Bandsaw advice please

[Tim Passmore]

I'm in the market for a band saw that I could use for cutting bowl blanks and some occasional resawing. As with most people, funds are not unlimited, so I'm looking for the best value. Your advice and input is always appreciated.

[Gary Baler]

Tim, I turn alot of bowls. I've had the Rikon 14" bandsaw for a couple of years. It will cut up to 13" thick which gives a lot of clearance compared to more expensive saws. It has performed well for the money. I think I paid about $800 for it on sale at woodcraft. I cut most of my blanks with a chain saw then turn round blanks on the bandsaw. I did have a bearing freeze up. It cost $100 to repair. But ... I've probably cut out 7-800 bowls before that happened.

[Fred Belknap]

I have the 17" Grizzly and like it, it's a good saw for the money. Comes in a lot of set up so you can get more bell and whistles if you want.

[Dave Fritz]

I have the Rikon 14 inch as well. So far I've worn out and replaced the guide bearings and wheel tires. My only complaint is the sheet metal base. It's not as stable as I'd like so at some point I'll make my own base out of wood and use the metal one for storage.

Dave F.

[Roger Chandler]

I have two band saws........a large 18" jet and a grizzly 14" saw with a riser block. Since getting the grizz, I almost do not have to use the big jet. For features I have never seen a better bandsaw for the money in a 14" saw than the Grizzly G0555LX you see below.

http://cdn0.grizzly.com/pics/jpeg500/g/g0555lx-fbdac55a2988556070d2348205ff1e1d.jpgThis saw is a real performer, it has cast iron wheels for the blade which gives increased torque on the cut, two blade speeds, and carter style roler bearings that have easy adjustment to support the blade. I has a 1 hp motor, and I have cut the full capacity of my saw in thickness and it works really well. I have been pleased beyond my initial expectations with this saw............Not a better value on the market for $525 in my opinion and I did my research.

I have owned and used numerous 14" saws over the years including Delta, Powermatic, Jet, Reliant and others, and this saw will keep pace with the very best of them and not blink! Good luck!

I forgot to mention, the cam system for detensioning the blade is the best I have ever seen as well.............this saw is well built and is engineered to perform in many ways.

[Marty Tippin]

I've got the Grizzly 17" "Anniversary Edition" and absolutely love it. It's used mostly for bowl blanks and occasionally ripping rough lumber to size before milling. For the money, I'm not sure you could do any better.

I started out with the Grizzly 14" and it was just too small for most of the blanks I wanted to cut.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

I have a 14" Powermatic, and while it is a great saw, there are better values out there.

I would like to add this thought. Do you have a good chainsaw? As a turner, I would think that a good chainsaw would be a much better first investment than a band saw...... You can harvest wood, properly size blanks from logs, and I lop off the corners of bowl blanks with the chainsaw. It won't get it round like on a band saw, but that's what the lathe is for.... Just my $0.02.

[allen thunem]

if you want the definitive answer on bandsaws call Louis ittura at iturra design in jacksonville florida
google ittura design
he is the bandsaw guru
no affiliation with him

[Tim Passmore]

Kyle---- yes, I have a nice Stihl chainsaw and have used it to do exactly as you said----I've turned about 200 bowls this past year. Maybe a bandsaw isn't as necessary as I thought. However, I still do some flatwork and would really like to resawing some rough cut lumber before planing. Thanks everyone for your great input.

[philip labre]

Had a 14" Grizzly and the lower axle wore out. Bought an old American made Powermatic to replace it. Put new bearings in it and you'll have a heavy, solid saw for a reasonable price and some extra effort. Replace the bearings because the grease will get hard. With the exception of lathes (VFD, sliding heads) and Sawstop technology, I see very few advancements I can't live without or add to an older piece.

[John Beaver]

There is a review of 14" bandsaws in one of the latest Fine Woodworking Magazines. Might be worth a read.

[Jeffrey J Smith]

+1 for the Griz 14" band saw with a riser block - I think they sell it as the ultimate 14" bandsaw. Mine has done hard duty both cutting greenwood blanks and resawing flatwork for several years now without so much as a hitch. I did need to replace the guide bearings once - but that was more a function of how much green wood I cut with it not necessarily a problem with the guides. Great saw for the money - get it on one of their sales and it's under $500.

