Repeated Grizzly G0555LX Issues. What to do next?

[Jeremiah Leonard]

Hi guys,

First time posting as you can tell, I've been lurking for a little while and now I need some advice and wanted to share the experience I've been having with Grizzly.

It was time for me to get a bandsaw, and after doing quite a bit of research I decided that the Grizzly G0555LX best fit what I wanted to spend at the moment while still looking like a solid performer for my current hobbyist level. So, towards the beginning of May, I traveled down to Grizzly in Muncy (I'm about 2 hours away) and picked up the saw in the showroom.

Got the saw home, and right off the bat started noticing some issues. First of all, the Grizzly logo on the front was installed upside down. Yeah, not a huge issue by any means, it took me about 30 seconds to unscrew it and flip it over, but it shouldn't have gone out that way. I also noticed a pretty big scratch in the paint on the edge of the table. I decided it wasn't a huge deal and finished up assembling the saw.

Here's where I started running into more issues. As I tried adjusting the blade tracking I could just not get it to track consistently, and found out that the upper wheel had a lot of movement in it even under tension. I found that one of the set screws for adjusting the wheel laterally had stripped out and was allowing the bracket that the upper wheel mounts on to flop around inside the tensioning assembly.

I called Grizzly on Monday morning (bought the saw on a Friday so I had to wait through the weekend) and they sent me a replacement tensioner assembly. They didn't have any in stock in PA so it shipped from WA and arrived on Thursday. So I got that installed and was able to run the saw finally. Long story short, blade wandered all over the place, saw had a moderate amount of vibration. So I rush shipped a Timberwolf blade thinking it was the cheap stock blade and the also cheap Grizzly one I bought when I picked up the saw, and it had the same issues. Spent an hour on the phone with Grizzly and we determined the upper wheel was out of balance. The person I was talking with told me he was going to send me another wheel, but I told him I did not want to keep messing around with replacing parts in case that wasn't the only issue and asked instead to just return it for another.

So after doing some more research and finding that people were saying that some of the cheaper Grizzly stuff could be hit or miss, I thought I would stretch my budget and go for the G0513 instead of another of the G0555LX.

Well, I made the mistake of bringing my wife with me on this trip back to Muncy so you can imagine how that went. With her persuasion, as well as the fact that the tech who checked the saw when I returned it said he had never seen a wheel out of balance like that before, I decided to stick with the G0555LX, thinking I had just gotten a lemon. I decided to pick up the riser block this time too.

I got the new saw home and unpacked it as little as possible to check all the major things before diving into assembly (did this this past Saturday night). I checked the upper wheel first, that was fine this time, then I checked the set screws on the back of the tensioner, and they were completely missing the nuts that are used for adjustment! A little frustrated, I figured it would be easy enough just to grab a couple at the hardware and take care of that myself, although I was still planning on giving Grizzly a call this week to complain.

I just got around to getting the saw together this afternoon, and more issues popped up.

Paint peeling off the table again

The set screw that holds the wheel for adjusting the blade guide height is missing so the wheel fell of on the floor.

The cord that runs from the switch to the motor was crushed between the motor and the body of the saw during assembly, I had to loosen the motor mounts to get it out and I'm not sure if the wires in it are damaged.

I'm not sure if something is bent, but I'm barely able to set the upper blade guides back far enough that the clear with the 3/8 blade that came with it. I don't know how it would be possible to use a smaller blade as the teeth would hit the guides.

BTW I ended up finding the two nuts that were missing in two different parts of the box, looked like they were thrown in there. No such luck with the missing set screw.

Overall the saw just runs fair at best, and I'm not even sure if I should run it now, as when I first ran it I hadn't noticed the pinched cord yet.


So if you've made it this far, here's where I could use some help. This saw is definitely going back and I don't care to try for a third. This whole Grizzly experience has led me to stay away from them, so I was looking at going to the Laguna 14-12. But, part of me is still wondering if the G0513 would fair better than the G0555LX. I don't know if it was just this one model that hasproblems, and I would be better to stick with Grizzly, or if there overall quality control is lacking. I have heard of a few people having some issues with the Laguna as well though, and I've heard that with all the foreign made saws a bad one tends to pop up every once in a while. So I'd just like to figure out figure out what would be best to try to avoid this very frustrating experience again.

So my real question is: does anybody have any experience with how the quality control differs over the different Grizzly lines, or had an experience getting multiple bum tools like this?

Thanks for listening to my sob story guys, and for tolerating another bandsaw thread.

[Cary Falk]

I have had the G0513X2 for about 7 years and love it. I have 6 grizzly tools and have never had as many issues as you have had. I have no experience with the G0555LX. I always thought people talked highly of it.

