MM16 or Agazzani B-18 or hammer N4400 or Jet 18

[Joe Kurtz]

Here are my choices...(money matters)

MM16 -- highest price
Agazzanni B-18 $400 less
Hammer n4400 $500 less then B-18
Jet 18" 3hp -- $500 less than the Hammer

I am not going to do huge resawing (but perhaps in the future), but I am buying this bandsaw as to replace all the ripping of stock i was doing on my tablesaw (which i no longer have). My question is to get as close to table saw likeness as possible do i have to spend the money on the MM16 or could I get just as good of rips etc. on the hammer for almost 1k less.

Or...was i dumb to sell my powermatic 10" artisan saw for an awesome bandsaw:)

BTW, thanks for letting me join the forum. Just became a member today

[Brian Kent]

I look forward to the responses.

I have none of these machines, but I anticipate a question:
Do you have a jointer to clean up the rip edges?

Brian

[Joe Kurtz]

i don't have a jointer. When gluing up panels my TS cut was sufficient. This is what i am afraid of now over my decision to sell the TS and thinking i could get a sweet BS to replace it. The one time I handplaned edges I was somewhat succesful but not fully. I am hoping I was not wrong in my thinking that a BS around 2k could get me TS like rips or very close.

I will be interested in replies as well. And thank you for the welcome.

[Mac Cambra]

I don't think you will be satisfied with the rip quality relative to what you are probably used to on the table saw. The band saw will not produce "glue line rips". You'll need a jointer or a jointer handplane to clean the edges up.

I own the MM16, it is a great saw. I will say the 3HP Jet saw was my second choice at the time. I am not sure the Jet would be my second now, I am a fan of the Italian saws now and I would have to look at the Agazzani or Laguna.

Hope this helps, in that I can assure you that you won't be disappointed by your high end choice.

[Josh Rudolph]

MM16 -- highest price
Agazzanni B-18 $400 less
Hammer n4400 $500 less then B-18
Jet 18" 3hp -- $500 less than the Hammer


Joe,

Welcome to the forum...it is a great place where a lot of good info can be found.

I went through my Bandsaw decision process a little over 2 years ago. I looked at the then offerings of MM, Agazzani, Laguna, Powermatic and Jet. Did not look at the Hammer. I think they were the same models you mention...it was longer than yesterday when I did it, so I forgot.
I ended up with a Grizzly G0513x2.
I couldn't justify the higher price for the MM, Ag, Powermatic or Laguna to myself. There were also some grumblings at the time with Lagina's CS. I truly did not feel that the Jet was any better than the Grizzly.

I use this bandsaw quite a bit now. I use mine for rough ripping like you are planning (it is not my goto for ripping though...I still have my TS), I have done quite a bit of resawing with it and have zero regrets. I believe it is one of the best built machines that Grizzly puts out. They have a specific model that is meant to compete with the saws you listed...G0636X. I have heard it is a great saw also.

Personally, I don't believe you can get a glue line rip off of a BS, but I am not saying it is impossible. I have a carbide tipped blade from Laguna, but have not tried it out yet. It may be the ticket. A quick swipe or two with a handplane would likely have you ready for glue.

With that said...I believe a BS is a relatively simple machine that is petty easy to maintain. For me and my decision process, I just couldn't see spending more for the other bands.

Don't know that I helped you any, just wanted to throw the Grizzly saw into the mix since you said money is a factor.

Good luck with your decision,
Josh

[Brian Kent]

I have the same Grizzly (513X2) and I'm very happy with it. If I had no table saw, I would need to use my jointer or a jointer plane.

[Joel Goodman]

+1 on no "glue line" rips. That is not really doable on a bandsaw. Where is the Hammer made?

[Philip Johnson]

I have a MM24 with carbide blade and I can not see how it would ever replace a table saw.

Phil

[Eiji Fuller]

I dont know how one could really do woodworking without a jointer. I buy and store all my lumber in the rough and surface it as I need it. If I buy too much or too early I know it will be ready when I need it. Buying s3s or s4s has never pleased me. The S3S or S4S stock is never really flat to begin with and forget about it if you have to store it for a while.

Get a good jointer and you'll be alright.

I recently picked up a Felder FB540 21" bandsaw and that is about the smallest I would go if you plan on running carbide blades. A carbide blade is a must IMO if you want a super clean cut. I also do most of my ripping operations on the bandsaw but wouldn't do without the jointer or my Tablesaw for that matter.

