Bandsaw Choice

[Jim Rimmer]

Now that I am getting more time to do woodworkig and nearing retirement, I am looking at getting a bandsaw that I can resaw with. I've been looking at the Grizzly G0580 and G0555. After looking at their comparison table, the only major difference is the 580 is 3/4 HP and the 555 is 1 HP. Price difference right now (555 is on sale) is $30.

In the long run, would I be happier with the 555? Is a 14", 1 HP BS good enough to resaw with?

TIA for your advice.

[Mike Cruz]

If you are going to resaw, you will likely want more than 3/4 HP. If the price difference is only $30, I say go for it, because the upgrade (buying a 1 HP motor) later would cost you about $130-150. And if you were going to upgrade, 1/4 HP wouldn't be worth the money, so you would likely end up getting a 1 1/2 HP which will cost anywhere from $180-220. So, I would go with the 1 HP...all things being equal.

[Jack Camillo]

Good question. Not to brag, but I have a 4.5 hp Baldor motor on my Laguna 16HD. It resaws beautifully with power to spare and I love it. It's the only bandsaw I've ever owned or used, and I've always wondered if I over bought. If so, at least I didn't under buy, which would have been frustrating and a no-go and ultimately would have cost me much more, because I resaw most of the wood I use in my creations.

[glenn bradley]

Sure to be plenty of variation of opinion on this. For me it depends on your personality and patience. My 2HP BS saws 6" high material much faster than my lower powered saw ever did with comparable blades. There are times I wish I had 3HP but, the 2HP is a saw that I primarily use to resaw. I keep a little 10" BS for quick cuts and curvy stuff which I think is a 1/2HP(?) and its fine for that.

So, when you say you want a saw that you can resaw with, you need to think about whether you mean 10% resawing and then the rest of the stuff or 90% resawing and then the rest. That expected ratio would go a ways toward my decision on power and size of saw. If I only resawed now and then, I wouldn't mind taking my time.

With patience, my dad resaws on his 1940's Delta 14" with a new 1HP motor and Carter 1/2" blade. These are pieces a couple feet long and a max of 6" high. Too much of that and things start getting hot. I cut 10" hardwoods on my 2HP saw and a slower feed rate yields a smoother cut but, I can get pretty aggressive, feed-wise if I just want to get through something.

[Greg Wittler]

For Re-sawing lumber, it seems a little underpowered to me. Of course, I tend to go overboard when it comes to power. I started looking at the 14" and now I am steering toward the G0513XB. I did want one with a resaw fence so I don't have to buy one right away and noticed that the Lowest powered saw that comes with the re-saw fence is the G0555X w/ 1.5 HP

[JohnMichael Schlim]

I just ordered the 6" riser for the grizzly 14" Bandsaw in their catalog they offer 2 kits for the same price, one for each model the 3/4 hp one has a smaller diameter upper guide post. So for $30.00 you get 1/4 more hp plus a thicker upper guide rail. Sounds like a deal to me.

[Josiah Bartlett]

How thick of wood do you want to resaw? I run a 2HP motor on my 16" Walker turner, and anything more than 6" in hardwoods I have to start limiting my feed rate to "slow down", as in about 3 feet a minute. If you can swing the money, get a big saw for resawing.

[Jim Rimmer]

I guess I should have included more info in the first post. I am a hobbyist and will not be resawing a lot of wood. But I hate to plane down a nice board and waste a lot. When I need half inch stock I could resaw or maybe by thicker stock (6/4 or 8/4) and resaw for 3/4 stock. Obviously, with the saws I asked about max width (height) is 6".

I'm just beginning to think about it and plan to read up on it before I jump in. Right now I'm limited in space and power but will be retiring and relocating soon. I may wait for the new site so I don't buy something I'll be replacing later. I'm also trying to upgrade my shop and replace what I need to before I retire and can't.

Question #2 - is there a website with good info on resawing? Or a book?

[Peter Quinn]

Lonnie Bird or Mark Duginski both have pretty good books on the BS with information about resawing. Its really a pretty simple process that involves a good setup on which ever saw you choose and a good resaw blade. For a 14" that pretty much means a 1/2" 3TPI blade. I like timberwolf personally. Be aware that resawing wood can release tension that warps the wood and renders it unusable. It is always a crap shoot. Last time I resawed at work it was heavy 8/4 cherry for a book match on 5/8" door panels, and the boards sprang so much I would have been lucky to flatten to 3/8" over a 26" length. Still, its fun.

I would get the most HP you can afford for resaw. I have a 14" powermatic with a 1 1/2"HP motor, and I can't imagine doing it with much less. Glen's advice seems sound and excellent as usual. How much resaw, and how fast? Once you are retired you have the rest of your life to resaw your boards, which is good, because on a 3/4HP machine it just may take that long!:D

Have fun with it, and remember you can always upgrade!