[John Shillabeer]

I too have a Grizzly GO 555 for several years and have been very satisfied with it. No repairs or replacements needed so far. I bought the extension for it and so can now cut material up to about 12 in thick (high). Another advantage for me was that I could run it on a regular 120 volt 20 Amp circuit.My model sits on a cast steel cabinet with a door and a very useful storage cabinet. Excellent value for money.
John

[Shawn Pachlhofer]

I've got a Grizzly 17" saw - (model G0513) that I picked up used earlier this year.

the only thing I don't like about it is that the wheels are aluminium - but I'm not doing any resawing, so I don't think it's that big of a deal that it does not have cast iron wheels.

OK - one more thing - I need to replace the tires - and choices for 17" bandsaw tires are limited :(

I did upgrade the thrust and roller bearings to a Carter system.

[Al Wasser]

My GrizGO555 is a piece of garbage. Clearly the worst tool I ever bought

[Steve Peterson]

OK - one more thing - I need to replace the tires - and choices for 17" bandsaw tires are limited :(

I never understood why Grizzly bandsaws are all odd sizes. The rest of the world is 14", 18", 24", etc. Griz is 17", 19". It makes it harder to find tires.

Steve

[Roger Chandler]

My GrizGO555 is a piece of garbage. Clearly the worst tool I ever bought

Al the G0555 has aluminum wheels.........not sure why you got the model you did, but my G0555LX model is super performer, and it has cast iron, computer balanced wheels and heavy duty bearings on it. I would be interested in hearing your issues with your saw. Mine has excellent precision on the setup and I have cut blanks 11.75" thick on it with a good blade and it has just done everything I have asked of it. It resaws superbly, and while I have a large Jet saw, I rarely use it anymore, because of the success I have had with the Grizzly G0555LX.

[Dok Yager]

I currently have a Shop Fox W1706 14" bandsaw, exactly like Rogers Grizzly with the extension riser. It uses 105" blades and has all the same features with a cabinet base. I use it for re-sawing as well as sawing all types of woods. It is a very good saw for the money on a tight budget. If and when I get a bigger saw it will be the Grizzly GO513 with the footbrake. This is one hack of a saw! My friend has one and we have re-sawed some Big pieces of mesquite, maple, az rosewood and acacia as well as some walnut and it has never flinched yet.

[Ryan Baker]

Given that your stated uses are rounding turning blanks and (especially) resawing rough lumber, I would strongly recommend something in the 18-20" class of saws over the typical 14" if you can swing the funds. It really makes a huge difference. I have an 18" Rikon and it is great. But if that is out of range, go for one of the better 14" saws, such as the Rikon deluxe or a Grizzly with cast iron wheels and a riser block. Blade choice and machine setup make a big difference too.

[Lee Watermann]

Just ordered a Laguna 18-3000 on sale for $2054 from Acme machinery and free delivery. Cuts 15" deep. It's not uncommon for me to cut 12 to 13" bowl blanks and with this I can cut rounds in half on end. I considered all of the above but I would always want something bigger so I didn't want to play work up. I just got rid of my Delta 14.

[Jon Shank]

The bigger the better generally but the 14" saws are usually both a good compromise in price and capability. I picked up a Rigid 14" and for the money it's a heck of a saw that's on sale often. I've seen a lot of varied reviews of it so YMMV but I've had good luck with it. You can get the delta riser block as a direct bolt on riser if you need that and the standard Kreg fence is a straight fit too(I've got both on it and they work fine). Not the best saw on the market, but alot of bang for the buck, and again, I have no complaints at all. It's a way to go anyway.

Jon

[Pat Scott]

I used to have one of the first Laguna LT14 bandsaws, which was a good saw when I only did flatwork. But it only had 8.5" resaw which wasn't enough for turning.

Later I inherited my Dad's Delta/Rockwell 12" saw. I put a riser block on it for 12" resaw, but even that wasn't enough at times. Not to mention it only had a 1hp motor that would bog down and stall when cutting 12" wet blanks. It was a lightweight saw that moved around the floor when trying to cut blanks. Maybe it was the mobile base, but still that wasn't good.

I sold them both and said I'm going to buy a saw that does everything I want now and can handle anything I might want in the future. Three years ago I bought an Agazzani B20-20 and have been completely happy. Solid, heavy, smooth running, vibration free. 20" resaw, 20" throat, 4.8hp motor, dual dust collection ports, large cast iron table, heavy trunnion, dual drive belts, foot brake, it has everything I wanted. I've resawed 16"-17" and it doesn't know the different between that and 6". Yes it costs more than some of the others, but you won't regret it.

