Dave MacArthur
06-06-2010, 2:50 AM
Well, finally after 3 years of shopping for band saws, reading band saw threads, and cruising Craigs List every night, tonight I have an Agazzani B20 sitting in my garage.
I got some great emails and info from Mark Woodmark on the Agazzani line after asking for info here about a month ago--thanks again! The saw looked beautiful, any of them, and I lusted after one, but at full price I still couldn't decide.
I will say that until 24 hours ago, I never expected to end up with an Agazzani. In fact, I had decided on one of the Grizzly saws: G0514x2 most likely, G0636 17" Ultimate, or the G0701 19" Ultimate. I REALLY expected to end up with that 514x2, and three days ago when I read the Bing cash back was ending, then Shiraz posted they'd put equipment up for Bing purchase if asked, I actually made a Bing account to do the purchase this weekend. After 3 years, I'd decided to buy the 514x2... or the 0701...depending on what I could talk the wife into...or the 0636..but a Grizzly band saw was in my immediate future.
Now the strange part. I've been reading Craigs List every night for 4 years now, and I scan "band saw", "bandsaw", and read all the posts. I also scan for Agazzani, Mini Max, Laguna, and Grizzly, always a waste of time but like playing the Lotto, I always hoped one would show. In 4 years, I have NEVER seen an Agazzani or Mini Max or Grizzly 19" bandsaw, and only 1 Laguna. Last night I find a 3 year old Agazzani B20 in a private garage shop, 140 miles north of me in Northern AZ. I was in my car driving north as soon as weekend military duty was over!
When I got there, the saw was perfect, no marks on it, ran and tracked well, cut great, good euro-guides, adjusted well. Came with a mobile base, miter-gauge, fence, and a carbide 1" Lennox Tri-master, and two other blades in good shape. Out the door price: $1500. I just couldn't pass up that price, my decision was forced on me!
Folks have written in many threads to get as big a band saw as you can afford and fit. And many times I've read and thought about the idea of getting the tool you want, so you don't regret your purchase and feel bad every time you see the tool. And to buy quality so you enjoy using the tool each time. All these things I'm sure will be satisfied by this great B-20 band saw. But here's the wierd thing...
... I find I have buyers remorse, not for the saw itself, but because I didn't end up buying a saw from Grizzly. Over the years, I've been so absolutely impressed with the company that I had determined in my mind that they deserved my business. And their band saw lineup is just fantastic. And the 513x, 514x2, 636 and 701 17" and 19" band saws have every design feature I ever dreamed of with great specs and glowing reviews. This Agazzani deal was too good and too rare for me to pass up and honestly I do think I got the best saw available, but I imagined a Griz sitting there so many times, with pleasure, that there's a bit of "inverse remorse" or something. I just thought I'd mention it so folks reading about band saws and making decisions know I didn't decide to buy an Agazzani over a 19" Grizzly, I just got the smoking deal that I couldn't pass up.
I'll keep my 14" Delta 28-276 band saw also, with a 1/4 or 3/8" blade on it. Pics of the B20, two band saws together for size comparison, the mobile base on the B20, and a pic out my pickup rear window showing the saw laying on it's spine all strapped in snugly with it's table removed.
I got some great emails and info from Mark Woodmark on the Agazzani line after asking for info here about a month ago--thanks again! The saw looked beautiful, any of them, and I lusted after one, but at full price I still couldn't decide.
I will say that until 24 hours ago, I never expected to end up with an Agazzani. In fact, I had decided on one of the Grizzly saws: G0514x2 most likely, G0636 17" Ultimate, or the G0701 19" Ultimate. I REALLY expected to end up with that 514x2, and three days ago when I read the Bing cash back was ending, then Shiraz posted they'd put equipment up for Bing purchase if asked, I actually made a Bing account to do the purchase this weekend. After 3 years, I'd decided to buy the 514x2... or the 0701...depending on what I could talk the wife into...or the 0636..but a Grizzly band saw was in my immediate future.
Now the strange part. I've been reading Craigs List every night for 4 years now, and I scan "band saw", "bandsaw", and read all the posts. I also scan for Agazzani, Mini Max, Laguna, and Grizzly, always a waste of time but like playing the Lotto, I always hoped one would show. In 4 years, I have NEVER seen an Agazzani or Mini Max or Grizzly 19" bandsaw, and only 1 Laguna. Last night I find a 3 year old Agazzani B20 in a private garage shop, 140 miles north of me in Northern AZ. I was in my car driving north as soon as weekend military duty was over!
When I got there, the saw was perfect, no marks on it, ran and tracked well, cut great, good euro-guides, adjusted well. Came with a mobile base, miter-gauge, fence, and a carbide 1" Lennox Tri-master, and two other blades in good shape. Out the door price: $1500. I just couldn't pass up that price, my decision was forced on me!
Folks have written in many threads to get as big a band saw as you can afford and fit. And many times I've read and thought about the idea of getting the tool you want, so you don't regret your purchase and feel bad every time you see the tool. And to buy quality so you enjoy using the tool each time. All these things I'm sure will be satisfied by this great B-20 band saw. But here's the wierd thing...
... I find I have buyers remorse, not for the saw itself, but because I didn't end up buying a saw from Grizzly. Over the years, I've been so absolutely impressed with the company that I had determined in my mind that they deserved my business. And their band saw lineup is just fantastic. And the 513x, 514x2, 636 and 701 17" and 19" band saws have every design feature I ever dreamed of with great specs and glowing reviews. This Agazzani deal was too good and too rare for me to pass up and honestly I do think I got the best saw available, but I imagined a Griz sitting there so many times, with pleasure, that there's a bit of "inverse remorse" or something. I just thought I'd mention it so folks reading about band saws and making decisions know I didn't decide to buy an Agazzani over a 19" Grizzly, I just got the smoking deal that I couldn't pass up.
I'll keep my 14" Delta 28-276 band saw also, with a 1/4 or 3/8" blade on it. Pics of the B20, two band saws together for size comparison, the mobile base on the B20, and a pic out my pickup rear window showing the saw laying on it's spine all strapped in snugly with it's table removed.