[glenn bradley]

Well, you are at two strikes with Grizzly........

I have a few Grizzly machines and all have been tip-top. I'm not sure what's going on with the 555 but, at this point if I were you I would take it back and walk away. Bear in mind this is coming from a Grizzly fan. For me, when things go this south on something, there will always be lingering doubt and a jump to conclusions with any difficulty. Of the tens of thousands of tools Grizzly sells over a given time period there always seems to be some lucky person who shares your fate.

I did need to swap a fence on my jointer that was out of spec and a table on a spindle sander that had a corner that didn't get slime on it and therefor picked up some rust. Both issues were resolved quickly. As Cary mentions, the 555 series has many, many happy owners. It is little consolations that Powermatic, Jet, Delta and even the fabled Italian machines have their share of sob stories. I'm sorry for your negative experience and hope you find bandsaw nirvana soon.

[Bill White]

Bummer.
I have been well pleased with my 0555LX. A little paint chipping on the table at the index pin hole, the guides are a bit "fiddley", the stock blade is for cutting junk wood, but the saw has met all my expectations otherwise.
Go for a third try. I would.
Bill

[Jebediah Eckert]

Well you did ask at the end of your post...........

I'm not sure what the "LX" means but I had the Grizzly 14" G0555 since about the time they came out. Zero issues with fit, finish, or assembly. It works great for all these years and performed well on tasks that were probably a bit much for a saw that size. I just recently bought a Grizzly G0490x jointer and it arrived in good condition. It's 90% assembled and I have yet to turn it on (I needed another 220 line added). That also went together fine and arrived in good condition. It seemed to be packed well. A few paint over sprays and a spot or two that didn't get paint on the side of the bed, but whatever. I have plenty of top tier tools that were more disappointing on arrival then that.

I picked up a used Laguna LT16HD and sold the grizzly to friend. It just left the shop yesterday, I almost kept it and put a thin blade on it for curves, but enough is enough for accumulation. I was sad to see it go. The saw I bought I believe is substantially different from the Laguna 14 so I can't help you with that.

After your experience with the saw I don't know if I would stick around for a third round of assembly.

Since you are in driving distance to Grizlzly I wonder (because of what you had to go through) if they would assemble and tune up one for you and take that home? It should travel fine. Their techs should get you a top notch running saw, probably tuned better then you could. I know you shouldn't have to go this route but it is a great saw at that price point.

[Shawn Pachlhofer]

I have a G0513P that I purchased used - so I knew what I was getting (good or bad) without having to wait for a surprise in a shipment.

I got it cheap enough that buying a good set of Carter guides was easily within reach.

I only use the saw for breaking down logs into turning blocks, and for cutting square blocks round before taking them to the lathe...so I can't tell you how it might perform for your needs.

I does do a great job for what I need.

[Peter Kelly]

I'd look for a used US-made Delta 14" saw. Ideally you'd be able to see the machine running before buying.

[Jebediah Eckert]

They were even worse than the Harbor freight tools that I bought as throw a ways or one time use.

I don't live in Ohio and have never been to the same Harbor freight as you. That being said if you lived in CT, and went to the same Harbor Freight (maybe they are different) as I have, there would be ZERO truth in that statement. But again maybe it's different out there? I had to read it twice to make sure I read it correctly.


I hope that one comment doesn't scare off the OP, his experience might, but not that comment. There are hundreds and hundreds of reviews available for both lines of tools. Read a sample and judge for yourself.

[Michael Moscicki]

Don't know exactly where you are at, but here is a Laguna 16HD bandsaw made in Italy for only $1,200. It's a 3 and half hour drive from Grizzly in Muncy to give you some perspective. It would be better than any bandsaw from China or Taiwan. I know it's twice the price of the Grizzly, but just something to consider. Or just check craigslist and I'm sure something closer and cheaper would pop up that's better than the Grizzly.

http://newyork.craigslist.org/wch/tls/5042205818.html

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Folks,

At the top of every forum is an announcement titled "Read Me First" written by Keith Outten. Please read it.

Copied from the portion titled "Before you rant"

Before You Rant Read This December 20th, 2010

"It is the intent of SMC to permit the airing of concerns regarding the suitability of a particular product, or the quality or sufficiency of customer service provided by a vendor in any particular instance provided there is not a breach of contract component involved.

However, these threads often deteriorate into a "piling on" and develop a very negative tone. That doesn't assist other viewers in assessing the overall advisability of whether to buy this particular product, nor to assess the overall customer service provided by that manufacturer/vendor.

In order to be fair to the many vendors that provide woodworking products, the following policies will be in force:
The original poster must have first contacted the manufacturer/vendor and have attempted a solution PRIOR to posting the thread.
The original poster should provide factual details of the problem, and details of efforts that have been made with the manufacturer/vendor to rectify the problem.
Subsequent posts must be limited to suggestions to the original poster to assist in rectifying the problem - not to pile on because you had similar problems.