[Joseph Klosek]

I have the 20" Mini Max and it has been a good saw for the past 6 years.

I mainly use it for resawing and ripping thick stock. Otherwise it is a handsaw.

I also surface,thickness and joint all lumber by hand as well.

You certainly wont go wrong with the Mini Max and the 16" resaw capacity will most likely come in handy some day. I can't really comment on the others as I have not used them. The only other saws I have used were mammoth Fay and Eagans and Crescent tools.

Have you looked for used saws?

J.P.

[Greg Roberts]

Quick comments, sorry I don't have time to elaborate.

I ended up getting a Laguna LT18HD, made in Italy. Not as feature-rich as some others, but a very solid machine. Laguna CS has been good. I thought when I got the machine it would be larger than I really needed, but that's not the case. It ends up being the smallest I would have wanted. It's actually just right for me, but I'm glad I didn't go with a 16" or smaller saw. A 20" would have been great.

The MM looks really nice, but the 16" was not big enough for me, and the 20" was too expensive for me.

If you're going to look at the Grizzly machines, which I think look very nice for the money, you should also consider the Laguna LT18/3000 series. Asian manufacture, but it really looks like a nice machine to me, and it is the right size and full of features, including the Laguna guides. Heavy machine too.

Greg

[Mike Archambeau]

I have the MM16. Like you I try to do as much cutting on the BS as possible. I use a carbide tipped blade. It cuts fast and the kerf is very thin compared to the TS. I do have a nice jointer so I am pleased with what the bandsaw contributes.

I do have a Festool TS55 track saw for cutting sheet goods. Cut quality is very high and safety is fantastic.

If you are creative and resourceful you can find many ways to produce the cuts you want without using a tablesaw. But as others have already pointed out, you will need to refine the cut coming off the bandsaw for glue ups.

[Joe Kurtz]

I have the MM16. Like you I try to do as much cutting on the BS as possible.

I do have a Festool TS55 track saw for cutting sheet goods. Cut quality is very high and safety is fantastic.


This is the workflow I am hoping to go with the TS55 for sheet goods.
-----------------------
Greg, it is interesting you would not go smaller than 18". That makes me think the used 20" laguna I was looking at wouldn't be too BIG, like I initially thought.
-------------------------
Fuller, it looks like a power jointer will be in the works for the near future. Unless, I get really good with a handplaner. Up until just recently I have been just a hobbyist, but I am obviously hoping to do more.
-------------------------
I am definitely regretting selling my tablesaw. I regretted it as the guy was loading it into his truck. But since I am not in fast "production" mode right now, I suppose I can always come back to the TS should I feel I need one.

Thank you all very much for the comments. I was somehow hoping there would be more of you saying, "oh yeah, for sure I use my bandsaw for everything...perfect cuts." but that was a little niave at this point.

I am sure it will work out and I will be sure to post pics of the dining table I am making which is what caused me to get into looking at Bandsaws in the first place....for all the tenons and slight curves. So far in the project I have needed a BS a LOT more than my TS and my project is on hold until I get my BS in the shop.

[Scot Ferraro]

Hi Joe,

I voted for the Hammer -- a very well made saw at a good price and similar to many of the other brands made by ACM. Regardless of brand, I would seriously look at changing the guides to a ceramic system or Carter ball bearings -- this is the single biggest thing I did to improve cuts on my 9 year old Laguna 18 inch. With a Resaw King blade I get glue-ready cuts or cuts that are very, very close to glue ready and a swipe of a plane would make the edges perfect. I agree that a jointer and planer are a must to get the most out of a bandsaw. The second thing you can do on any saw is get a DriftMaster fence -- this thing is amazing and worth the price -- being able to adjust for drift quickly and easily for any blade change is a joy and a big time saver. Others have indicated that they have never had to adjust for drift on some of the bigger machines -- that has never been case for me -- most of the time I need to in order to get perfect cuts. I think that the biggest bandsaw you can afford is the way to go...if I had to do things again I would opt for a 24 inch. Throat capacity is the limiting factor - on a 24 inch machine you can get 23 inches or so to the left of the blade. My saw only has 12 inches of resaw (actually about 12 1/2 with the Laguna Guides) and this has been plenty for me. I have a tracksaw too and I have been deabating the need for a TS too -- it is convenient and I really like mine, but it is a space hog and I have been finding the most cuts can be done with the BS and tracksaw combination. I would miss the dado capability, though and it is more efficient than setting up a tracksaw for different cuts which is why I have kept it. BTW, if you are looking for a jointer, consider a combination machine -- smaller footprint and more capacity, especially in planing mode - this allows you to stand work on edge for perfect parallel edges (helpful if your BS cuts are not perfect).

