small saw like this. I’ve sawed very hard woods at max height and mine only has 3/5 HP.

      R
      RobFounder
    • Hi Stephan, my own Inca Euro 260 has a motor of 450W, so somewhere around that should be good. The manual suggests around 1000RPM, but it really depends on the pulley sizes. The bandsaw should also run around 1000RPM, so if you get a motor with a different RPM, you can just use smaller/bigger pulleys to compensate.

      Hope that helps.

      R
      RobFounder
    • Hi Stephen,
      Appreciate your post was a long time ago but if you’re still looking for a motor I have an original Euro 260 240v motor available in the UK that although used / old runs smoothly.
      vibrationmark at gmail com – hopefully this is allowed.

      M
      Mark
  4. I’ve owned a Euro 260 for a few years now and I have an issue with the stability of the blade guide holders. If they are extended to the correct location for a 5/8″ blade (for resawing), I need to push the one above table inwards while sawing to stop massive drift. When not running, I can move the guides laterally and vertically by 5mm.
    I suspect that either the blade guide holder or the sleeve that goes through the arm is damaged. I can’t locate the part number for the sleeve. I have already exchanged the sleeve with the lower guide, which has helped some… it was way worse before.

    M
    Michael P
  5. Bonjour Vincent,
    d’origine, c’était monté en Leroy-Somer ou en Bauknecht selon les marchés. Aux Etats-Unis, c’était souvent vendu sans moteur ou avec moteur sous la table (courroie et poulie comme les Kity). Sur mon inca, j’ai un Leroy-Somer LS80P en entrainement direct.

    M
    Michael P
  6. I have an Inca 260 bandsaw that I’m trying to get the wheels off so that I can change the ‘tires’ on them. I took the set screw and bolt off the lower wheel, but it will not come off. Am I missing a step or can someone offer a suggestion?

    P
    Peter
  7. I have the Inca Band Saw 342.186. It is about 20+ years old but working well. I have purchased replacement blades from TuffSaws and the length of blade I was recommended was 1872mm.
    These blades have lasted 4 years, and not had a great deal of use. I feel that the current blade of 1872mm does not provide the adjustment I need to tension the blade. I now need to replace blades but not sure as to the length of the blade to allow flexibility for the right tension.. The Manaual states the blade should be between 1874mm to 1876mm and the tension indicator should read between 3-5. I seem to to be at the position 5 and I feel the blade is not tensioned enough.

    Can anyone advise me of the most suitable length for the blade or could there be another problem like the a worn tyre on the pulley?

    Chris Lockyer

  8. Hi can anyone help…my Inca 260 bandsaw has just stopped working…no warning no nothing just stopped…checked all the simple obvious things…fuse in plug, connections etc?? Thanks, Dan .

    R
    Robert Juskus
    • Hi Dan, does it make any noise at all when you try to start the saw? If you get a humming/static noise but the blade won’t move, it could be the capacitor that needs replacing. If the motor does nothing at all, you’d probably be best off checking with an electrician.

      R
      RobFounder
  9. Dear,
    I recently got a euro 260 bandsaw. Unfortunately there is no fence. It looks like the rail under the table is missing where you can connect your fence to. Do you have an advice how to solve is? I am happy to buy a Axminster fence. Thanks in advance.

    G
    Gustan
    • Hi Gustan,

      I have a spare rail (but no spare fence) – if you’re interested please get in touch.
      vibrationmark at gmail com – hopefully this is allowed.
      Even if you don’t want this rail I would certainly advise you bolt something rigid in place to support the two sides of the table.

      M
      Mark
  10. Rob, this is excellent info on the Inca Euro 260 bandsaw. I own a Woodster2 BS-412 bandsaw & they look identical (branding apart). I couldn’t find a manual for the Woodster2 but downloaded the Inca Euro 260 for future reference – Thank you

  11. Bonjour,
    J’ai récupéré une scie à ruban Inca 260 de 1984 sans moteur.
    Je suis à la recherche de renseignements concernant le moteur adapté à la scie ( système de fixation sur le bâti), modèle, marque…
    Cordialement, Vincent

    d
    de Gaudemar
    • Bonjour, j’en ai une avec le moteur d’origine Leroy Sommer mais la notice précise qu’elle peut être aussi entrainée avec une perceuse !!

      R
      Roland DELCLAUD
    • Bonjour Vincent,
      d’origine, c’était monté en Leroy-Somer ou en Bauknecht selon les marchés. Aux Etats-Unis, c’était souvent vendu sans moteur ou avec moteur sous la table (courroie et poulie comme les Kity). Sur mon inca, j’ai un Leroy-Somer LS80P en entrainement direct.

      M
      Michael P
  12. Guten Tag hab eine Inka Bandsäge seit 40 Jahren.Hab neue Laufrad Gummis drauf gemacht und bekomme sie nicht mehr vernüftig eingestellt. Das obere Rad ist mit dem unteren ,nicht mehr in einer Flucht .Hat jemand eine Idee 💡 ..!! Habe eigentlich alles so eingebaut wie es vorher war.Würde mich über eine oder mehrere freuen wenn sie helfen. Vielleicht hatte jemand das gleiche Problem gehabt.

