Grizzly G513X2 vs G514X

[James White]

So the wife gave me the green light to order a G513x2 bandsaw for $995. So I placed my order today. Low and behold we get an unexpected letter in the mail today. Our life insurance company is giving us a $375 refund out of the blue. My first thought was darn I could have upgraded. So the wife says can't you cancel it. I was stunned. I didn't expect her to say that. Did I mention that I Love her.

Since my order was too late to ship today. I may be able to cancel and get the G514x for $1250. What do you think? 19" vs 17", 3hp over 2hp, bigger table. But on the down side I do not think it comes with the cast iron trunnion. That would be a $90 upgrade if I am not mistaken. The 513x2 has the cast iron trunnion. Re-saw height on both machines is 12". Total wight is near the same 55lbs for the bigger machine.

So is it worth it? Would I be missing out with the cast iron trunnions. Is it worth $250 for the additional 1hp and a bit bigger table. Blades will cost more.

What would you do? If you had other woodworking items that that $250 could go toward? Saw blades come to mind.

James

[glenn bradley]

I love my G0513X but would also love another pony. I'd go G0514X in a heartbeat.

[Van Huskey]

I would always like to have my cake and eat it too, but since that isn't on the table I would take the bigger piece of cake with less icing. I would get the 514X. Remember although the blades do cost more they will last longer as well.

When it comes time to invest in blades you may want to check out this thread.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?149862-Lets-talk-bandsaw-blades!&highlight=bandsaw+blades

[Douglas Clark]

Congrats, James, on your purchase opportunity. Personally, if I had a little extra scratch and a more shop space, I'd get the 514X, too. I Love the idea of a rack and pinion table.
As it turns out, I just pulled the trigger on a 513X2B today with the blessing of my own loving and understanding wife. If I had the money and a bigger shop, I'd have stepped up to the 514 series, but I just couldn't swing it.

A big thank you to Van, for that link. My understanding is that the 513X2B is on backorder for a good month and a half, so I should have lots of time to wire up some 220v and start picking out and ordering blades!

[James White]

Doug,

Get yourself one of those shoe horns.:D 32x32x73 vs 36x32x76
You had me double check. Because I must watch the real estate as well.

Edit: By the way, congratulations!

I kind of new what most would say regarding this dilemma I am having. But it doesn't hurt to have reassurance. That your not being foolish. I suppose I could always upgrade the trunnions in the future. Does anyone know if you spec the upgraded trunnions. Do they come installed? Or do you install it yourself when your machine arrives?

Lets hope it is not too late to change the order.

James


Congrats, James, on your purchase opportunity. Personally, if I had a little extra scratch and a more shop space, I'd get the 514X, too. I Love the idea of a rack and pinion table.
As it turns out, I just pulled the trigger on a 513X2B today with the blessing of my own loving and understanding wife. If I had the money and a bigger shop, I'd have stepped up to the 514 series, but I just couldn't swing it.

A big thank you to Van, for that link. My understanding is that the 513X2B is on backorder for a good month and a half, so I should have lots of time to wire up some 220v and start picking out and ordering blades!

[Cary Falk]

I suppose I could always upgrade the trunnions in the future. Does anyone know if you spec the upgraded trunnions. Do they come installed? Or do you install it yourself when your machine arrives?

Lets hope it is not too late to change the order.

James

You purchase the trunnion separately and install it yourself

[John Coloccia]

Personally, if you can I would (and did) get the G0514X2. The X2 adds not only the cast trunion but a foot brake. You're going to be shocked the first time you run this thing with a 3/4" blade, and it takes a minute or more to slow down. If that's not important to you, then you can get the 514X and add a cast trunion later if you want to.

[James White]

I know John. It almost sounds foolish to go the rout I suggested. But the price keeps creeping up uncontrollably! Not that anyone here would know anything about that.:)

James

[John Coloccia]

BTW, I just read that you're thinking of buying the 514X AND upgrading the trunion at the same time? The Trunion is $90. That puts you about $50 away from the 514X2. Shoot, find something to sell if you have to :)

re: price creep
What are friends for if not to help liberate your money?

[Van Huskey]

One does have to watch budget creep, it is highly encouraged here.