Scot

[ian maybury]

Hi Joe. I'm just recently out of your situation, and still don't know if I made the right decision. (I'm still searching for a used rotary converter) I bought an almost new used 24in Agazzani - basically because I got an excellent deal on it, but I was also very happy to go with it because of its excellent reputation here. (I had thought one would be out of my budget)

Please excuse the pernicketyness, but I'm actually reluctant to vote in your poll for the reasons I've set out before while grouching about the lack of hard information (from the makers, the mags etc) on where the various band saws fit into the scheme of things.

The saws you have listed are to me examples from within quite different categories/target applications/price points, and hence are not easily compared in simple good/bad terms. User feedback tends to be blurry too for similar reasons - very few get to test multiple saws in practice, and needs vary widely. What I have to say is subject to the same limitations too, and is based mostly on my take on what's in print.

The 'what do you want it for?' question looms large.

The MM16 is an example of the recent variety of heavy saws focused on deep re-sawing with a heavy frame and big vertical capacity. As well as seeming to be an excellent saw it's price may reflect its reputation - not to mention the maker finding a win/win way to get a premium price for a 16in saw.

The Agazzani is arguably a slightly more highly specified saw in some ways, but while the B models apparently do well on deep re-sawing too they don't have that extra vertical capacity. (7.5in for the 18in?) They are quite lightly powered too.

Agazzani have just brought out a line of re-saw focused saws too. This has to be partly about covering the MM and Grizzly re-saw models, I don't know if they offer any real performance advantage over their larger model stock saw with the same vertical capacity. There don't seem to be complaints about regarding the re-saw capability of the bigger B models anyway, although the 18 in may be another matter.

Grizzly have a model in the 16in re-saw focused space too in the GO 636X (plus a larger model too), it seem to be getting good press as a very real improvement over their stock models and as being the equal of pretty much anything out there. There's not that many around yet, I found it tough to find direct user feedback on them.

There's a couple (?) of other US sellers doing variants of the Europac Taiwanese saws which seem to be pretty good, but Grizzly may be the only one (?) with a re-saw focused version.

The Hammer seems likely to be largely an ACM 'Jolly 45' lighter duty saw, and as such might be seen to be a bit of a step down from the above. On the other hand its packing a lot more motor at 4HP (here anyway) than the ACM, and within its dimensional limits reputedly performs very well on re-sawing as well as general work. It's very well priced indeed.

The Jet seems to be a decent saw, but seems also to be more in the category of a cheaper and more general older style lighter duty saw. Don't know about the model, but you hear the odd person grouching about their saws having definite limits on re-saw capability.

So your list includes:

1. A premium priced high powered deep vertical capacity deep re-saw bandsaw.
2. A top quality but more general duty bandsaw with reduced vertical capacity, but probably decent re-saw capability within that limit.
3. A priced to sell Eastern bandsaw.
4. A spoiler in the form of a lighter duty Italian much like the above, but packing lots of motor in what seems to be a very good performing saw.

Back to the guys.

ian

[Joe Kurtz]

...The saws you have listed are to me examples from within quite different categories/target applications/price points, and hence are not easily compared in simple good/bad terms...
ian

I am actually glad you brought this up. These were my choices in saws at there various price points. In other words I know laguna makes an LT16 in the lighter duty series around the price point of the hammer, but I preferred the hammer at that price point.

So as you go up in these price points my question is...are you getting better/cleaner/straighter/less-drift-to-fool-around-with-cuts (more tablesaw like) as you get up in price point or are the ones I listed pretty much equal on this point, (in which case i will start going to other aspects of the machine to fully make my decision). I know as you go up in price the specs get "better." But I am looking for that info that mainly those who have had experience with one or the other can tell me.
---------
Ian when you say you are "just out of my situation..." does that mean you just bought a TS to go along with your Aggi or that you are using the Aggi for most everything? how is it working out?
Thanks,
joe

[Joe Kurtz]

Have you looked for used saws?
J.P.

i would love to get one used. is there any place to look other than Craigslist. I have scoured dc/baltimore/nyc craigslist but have only found a 20"laguna in 3 hours away. so i would have to figure out how to get it here, and hope it is not too big.
joe

[Steve Clardy]

MM16 here...

