Help with a horizontal bandsaw

[Twilight Fenrir]

I've got an older Harbor-Freight-esque horizontal bandsaw I picked up at a yard sale recently. I tried using it the other day to cut some 1" Black iron pipe, but the blade kept binding and slipping on the drive wheel... The V-belt was still cranking away, and turning the drive pulley, it was the blade itself slipping...

Horizontal saws aren't supposed to have tires, right? I had the blade tightener cranked as tightly as I could and it would still bind up every few seconds. Is my blade just dull? Or is there something I'm doing wrong?

Also, it has a spring for a pull down, and I know pneumatic cylinders are better... Has anyone ever tried mounting a screen door closer to one of these?

Thanks

[oldgoaly]

all the ones I have seen have had rubber tires (quantity 4-6)
gravity will cause the saw to put down pressure, the hydraulic cylinder slows it down.

[Nolatoolguy]

Could you be having to much down pressure?

My old work had a horizontal bandsaw an it was manual downfeed. Several times I tried cuttimg to fast an the blade would slip on the wheels. I was always told to let the saw cut on its own an stop trying to force it.