The problem is that the Grizzly bandsaw line seems almost designed to slowly pick your pocket. You start out planning on a 14" cast saw then move up to the top of the cast saws because for a few more bucks you get A, B and C then you realize you are a few dollars away from the bottom level 17" saw and this goes on and on. It is compounded by the fact the top model of each of their sizes tends to be the best value when you consider the individual costs of the upgrades.

I have seen more than one person slide down the slippery slop gaining momentum and winding up with a shiny new 20+" Italian bandsaw when they just wanted to go down to Home Depot and buy a Rigid 14" saw! Man, that is fun to watch! :)

The cast trunnion is nice but the foot brake is the most significant upgrade in the X2 IMHO, which you can not retrofit (without major re-engineering on your part). But in the end you do have to set a budget because as I have said the Grizzly bandsaw line slides you along in baby steps that quickly become man-sized strides in retrospect.

[bill schmoott]

I am having the same exact delimma right now. It seems that the foot break would be a major +. For those of you that have the foot break here is my question.
So while cutting, you can hit the foot break and it kills the motor as well as stops the blade, or do you have to hit the off switch on the riser and then hit the foot break? I know may be a stupid question, but I just dont know. And how does this differ from the other models that just say motor break that stops it in 3 seconds that do not have the foot break? Oh, and speaking of price creap, look one more step up from the 514x2 for another 100 bucks at the 514x2B. Where does the extra $100 go?

[Van Huskey]

I am having the same exact delimma right now. It seems that the foot break would be a major +. For those of you that have the foot break here is my question.
So while cutting, you can hit the foot break and it kills the motor as well as stops the blade, or do you have to hit the off switch on the riser and then hit the foot break? I know may be a stupid question, but I just dont know. And how does this differ from the other models that just say motor break that stops it in 3 seconds that do not have the foot break? Oh, and speaking of price creap, look one more step up from the 514x2 for another 100 bucks at the 514x2B. Where does the extra $100 go?


On the 514X2 (and MOST saws with a foot brake) the brake has a micro-switch which cuts the motor as step oin the brake. So it is a one step (no pun intended) operation. The motor brake is all "electric" and is activated by hitting the off switch. I prefer foot brakes because they can be activated with no hands and from the side or back of the saw. I see a foot brake as a safety and convenience feature where a motor brake is more pure convenience. The difference between the 514X2 and X2B is with the X2B you get a motor brake instead of a foot brake, as I mentioned I personally would rather have the foot brake.

[James White]

I just want to give an update. I was able to cancel my order. However the G0514X2 is on back order until mid May (unconfirmed). Translates to possibility of of Jan. with the potential of late March. The sales associate offered to me the G0514X with a 20% discounted trunnion add on (in stock). So I placed my order for that. Then thought is it really the same machine minus the break? So I called tech support and was given a task number (209061). With a 24-48hr turnaround to answer my questions. Knowing that my machine may ship before then. I called tech support as soon as I got home and discovered that there indeed was a difference between the two machines. The Grizzly Bears cut into the wheels and a 50lbs net weight difference.

This time I spoke with a tech named Joe. He immediately let me know he was going to answer all my questions. Gave me what he knew without any speculating. Then offered to confirm this with a tech who has been with the company "from the beginning". He came back on and let me know that there are some differences to accomadate the breaking system. But other than cosmetics (the bears) there was no difference. The 50lbs was between the cast iron trunnions and the breaking components. I was completely satisfied that for $50 less. I was getting the same machine as the G0514X2 minus the brake. The brake indecently can be added for approximately $100 plus your labor.

All in all. I will say even though the first tech was not knowledgeable enough to help me. The second tech Joe really did an excellent job, of informing me of the minutia that I was interested in. Excellent for Grizzly!

James

[John Coloccia]

Good for you for taking advantage of Grizzly's excellent staff, and thanks for reporting back what you found out. It sounds like you made out OK If you had a picture, it would almost count as a gloat :)

[Van Huskey]

The brake indecently can be added for approximately $100 plus your labor.



James

Glad you got it all worked out! You will have fun with your new saw.

If anyone is considering adding the foot brake later to the 514X note that it is not an off the shelf solution like the trunnion and will require cutting the 514X's cabinet, the trunnion is an easy off easy on fix but the brake is more involved and requires DIY modifications.

