Opinion on older Bridgewood saw

[Chris Lee]

I have recently gotten rid of a great Hammer Bandsaw as i wasnt using it much, but i recently found a guy closing down a shop offering me a Bridgewood PBS540 in decent shape, italian made from 96. I know these things are built like a tank and he just replaced the motor. I should be able to pick it up for around $500. I hadnt planned on a big bandsaw as i have a 14" Jet. But this deal seems too good for me to pass up to get a monster saw. Hes supposed to send me some more pics, but what ive seen so far seems pretty good.

Should i jump? If i do what should i look for? My guess is i will be replacing tires and probably bearings, but that shouldnt be too big a deal? Everything else is basically just steel.

What the consensus on these? Am i over inflating the deal? The idea of a 5 hp 600lb italian made saw just seems to be calling me :o).

Hes also got some clamps and various othr goodies i may bite one.

[Stephen Cherry]

Run, Forrest, run.

[David Kumm]

Bridgewood sourced their saws from ACM and they were well built. Don't tell anyone else, just go get it. Dave

[Erik Loza]

Do it, you will never run across that kind of deal again. Very well built saw, what a steal.

Erik Loza
Minimax USA

[Mike Heidrick]

Why did he replace the motor. How could you hurt it. If he did it right Its worth 2X-3X that price.

BUT no pics didn't happen. ;)

[Chris Lee]

Trust me i share your guys opinions with moving fast. Hes a couple hours away so i asked for some pics as the pics he sent me were of the model tag, one wheel, and he back of the saw. All were fuzzy and poor quality. The machine ws used in a shop that made fiberglass molds and at some point they blew the motor this guy said. He said it was replaced with a factory motor just recently. Im having trouble believing that as the new motor had to cost him a pretty penny alone. Anyways, the machine is in his warehouse storage that he cant get to until Saturday. Hes going to send me some more detailed pics and then i plan on going to get it unless the rest of the saw is destroyed. My hesitation is since it saw commercial use, i may get a good deal on the saw but end up spending another 500+ to get it working well.

We shall see. I have talked to him and he seems like an honest guy. My understanding is he bought a bunch of machines from his hoss when they closed the company. He also has some other heavy duty table saws etc, but all 3 phase.

I assure you if this works out i will post up some pics.


Can you guys advise what all i should look at when i go to look at the machine to make dure theres no major issues? Its a bandsaw, so how many issues could there. Be right?

[Peter Kuhlman]

Not really relevant but I have a Bridgewood cabinet saw and it is built like a tank. Wonderful quality machine. If the bandsaws are built anything like mine, it is an absolute steal.

Too bad Van Husky is not around for tips. I would take a 6" square to verify that the table can be tilted and returned to true vertical. Maybe a straight edge to check the table flatness. Maybe a long - 4 foot - straight edge to verify if the wheels are coplaner top to bottom - can be adjusted normally but might give you an idea if the frame has been overtorqued and is bent. Look at the belts - should be a standard type but could be something weird and hard to get. Hand spin the wheels - mine will spin for quite a while afterwards - lets you know bearing condition - and listen for bearing noise. Whobble the wheels again to check bearings. Mine whobbled even when new and it is due to the way the top wheel is hung so not necessarily an indicator of an issue. Check the guides - I am sure you can get Carter guides for it if you need replacements. Ask about blade sizes it can handle - does it have a manual? How easy will it be to connect dust collection? Check the motor - is it 3 phase or single phase?

Hope that helps.

[Chris Lee]

Thanks for the info. Ive never bought something like this used before so not sure what im looking for.He has told me this is single phase. Ive seen some rough pictures, but nothing detailed. What ive seen looks good. But it was also taken before the new motor was attached and the table was covered with a 4x8 sheet of MDF, but he says the table is there and fine. Has a couple blades. He just emailed me and said the switch was dead, but he is replacing it himself now. So we shall see. Hopefully on Sunday i will have a nice gloat :o)

[Alden Miller]

I have a Bridgewood bandsaw and I think it is a great piece of equipment. Sounds like the one you are looking at is even larger than the one I have, I am jealous!