[Scot Ferraro]

So as you go up in these price points my question is...are you getting better/cleaner/straighter/less-drift-to-fool-around-with-cuts (more tablesaw like) as you get up in price point or are the ones I listed pretty much equal on this point, (in which case i will start going to other aspects of the machine to fully make my decision). I know as you go up in price the specs get "better." But I am looking for that info that mainly those who have had experience with one or the other can tell me.


Hi Joe,

I think that the answer to your question is "it depends" or maybe "to a certain extent". I have used a variety of different saws and in my experience, all can be tuned to give satisfactory cuts -- some take longer than others to adjust. For heavy resawing, it is important to have more mass which is what you get with a steel frame saw. The Euromodels on your list also come with balanced cast iron fly wheels which help reduce vibration and the inertia helps power a blade through a heavy cut. I think that having more HP on the motor is good too for big cuts as you can cut faster without bogging down. Smaller HP works, you just have to go slow. The bigger saws will allow you to use a bigger blade and bigger blades tend to not drift as much as smaller blades. With that said, I still find that I need to adjust the drift for larger blades to some extent. This is easily done with a fence that allows for drift adjustments. How you adjust your guides also impact the quality of cut. I find cermamic guides work well and hold the blade in several positions. Euro-style guides work too, but I found them more finnicky to adjust and I have had several bearings freeze up over time. Other ease of use features on the Euro saws also include them having big hand wheels to adjust blade tension and also to adjust the fly-wheel tilt for blade tracking. You might want to contact the companies and get the names of some owners in your area to allow you to test drive the machines. Then you can get more first-hand knowledge of what you are paying for.

Scot

[ian maybury]

Sorry Joe, I should have qualified what I said a bit more. I meant just in the sense that I've been through the band saw selection process - with an eye to using one for ripping and deep re-sawing as well as general use.

I can't say how it performs yet, because apart from not having got the phase converter I'm in the middle of wiring and dust system installation as a part of a big upgrade of my shop. It's slow when you DIY all the way, but it beats borrowing. :p (I'm living on bread and water in the meantime)

I've upgraded to Hammer kit as well - an F3 shaper, A3 41 and K3 Perform with a 2.5m slider. (longest I can fit) Time will tell but I've so far not been thinking in terms of asking the Agazzani to handle highly finished/glue ready rip cutting.

There's lots on the relative merits of the various tipped Lenox and Laguna blades on the site here, including the recent very nifty summary by Van H.

The big factor (again well discussed before) in getting the best possible re-saw/rip finish off a bandsaw seems to be the ability to properly use a fairly wide (ideally 1in or a bit larger) one of these blades. Bi-metal and other blades seem to produce rougher finishes. They (wider tipped blades) in turn demand a very strong frame so that very high tension (approaching 25,000psi) is possible without much deflection or significant misalignment.

This if it's what's needed - and you may not need to deep re-saw: many re-saw/rip thinner material very successfully on smaller/lighter saws using other blade types - probably rules out anything but one of the re-saw focused saws, or one of the heavy duty Italian models. (ACM, Griggio, Centauro and the like have lighter duty lines too) Based on whispers on the breeze :-) and presuming it's big enough to handle what you have in mind the Hammer I suspect is a really good price/performance deal (?) with it's big motor for the slightly less demanding (mostly smaller capacities) requirement.

If deep ripping/re-sawing is the plan, then try sticking 're-saw' into You Tube - there's quite a few clips on there showing how a dedicated band re-saw with a power feeder performs. It brings home the fact that even with a large 20in + HD band saw and 5hp that we are only starting to get into the bottom end of this sort of functionality.

The Minimax USA site has a good demo video of the MM16 in action handling re-sawing and other types of work - it was this that convinced me to bite the bullet and go for a saw that could properly run a carbide tipped blade.

It seems likely that a power feeder should also improve the chances of getting consistent well finished cuts off a bandsaw - but this is a highly relative comment. As some have said band saws are by definition more fussy and much less predictable in this regard than a table saw.

Another limit with tipped blades mentioned elsewhere is wheel size - it seems they don't much like less than 20in diameter because of the increased risk of fatigue cracking brought about by the tighter bend, and their long life.

HP is also an important variable. I can't say for sure, but it seems reasonable to presume that HP needed increases roughly in proportion to depth of cut and blade speed. The deep re-saw capable/faster cutting band saws running blades speeds getting up towards 1,500 - 1,600m/min have 4 - 5hp, while the smaller/lighter models may be down around 1,000+m/min and 2HP. (?)

