24" Lobo Bandsaw - how does this saw stack up?

[marty shultz]

I'm on the hunt for a larger bandsaw. I saw a 10 yr old 28" Lobo recently but I don't know much about the brand. Who makes Lobo and how does it compare to the better Italian saws? It has a 10 hp, 3ph motor with a power converter so it will run on a 30 amp, single phase power. I don't know what type of converter it has.

Thanks.

[Loren Woirhaye]

Lobo is an importer based in Los Angeles who deal in industrial class woodworking machinery. They serve pro shops and around here there are a lot of Lobo machines in shops, presumably because they have pretty quick delivery on the more common ones. While I would have concerns about buying a Lobo sliding table saw, edgebander, or construction boring machine, a basic machine like a band saw is probably going to be a good one. Lobo wide belt sanders are popular in California pro shops.

[Tai Fu]

I found this site

http://www.finewoodworking.com/tool-guide/product-finder/lobo-machinery-corp-18-in-bandsaw-bs-0181.aspx

I can't read it because I do not have a fine woodworking account, but it appears to be the exact same bandsaw I have (sans foot brake, even though it said it had one).

I'll just say that for the most part it's a pretty good bandsaw but the guides are really fussy, so you may have to upgrade them. It also lacks a tension spring.

[marty shultz]

The magazine reviewed an 18" model. The one I'm asking about is the 28" model. Which one do you have?

[Tai Fu]

I have the 18", but their 24" appears to be fairly heavy..

This is about all I can find: http://www.lobomachine.com/products_detail.asp?id=12

Lobo doesn't give much info on their products... probably a very vintage company who imported stuff so doesn't have the same online presence like Jet/Delta/Grizzly...

Plan on ditching the stock fence, mine was a one piece cast iron thing that can't be adjusted at all and had problems being square to the table (the rotational force imparted by the screw knob made squaring the thing impossible). I replaced it with Grizzly G0514x2's fence and it changed the saw from lame to great. Perhaps Grizzly makes a fence that fits 24" saws.