rockwell 20" resaw bandsaw

[jeff niehenke]

What can you tell me about this 20" Rockwell resaw bandsaw. Not sure if it is worth the four hour drive and price. figure a few hundred into new motor, guides, fence and elbow grease. Anyone seen or used one of these and any thoughts on it.
http://seattle.craigslist.org/kit/tls/1492934783.html (http://seattle.craigslist.org/kit/tls/1492934783.html)

[richard poitras]

I don’t know anything about those saws but it looks like a really monster of a saw. I see it say’s or best shoot him a price you feel is appropriate and see what happens all he can say is no..

[William M Johnson]

I have its brother a high/low range with variable speed ( so it can cut metal also). It appears to be the same frame but without the variable speed and probably without the high/low.
It is a tank. Great machine I cannot imagine how one could be any better. It will make anything else you look at seem like a toy. It is however the most difficult machine to move I have ever owned. Really heavy with most of the weight up high. t took 4 of us to put it on the mobile base.
The tires are available. The guides are ball bearings and I doubt they will need replacement. I think mine was around $5000 new 25 years ago. I got it new from a supply store going out of business for $600. Is that too long ago for a gloat?

[Pete Bradley]

Looks to me to be a 28-3X0. I don't think it really takes a 1.5" band, most likely it will run a 1" and it prefers 1/2" and 3/4". This is a heavy duty machine and if in plug and play condition it would be about the right price. It is not in plug and play condition though, so look carefully. Guide parts can be hard to come by, and broken trunnions or wheels would be a non-starter. See if the electricals (starter, functional switch) are all there. This machine wants a lot of real estate so if you have a small shop consider that too.

What Bill said about moving it. Take off the table, leave the motor in if possible.

Worth a look!

[Chip Lindley]

This Rockwell appears to be in pristine (restored) condition! Hard to see from the photos if *any* guides are included with the saw; or just the original worn ones. The seller may consider the original 3ph. 1.5hp. motor as non-usable. It may still be available also. In the event it is, consider a VFD to run it on 230V house current.

The keyword is *OBO*! Seller will take less than $1000. Make the 4-hour drive; offer $600 and see if he blinks. Max offer would be $750. IF the motor and guides are missing, you will still have a BEAST of a resaw at a very reasonable price.

I drove 6 hours (one way) to pick up an '80s Makita 2116 Resaw! (for $450) But, I still lust for a Rockwell/Delta 20! Maybe one day.....

[Larry Edgerton]

I have one of those but I can not say how it works as I have not been home to move it to my shop. Mine is in good working condition from a school shop, and it went low at the auction because it is so large and is three phase. I would have gone $1000 for the machine, but picked it up for $659. It is a very nicely made saw, and I do not see anything on it that I could not rebuild with the exception of the wheels. Stout but simple construction.

Buy it!

[Jack Camillo]

Easily worth a thousand, but I would make sure I could get (and afford) a motor and guides before I bought it. Maybe the seller could help you locate those parts. He has no control over where you live, so I wouldn't factor that in. You'll forget how difficult the transportation and handling were once you have it humming in your shop.
Best of luck with your decision.

[Jon Amsden]

...so I guess I got a good deal when I got mine for $300 at a school auction...

All gloating aside, great saw but I'd be leery about the lack of guides.

[Bob Aquino]

I can tell you alot about it, I have one. Very heavy duty saw, industrial quality, not like the stuff coming out of China these days. Most likey a 2 hp motor, maybe a 3 phase, I cant see the CL ad here at work. Weighs in over 800 lbs. Well worth a drive if the price is right. Remove the table if you want to transport it. If its 3 phase, no biggie, then you can put a VFD in and have variable speed to boot. I can't tell from the pictures if it has guides or not, if you need them, you can get a set of carters for about 250 so factor that in. In plug and play condition, this saw would be worth probably around 1500. Work backwards from that to determine what you want to pay for it. But don't compare it to anything from China, its not in the same league.

Here is mine and a link to the folder with restoration pictures:

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_nh7rpc89jO0/SMxQMjH0YHI/AAAAAAAAEQ4/lUpNpKtNsqE/s800/P1030344.JPG

http://picasaweb.google.com/aquino.bob/Delta20Bandsaw?feat=directlink

[Chuck Wintle]

Nice bandsaw and I would definitely take the 4 hour ride to satisfy my curiosity.

[Dick Strauss]

We had one that went for $450 with the VS (40-4000 rpms) two years ago at a school auction. Too bad I didn't have a way of moving it!:(

If it is in such pristine condition, why didn't they replace the motor and guides? Possibly they don't want to run it for you because of some other reason. Maybe Chip is right about the BS originally being three phase and that scared lots of people away. A good motor for that machine might be $400 so don't let them hoodwink you and tell you otherwise. $1000 seems too high for a machine that you can't try out for yourself!

