Turning of a hand wheel at the front of a vertical head band saw machine tilts the column thereof on coaxial trunnions which are journaled in bearings on the rear of the saw carriage. The upper and lower saw pulleys are disposed in the plane containing the column tilt axis, with their axles normal to said plane and supported at zones equidistant therefrom by column carried arms that embrace each pulley. One end portion of each axle is detachable to enable a saw band to be trained over its pulley. A motor drives the upper pulley, and band tension is adjusted by bodily movement of the lower pulley, which is weighted to act as a flywheel.