[James White]

Van,

It seems like you are well informed. Have you been picking the brains of the tech staff at Grizzly? What you describe was part of the discussion I had with the tech Joe. The electronics and that the idler pulley will need to be changed out. Then some drilling etc. to mount the break hardware.

James


Glad you got it all worked out! You will have fun with your new saw.

If anyone is considering adding the foot brake later to the 514X note that it is not an off the shelf solution like the trunnion and will require cutting the 514X's cabinet, the trunnion is an easy off easy on fix but the brake is more involved and requires DIY modifications.

[Van Huskey]

Van,

It seems like you are well informed. Have you been picking the brains of the tech staff at Grizzly? What you describe was part of the discussion I had with the tech Joe. The electronics and that the idler pulley will need to be changed out. Then some drilling etc. to mount the break hardware.

James

Hmmm. Sounds like you are talking about a motor brake, I was talking about a foot brake which would be all mechanical and the prices looked about right (based on the $100 and their parts price sheet). So I kinda take what I was saying back since I don't know that it is doable as easy as I thought, when I thought you were talking about the foot brake and they said you could do it I assumed the castings were the same and you would have the place to mount the foot brake, just needed to cut a hole in the cabinet for it.

The motor brake would involve some wiring etc but should be doable with a minimum of changes to the cabinet but I thought it would cost more than $100.

[James White]

You were correct. The Foot break is what I was talking about. It has a power kill and mechanical break. That was the electronics I was referring to. Perhaps I could have worded it better. But my impression was that with a bit of mechanical ability you could add the foot break feature to the 514X for about $50 over the X2 price.

James

[John Coloccia]

Looking at my X2, it's pretty trivial, James. The most I can see having to do is making same slots in the frame for the brake to pass through and the switch to attach too.

[Van Huskey]

Just doing some poking on the parts list it seems it may cost a little more. I put all the parts in the cart (not counting the overpriced hardware store type hardware) and I am getting about $175 shipped.

[bill schmoott]

On the 514X2 (and MOST saws with a foot brake) the brake has a micro-switch which cuts the motor as step oin the brake. So it is a one step (no pun intended) operation. The motor brake is all "electric" and is activated by hitting the off switch. I prefer foot brakes because they can be activated with no hands and from the side or back of the saw. I see a foot brake as a safety and convenience feature where a motor brake is more pure convenience. The difference between the 514X2 and X2B is with the X2B you get a motor brake instead of a foot brake, as I mentioned I personally would rather have the foot brake.

thanks Van,
I appreciate the explanation. I thought that was how it worked, but honestly was not sure. The foot brake makes a lot of sense to me. You can keep both hands on the work piece and never have to look away to hit the kill switch. Yeah thats the ticket.
Thanks again.

[Douglas Clark]

One does have to watch budget creep, it is highly encouraged here.

The problem is that the Grizzly bandsaw line seems almost designed to slowly pick your pocket. You start out planning on a 14" cast saw then move up to the top of the cast saws because for a few more bucks you get A, B and C then you realize you are a few dollars away from the bottom level 17" saw and this goes on and on. It is compounded by the fact the top model of each of their sizes tends to be the best value when you consider the individual costs of the upgrades.

I have seen more than one person slide down the slippery slop gaining momentum and winding up with a shiny new 20+" Italian bandsaw when they just wanted to go down to Home Depot and buy a Rigid 14" saw! Man, that is fun to watch! :)

The cast trunnion is nice but the foot brake is the most significant upgrade in the X2 IMHO, which you can not retrofit (without major re-engineering on your part). But in the end you do have to set a budget because as I have said the Grizzly bandsaw line slides you along in baby steps that quickly become man-sized strides in retrospect.


Holy crud! This is so spot on... my experience exactly. Luckily I didn't totally massacre my budget, but I actually did start looking at the MiniMax and Agazzani after I swore that I could/would never consider it. And yet, there I was looking at the fancier, bigger saws up until the last minute before I finally placed my order. I started out looking at the G0555x and was able to brake myself at the 513X2B before I ended up driving completely over the edge!

[Richard Coers]

I ordered a 514X2 on Dec. 31. Got the email today that it is on the truck and will be here Friday. Holding my breath that they treat it nicely on that truck. Please Mr. UPS Freight Man!!!!!!