-Alden

[John Bailey]

Before I went vintage, the 540's little brother, the 440, was my dream saw. Hope it works out for you and we get to see some pictures. Too bad they quit making these saws.

[Erik Loza]

Thanks for the info. Ive never bought something like this used before so not sure what im looking for.He has told me this is single phase. Ive seen some rough pictures, but nothing detailed. What ive seen looks good. But it was also taken before the new motor was attached and the table was covered with a 4x8 sheet of MDF, but he says the table is there and fine. Has a couple blades. He just emailed me and said the switch was dead, but he is replacing it himself now. So we shall see. Hopefully on Sunday i will have a nice gloat :o)

Chris, even if you have to put another $1K into it, it is still a great deal. There is nowhere you will be able to find a 20"+ ACM saw for this price. Also, I believe Bridgewood was buying the heaver "PB" chassis from ACM, as opposed to the lighter "Star" line, which are more commonly resold by a dealer, today.

Bearings, switches, even the motor are all replaceable (possibly his original motor was the 50Hz version, which could explain why it burned out). Even light surface rust, I would not worry about. All that stuff is easy to fix. The only concern would be if there was a major structural issue such as damaged chassis component or missing part. Anyway, good luck with it.

Erik Loza
Minimax USA

[David Kumm]

Check the trunnions for problems. The table isn't all that important so it will seldom be hurt enough to cause problems. In a perfect world you would remove the top wheel, check the spindle, and the support housing for the tension mechanism but that is often difficult. If the machine looks solid you don't have enough in it to obsess over everything. If it is being sold for that price it likely isn't pristine but there isn't much to go wrong with a bandsaw. I would tension it and watch for any creaks, groans, or weirdness. Most Bridgewood stuff was from Taiwan but quality control was good. the bandsaw was an exception in being European. Dave

[Chris Lee]

So I am finding out now he is not replacing the power switch so I can't verify how much works and not. He is sending me some pics and everything looks ok. Little rust on the the table. Older style euro guides I'd probable replace. I may get him down to 4-500 hopefully.

If I have to reach all the electronics does anyone know what I'm looming at? Is it just a mag switch or m

[David Kumm]

elecronics are usually pretty easy to replace on Ebay. Just need to know what you have. Dave

[Chris Lee]

Here are some pics. Thoughts? Hes wont go below 600 and the motor was rebuilt, not a new one. Plus this looks to only be about a 2.5 hp motor and i thought these came wit 5 hp motors?


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae151/xxpalmer/1AA6B423-7971-4DCA-A59C-FAA6B1B8412A-9650-00000B6CE9A044CB_zpsf64cc834.jpg

[Chris Lee]

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae151/xxpalmer/4D63B4C4-5648-4624-B6E2-B1ADBF75D022-9650-00000B6CE6832844_zps07af7a03.jpg

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae151/xxpalmer/4052241E-7F16-4F1E-8407-2E6F744CF562-9650-00000B6CE0471A0F_zps0f86b870.jpg

[Chris Lee]

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae151/xxpalmer/42C3C564-9110-4E64-8E97-A32E027EFCC0-9650-00000B6CDA83CADD_zpsbdee18d3.jpg

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae151/xxpalmer/B37AEEC9-9F49-4685-97E5-2F768154B7D0-9650-00000B6CEC79CFF8_zpsaaaaf8f9.jpg

[David Wong]

I have a 2004 Felder 540, which was also built by ACM. It looks almost exactly like the Bridgewood. My bandsaw came with a 2.2kW motor (~3hp). One issue I recently discovered is that the table has drooped at the split. This model saw does not seem to have a pin to keep the tables in alignment. I will have to play with the leveling bolts underneath the table to coax it back into alignment. Otherwise the saw has been great. I mainly use either a 1 inch Lenox tri-master, or a 1-1/4 inch Laguna kerf king blade. I paid almost 3 times the asking price of your saw three years ago.

