Bandsaw Advice for a Professional shop.

[Nick Christensen]

Hello all, I am in the market for a new bandsaw for my shop. I am going to AWFS to look at everything, but I wanted some advice/opinions. I will be using the saw for resawing and some scroll cutting. I have been looking at the Mini-Max 16, the Laguna Italian made 18" and the Hammer N4400. Just yesterday I saw the Powermatic PM1500 for the first time and was impressed. I like the PM1800 but is a little out of the price range. The thing I am most worried about is service. The Powermatic seems like it would be the easiest to get serviced, but the others may never need much service. So what are your opinions/ experiences that would be helpful?

Thanks,

Nick Christensen

[David Kumm]

Others will have to speak for the PM. The MM16 is the heaviest with the strongest frame so it will be the best resaw, followed by the Laguna ACM 18. Very good saw but a little lighter considering the larger wheels and table weight. The hammer 4400 is a nice saw but not a real resaw. It has been stiffened up and will resaw although not in a league with the MM or ACM. ACM 20" is more of a resaw machine than the 18 but the 18 has a little more scroll ability than the MM16. In a commercial setting I would start with a good resaw machine that can scroll and eventually find another saw just for small work. Changing blades will get old as it requires adjusting guides, tracking, etc. and the wrong blade is always the one on the saw. There have been a bunch of used Centuro MM 24" saws for sale recently in the 2000-2500 range that I would look at. Dave

[Erik Loza]

If I could give prospective owners one piece of advice, it would be to buy as much bandsaw as you can afford and as you have room for.

Been doing this for ten years and never had a customer bitch about having "too much" bandsaw. On the other hand, the number of times I have heard, "If I start all over again...". But, you alread spent the money by that point and are stuck with it, for better or worse.

Best of luck in your search. Oh, by the way, I am not sure we will have an MM16 to show in Vegas. Bandsaw sales have been unusually strong for the seond quarter of 2013 and I am booked into late July on the MM16's, so may not have one to send to the show.

Erik Loza
Minimax USA

[Nick Christensen]

Well Eric, I guess if all you could have at the show was the MM20 I guess I would just have to buy that instead :rolleyes:. I live fairly close to Vegas so I will be driving my truck to the show and would like to buy something there if I could. So if you did have an MM16 there I would most likely buy it.

[Erik Loza]

Well Eric, I guess if all you could have at the show was the MM20 I guess I would just have to buy that instead :rolleyes:. I live fairly close to Vegas so I will be driving my truck to the show and would like to buy something there if I could. So if you did have an MM16 there I would most likely buy it.

Nick, please see my PM. Especially my thoughts on "show pickup" from an event like AWFS.

Thanks,

Erik Loza
Minimax USA

[David Kumm]

The MM 20 is about as perfect as a small steel saw gets. I'm a cast iron guy so small is relative. Dave

[Gus Dundon]

MM16 is definitely a nice built band saw. What was the price again?

[Glenn Ancona]

David is correct about multiple machines but even if is a pain you can always put the smaller blade on the larger machine. Go Eriks route and get as much saw as you can !! Having sized up B.S's last year we picked a 24" machine. We had it maxed out cutting a hollow log for a coffee table base this week- could have used a touch more under the upper guides - suddenly a 32" does not seem to big.