[James White]

I will take your work for it. I didn't know a detailed list was available. I did tell the guy not to include the power kill associated items.


Just doing some poking on the parts list it seems it may cost a little more. I put all the parts in the cart (not counting the overpriced hardware store type hardware) and I am getting about $175 shipped.

[James White]

Congratulations!
My saw will be here tomorrow as well.

James


I ordered a 514X2 on Dec. 31. Got the email today that it is on the truck and will be here Friday. Holding my breath that they treat it nicely on that truck. Please Mr. UPS Freight Man!!!!!!

[Van Huskey]

I will take your work for it. I didn't know a detailed list was available. I did tell the guy not to include the power kill associated items.

It is closer to $100 without the micro-switch and associated parts. Here is the link to the parts prices:

http://www.grizzly.com/products/G0514X2/parts/2

You are basically looking at parts #96-115 but as I said some are hardware store parts and overpriced (as with all this type of "parts" from manufactureres). If I were going to do it I would add the microswitch since that isn't a big part of the price and it makes the brake ever so much more useful.

[Greg Bender]

Everybody seems to be pretty knowledgeable on the Grizz bandsaws so I have a question.I am in the process of buying a 2+ year old 0514,19" BS from a guy and it has cast aluminum wheels and was wondering if cast iron wheels was something I could upgrade reasonably? For the price I can deal with no foot brake but I really want the inertia that comes with CI wheels.

James and Richard,
congrats and good cutting with your new saws.
Greg

[Mike Kelsey]

Does anyone know if the 514X2B is on back order? If so what is rough lead time? Also does Grizzly process billing at the time of order placement or shipment of the order?

[Van Huskey]

Everybody seems to be pretty knowledgeable on the Grizz bandsaws so I have a question.I am in the process of buying a 2+ year old 0514,19" BS from a guy and it has cast aluminum wheels and was wondering if cast iron wheels was something I could upgrade reasonably? For the price I can deal with no foot brake but I really want the inertia that comes with CI wheels.

James and Richard,
congrats and good cutting with your new saws.
Greg

First, cast iron wheels are nice but VERY overrated on the "internet". Assuming the wheels fit the axles you are looking at $350 give or take with tires and shipping. If you are really worried about it I would research a bigger motor. A crafty choice or a used deal might get you a 5hp motor that would serve you much better then CI wheels. Again, I wouldn't even think about it, there is plenty of motor for resaw height of that saw.

[glenn bradley]

it has cast aluminum wheels and was wondering if cast iron wheels was something I could upgrade reasonably?


First, cast iron wheels are nice but VERY overrated on the "internet".

I'm with Van. I do have cast iron wheels but they do get a bit more press than they may deserve. I have the G0513X (not the X2). This saw is no longer made. It is a G0513X2 but, wiyjouy the steel trunnions, not cast iron. Reviews kept stating that "if only it had cast iron trunions". Again, maybe overrated but, Grizzly is smart enough to give people what they want; the X2 was born.

It did give me comfort when buying this saw used from a fellow Creeker that the CI trunnions would bolt right on. After doing a lot of heavy resawing, I have lost the urge to spend the money on them. Same hardened steel teeth, just mounted to steel instead fo CI. I wouldn't upgrade those wheels just yet ;)

[Greg Bender]

Glenn and Van,
Thanx for the info,I guess I got caught up in all the articles myself.I don't even have the saw yet so I surely can't say that the cast alum. wheels won't be fine.I guess I'll just have to wait till the saw is setup and find out how it cuts.It is a 2 hp so that will be a step up from my 14" Rikon.Thanx Guys,
Greg

[James White]

It did give me comfort when buying this saw used from a fellow Creeker that the CI trunnions would bolt right on. After doing a lot of heavy resawing, I have lost the urge to spend the money on them. Same hardened steel teeth, just mounted to steel instead fo CI. I wouldn't upgrade those wheels just yet ;)

Just as an FYI. The Trunion was 20% off when I placed my order. It did not show on the Grizzly wed site. But the girl on the phone said it was on sale. $90-20%

James

[James White]

So before the Picture Police show up. Here are some photos. As you can see it made its journey safley. I was expecting my new saw to be crated in something made of tooth picks. But I think the crating is adequate. I think in order to survive a fall or a forklift blade you would be paying some $$ for the crate.