Anyway, that's just my take. Best as Scot says to try to get some hands on time. Scour this site carefully too, as there's lots of good material been posted here.

ian

[Joe Kurtz]

Ian and Scot this is extremely helpful for me. Ian, you do well on elaborating why the bigger machines can potentially give you better cuts. It is sensible that this is the case but you give the reasons why very well which makes my decision making process more informative. -- Thanks
joe

[ian maybury]

Just be careful to double check it before you bite Joe, as mine is more a hearsay/research and engineering than experience based view...

ian

PS Just closed a deal on a little used 5.5kW rotary phase converter today, so with a bit of luck the Agazzani will be testing soon...

[Joe Kurtz]

Just be careful to double check it before you bite Joe, as mine is more a hearsay/research and engineering than experience based view...

ian


Still...the basic concepts bigger saw, bigger blade, stronger tension = straighter cuts; larger throat capacity also contributes to more TS like cuts and working even though they will never be quite the same.


What do you all think of a 2005 Laguna 20 with a few blades and mobility kit delivered for $2450??? From he pics it looks in excellent shape.

[ian maybury]

I've no idea Joe, we don't get them here so I never took careful notice. There's lots of info about here though on them, and Laguna saws in general seem to get good press.

As in the case of the other makes of bigger saw they offer heavy duty and somewhat lighter duty/de-specced versions that don't necessarily look that different to a casual eye it seems...

ian

[Scot Ferraro]

I would say jump on it for that price...9 years ago my saw ran $1,900 and today this saw is well over $3K (granted the newer ones have better resaw) but that it is a pretty good deal at that price and if everything works and it has been maintained (no rust, tables flat, etc...) I would say that is a good deal. The bigger the better IMHO as it relates to bandsaws.

Scot

[Eiji Fuller]

I wouldn't say that was an excellent deal. There was a brand new MM20 for @2k at minimax a demo unit. Thats a good deal. I picked up a Felder fb540 same year with 2-3 hrs on it + 5 blades for 1500. I put a 1" carbide blade on it and maxed out the tension to see if there was any flex in the triangle spine and found none. Its a great saw with zero vibration.

I would hold out for a better deal for sure.

[Eiji Fuller]

i would love to get one used. is there any place to look other than Craigslist. I have scoured dc/baltimore/nyc craigslist but have only found a 20"laguna in 3 hours away. so i would have to figure out how to get it here, and hope it is not too big.
joe

Try ex factory. Google used woodworking machines. Also check minimax and felder for used or demo machines.
Good luck.

[Joe Kurtz]

Thanks Eiji, Did you pick up the felder at a ww show as well. Where is the best place to look for used?

joe

[John Coloccia]

Hey Joe. For the price of those saws, you can get a nice Grizzly bandsaw (I have a G0514X2 that I really like) and have enough left over to buy yourself a nice jointer and a planer, and still toss some cash back into the bank. If I found a smoking good deal, I'd certainly pick up an Agazzani or Minimax, but my opinion is that you're probably going to need at least a jointer so be sure you budget for that and don't think spending lots of $$$ on a bandsaw will replace it. That's a lot to ask of any machine, especially a bandsaw.

[Van Huskey]

As Ian pointed out you have various saws at various price points. Quite frankly excluding the Jet each saw is at or near the toip of the heap for the price point it sits at. I could wax poetic about the (dis)advantages of each saw but the bottom line is IMO they go MM, Agazzani, Hammer but then again thats exactly the way the prices fall.

If you plan to continue to fill your shop with upper-mid level quality tools likes the above Euro machines then I suggest the MM, it is a heavier machine that is built well like the other two. However, if you are just trying to build up a shop with tools that will do the job solidly then I suggest getting a Grizzly 514X2 and using the remainder of the money to get a jointer since for me it is a must have tool. For the price of the MM16 you could get the bandsaw and jointer.

I am not trying to steer you from the better bandsaws but you won't see much if any difference in ripping other than the 514x2 takes a little more time to tune. If however you see heavy resawing in your future then I would really say give the MM16 a hard look.

[dirk martin]

I own both the Mini Max 24" saw and the Grizzly 24" saw.
Having run them both for years now, I wish I'd have saved the money I spent on the MM24, and just bought two Grizzly 24" saws.
The Grizzly actually has some nicer features, besides the huge price difference.

Sorry Mini Max...but just telling it like it is.