[Chris Lee]

Thanks for the info. I'm pretty sure I'm going forward and will try and reach the guides, tires may e have the table machines flat if its drooling. Gonna have to find a switch but should be easy to do. Probably add a Laguna drift aster fence and do a lot of clean up. I think I can make this quite the saw with little investment. After I fix it up I could probably sell it for more than I put in it, but I don't know why I'd want to :o)

[David Kumm]

Looks to be in good shape. The table can be helped by adjusting it at the trunnion supports and the electrics will be easy to find. Even a motor in the future would not be out of the question. Since you paid full price for a N4400 you should be happy to cough up the 600 for this saw. Even fixed up you will be in for way less than before and have a much heavier saw. Motor is a little light but these were usually three phase with a bigger motor. When sold as single phase the motor got smaller. Frame strength is much more important than hp. Dave

[Jim Andrew]

So did you buy it? That saw looks like my Minimax. Except the wrong color.

[Chris Lee]

Im going to pick it up tomorrow afternoon. The price is the only reason i am buying. I had decided i can get by with my Jet 14 which was why i sold the Hammer. With the discount i got on the Hammer and i traded it for a camera lens and some cash, it worked out real well me and i ended up about breakng even or close enough. But ive always wanted a big saw. The Hammer is nice an the other 16" saws are good but yhis thing is a beast. Im gonna clean it up and find a switch, i think i can get upgraded guides from laguna or carter. If i have to replace a motor or want more power i can probably find a motor for not too much damage. Either way i think it should work out good. Cost wasnt the ssue for me. Its more can i resurect(spelling) this great machine and keep 2 saws. I will post pics as i rebuild it, assuming my back survives getting it home and in my shop :o).

[David Kumm]

Chris, play with the saw before you decide on guides. If the saw is strong enough to tension in the 25-30000 range the guides almost become unnecessary. If you run a 3/4" trimaster or RK for resawing you won't even touch the guides enough to care. Dave

[Rich Riddle]

That saw looks very similar to the Agazzani N'RA 600 saws. What size are the wheels?

[David Kumm]

That saw looks very similar to the Agazzani N'RA 600 saws. What size are the wheels?

They will be slightly smaller 540mm vs 600. Should be about the same weight though. Dave

[Chris Lee]

Unfortunately im not sure if this will happen or not. I was supposed to pick it up this afternoon, but my wife needed my truck to take the kids and girlfriends to an outing up in northern virginia. I tried to reschedule pick up time to another day as i now had no way to get it home. I even told him if someone came along and bought it before i could get there i understood as he said several people were interested in it. He flipped out and started sending me nasty texts etc. i apologized, but i still wanted the saw, just couldnt get it today.

I think i am done with this. He has changed his story so many times. First it was him selling, then his boss. It was running perfect, then it was no starter switch, new motor, then rebuilt motor, then his attitude today. I know its a good deal but im not a fan of doing business with people that turn sketchy on me. We'll see..if it hasnt sold by next week, maybe i will hit him up again. I dont know, just dont have that excitment about the saw i did at first.

[Erik Loza]

That is off-the-wall, Chris. I hope it works out for you.

Erik Loza
Minimax USA

[Stephen Cherry]

I think i am done with this. He has changed his story so many times. First it was him selling, then his boss. It was running perfect, then it was no starter switch, new motor, then rebuilt motor, then his attitude today. I know its a good deal but im not a fan of doing business with people that turn sketchy on me. We'll see..if it hasnt sold by next week, maybe i will hit him up again. I dont know, just dont have that excitment about the saw i did at first.

Chris- you need to listen to yourself- if you are getting a bad vibe, just walk away. If he is sending you nasty texts, let him know that you will not be harrassed, and report him to the authorities. I think that the bridgewood is a nice saw, but it's not the only nice saw, and good ones do come up on occasion. I had the opportunity to buy one at one time that looked like it had only been used just a few times. I was offering 800, he wanted 1k. (This would have involved me selling my aggazzani),

Don't think twice- just let him go. A better deal will come up.