    R
    Rüdiger Boller
  13. Hi all
    I see Mark’s comment to Gustan in June that he has a spare rail for Inca euro 260. I just bought a 260 on Facebook and am completely renovating it (the poor thing has been somewhat abused) – but it came without a rail. I would be very interested in buying the rail if still available

    • Hi Richard,
      Apologies for the late reply but the rail went to Gustan.
      Cheers,
      Mark

      M
      Mark
  14. Hiya does anyone have a mitre gauge for sale or no where i can get one? Or have the specs so i can try and make my own lol Thanks in advance, Ive just got one of these, fit the axminster fence but cant find a mitre anywhere

    D
    David
  15. Hi Ive got hold of the smaller Euro 205 today and have some questions if anyone will lend me their ears. The table on my 20 is quite badly warped, anyone have a spare ? I’m in the UK ! Also the bottom wheel of my 205 only has a tiny allen grub screw to secure it; should there also be a bolt & washer screwed into the spindle, similar to the 260 ?
    Thanks

    J
    James
  16. Newbie question. Just got this lovely Euro 260 machine with original manual, which has no indication of what fuse should be used in plug (UK 240V). It came with 5A but has blown 2 of these now. Should I risk 13A?

    D
    Dave Fox
    • Hi Dave, I’m not sure about the electrics. Try asking a qualified electrician, or if it is an issue specific to INCA, you might be able to get help from Mr Gloor from Doebeli.ch.

      R
      RobFounder
    • Theoretically 5Amps should be enough for the power this motor draws. 10Amps would offer no protection. Perhaps you are pushing the machine over it’s limits (pushing too hard on the blade, or too much friction in bearings). You can also check the electrical connections to the motor. If some cables are loose or partially severed you can get an arc that makes the fuse overheat. You should also check the cable insulation.

      A
      Andrei
  17. Took the top wheel off to give it good clean, bit stupid but not sure where all the bits go now and the blade refuses to stay on whatever I do.
    I have had this machine for 30 years or more Help.
    Jacob

    J
    Jacob posthuma de boer
    • You could try looking at the detailed drawings in the official manual (link above, page 18). There you can see all the parts and you can check if you’ve assembled it right.

      Once you know you’ve assembled it correctly, try playing with the position of the top band wheel. By turning the knob on the back or top you can change the angle of the top wheel slightly. If you don’t position it correctly, the blade will run off the blade (had this issue myself initially). Good luck!

      If it doesn’t work out, try the INCA woodworking group (https://groups.io/g/incawoodworking).

      R
      RobFounder
  18. I have just retrieved my old Inca, the model previous to the euro 260 with the allen key adjusters rather than knobs from my old house having not used it for over 30 years (long story). I was given a link to this website by someone on the woodworking talk .com forum after enquiring about the manual for this machine. Could anybody on here help with a question I also posted on that same website regarding the switch on this machine which is attached to the motor? when I turn on the machine it runs whilst I hold the switch in the on position but as soon as I let go it springs back to the off position. Am I missing something please?

    D
    Dennis Askew
    • Hi Dennis, I’m not 100% sure because I haven’t come across this problem myself.

      But it sounds to me like a mechanical problem with the switch itself, probably a faulty spring. You’ll probably have to disassemble the switch (if possible) and see if there’s anything wrong inside it.

      Hope that helps!

      R
      RobFounder
  19. Does anyone have a picture of where the capasitor should be placed. My saw works but need help to start so i thought it might be the capasitor so i ordered one. However i cant find any on the actual saw. Some help with pics and or schematic would be appretiated

    • Mine is right on top of the motor, so you can’t really miss it. But the Inca bandsaw was sold in multiple versions with different kinds of motors, so it may be quite different in your case. Maybe you can post an image? (or send one to robbert@machineatlas.com and I’ll add it in for you)

      R
      RobFounder
    • Thanks, I’ll try to take some pictures of it today

  20. Hi, I have one of these machines and it appears to be binding on the bottom wheel (against the body) I suspect the bearings need replacing, but I can’t seem to get the wheel off (removed the grub screw) does anyone have a photo library of a refurbishment, or know how to do it?

    D
    Duncan Engeham
    • I had this problem which turned out the be that the wheel crept on the shaft into the body. There is a Allen grub screw to be released and gentle wiggling with release oil to move the wheel out from the body. It will need regular checking as they tend to go for a walk after a time.

      D
      Dave Smith
    • Duncan ,I just discovered this site so if you need help here is how I worked wheel off. Remove the set screw , add some liquid wrench into hole , wait an hour , place your hands behind the wheel on opposite sides and gently rock back and forth . Apply steady pulling force and gradually it will work its way forward and off . Clean the key , spindle, and wheel . Once I fitted my wheel to distance I desired , for coplanar , I tapped a nail set into the set screw hole , removed wheel and drilled a small divot into the key . This prevents the drive wheel from drifting out of position . And use some screw set liquid on set screw . Sounds like your drive wheel drifted towards the motor which is fairly common .

  21. Where. Can I buy capacitor for Inca 260 I believe benchtop model thank you

    L
    Larry

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Detailed Specifications

All the specs and options for the Inca Euro 260

General
Working height370 mm
Weight (standard configuration)26 kg
Motor
Motor Voltage3x 400V 1x 230V
Motor Frequency50 Hz
Extra Features and Options
Mitre gaugeIncluded
Band Saw
Maximum Cutting Height155 mm
Maximum Cutting Width260 mm
Table size320 x 320 mm
Band Saw blade
Blade length1850 mm
Blade width3-18 mm

Did you find an error in our data? Send me a message, and I'll update the page with your info.