[Bob Aquino]

We had one that went for $450 with the VS (40-4000 rpms) two years ago at a school auction. Too bad I didn't have a way of moving it!:(

If it is in such pristine condition, why didn't they replace the motor and guides? Possibly they don't want to run it for you because of some other reason. Maybe Chip is right about the BS originally being three phase and that scared lots of people away. A good motor for that machine might be $400 so don't let them hoodwink you and tell you otherwise. $1000 seems too high for a machine that you can't try out for yourself!

Don't sweat 3 phase. Very little to go wrong with a 3 phase motor. Worst case is new bearings. Hook up a VFD for about 200 or less and you are running the saw. Look at overall condition and how complete it is. Even if you were to replace the motor, a 2hp standard phase motor isn't going to run 400 bucks. Keep in mind that if it were sold new, it would be close to 5 grand in todays dollars. It is industrial quality.

[Pete Bradley]

If it is in such pristine condition, why didn't they replace the motor and guides? Possibly they don't want to run it for you because of some other reason.... A good motor for that machine might be $400 so don't let them hoodwink you and tell you otherwise. $1000 seems too high for a machine that you can't try out for yourself!
Agreed. There's little to suggest that this saw is in 'pristine' condition and a lot to question. As with any used machine, your offer price must be an assessment of:

offer_price = price_you_want_to_finish_at - cost_of_restoration - allowance_for_what_you_missed_when_you_looked_at_i t

Likely this machine's for sale because the owner did this calculation after he was already into the restoration, or he's having problems finding guides to fit at a reasonable price.

Probably it's worth around half the ask.

Pete

[jeff niehenke]

Wow, thanks for all the great info, confirmed my suspicion this was overpriced but built like a tank.
No one has mentioned anything about a fence. I'm Assuming it doesn't have one. Any recomendations?
& Guide recomendation beside the 500 series carters at $190?
and what is the resaw capacity?

[Pete Bradley]

I use fences made out of MDF and clamp on guides. There are certainly times when I'd like a fence with rails, but it's a nuisance to have them sticking out.

Resaw is around 13", not sure of exact height.

It's not clear if the machine only needs guides or if it also needs parts of the guidebar/clamp assy.

Pete

[Steve Orbine]

I have the 28-345 version of this machine, which has the variable speed (Reeves drive) and 2-speed gearbox for 50 to 4500 fpm use. Some comments that may help; first, from the photo it appears that this is an older machine (note lower door shape, switch location, wheels). It has been repainted (original was med gray/off white) and not to carefully, either. I see many parts painted that shouldn't be. It takes a 1" max blade. The metal cutting version had a larger, heavier table and reinforced frame, as do the very latest Delta Wood cutting version. If you look carefully at Bob Aquino's machine you can see some of the differences (lower door, table, switch location). This older machine will likely need several new bearings, belts, etc. Any proprietary parts may still be available but are quite pricey new. Tires are the exception, a pair can be had for under $100 and snap on easily. The motor should not be an issue. Lastly, like so many Delta products, there were some manufacturing issues that needed to be addressed. For example, on my upper wheel, the 1" hole in the wheel was machined to 1.002 inch. That may not sound like much, but under tension the wheel would move with every rotation. Just keep in mind you may need to take care of this sort of problem. So, the advice; it's a good saw, overall. But there are lots of them for sale. A great one recently sold on ebay for $1500, which is probably less than you're going to spend by the time you're done with an old one like this. I'd wait.

[Bob Aquino]

Finally could see the CL ad. It does look like there are guides but maybe its missing the inserts. If it is missing the motor, then I think hes a bit off the mark on his price. Resaw height is about 12", it will spin about a 1 inch blade max. I do see them on the bay for about 1500, but at that price it should be pristine and ready to go. I would price this machine somewhere around 5 bills and hope that it doesnt need much more than a motor and maybe the guides. He says he replaced the bearings and tires, hopefully that is true and he did a good job.

[jeff niehenke]

frustration. guy could not tell me any details of what he did to the saw. kept saying it had a 20" resaw capacity and claimed he bought it for 1k and put another 250 into it..... expensive bearings. needless to say he was utterly appalled when i made a 600 offer and he tried to justify his price from there. Thanks to all for helpin me on this one.

[Steve Orbine]

This sat for over a month before it sold:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300335868273

[Jack Camillo]

I'd have loved to find that thing in my neck of the woods for a grand, even in that condition, when I was shopping for a bandsaw. Everyone is always trying to get a steal of a deal, but no one wants to give such a deal when they are selling.