Thanks for all your replies.

I wasn't really thinking about spendng that much on a bandsaw. I don't want it for incredibly thick wood - 1 to 4mm MDF and hardboard would be the usual kind of stuff, with 10mm MDF being th most. My handheld jigsaw has no problem with this, and can cut it easily. I was hoping to spend less on a bandsaw, and I don't really think that I need one rated for trade. A manual saw or the bandsaw at school would be used for really big tasks. Is a bandsaw with variable speed good for being less dangerous?

Andrew