On a different note. It turns out the G0514X and X2 are not the same machines. There have been some improvements made to the X2 version. If you look at the photo I posted of the upper case and the photos of the X2 on Grizzly's web site. You will see some additional steel has been added. Also the rack and pinion to change the angle of the table is different. On the X version it is integral to the trunnion. It uses a small lever that is a bit fiddly. Were the X2 has a nice big crank handle and a long arm to change the table angle.

According to a senior tech at Grizzly. There may be some additional bolstering in the bottom case.

If anyone has the X2 version. Would you mind snapping a photo of the brake assembly and any differences in the lower case. I am thinking of adding the brake. Since I will likely be ordering a rolling base from Grizzly. If I can score one of the 10% off coupons.

James

[James White]

***Ignore this double post. I think I didn't refresh the page after making edits and didn't see the changes.***

On a different note. It turns out the G0514X and X2 are not the same machines. There have been some improvements made to the X2 version. If you look at the photo I posted of the upper case and the photos of the X2 on Grizzly's web site. You will see some additional steel has been added. Also the rack and pinion to change the angle of the table is different. On the X version it is integral to the trunnion. It uses a small lever that is a bit fiddly. Were the X2 has a nice big crank handle and a long arm to change the table angle.

According to a senior tech at Grizzly. There may be some additional bolstering in the bottom case.

If anyone has the X2 version. Would you mind snapping a photo of the brake assembly and any differences in the lower case. I am thinking of adding the brake. Since I will likely be ordering a rolling base from Grizzly. If I can score one of the 10% off coupons.

James

[John Coloccia]

I sent you the photos, James. Let me know if there's anything else you'd like to see.

re: the extra steel

My 5014X2 upper wheel compartment looks like yours. The close up picture on the Grizzly site doesn't appear to have a tension gauge, which both of ours have. I can only assume that the picture they're showing is either a mistake or an earlier model.

I don't see any obvious differences other than your lack of brake. I'm not sure I understand the difference in table adjustment. From Grizzly's site the adjustment on the 514X and X2 look the same. Am I missing something?

It does like like the X2 has an updated fence. The fence that came with my X2 isn't that great. I'm replacing it with a Kreg fence.

[James White]

re: the extra steel

My 5014X2 upper wheel compartment looks like yours. The close up picture on the Grizzly site doesn't appear to have a tension gauge, which both of ours have. I can only assume that the picture they're showing is either a mistake or an earlier model.

I don't see any obvious differences other than your lack of brake. I'm not sure I understand the difference in table adjustment. From Grizzly's site the adjustment on the 514X and X2 look the same. Am I missing something?

It does like like the X2 has an updated fence. The fence that came with my X2 isn't that great. I'm replacing it with a Kreg fence.

Thank you for the photos John. How old is your saw? The techs and Grizzly had the folks in the Grizzly show rooms confirmed that the X2 has new guesting (The angle iron you see at the top of the case). Perhaps your saw is Pre this change?

Regarding the table angle adjustment. See the below quote from Shiraz.

Quote from this thread: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?62269-g0513x2-or-g0514x
Noah and Terry - I can answer some of your questions and concerns since I know these saws intimately and am the person responsible for most of the upgrades on them.

Logs come in all shapes and sizes and put a lot of stress on bandsaw tables. One of the VERY important improvements done to the G0514X2 is the handwheel/geared arm table tilt mechanism. Besides being an absolute joy to tilt your tables without requiring three hands, this table locks down with the "grip of death".

http://www.grizzly.com/products/G0566/images/1

The locking lever is the handle you see under the table and just above the motor on the left. It is a quick release/lock of the table.

What this geared table tilting system does is that it also gives the table an extra support on the other side of the table. Cast iron trunnions on one side and the geared arm on the other. At the show, we would have big guys (show attendees) try to rock the table with all their might once the geared arm was locked down, and they were astonished at how inflexible the table was. One guy even joked that an elephant could sit on that table! This feature is standard on the new G0636X. More importantly, this feature has been standard on our G0566 21" bandsaw since we introduced it.
http://www.grizzly.com/products/G0566

We are going to make the cast iron trunnions available as an upgrade to people with existing G0513 and G0514 saws in the near future, but if you are looking for a powerful resaw bandsaw right now, the machine that is in stock is the 21" G0566 with 14" of resaw capacity.