[Carl Beckett]

Well, my experience on CL is that there is quite a bit of noise to sort through. Sometimes it sails along, but other times its poor descriptions, no shows, inaccurate model even.

Thats just the nature of it. My advice is to just ride it along without getting emotionally invested until the deal is done. If it works out, great. If not, there is always another.

All of this is just part of the overhead of searching for 'deals'.....

Goodluck, but dont be afraid to step away if it becomes a hassle.

[Myk Rian]

let him know that you will not be harrassed, and report him to the authorities.
What authorities? Are you kidding? Report him for what?

[Stephen Cherry]

What authorities? Are you kidding? Report him for what?

Not kidding at all, you are not allowed to harass by text message. Depending on the content of the harrassing messages, I would call the local police.

[Myk Rian]

I would call the local police.
I hardly think a band saw is worth the trouble.

[Stephen Cherry]

I hardly think a band saw is worth the trouble.


He flipped out and started sending me nasty texts etc..

Myk- we do not know the content of the "nasty texts"; we don't know how nasty and we don't know how many. I can see one text from the seller expressing disappointment, but something beyond that is out of line. As I understand it, there are laws related to this sort of thing.

[David Kumm]

We are all speculating without the story here. I wouldn't send texts but if i arranged my Sunday for a pickup and got a call from the buyer that "my wife needed the truck so I can't make it" I'd likely express more than disappointment. I don't think that is what happened either but we really don't know enough to judge. Dave

[Rich Riddle]

He's listed the same saw in three different listings today, one at $600, one $550, and one make an offer. Each listing says something different concerning condition. His lack of changing his ad in lieu of repeated postings says something about him. He seems desperate for money.

[Chris Lee]

Well, this may be back on. He emailed me and offered it to me for 500 if i was still interested and can get it by thisnweekend. I told him i was still interested and our issues last weekend were the only reason i had lost interest. So im going down saturday morning to pick it up barring any frame issues, but everything looks ok in the pictures. It needs some work, but really now just a switch. I may have to have you guys point me in the right direction for the switch if you could, but ill let you know how it goes saturday morning. Im taking my dad, who is law enforcement with the sherriffs office and another law enforcement buddy to help me load it. I am always cautious with craigslist stuff until im loaded and down the road.

thanks for following this ordeal of mine. Hopefully we will end up with a happy ending.

chris

[Bryan Cowing]

I picked up a used 20" Mini Max with my little Ford Ranger. I took off the tailgate and 2 of use tipped it on it's back till it rested against the bed of the truck, and then shoved it in . Make sure you take heavy duty straps. Maybe take a bud to help as 700+ pounds of bandsaw. Tipping it back up on a concrete floor was hard, bandsaw kept sliding out of truck bed. Hope all goes well:)

[Mark Denovich]

I always meet the nicest people buying stuff over the internet... maybe it's just me.

Good luck with the saw. I missed buying one of those a few years ago. Bandsaws are so simple, it should be easy to get it performing... It's just never going to be as pretty as my​ Hammer N4400. :)

[Chris Lee]

Thats hurts :) I do miss the Hammer a little bit, BUt Ill get over it when I get this big green monster all cleaned and polished up?

[Chris Lee]

Well, she is home. Just have to get her out of my truck now. Gonna strip her down and clean all the buildup inside and then figure out how to wire the switches and motor up and I'll be in business!

[Jim O'Dell]

Glad it worked out and you are happy with the saw and the deal. Excited to see it's transformation!! Jim.

[mreza Salav]

That looks a lot like my Griggio (just a different color). That price is a steal for such a bandsaw! you'll have a great machine once you clean it up.

[David Kumm]

That looks a lot like my Griggio (just a different color). That price is a steal for such a bandsaw! you'll have a great machine once you clean it up.

Should be the same saw. Griggio are ACM too. Dave