[Joe Kurtz]

Wow...that is really saying something. Could you explain a nicer feature on the grizzly that the mm does not have? The grizzly wasn't anymore difficult to get up? Running th guides are not any worse than the mm? the fit and finish is just as good? blade changing? trunnion strength? I am very interested in hearing more from someone who has worked on both for years
thanks

[ian maybury]

Ha! Sounds like you're heading for the same place as I was when I posted this thread on the Grizzly GO636X some months ago Joe - http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=144850

I subsequently did a lot more grouching on the topic, in that my sense is that in the cacophony of 'ours is best' claims it's very tough to separate machines. That the makers do themselves no favours by being neither specifc nor quantitative (or even honest in many cases) about the capabilities of their machines.

Basically there's a large lobby of happy users of the big heavy duty Italians on demanding applications including deep re-sawing, but not having local access to examples/users for trials I found it much tougher to get the various Taiwanese models into focus.

Signs are that the heavy duty re-saw oriented Taiwanese like the Grizzly GO 636X are the equal of anything in their class (and have some extra features too), but they are not sold over here. They are not anyway all that clearly differentiated from the other more general duty saws in even the Grizzly literature.

I couldn't bottom to my satisfaction what the story on the general duty bigger models from Grizzly was if I wanted to deep re-saw (I was looking at buying a larger general duty model to get both the re-saw and the width capability) - the point being that some very similar/identical saws from the same source (but not the resaw optimised Grizzly specific heavy duty models with extended vertical capacity) are sold under other brands over here. There was some very positive but isolated feedback on them, but it was for various reasons hard to translate it to my situation with any degree of certainty.

Hence my argument that the makers of quality stuff could probably do themselves a big favour by being far more factual and quantitative about the abilities of their differing models in the different user situations.

In the end it was chance that made my decision for me. I'd been trying for months to extract decent data from the local supplier of the Taiwanese saws (Europac) when the option to buy a very little used NRA 600/B-24 Agazzani came up for significantly less than I would have paid for a new Taiwanese model.

Seeing it as a safe bet I went for it, but time has still to tell on that one....

Ian

[dirk martin]

Wow...that is really saying something. Could you explain a nicer feature on the grizzly that the mm does not have? The grizzly wasn't anymore difficult to get up? Running th guides are not any worse than the mm? the fit and finish is just as good? blade changing? trunnion strength? I am very interested in hearing more from someone who has worked on both for years
thanks

The Grizzly has a quick blade de-tensioner. Very nice.
You won't end up un tensioning the blade on a MM, and thus you have constant blade pressure. Won't really wear out your blade, but it will wear out your tires.

To tilt the table on the MM you need wrenches, and lots of futzing around. The Grizzly has a nice rack/pinion/turning wheel setup.

[Anthony Alleyne]

Hi I thinking of getting the Laguna LT18 Bandsaw, and I like to know what year you got yours and what comes with the saw. Do there sell it with a blade and the quality of the cuts. Do you have any photos of the saw in you shop and did you need the mobility kit. what type of blades do you use on your band-saw.

Thank you
Anthony.

[John Tallyn]

I'm looking forward to more info in this thread, personally I'm thinking of getting an Agazzani, but would like to find out who the distributor is in the western US so I can get more info.
John

[David Hawxhurst]

Eagle Tools located in Los Angeles.

[John Stan]

Hi,
I have the Grizzly G0636X and really like it. I have resawed razor thin veneer with it and also cut all sorts of things that require precision (e.g. Dovetails). It has done everything I have asked and I would buy it over again. The fit and finish on mine was first rate.
Regards,
-John

[John Tallyn]

THX, been trying to get info from Edwards in Redmond Wa, w/o luck,

[Archie England]

The bigga da betta!!!!!! I bought a local 16" Jet BS; it works great...until I'm trying to resaw tall boards, hardwoods, etc. A friend has an 18" w/2hp motor. Yep, it cuts everything better. Now I wish I had saved for a 20" or bigger. Reason: everything on the larger saws are more capable of handling the weight and cutting of heavier materials. My 16" just doesn't have the beef to handle big stuff (8-12' long, 5-8" thick). It's got plenty of muscle for most thinner (under 3") boards and most softwoods; but the dense, heavy stuff really challenges it. Again, I bought local; but next time I'll buy the house brand (Extrema) or a Griz. I'll also go with 5 hp 220, just for that extra grunt when cutting wet/green wood. In my friends opinion, his 18" is just not that much better than my 16". So, buy once--buy bigger! IMHO!!!