[James White]

This is what the add on trunnion looks like. http://www.grizzly.com/products/Optional-Heavy-Duty-Cast-Iron-Trunnion-for-G0513-G0513X-G0514X/H8193

Notice the second lever. That is the rack and pinion lever for the X version.

Verses this for the X2 http://www.grizzly.com/products/G0514X2/images/1

Here are the X and X2 top cases

X2 http://www.grizzly.com/products/G0514X2/images/2
X http://www.grizzly.com/products/G0514X/images/1

James

[John Coloccia]

My saw is about 3 years old, or so. I'm very confused about the whole thing with the trunion. I have a cast trunion that doesn't have any large locking lever to lock it down. I have little lever to lock it in place, and a rack and pinion. I don't know about grip of death, but I can tell you it's as solid as it needs to be for me. Shiraz seems to be talking about 2 different saws, or possibly it was an upgrade on the 514 that just never came to pass. Anyhow, the stock cast trunion and rack&pinion on my old X2 work extremely well, and they should work well on your saw as well. I still don't quite understand what you were saying about the rack & pinion on your saw, though. I looked at the pictures of the 514X on the website, and it looks like it has the same R&P as the 514X2, which is the same one that I have. Does what you have not match the pictures?

I'm also confused why they would add bracing on the X2 and not on the X. If one needs it, the other needs it too. I'd love to know what they did and why. If it's worthwhile, I'll make the modification on my own saw.

[John Coloccia]

This is what the add on trunnion looks like. http://www.grizzly.com/products/Optional-Heavy-Duty-Cast-Iron-Trunnion-for-G0513-G0513X-G0514X/H8193

Notice the second lever. That is the rack and pinion lever for the X version.

Didn't they ship the standard R&P that is pictured with the 514X? You mean to say that when you upgraded they gave you the CI trunion and took the R&P out of the box?

[Van Huskey]

Here are the X and X2 top cases

X2 http://www.grizzly.com/products/G0514X2/images/2
X http://www.grizzly.com/products/G0514X/images/1

James

Honestly, I do not think either one of those pictures is actually correct for either of the current saws. The X2 picture is missing the tension gauge and the X picture looks like one of the flat bottomed (to the top wheel compartment) saws. Grizzly has a LOT of info on their site but as you might expect there are more than a few mistakes and conflicts, this may be one of those.

[James White]

The photo of the back of the X version is not accurate. It does not have that rack and pinion. Nor does it come with the CI trunnion upgrade. I was just on the phone with Grizzly customer service when we discovered that the back of the X photo was incorrect. That may be why the tech told me it would be the same. The person I spoke with is going to have the web master fix it.

Van,

Nice catch. I am having Grizzly verify the differences. But I was told that that bracing was accurate and that the tech was not sure why the tension gauge was missing. He said he had floor personel snap photos of the two machines. That's when he discovered the X version comes with the bear heads cut into the wheels. Unlike what the photos show. So in the end Grizzly will verify the accuracy of the photos of these two models and have them updated.

James

[James White]

Another quote from this thread: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?62269-g0513x2-or-g0514x

Carl - the G0513 series will not have the geared table tilt/support system. The whole saw frame needs to be modified to have that kind of a geared system and the cost involved does not justify it since we have so many choices if you are going to spend more money.
Also, existing G0514 models cannot be converted to accept the geared table tilting mechanism.

[John Coloccia]

The photo of the back of the X version is not accurate. It does not have that rack and pinion. Nor does it come with the CI trunnion upgrade. I was just on the phone with Grizzly customer service when we discovered that the back of the X photo was incorrect. That may be why the tech told me it would be the same. The person I spoke with is going to have the web master fix it.


Ahhh...now it's all making sense :)

[Van Huskey]

But I was told that that bracing was accurate and that the tech was not sure why the tension gauge was missing.

James

My bet is the picture was a pre-production picture or rendering that was never updated.

[John Coloccia]

re: the table tilt
It's not just the pictures. Even the text says that the table tilt is hand wheel controlled. I'm just having an incredibly hard time believing that:

1) you're the first person to ever buy a 514X
or
2) lots of people are buying the 514X and are not at all upset when it shows up and they find a major feature missing

This is truly bizarre, IMHO.

