bought a used Agazzani bandsaw on Craiglist today

[Larry Gipson]

It's a B20 and in great shape. Apparently just sitting around mostly for about 6 years. It does have the older Euro guides. Came with the lenox carbide blade and a few others.

Anyone want a Jet 18? :-)

Wow. Some people never sleep on this board :-)

It's actually an NRA-500. This is a 20" saw similar to the one I almost bought recently in Las Vegas. I got this one in LA, so was a lot shorter drive. Still, it was a 7 hour trip yesterday to pick this up. I'm cleaning things with Boeshield T9 this morning. The Jet 18 is next to it for comparison (if the picture loads).

I paid $1950 for the saw, which is something like a third of the new price from what I understand. Not that much of a gloat since the Las Vegas saw was $1500. Still, I'm happy with it. This has the rip fence and crosscut guide with it. It also has an interesting box around the lower guides to collect sawdust.

I don't know the difference between the B20 and NRA-500 and neither did the fellow I bought it from apparently. Does anyone here know? This saw is 6' 6" and will fit though my 7' door, so I think it's about all the saw I can take.

The wheel set is nice on the Agazzani. Looks like 0.125" tubing. I'll probably weld a set of leveling pads on the corners like I did on the wheels I made for the Jet. (see pic) This takes the weight off the wheels and helps to stabilize the saw.

[Van Huskey]

Nothing wrong with Euro guides, I like them. The "new" Agazzani guides are slightly better but I can't tell a huge difference.

BTW the rule around here is "no pictures, didn't happen". Understand that it is all in good fun, and though we do believe "you" we wanna see the booty before we roll out the "YOU SUCK" posts, also good natured.

[Carl Babel]

Don't know what you paid for it, but preemptively assuming that you got a gloat-worthy deal...

You Suck!

Congratulations!

[Ryan Wood]

You have got to post pics of your new saw. Van Huskey is right no pictures means it never happen.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

You will like that saw! Congratulations!

[David Kumm]

If it is the older blue saw on CL I saw the listing and you got a great saw. You can't overpay for the right tool and there are no deals on the wrong one. Dave

[Kevin Bourque]

I just checked my local craigslist.

GOOD NEWS: There are a number of bandsaws for under $100.

BAD NEWS: They are all made by Craftsman, Ryobi, etc. :(

...Also lots of cheap jointers, drill presses, chop saws, and thickness planers. Looks like everybody is selling their junk!

[John Coloccia]

I don't see a saw.

[Van Huskey]

The N'RA series is what the B-XX series imported by Eagle is based on, Eagle's taller resaw series (ie B-20/20) is based on the Agazzani HR series. I have seen the N'RA series with different configurations but currently the N'RA sold by Agazzani will have just over 14" of resaw and a 2hp motor the main difference between the N'RA and B-20 is the motor and cosmetics, the B-20 has a 3hp motor, though N'RA machines sold in NA may have an uprated motor as well.

The current price of a B-20 is $2,995 plus shipping.

Yours look very clean and though you didn't steal it you got a very fair deal.

YOU SUCK!

BTW thanks for the pics!

Speaking of doors and bandsaws you haven't had fund until you have to tip a bandsaw through a door, at first it looks like it only needs a few degrees of tipping, then all of a sudden you have it tilted back 30* or so and everyone helping you is starting to complain and you are getting a physics lesson about center of gravity, good times!

[Mike Heidrick]

Congrats on a great saw purchase. Keep both saws :)

[Van Huskey]

Keep both saws :)

I forgot that VERY important point!

[John Coloccia]

Oh, I see it now :)

Yeah, keep both saws. I'm heading out in about an hour to pick up a second saw. I just can't function with one in any sort of efficient manner.

[Larry Gipson]

The plate on the saw says the motor is 2.2kw 14.5A. Any idea what the conversion is? A few places on the net seem to think it's just under 3hp.

[Van Huskey]

The plate on the saw says the motor is 2.2kw 14.5A. Any idea what the conversion is? A few places on the net seem to think it's just under 3hp.

2.2kw is marketed as 3hp but technically just under.

[George Gyulatyan]

You suck! :) Actually I was drooling over that add in Craigslist, but no funds :(

Glad it's going to someone that will be able to put it to a much better use than I could anyway. Congrats!

[Rick Fisher]

Nice saw Larry .. I see pictures now .. Its a brute compared to the Jet..

2.2kw.. sigh... lol My metrically challenged friends to the south..

If you do the math, its 2.95 hp .. but its probably not actually 2.2kw, its probably 2241 or something... Its likely just 3hp ... That is a great amount of power for that saw..

[Van Huskey]

Nice saw Larry .. I see pictures now .. Its a brute compared to the Jet..

2.2kw.. sigh... lol My metrically challenged friends to the south..

If you do the math, its 2.95 hp .. but its probably not actually 2.2kw, its probably 2241 or something... Its likely just 3hp ... That is a great amount of power for that saw..

OK be nice, we don't want this being 1812 all over again, my guess is the outcome would be a little more lopsided this time... :D

At least the motor wasn't rated in newton-meters per second the match would be the same but that would really freak us out.




That begs a question, anyone know the NEMA tolerance standard for Fractional and Medium AC motors regarding HP ratings? Point being would a 2.2kw motor be rated as 3hp under NEMA standards, 2.1kw?

[Larry Gipson]

From what I've read, the conversion is 746, so 2200/746 = 2.95hp. If it were 2238w, it would come out an even 3hp. Both the plate on the motor and on the saw itself are truncated to 2.2Kw, so that's what we know. It's still an ok motor for the saw since the resaw height is limited.

[David Kumm]

Are the motor ratings after taking into account the efficiency % or does that effectively reduce the hp rating? Dave

[Rick Fisher]

lol Van..