[Roger Chandler]

Many of these upper end saws mentioned in this thread are super equipment. The original poster mentioned a limited budget and was looking for something affordable yet well performing. If funds were no object, I would recommend he purchase the best saw he could for the money and a larger saw........the Grizzly saw I have, and mentioned, is because I was looking for the same compromise in performance and price.........the G0555LX has met both needs with flying colors.

While there are bigger and no doubt better saws on the market, you will be hard pressed to find a better performing saw for the money..........I did a lot of research before I got the G0555LX. As mentioned I have a Jet 18" saw and am happy with it, but this 14" saw will do most of what the Jet will do, with the same resaw capacity in height, albeit, the motor power is better on the Jet. Still, with a good blade, the 14" Grizzly G0555LX will more than do the job with a reasonable feed rate.

Not in any way trying to sell anybody on the Grizzly saw.......I have no interest in doing that.........just don't want someone to pass on something that might just fit the bill they were looking for, because of a lack of information.

[Tim Passmore]

Thanks Roger---- you are right of n target. If I find oil in my backyard I certainly have a long wish list, but until then I'm looking for value at a reasonable price. I assume I should purchase the riser block with the Grizzly XL. Thank to all others for taking the time to provide insight.

[Doug Herzberg]

Pat, I'd like to see that Agazzani sometime. Is it a single phase motor? As to the OP's question, I have the 18" Rikon and have been happy. I struggled to decide between it and a 19" Grizzly and finally got the Rikon at a Woodcraft sale. It has two dust ports, but for ripping the length of the tree, they aren't too effective. I just got a carbide resaw blade but haven't really tried it out. From what I've read, the 14" Rikon has almost the same resaw capacity (about 12-13"), albeit with a smaller motor, but it is probably enough for bowl blanks. I think if I were in your position, I would go with the 14" Rikon or perhaps a Grizzly.

Before the Rikon, I had a 12" Craftsman, which when tuned up is a pretty good saw but way to small for bowls, and a 12" Atlas, which is old iron, but not great. The Rikon is easily the best bandsaw I've had, but that isn't saying much.

Be sure to wedge your logs or make other provisions to keep them from rolling, or you will damage your blade and may find yourself in a dangerous situation. Good hunting.

[Harry Robinette]

I've had my 18" Rikon for about 2 1/2 or 3 years and have only replaced the blade when they get dull.The machine was only I think $915.00 when I bought it. Great machine for resawing 13 1/2" and 18" deep throat that has large table you can cut big bowls I've done 24" blacks on it.As you can tell I really like this bandsaw.

[Roger Chandler]

Something I should add in this discussion on band saws.........that is the importance of having your saw tuned correctly......it will make a world of difference in the cut quality and the performance overall. Just this morning at our December meeting of the local club I belong to, one of our turners, a fairly seasoned woodworker asked me to come over and see if I could not help him get his saw operating correctly.......he said he does not get a straight cut no matter what he does.

I suspect his saw is out of tune. When I go over to his place next week, I will check the wheels for being co-planar. I will check the tracking adjustment and the blade tension. I will also check his upper and lower guides to see if they are properly adjusted, and the table to see if it is 90 degrees to the blade......things most wood workers just simply take for granted that they are correct from the factory........no always so!

I have worked on a number of different bandsaws over the years......some for myself and some for other people........I have replaced springs, tires, tension mechanisms, motors and bearings & guides.........you would not believe some of the issues I have seen just because people made the assumption that it was all good from the factory.

Just thought I would pass that info along, because for a bandsaw to perform the way it was designed, it must be tuned correctly, and when done correctly, most bandsaws will yield good results!

[Ron Rutter]

Roger. Most common reason for a blade not cutting straight is that it is dull on one side.

[Scott Brandstetter]

Tim, I always suggest craigslist. I got my Jet 14 inch with a riser block, several other upgrades, for a very good price. I just downloaded a craigslist phone app that will alert me when new postings are made for items I'm intersted in. I will say that with tools, you have to respond quick. Good luck with your purchase

[Steve Doerr]

I have had the Grizzly G0513X2 for several years (almost 10 I would say) and it has proven to be a very good saw for me. It does both bowl blanks and re-saw very well. Mine has case iron wheels and is a very dependable machine. Just had to replace the tires and put in new blade guides. The wet wood does not always play well with ball bearing guides. I would not hesitate in getting another one if I ever needed a new one or recommending it to someone to purchase. Just my two cents worth.
Steve

[Justin Stephen]

I also have the Rikon 14" ("Deluxe") and have had it for about four years now. I don't use heavily but it does see steady use and it has performed flawlessly for me so far. All I've changed are the blades from time to time.