[James White]

From the G0514X description. "Both blade guide height and table tilt are handwheel controlled and the wheel covers are hinged for convenience."

Looks like another mistake on the web site. If you look at pages 3 and 23 of the manual the differences will be very clear. This is the same for the upgraded add on cast iron trunnion.


re: the table tilt
It's not just the pictures. Even the text says that the table tilt is hand wheel controlled. I'm just having an incredibly hard time believing that:

1) you're the first person to ever buy a 514X
or
2) lots of people are buying the 514X and are not at all upset when it shows up and they find a major feature missing

This is truly bizarre, IMHO.

[Rick Williams]

Decisions. decisions...always decisions. After much study, I ordered the G0513x2b. Cast iron wheels, trunnions and brake were the main selling points. In my shop 2 hp will more than meet my needs for resawing and ripping work on big boards. $1095 plus tax (MO) and shipping brought the tally up to a little over $1200.00. Couple of Woodslicer blades from Highland Hardware will add another $100 or so. Money I saved from going with a bigger saw will go to a 15" planer with the Byrd cuttter head. That and we are building a solar kiln this spring plus renovating a 1924 Oliver sliding table tablesaw and a 1955 Dewalt RAS. Always needing money for something.

[Paul Johnstone]

I am having the same exact delimma right now. It seems that the foot break would be a major +. ?

I guess I never understood why the foot brake was so attractive. Now granted, I don't have one.

I work in the shop alone (as most people do). I do my cut and walk away. It really doesn't matter to me how long it takes for the blade to stop spinning. I de-tension my blade when I leave the shop, not after every cut.

The only time I could see it being an issue is when you make a cut and then want to change the blade. Then you need to wait for it to stop spinning :D But when you change the blade, you have to do a lot of re-adjustment anyhow.

I'm just wondering what I am missing here? Why is a foot brake so great?

[John Coloccia]

For those of us who like the brake, it's:

1) I can stop the saw without ever taking my hands off the work...very useful when you have to back out a cut
2) the larger saws can take a long time....a VERY long time....to spin down. In a shop where there is dust collection going on, and the bandsaw is extremely quiet to begin with, I don't ever leave that saw spinning. It's way too easy for me to come back a minute later, reach in to make an adjustment and find that the blade is still spinning. Ideally, that should never happen but the idea of having a blade spinning unattended does not sit well with me.

There's an old Oliver down at my local mill that must spin for 10 minutes after shutdown. I got bored watching it spin down and left, but it just kept going and going and going.... My G0514X2 goes for anywhere from maybe 30 seconds to a minute or two depending on the kind of blade I have in there.

[Van Huskey]

My saw with the heaviest wheels will free wheel for well over 5 minutes, I don't how much longer because I got bored and hit the brake the one time I thought I had the patience to check.


RE Grizzly online catalog: Do I understand that the 514X does NOT indeed have the rack and pinion table tilt? If so how in the world did it go this long? I am with John has no one ever bought a 514X with the expectation of the pictured rack and pinion?

[James White]

Van,

It does have a rack and pinion. However it is integral to the trunnions. If you look at page 23 of the online manual you will see it. It is no where near as nice as the setup on the X2.

James


My saw with the heaviest wheels will free wheel for well over 5 minutes, I don't how much longer because I got bored and hit the brake the one time I thought I had the patience to check.


RE Grizzly online catalog: Do I understand that the 514X does NOT indeed have the rack and pinion table tilt? If so how in the world did it go this long? I am with John has no one ever bought a 514X with the expectation of the pictured rack and pinion?

[James White]

The Grizzly web page for the G0514X has been updated. It now reflects that this model does not come with the crank handle rack and pinion. The description has also been edited accordingly.
http://www.grizzly.com/products/G0514X/images/1
However the G0514X2 page remains the same regarding the upper case. I wonder if that means that it is indeed accurate.
http://www.grizzly.com/products/G0514X2/images/2

James

[Van Huskey]

Van,

It does have a rack and pinion. However it is integral to the trunnions. If you look at page 23 of the online manual you will see it. It is no where near as nice as the setup on the X2.

James

Got you, I didn't use a specific enough term, I now see it indeed does not have the "3rd point" crank handled tilt mechanism like on the X2 et al. I would have thought someone would have screamed about it since the picture clearly showed it.

