Delta vs Rikon

[joe maday]

I have a delta 14" bandsaw with a USA 1hp motor, I have a delta riser block. My intensions were to put on the riser, get a re-saw blade, make a higher fence, and be able to rip some figured 8"-11"boards (walnut,Maple) for veneers. Then I was reading about the new Rikon 14" 3hp prof. bandsaw ($1699). it will re-saw 14". I visited a tool dealer and saw the older Rikon 2 1/2hp prof. bandsaw($1400) floor model, and the dealer, wanting to make room for the new stock offered the saw at 1200.
Now.... should I ....continue on the idea of rising the delta maybe need a larger HP motor (more cost)...or bite the bullet and jump for last year's Rikon. The difference seems to be just the color and the extra 1/2hp (Taiwan vs Baldor) between the two Rikons. Any opinions? anyone do much re-sawing with the delta/riser block?

[Prashun Patel]

The extra horse power vs your Delta is nice to have.

You can certainly make your Delta work, but if you have the funds, a larger saw is a dream - especially for taller resaws.

[lowell holmes]

If the Delta is an older model, I wouldn't have any issues with keeping it unless I wanted a larger saw. I have a riser block on 14" jet and I get along with it just fine.

[Cary Falk]

I think this is a lipstick on a pig thing. I had a 14" Delta that I hated. It had a vibration problem and was underpowered. I thought about sinking money into it like you. I don't see sinking a lot of money in a 14" CI bandsaw if you are going to do any amount of resawing. I sold my Delta and bought a Grizzly 513X2 and I am much happier. I thought the Rikons used to sell for $999 twice a year at Woodcraft?

[John McClanahan]

If you can get by with 12" of rewash, take a look at the 17" grizzly and save some money.

John

[Mike Cutler]

Joe

It's a little unclear to me which Rikon you are considering. I'm not sure that a 14" would be my first choice. I would step up to 18" so that a blade with a thicker cross section could be utilized. The 14" wheel diameter will push some of the limits of some of the nicer re-saw blades and possibly lead to micro fracture fatigue issues.

Regardless, my opinion is that any of the 14" Delta's, or their clones, can be setup to re-saw. However a bigger, more powerful, bandsaw will do it better, faster, and more efficiently. I can re-saw with my 14" Jet, with riser block, all day long, but it is slow and tedious, and there are limitations. My 18" Rikon is a better re-sawing bandsaw than the Jet ever will be.

[Myk Rian]

I think you know what I would suggest.

309348

[Jeffrey Martel]

For that money, I'd buy a 17" or 19" Grizzly

[mike mcilroy]

I have a Rikon 14" deluxe model, about 8 yrs old. Love it it does everything I need. With that said I do agree if I could have got 14" of resaw capacity and the ability to put a 1" blade, for the same price at the time I probably would have got the larger Grizzly. Fortunately I don't have buyers remorse because Grizzly did not ship to Canada at the time.

[joe maday]

I would like to keep using the Delta because of the space limitations of having two saws (I'd hate to get rid of it because I've had it so long and it has worked so well). i'm also in a basement shop so ceiling height is a concern when rising the guide bar on the Rikon. The question comes down to if the 1 hp motor will be enough or would need to upgrade to more hp. then $350 in the Delta might not make sense. Need to make a decision because i do not think the Rikon will be available for long at that price. maybe get the Rikon and keep in the garage just to re-saw?

[Chuck Hart]

More HP is always the issue. I think what I hear is this is a good deal and you want to take advantage of the sale...However are you making a good decision because you want the HP and are not looking at the alternatives? I'm just trying to speak sensibly. I would take a deep breath and then ask myself what is it I really want? More HP or a good deal? Don't take this the wrong way I'm just asking questions.

[Curt Harms]

I would like to keep using the Delta because of the space limitations of having two saws (I'd hate to get rid of it because I've had it so long and it has worked so well). i'm also in a basement shop so ceiling height is a concern when rising the guide bar on the Rikon. The question comes down to if the 1 hp motor will be enough or would need to upgrade to more hp. then $350 in the Delta might not make sense. Need to make a decision because i do not think the Rikon will be available for long at that price. maybe get the Rikon and keep in the garage just to re-saw?

When I wanted a saw that would resaw 10"+, I bought a saw that was designed & built to resaw 10"+. If you can keep both saws, it's certainly convenient to not have to change blades. Another consideration is that the blade guides on larger saws may not work very well with narrow blades commonly used for curved and scroll work.

[Harold Weaver]

I'm with Myk Rian on this one. Keep the Delta with the riser block. If you just want to spend some money, slip a nice Leeson or Baldor 2 HP motor on it and never look back. Delta 14s are time proven technology and you can't go wrong with them.

Harold

[Wade Lippman]

I had a 14" 1.5hp Jet and didn't care for it. Moved up to a the 19" Grizzly. So so much nice to used. I am sure the 14" will do everything, but so would a handsaw.
When I moved I sold the Grizzly and downgraded to the 18" Rikon because I didn't use a BS enough to justify the huge difference in price. The Rikon is a nice saw also; though maybe not quite as powerful as the Grizz.

[Lee Reep]

If funds are not an issue (i.e. you will keep the Delta after buying a new bandsaw), then I'd opt for a new saw. Changing blades is a pain. I have a Powermatic 14", and I'd like to dedicate that for narrow blades for curved cuts, and have a larger bandsaw that is dedicated to resawing.

I remember a conversation I had a few years ago with a guy at a wood show (prior to me owning a bandsaw). He had bandsawn boxes for sale, and I was very intrigued. I asked him what kind of bandsaw he had. He replied "Which one?". :)

[Michelle Rich]

I just bought the smaller Rikon with a 1.5hsp. I am making great veneer on it..most 8" -10 inches or so. No complaints.