[Stan Smith]

.I have a mini max 16" band saw with a carbide resaw blade on it. It may be more than you want to pay since there are many responses from folks who are satisfied with saws that cost a lot less. Sometimes if I have just a little corner lopping to do, I use my Milwaukee sawzall with a long blade. I don't cut wood with a chainsaw anymore since we don't heat with wood now.

[Judson Green]

Golly, no one has mentioned a vintage delta 14"?

With a riser block it'll do all that your asking and you'll still have a bunch of cabbage left for other goodies.

You might wanna add your location, other creekers might let you test drive their saws. I'm near Milwaukee.

[David C. Roseman]

Golly, no one has mentioned a vintage delta 14"?

With a riser block it'll do all that your asking and you'll still have a bunch of cabbage left for other goodies.

You might wanna add your location, other creekers might let you test drive their saws. I'm near Milwaukee.

O.k., I'll mention it, at the risk of starting a dust-up. :) Bought my 30 y/o Rockwell 14" bandsaw new, back before they rebranded that model as Delta (same saw). Very well made, with cast iron wheels. I added the riser and put a 1 HP G.E. motor on it. I agree that it's a wonderful saw, but would not recommend it for cutting large, heavy bowl blanks. Since the OP already knows he wants to cut bowl blanks, we really need to ask how large would the largest be? In my experience, a 7"-thick, 14" wide green half-round of Black Walnut, Silver Maple, or even Black Cherry can bog down a 14" saw fairly easily, even with a new 1/2" or 3/8" 3tpi hook-tooth blade. Cutting a circle, especially in a not-completely-flat half-round puts more stress on the saw than resawing veneer from a 10"-thick piece of dimensioned lumber. YMMV, but it is not enough saw for me for that purpose. Earlier this year I added a Grizzly G0513X2 to the shop, with cast-iron 17" wheels and 2 HP, and it's night and day. As others have said, a chainsaw can rough out a bowl blank, no question about that. A chainsaw and a sturdy 14" bandsaw will get the job done. But if Tim plans to go big fairly often, I suggest a hard look at the bigger saws for a few hundred dollars more. The G0513X2 is on sale right now for $1,050. Just as you can always turn small stuff on a large lathe, but not always vice versa, you can always cut small stuff on a 17" or 18" bandsaw. Speaking of 17" wheels, a couple of members have remarked that it's harder to find replacement tires for that size. :confused: Grizzly sells very nice urethane tires for those wheels for $22.50 a pair.

[Roger Chandler]

Great poinst all, David! I agree with everything you said.........yours is a voice of experience! When the original poster mentioned limited budget, I took that to mean that he was looking for a saw that would get the job done, but not cost him much. Excepting he finds a good used saw on the cheap, the 14" range will get the job done, provided it is set up right and has a good blade...........a larger saw would be better and if money is available for one, that is certainly the way to go!

As 14" saws go, the G0555LX has exceeded performance of any other 14" saw I have ever used.......and I have used just about all of them on the market at one time or another, either in a friends shop or my own. 25 years plus if woodworking has left me with some real time experience as well with a lot of equipment. The blade de-tensioning mechanism on the G0555LX is what separates it from the Powermatic, as the PM is a good saw......the cam lock detensioning mechanism is the best I have ever seen and the most consistent I have used to date........I have set mine and got it where it will just properly re-tension the blade without any other adjustments, and I really like it, as I am sure you can tell! :D;)

[Scott Hackler]

When I first started turning and realized I would need a band saw, I went to Sears and bought the biggest band saw they offered. It has been a decent saw, no complaints there...but I found out within a few months that the blade length was an odd size and I was locked into buying the 3 pack of 3 different sized blades at Sears! Finally through our local turning club, they found a supplier of very good blades that were cut to order.

Also, the Rikon 14 was on sale a month after buying my Craftsman for $100 more than I paid and it is a slightly bigger/better saw.