That upper case picture is still absolutely not current but it does not show anything you DON'T get but it is missing something you do get. I still think it is a pre-production picture or rendering prior to the final spec of the saw.

[James White]

Actually it does show something you possibly don't get. At least in the G0514x model. The reinforcement of the angle iron at the top. I have been told by a senior tech that he had someone verify that this model is the only one in the 514 line that has the extra enforcement. However I am not convinced at this point since Johns 3 year old X2 does not have it. Then the lack of the tension indicator in the photo.

I am waiting on Grizzly for four days now to let me know if the improved crank can be added to the G0514X. But so far nothing. According to the old quote from Shiraz. It can not be added.

I was told other than the foot break. If I ordered the cast iron trunnion. The G0514X that I ordered and the G0514x2 machine would be the same. It now turns out that that is not true. I am paying nearly the same money for less features.


Got you, I didn't use a specific enough term, I now see it indeed does not have the "3rd point" crank handled tilt mechanism like on the X2 et al. I would have thought someone would have screamed about it since the picture clearly showed it.

That upper case picture is still absolutely not current but it does not show anything you DON'T get but it is missing something you do get. I still think it is a pre-production picture or rendering prior to the final spec of the saw.

[John Coloccia]

Personally, I think you should call Grizzly and see what they can do. No one tries to mess up like this, but there's no reason they can't make an effort to make it right. It may not be unreasonable at this point to try and upgrade to the X2, and see if they can work with you on shipping. That would be my going in position. You upgrade, they pay for shipping, everyone pays more than they intended and works more than they intended, but in the end it's not all that horrible and it will all be forgotten in 6 months.

Now what WOULD be unreasonable, IMHO, is to spend another dime trying to make it look like what the website looked like. You bought in good faith. They screwed up. You really can't be expected to shoulder that cost. If roles were reversed, and you were $100 short on your payment because you made a mistake, there would certainly not be an "Oh well, we tried" moment at Grizzly's billing department. They're not a charity anymore than you are.

I'm sure you'll be able to work this out. Grizz has always been reasonable with me and with scores of people I know.

[James White]

John,

I am working with Grizzly on this. The customer service supervisor I am dealing with has been very nice. We are trying to see if the crank arm can be added. Then they can ship that to me on there dime. I provide the labor to install. I offered this so that the machine would not have to be shipped back.

By the way. I intended to get the X2 version. But when it was discovered it was on back order. The sales person offered that the X version was the same minus the foot break. It was me that discovered the inconsistencies and called tech support. Who confirmed what the sales person said. They were the sames. Then told to accept the machine and if i wasn't happy they would make sure I was. The problem is it has been four days since the tech department was asked to look into this. After two days I called and was told a reminder would be sent. But today two more days later. I am yet to hear from them. It is frustrating to have a new machine that you cant use!

[John Coloccia]

I don't know where you are in connecticut. I'm in Bolton, just outside of Hartford. If you want to see how any of this stuff attaches, you're more then welcome to hop on over and have a look.

[James White]

I am a little east of Storrs. We should get together some time. Perhaps when the ground firms up after the thaw. You can come and mill some lumber on the saw mill. Keep your eye out for logs. I had a neighbor who cut down a nice cherry tree. Then left it there in tall weeds while he was in Florida. There was no way for me to get it.

We will see how things go with the bandsaw. I certainly would like to get the X2 at this point. But I would be without a bandsaw for a few months. I sold my bandsaw. The day the new one arrived.

James

[Van Huskey]

Though this process is pretty much zero fun for you James it is fleshing out an area which will definitely help people in the future.

[Dave Aronson]

Digging up an old thread. I have the G0514X and would love to add a break. James mentions that it can be added, where would I find such a part?

[Van Huskey]

Digging up an old thread. I have the G0514X and would love to add a break. James mentions that it can be added, where would I find such a part?

I don't think you will find this to be an easy or cheap fix. You could source the parts from Grizzly but even after cutting the hole etc it may be a hard or impossible retrofit. I think Shiraz mentioned looking into this at one point but I have not seen any result. In any even it would be a pretty difficult DIY. The only other option I could see is adding a motor brake, either via a brake motor or 3phase motor + VFD.