When the ratio of American's to Canadians on the site is 20-1 .. its okay to throw out a dig here and there .. lol

It shows courage.. or maybe a willingness to take a beating.. lol


David.. If you look at a typical 3hp motor made by anyone, drawing 15 amps is not uncommon .. 15 amps x 220v ? = 3300 watts FLA .. / 746 ? = 4.4 hp .. but its a 3hp .. I am making assumptions here.

I have a Euro 4hp motor called a 3KW .. it has a FLA of 19 amps x 220V... it would be about 5.5hp if it where perfect..

Am I figuring that right ? I think so ..

[Van Huskey]

Rick.... :D


Dave, the metric 2.2kw is indeed the output of the motor so just like our 3hp it has taken into account all the efficiency issues.

[Rick Fisher]

What I came to realize is that with the invent of the saw stop, the next generation of America Woodworkers will be able to understand and work in the metric system, as it is based on 10's ..

[Van Huskey]

What I came to realize is that with the invent of the saw stop, the next generation of America Woodworkers will be able to understand and work in the metric system, as it is based on 10's ..

I think Festool is doing the most in that area.

[Kevin Gregoire]

looks like you got a great deal but i want to see some more pics, all around and inside would be nice.

[Rod Sheridan]

OK be nice, we don't want this being 1812 all over again, my guess is the outcome would be a little more lopsided this time... :D





That begs a question, anyone know the NEMA tolerance standard for Fractional and Medium AC motors regarding HP ratings? Point being would a 2.2kw motor be rated as 3hp under NEMA standards, 2.1kw?


LOL, You mean we wouldn't get to burn the President's house?

Man, you take all the fun out things..............Rod.

[Van Huskey]

LOL, You mean we wouldn't get to burn the President's house?

Man, you take all the fun out things..............Rod.

I actually don't care what you do, it is just a diversion for my grand scheme, while everyone is tied up in the hostilities I am coming in to liberate Quebec! I am gonna give them a new flag, let all the non-Francophiles leave and for my trouble I get St. Helen's Island. I am going to build a house and turn the casino into a huge workshop. Spend my days driving cars around the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, my night playing in the wood shop and only let visitors on the island for the F1 race once a year. I will probably get New Foundland in the deal as well, don't need it though, wanna make me an offer? I prefer to be paid in wood.

[Larry Gipson]

Hi Kevin,

I'm going through the saw now, figuring out how it's built, how it works, cleaning things, trying to tune it, and so forth. I'm taking pictures as I go and am thinking about posting a thread. It's amazing. It's as if this saw was never used except to cut a few boards. There's sawdust but no scratches. The cast iron surface is dirty, had a slight rust, but only 1 small surface scratch. I've taken the guides off, cleaned them, and put them back. I've cleaned the tires and the blade. I've lightly sanded a few rough spot on the tires after cleaning the crud off them with Blade & Bit. The table is is way out of alignment with the blade and I spent some time today trying to figure out the adjustments. The plastic insert around the blade protruded above the table around 1/32" so it has always disturbed the cut. (This was caused by a flaw in the table casting). I sanded the plastic insert to the point where the adjustment screws actually do something. I've cleaned the table at least 4 times now with T9, but still a black gunk comes off - each time the table is brighter. I'm not really sure the wheels are coplanar in that the blade sticks out beyond the tire about 1/8" more on the top wheel than on the bottom. Anyway, it's been fascinating to go through the saw. I didn't attempt to play with the 4 adjustments on the bottom axle, though I did take the bottom wheel off for cleaning and inspection. (The drive pulley is actually cast on the back of the lower wheel.) Doesn't take much to entertain me I guess :-) It has a really great sawdust collection scheme both for the lower guides and the table. It would take some pictures to describe.

I actually could post a thread showing how the Agazanni saw is built compared to the original Jet jwbs-18, the 18x, and the qt - if anyone is interested. I have pics of each.

[Van Huskey]

I actually could post a thread showing how the Agazanni saw is built compared to the original Jet jwbs-18, the 18x, and the qt - if anyone is interested. I have pics of each.

Please do, we LOVE bandsaw threads around here. On top of that Agazzani is the most difficult Italian saw to get information/pictures about on the web.

[Rick Fisher]

Okay.. nobody laughed at my joke .. I fear it was either not funny, or I didn't tell it well ..

Explanation.. American woodworkers cant do metric because Metric is based on all 10's .. And prior to the invent of the sawstop.. few American woodworkers could count to ten .. cause .... geesh its a horrible joke when I explain it ..

Okay .. but now that everyone has a SS .. The next Generation should be able to work in Metric.

Phew..

[Van Huskey]

I thought you were playing off the 1 and 0 as in binary code and since the SS uses a "computer"...

I think the metric folks just take the easy way out, it takes 3 or so brain cells to add 1 1/4" + 3/32" and 17/64" on the fly. :D

I really do think when the argument gets heated it is really silly, why should it upset me that Rick uses the metric system??? The best furniture in the world has been made with both systems. US customary units are more cumbersome BUT I find the metric "argument" to be akin to German (or any other of a dozen languages) speaking people expecting English speaking people to abandon their native tongue since English is one of the least precise and rule oriented languages on earth. I actually find the language argument to be better founded since US customary units can be as accurate and precise as metric units it is simply a different scale on the same measuring unit.

BTW your joke was kinda obtuse, maybe try:

"What I came to realize is that with the invention of the Saw Stop, the next generation of America woodworkers will be able to understand and work in the metric system, because they will have enough fingers to count to ten..eh?

[Rick Fisher]

Van, your version is better.. I agree..

I also agree on the metric argument.. Most Canadians over 30 can do both because we got caught the switch .. I have never considered it worthwhile of a heated debate, but certainly worth playful poking.. :)