[Shawn Pachlhofer]

O.k., I'll mention it, at the risk of starting a dust-up. :) Bought my 30 y/o Rockwell 14" bandsaw new, back before they rebranded that model as Delta (same saw). Very well made, with cast iron wheels. I added the riser and put a 1 HP G.E. motor on it. I agree that it's a wonderful saw, but would not recommend it for cutting large, heavy bowl blanks. Since the OP already knows he wants to cut bowl blanks, we really need to ask how large would the largest be? In my experience, a 7"-thick, 14" wide green half-round of Black Walnut, Silver Maple, or even Black Cherry can bog down a 14" saw fairly easily, even with a new 1/2" or 3/8" 3tpi hook-tooth blade. Cutting a circle, especially in a not-completely-flat half-round puts more stress on the saw than resawing veneer from a 10"-thick piece of dimensioned lumber. YMMV, but it is not enough saw for me for that purpose. Earlier this year I added a Grizzly G0513X2 to the shop, with cast-iron 17" wheels and 2 HP, and it's night and day. As others have said, a chainsaw can rough out a bowl blank, no question about that. A chainsaw and a sturdy 14" bandsaw will get the job done. But if Tim plans to go big fairly often, I suggest a hard look at the bigger saws for a few hundred dollars more. The G0513X2 is on sale right now for $1,050. Just as you can always turn small stuff on a large lathe, but not always vice versa, you can always cut small stuff on a 17" or 18" bandsaw. Speaking of 17" wheels, a couple of members have remarked that it's harder to find replacement tires for that size. :confused: Grizzly sells very nice urethane tires for those wheels for $22.50 a pair.
I like choices - and there aren't many choices in that size tire.

I ended up buying the orange ones someone else mentioned in this thread. The should arrive any day now. I had the blue (Carter) tires on my previous saw, and really liked them.

[Pat Scott]

O.k., I'll mention it, at the risk of starting a dust-up. :) Bought my 30 y/o Rockwell 14" bandsaw new, back before they rebranded that model as Delta (same saw). Very well made, with cast iron wheels. I added the riser and put a 1 HP G.E. motor on it. I agree that it's a wonderful saw, but would not recommend it for cutting large, heavy bowl blanks. Since the OP already knows he wants to cut bowl blanks, we really need to ask how large would the largest be? In my experience, a 7"-thick, 14" wide green half-round of Black Walnut, Silver Maple, or even Black Cherry can bog down a 14" saw fairly easily, even with a new 1/2" or 3/8" 3tpi hook-tooth blade. Cutting a circle, especially in a not-completely-flat half-round puts more stress on the saw than resawing veneer from a 10"-thick piece of dimensioned lumber. YMMV, but it is not enough saw for me for that purpose. Earlier this year I added a Grizzly G0513X2 to the shop, with cast-iron 17" wheels and 2 HP, and it's night and day. As others have said, a chainsaw can rough out a bowl blank, no question about that. A chainsaw and a sturdy 14" bandsaw will get the job done. But if Tim plans to go big fairly often, I suggest a hard look at the bigger saws for a few hundred dollars more.

I inherited my Dad's 30 year old Rockwell 14" saw when he died. My intent was to make that my dedicated bowl turning saw since I already had a Laguna LT14. My Dad had already upgraded the original motor to a 1hp Baldor. I sunk another $400 into the saw with a riser kit, Carter ball bearing guides, magnetic on/off switch, link belt, Carter blade tensioning spring, and a few other goodies. I should have saved my money as the saw never did what I wanted. Luckily I recouped my money when I sold it! Like David said, it would easily bog down and stall cutting 7" thick wet blanks. I also had a problem getting the proper tension out of the blade due to the frame flexing. I came to the realization that the saw just wasn't built for what I was trying to make it do. I sold the Rockwell and my Laguna, and said I'm going to buy a saw that will be the last saw I'll ever need or want. Maybe I went overboard, but like David also said, the difference is like night and day.

I know the OP said funds were not unlimited. What I wanted to do was help him avoid being disappointed in buying a saw based solely on cost. Sometimes you think you want something, but never consider other saws because you didn't know about them. Someone tells you about or you read about something that changes your thinking, and you're glad you did.

[Jack Gaskins]

My GrizGO555 is a piece of garbage. Clearly the worst tool I ever bought

Another vote for NOT getting a GO555! Some like them some don't and I am definitely one that does not!

[Brad Morrow]

My GrizGO555 is a piece of garbage. Clearly the worst tool I ever bought

I have a Record BS500 that shares similarities with Al's remarks.

Sometimes the names/brands we trust let us down immensely, but we learn from our mistakes (hopefully).