[Robert Reece]

I am sort of going through the same thing as you, except I own a Jet 1.5HP 18" saw. I just ordered a new Woodmaster CT blade and that made a pretty big difference in my ability to resaw. Still setting up the Jet for resawing is no quick chore, but after 10-15 minutes, I was slicing consistent 0.05" slices. This was in 4" high poplar, so not exactly a tough resaw.
Nonetheless, I can't imagine you could resaw and enjoy it with less than 1.5 HP. If you do go with less HP, try out the woodslicer blade. It has a thinner kerf and the blade can be tensioned more easily.
Visit the minimax USA website and check out some of their bandsaw videos. One is almost an hour long! (it has some fluff in it, but it is interesting to see what a well tuned machine can do).

[Ed Griner]

My experience with my 14" delta(1948) with all the modern bells and whistles, indicates 1/2" and 3/4" blades need at least a two horse motor.
Ed

[ken gibbs]

I bought the GO555 this summer and am happy with every thing about this saw. It tracked perfectly right out of the shipping crate. I had to get used to the adjustments to get resawing down to where I was comfortable with it. I paid about $750 for the saw. included accessories, the movable base, and shipping. Great price for a saw with this much cutting power.

[Lance Norris]

Jim... take a look at Grizzly G0457. I have had this saw for several years now and its excellent. I understand its more money than the 555, but it resaws with ease. I have resawn walnut to capacity(10") and purpleheart and bloodwood(difficult and gummy) with power to spare. I have been very happy with this machine and feel no reason to replace it or upgrade to something other. It has a great fence for resawing and a 2 hp motor, which I feel is plenty. HTH.

[Tom Winship]

I agree with Lance. I bought a G0457 earlier this year and it has plenty of power for resawing, IMHO.

[mark kosse]

Jim, It depends on what your calling resaw. If cutting some lumber 1-2 times a month for a project is all, then go with the go555. If your going to making lumber regularly, go with something bigger like the go513x2. Don't buy less then the go555. It is a fine saw for not much money. Mark

[Jim Rimmer]

Thanks for all the advice. And keep it coming if you have additional opinions. Looks like I need a little self-education and maybe put some money in a dedicated savings account until after retirement so I can add the "right" saw.

[Dan Karachio]

There is another option I picked up right here on the forum. Using your table saw and proper support, rip both sides of a board to the desired width leaving about 1 inch in the middle. Then take that board to the BS and cutting that little bit is a piece of cake. Run the board through the planer and there you go.

[Stephen Edwards]

Jim,

I have both the G0555 and the G0555X. I bought the X version new from Grizzly and the non X in brand new condition from a CL seller. I wasn't really planning on buying a second BS, but when this one came up for only a fraction of it's value I couldn't pass it up.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=119585

As of yet, I haven't used the G0555 very much. In fact, it still has the stock blade from Grizzly that came with the saw when purchased new.

Just now, I went out to the shop and did a test for you (and me). I re-sawed a 3 3/4" tall X appx. 20" long piece of white oak using the stock blade. The saw performed well at a moderate feed rate, even using the stock blade.

There was no drift. Both of my saws did have drift when I first acquired them. There's a very simple solution for that which you can read about at the thread below, if you wish:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?p=822531#poststop

Though I don't plan to use this saw for re-sawing, I'm certain that the results would be much better with a quality re-saw blade, such as a Timberwolf 3TPI from Suffolk Machinery, or some other quality blade. I use the Timberwolf blades on my G0555X, dedicated to re-sawing.

To answer your question, choosing between the G0580 and G0555, I'd spend the extra $30.00 and buy the G0555. Then, I'd call Suffolk Machinery and order some good blades for it. I think that they're still running a special; buy 3 get 1 free. You could get re-saw blades and blades for curved work. That should take care of your BS needs, as you've described how you intend to use the saw.

Best Wishes,







.

[mark kosse]

Jim, I forgot to mention. There is , or was, a rigid 1400 on houston CL for 250.00 and it has a 6" extention on it. It may be a good priced option for you right now. I recently bought one and like it so far.

[Myk Rian]

There is another option I picked up right here on the forum. Using your table saw and proper support, rip both sides of a board to the desired width leaving about 1 inch in the middle. Then take that board to the BS and cutting that little bit is a piece of cake. Run the board through the planer and there you go.
This is what I did recently. My 14" Delta w/riser could use a little more oomph over the 1hp it has now, but it does a great job resawing up to 12" if you're not in a big hurry.