SMC is a woodworking forum. The intended purpose is to provide a community in which useful information may be shared among the members. Threads that do not achieve that purpose will be locked, or removed if necessary." SawMill Creek is not a Court of Law and we are not in a position to judge a breach of contract case here, therefore SawMill Creek will not become a stage or a courtroom for a legal dispute between two or more parties, it just isn't our mission.
.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Jeremiah,

Considering your experience, I would return the machine and consider alternatives including tools by other manufacturers.

[Peter Quinn]

To me at this point the central issue is confidence. Do you have confedence that you will get a machine from your current source eventually that meets your expectations? The issues with the wheel and its adjustment mechanisms are IMO serious manufacturing defects that directly affect performance. These need to be eliminated, the wheel needs to track. I have not used the saw you reference, I have owned a 14" cast iron Asian import BS and it was a very solid performer, out of the box, you should expect nothing less. The paint chips are minor, perhaps indicative of the general level of manufacturing quality but only just a fuzzy indicator and not related to performance. I feel you will eventually get a good one from Grizzly, question is how many trips to Muncy are you willing to make and after several failures will success leave you feeling satisfied? Or more directly can you look past these breaches in confidence and have it restored with machine that is whole and performs well? These are questions only you can answer. It may not be unreasonable to request they open a crate machine and make sure it works at this point, your time is valuable and much of it has been spent in frustration at this point.

[Simon Dupay]

I'd look for a used US-made Delta 14" saw. Ideally you'd be able to see the machine running before buying.
I second that, a US made delta or Powermatic

[Jeremiah Leonard]

Here's a quick update, I'm still at work and will give more details after I get off tonight.

I apologize for not reading the post that Ken shared before posting. My intention was to contact Grizzly today, I should have done that before making the post. Thank you for keeping things fairly civil, I in no way wanted to start a dumping thread and I'm glad people's opinions were shared without being slanderous.

Grizzly called me this morning and left a message that they had seen my post and wanted to take care of things. I checked the forum on my lunch and saw all the replies and decided to call them now instead of later. I talked to Craig, a head technician, and he was very understanding of the situation. We settled on me getting a refund, I will be taking the saw back sometime soon.

I have to get back to work now, so I will update again tonight with more details, I just wanted to give this quick update and let everyone know Grizzly handled the situation well.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Jeremiah,

Because you had contacted Grizzly from the beginning of your problems, got a replacement wheel and then returned the original saw, got a new saw, you met every requirement of Keith's announcement. You have no need to apologize.

Grizzly tools are what they are. They are a great bang for the buck. I have 2 Grizzly tools...and Powermatic......Mini-Max...Ridgid........General International.....Oneida.......Delta.............. several Jet tools.......Excaliber.....

Grizzly tools are often a great bang for the buck. It is important for the potential consumer to be aware of how they operate as a company and be willing to accept those conditions. In the event that a tool delivers with a problem or requires work during the warrantee period, the company will provide parts and the consumer is expected to provide the labor. That is how they operate to keep expenses down and prices low.

Normally their response to a customers needs are great within the confines of what I described.

Glad they responded to you in a manner you find satisfying.

Keep us posted.

[Peter Kelly]

Figure out a way of getting the above-mentioned ACM Laguna.

You won't regret it.

[Jim German]

To me this speaks volumes of Grizzly, not so much that their tools had problems, because every manufacture puts out a bum tool from time to time. However Grizzly not only worked hard to make the situation right, but proactively reached out to the customer based on a forum post. Even if Grizzly does have a higher rate of defects, their customer service is top notch. A much better situation than some of the other manufacturers who won't even return a phone call once the sale is made.

[Art Mann]

I don't currently own any Grizzly tools and I am certainly no shill for them. However, I think it would be unfair to Grizzly if I didn't point out the fact that the G0555 in all its configurations, has got to be one of the more popular 14 inch cast iron band saws on the market. Hardly a month goes by that I don't read another glowing review of this tool. They must make most of them right.

On the other hand, several years ago, I bought a top-of-the-line Nissan Maxima with nearly every available option and I loved the car. Consumer Reports rated it among the most reliable vehicles on the market. Unfortunately, it belonged to my wife and it left her stranded on the road three times within a few weeks. The Nissan shop couldn't find the problem right away but I eventually figured out it was a faulty connection between the camshaft sensor and the engine controller. They replaced a harness and the car performed flawlessly after that. Didn't matter! My wife didn't like it any more and had anxiety driving it by herself. I traded it in, knowing it was a perfectly good new vehicle, just for my wife's piece of mind. I don't fault anyone for wanting a different brand after having an experience like the original poster's, even if the company was willing to swap for a new tool.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I don't fault anyone for wanting a different brand after having an experience like the original poster's, even if the company was willing to swap for a new tool.

