Largest size bandsaw for a 2 car garage shop?

[David Wong]

A couple of weeks ago, I failed to get a used Agazzani 18" bandsaw, so now I am deciding on a new bandsaw purchase. I am semi-retired and a novice woodworker, and want to purchase my best and last bandsaw first. Like many, I have narrowed my choices to MM, Laguna, and Agazzani.

This got me to thinking about what is the biggest bandsaw I can reasonably put in a 2 car garage shop? I do not plan to have a table saw. I use a circular saw for sheet goods. The bandsaw would be used mainly for ripping solid lumber. A larger bandsaw will get me larger blades and a larger work table. A 12" resaw capacity would be fine for my needs.

Would a 20" or 24" bandsaw be too big for a 2 car garage shop? The bandsaw would have to be mobile so my wife can park in the garage during the rainy season.

Thanks.

[Rick Fisher]

I have a 24" SCM, which is really a 24" Centauro.. which is the company that makes the MM Bandsaws for Mini Max.. So its an Italian machine..

Its in a 23' x 24' garage.. and its not too big at all..

The footprint isnt really that much bigger ..

I would highly recommend getting as big a bandsaw as you can afford.. I use it instead of the tablesaw for ripping lumber.. its safer and faster, and it cuts easier.. You wont regret getting a 24" saw..

A saw like that could easily be used to rip timbers in half.. in a garage, it could be a problem... but thats the work, not the saw...

Yesterday, a buddy brought some 4" x 12" Rough Cedar over to be ripped into strips.. half way through the first cut, he started to laugh.. he had only ever used a 14" Bandsaw and figured it was going to be a long process...

[Doug Shepard]

I've got a MM16 in a 2 car garage and could easily fit a bigger one especially if I didn't have a TS taking up room too. Get the biggest one you can afford. Put it on Zambus or Great Lakes casters and it will be easier to move than your lawn mower.

[Philip Johnson]

I have a mm24 on greatlakes casters. It is easy to move around. The limiting factor may be your ceiling height its real close to 8 feet tall

[Paul B. Cresti]

Agreed, if you are looking for the biggest saw to use for all around use than look at nothing less than a 24. The extra table surface and the distance to the throat are very handy...resawing of curse is another animal. I have owned a B24 and now a MM24 both very good saws. The next decision will be do you want single of three phase.

[Ted Calver]

I have a 24" Laguna in my 2 car. Make your saw mobile and you should have no problems except maybe ceiling and door height. In a previous garage with lower ceilings mine was too high to get under the ceiling support beam, limiting where I could move it. There have also been times when I wished I could move it out onto the driveway to work and have been stopped by the height of the garage door.

[Tom Cross]

I have the Agazzani 20" on Zambus casters, perfect for a 2-car garage. I am biased, of course, and think the Agazzani is the perfect bandsaw for your needs. I can provide more detail if you wish.

[Mark Levitski]

My wife and I have our shop in a 2 1/2 car pole building, and though the ceiling is a little higher than normal, our Laguna 24/24 fits fine amid the jumble of other machines, benches, and wood. It takes up more space than usual and cannot be easily moved since we added their sliding Timbermaster table for slabbing smaller logs for natural edge. I'm sure the MM and Agazzani would be great too, but the Laguna is awesome. It will combo cut like a TS, and what TS can rip 20+ inches? My experience with their customer service, mostly centered around the sliding table, was not very good. Their tech rep also insisted that the wheels didn't need to be coplanar (?). They were easy to adjust, however. The issues were eventually worked out, but if Laguna made the effort to improve (even more so than they have in the last few years) their customer service, they would greatly increase their sales volume.

If you also keep two cars in that garage, plan and measure carefully. :)

[Jim Becker]

The answer depends upon the specific saw. With band saws, that means height and being able to both fit it below the ceiling level as well as being able to tip it up after you clear the door getting it in the space. You should be able to determine the actual height of the tool from manufacturer's specifications and don't forget to include the extra height of Zambus or similar "foot casters" should you need the machine to be mobile. (Many of the OEM mobility kits require tipping the unit to move, so if you choose that option, make sure the machine doesn't hit the ceiling)

[Scot Ferraro]

I think that ceiling height is the biggest concern here. While the footprint is not all that different, these saws jump in height by several feet between the saws. I have a Laguna 18 inch and it was next to a 24 inch at the AWFS show this year and it was a huge difference. Also, make sure you have adequate power available. The bigger saws sometimes come with 3-phase motors or very large single phase that require a big breaker (40 Amp or 50 Amp). If this is going to be your primary machine for ripping and handling tasks in lieu of a table saw, then bigger is certainly better. You pick up more throat capacity between the column and the blade, which I find more useful more times than the resaw height. I have always had great service from Laguna whenever I have needed anything or had questions.

Good luck!

Scot

[David Wong]

Wow! The message from you guys is loud and clear. Big is the way to go. I was actually expecting consensus on the opposite point of view. Guess I really don't know my audience.

Jim - great point about the ceiling height regarding tilting the bandsaw. I could have been in for a nasty surprise. I have a 9 1/2 ft ceiling height, so I should be good up to a 24" bandsaw.