[Ken Higginbotham]

How thick of wood do you want to resaw? I run a 2HP motor on my 16" Walker turner, and anything more than 6" in hardwoods I have to start limiting my feed rate to "slow down", as in about 3 feet a minute. If you can swing the money, get a big saw for resawing.

Are you using a high quality re-saw blade like Highland Woodworkings Woodslicer?

[Mike O'Reilly]

Jim,
I have the GO555 with a 1/2 Timberwolf blade for resawing. I have not done alot of resawing but recently sliced up some oak logs into slabs for later use. I had no problem cutting to the full 6" of height through both red and white oak. I did not push the wood through too fast but never had any problems with getting the job done. Maybe harder wood would have been tough but it worked ok for me.

Just my .02 cents.

Mike

[Leo Vogel]

Wellll, I don't know. Shortly after I retired, I bought a new Grizzly GO555X
(1 1/2 horsepower) with a riser to allow for 12 inch cuts. The saw has done almost everything I've asked of it, but it requires lots of tweaking. I run a Timberwolf 1/2 3tpi blade, but I constantly fight blade drift. I don't have much of a problem up to about 6 inches, but anything over that I just forget it. I can't imagine trying to recut a 12 inch board. My guess is that I can't get enough tension on the blade, but I don't know for sure. If I planned to do much resawing, I would not go below the GO555X.

I have advanced some in my woodworking, and convinced myself I need a bigger saw. I probably will own an Italian bandsaw by this time next year. They are not cheap, but once you have seen one, WOW.

[Prashun Patel]

You can resaw fine on the G0555. I do it. The problem is, you'll have issues on thicker stock. Ask yrself how much resawing you'll really do.
If I could do it all again, I'd probably hold out for a 17". I would not get the 555 or 555x with a riser. Get a real 17" like the 513 or 513X. It's frame is built for handling more tension.

Personally, I don't as much resawing as I thought. I've done some for bent laminations, but so far, they've been less than 6" thick.

[Paul Ryan]

I have owned the 0555 for about a year now. It will resaw upto about 8" with a good blade in hardwood (red oak). It can go more than that but you risk more blade drift and damaging your blade. I have used timberwolf blades 1/2 and 3/4 I liked the 3/4 better. Now I am using the laguna shear force 5/8. This is the best blade by far I have used for resawing. When I bought the saw I didn't think I would do as much resawing as I have. Since I got it I find more and more reasons to resaw with it. It still works great but if I had it to do over I would have bought a larger saw. Because I have found more and more reasons to use it. Right now the G0457 can be had for $795 including shipping. I know that is about $300 more than you planed on. But you should never need another band saw as a hobbiest. I think that is a heck of a deal for a great band saw. The price is from the latest wood magazine. But if you cant squeeze out the extra $300 I can certainly understand that. Then I would go with the 0555. It will get you by for a long time and is still a real nice 14" band saw.

[Stephen Edwards]

Wellll, I don't know. Shortly after I retired, I bought a new Grizzly GO555X
(1 1/2 horsepower) with a riser to allow for 12 inch cuts. The saw has done almost everything I've asked of it, but it requires lots of tweaking. I run a Timberwolf 1/2 3tpi blade, but I constantly fight blade drift. I don't have much of a problem up to about 6 inches, but anything over that I just forget it. I can't imagine trying to recut a 12 inch board. My guess is that I can't get enough tension on the blade, but I don't know for sure. If I planned to do much resawing, I would not go below the GO555X..........

If I were going to be doing a lot of resawing I, too, would want a more powerful saw. For the moderate amount that I do, the G0555X works fine for me, even up to 10 and 12 inches. Granted, I have to take my time with that taller stock.

Leo, have you checked to be sure that the lower roller bearing guide assembly is perfectly parallel to the trunion support? I ask because mine wasn't when I first received my BS. I was experiencing the drift that you mention. Once I made that adjustment, that was the end of the drift.

[Paul Ryan]

I have never had any drift with my G0555. But I made sure all of the guides were parallel while assembling the saw. Dont believe what some say, that all band saws have drift. If you have a good blade tensioned properly you shouldn't have any drift.

[Stephen Edwards]

I have never had any drift with my G0555. But I made sure all of the guides were parallel while assembling the saw. Dont believe what some say, that all band saws have drift. If you have a good blade tensioner properly you shouldn't have any drift.


AMEN!!! I have found that to be true.

[Leo Vogel]

Stephen - I will look at that. I've tried about everything else. As you know, the lower guide is sort of in cramped quarters. Thanks

[Jim Finn]

I have the 555 and all I use it for is resawing. I have a 3/4" blade and a riser in it. I have resawn 12" boards and it works well. A bit slow at 12" but it cuts true. Definately needs a dust collector attached to it while resawing.