Thanks everyone for your thoughts. I'll post when I purchase my new bandsaw.

[Rick Fisher]

Mine is a 1989.. um.. or a 1987...

Its only got 13" of cutting height.. as such, its only just over 7' tall.

The height hasn't been an issue yet.. I think turners use the height more than furniture guys..

I took a look at the three different saw.. is the Aggazani 24" really only $3395?

Seems cheap..

[Jeff Willard]

No table saw? Then get the biggest bandsaw that you can carry. Think about it. It would take a 24" saw to even get close to ripping down the center of a sheet of plywood.

Oops! Just saw that part about the circular saw and sheet goods. But you get the idea...

[Brian Kent]

I do not own a mega saw, so this is just a question.

Can use use a small blade for curves on a 24" saw with flat wheels? Or I should say, how small a blade can you use on such a saw?

If I were considering an Italian giant I would want to know if I needed an additional bandsaw for 1/4" blades for tight curves.

Brian

[Narayan Nayar]

David,

I'm local and have an Agazzani B-20. If you're interested in seeing one up close, PM me.

[Chris Friesen]

Can use use a small blade for curves on a 24" saw with flat wheels? Or I should say, how small a blade can you use on such a saw?

I have an 18" (I know, not even close to some of these other guys) which claims to be able to take a 1/8" blade, but I haven't ever tried it. I just checked and the laguna 24x24 claims the same, though some other brands only go down to 1/4".

In addition to the wheel crown, the guides are also going to be a factor. Some work with narrow blades better than others.

[Mike Heidrick]

My MM20 came from a 2-car garage. It had cool blocks to run a thin blade with. I bought a 12" Jet bandsaw (should have NEVER sold my 14" jet) for the scroll work and leave a big blade on the MM20 now. I know you can run small blades on a MM20. It has the 4.8hp motor.

We had to tilt the MM20 down to get it out of a 7' high door. Pretty heavy saw.

[Narayan Nayar]

should have NEVER sold my 14" jet

I'm with you on that one, Mike. I miss the PM 14" I had, which was great for smaller work. Don't know where I'd fit it in my shop now, but I do miss it.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

A pretty big saw will fit in a two car garage nicely.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/picture.php?pictureid=1163&albumid=118&dl=1233803541&thumb=1 (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/album.php?albumid=118&pictureid=1163)

Thats my 36" Oliver, and while it lacks the possibility of Zambus casters, or any other mobility device, it really doesn't take up that much room, if placed logically. Height can be an issue for getting a saw into a garage door. I'm 6' 4", so you can see how tall this beast is.

Short opinion, bigger is better!

[Rod Sheridan]

Beautiful old saw Steve, thanks for the photo......Rod.

[Loren Hedahl]

My MM20 came from a 2-car garage. It had cool blocks to run a thin blade with. I bought a 12" Jet bandsaw (should have NEVER sold my 14" jet) for the scroll work and leave a big blade on the MM20 now. I know you can run small blades on a MM20. It has the 4.8hp motor.

We had to tilt the MM20 down to get it out of a 7' high door. Pretty heavy saw.

While its true that large saws can run small blades, the changeover process can be quite time consuming and involved.

I would think a high quality 3 wheel saw in combination with a large wheel saw might be the best of both worlds. I don't know if any 3 wheelers are available at this time.

[David Giles]

With or without the cars?

[Rye Crane]

Put me down for a MM 24 in my 2 car garage, along with a Delta 14" with a scrolling blade. I keep a 1" Lennox Trimaster on the big saw. Fits great, got it on Zambus casters and it moves with just one hand and a grunt.

Rye Crane

[Dave Bureau]

I just picked up a 36" bandsaw today, I guess that might be big enough.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

I just picked up a 36" bandsaw today, I guess that might be big enough.

What did you get, Dave?

I agree with Rye, if you have a big saw, it's nice to leave it set up with a specific blade, and leave all the gazillions of little odd jobs to that little 14" Delta clone with a cheap blade.

[Danny Burns]

A 24" saw will reach to the middle of a 4'x 8' sheet of plywood, which seems to be about the biggest piece a shop might handle.

I use a jigsaw to handle the big stuff my self on a picnic table.
Some use a circular saw with the wood on top of a piece of insulating foam that is 4' x 8' underneath to give the blade clearance.
I guess you can see that I don't do too much big stuff!:D

I like the idea of having one saw dedicated for re-sawing, and a smaller saw for curved work.
I just don't think I would get a Delta or one of it's many clones, since they need so much upgrade work to perform half decent. I would either go with a 14" Rikon or a 14" Laguna steel frame saw, and have no aftermarket add-ons to have to deal with.

[Dave Bureau]

What did you get, Dave?

I agree with Rye, if you have a big saw, it's nice to leave it set up with a specific blade, and leave all the gazillions of little odd jobs to that little 14" Delta clone with a cheap blade.

I just got a Towsley 36". Its only about 100 years old. great shape.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

I just got a Towsley 36". Its only about 100 years old. great shape.


Now thats cool! Have you posted any pinups yet?

[Dave Bureau]

I just disassembled it and I'm cleaning and painting it now. Its in perfect shape and runs smooth as silk. has been sitting in this old timers garage for over 60 years.