Art,

I couldn't agree more!

In December of 1982 we ordered a brand new full sized Chevy Blazer. In 4 1/2 years with only 41,000 miles, we had repeated brake failures and 4 automatic transmissions REPLACED at GM's expense. When the 5th transmission began exhibiting problems, we traded it. My wife wouldn't drive it out of town. I don't blame her. We traded it for a 1 year old Toyota 4-Runner with 19,000 miles on it. We drove the 4-Runner for 16 years and 160,000 miles with only a few maintenance mileage wear problems....a new water pump....timing chain....the type of stuff you expect to experience with that type of mileage on it.

[Jeremiah Leonard]

Thank you so much everyone for your input, it has been extremely helpful hearing experiences others have had, and many of the posts helped me sort out my thinking and what I need to do to get a saw I would be satisfied with at this point.

So as promised, here are more details about my conversation with Craig from Grizzly. Sorry if I repeat too many things from my last post. When I called I was quickly transferred to Craig, as he was the one who left the message and said I should ask for him, so that was nice. I was only on hold for about 5 mins. Once I got on the phone with him he apologized for the issues that I had been having, I brought a few of them up again, even though he had read about them in my post here and must have had some sort of record already. He said that they would be willing to send out any of the parts that I needed as the saw was still under warranty. I can't remember for sure if he brought up the option of returning the saw at this point or if I did, but we talked about that and he said that would be a fine option as well if that was what I wanted.

At this point I mentioned what he obviously had already known, that I was thinking of either going to a different brand or possibly getting something in the 513 series. So he talked with me a little bit about these saws. He mentioned the fact that with it already having the resaw height that I was looking for that it is a better system than adding a riser block. He said these can work fine and most of the time do, but there can be some inherent alignment issues with adding another piece of cast iron into the mix.

At this point I mentioned to Craig that I had noticed (unfortunately after I picked up the second saw) that in their literature it states that the 555LX does not come from an ISO 9001 certified factory, while most of their other bandsaws do. He didn't give me a reason why this is, but he told me that a 9001 factory has a lot more checks that products have to go through. He also mentioned that I would see a huge difference in quality between something produced in Taiwan and China.

Craig asked me around this point of the conversation if I was next to the saw, because if I was able to give him the serial number he could possibly check to see if it was produced in the same run as the first saw I had. Unfortunately I wasn't able to get him the serial number, but I think this is very possible. He said it was possible that there could have been a bad run and that's why I got two saws with issues.

This was about the end of our conversation. He told me that he would send me an RA number by email, which I have received, and I'm planning to head out there again this Saturday. I let him know that I appreciated the support that they had given me, and that I am still going to be looking around as far as what saw to buy now. He urged me to check out the 513 series while I was out there and talk to one of there salespersons about it, which I plan to do. I wish I had thought to ask him if it would be a possibility for me to have one of the techs set up a saw for me, or at least uncrate it so I could look it over. I will either email him or give them a call tomorrow to find out if this would be possible.

Here's where I'm looking to go at this point. Two tries was enough for the 555LX, so I'm not considering that now, even if they were able to have me check it over. I'm still interested in looking into a 513 series, but this would be dependent on whether or not it could be at least uncrated before I take it. The Laguna is still in the back of my mind, and I'm considering the making a trip to Woodcraft, which is about 1.5 hrs away, and checking it out. Unfortunately the used Laguna that was posted is just a little out of reach price wise for me, especially considering I would need to pay cash for it.

I would honestly would be fine ending up with a Grizzly tool in the end. I would love to say that I could hold off for a machine that cost 2k+, but that's just not where I am budget wise. While I do have somewhat of a bad taste in my mouth from the two saws that I've been through, I think it's possible that it could be remedied by a good saw.

I also wanted to mention that I would rate Grizzly's customer service as acceptable. Ken hit the nail on the head in post #15. They will do whatever is needed to take care of an issue that you may have, and do so fairly quickly, but it's all within those certain parameters. So they definitely don't leave you hanging like some other companies might, but they don't seem to go above and beyond. Grizzly is doing their part on making sure that I had replacement parts, or that I am able to return the saw, but they don't go beyond that. There isn't really any extra consideration for the frustration that I've had to deal with, or my time I've invested in assembling two saws and making what's going to be now 3 trips down there that are 4 hours round trip.

IMO excellent, top of the line customer service includes consideration and possible compensation for these things. But that is just my opinion, and with that being said I can't really fault Grizzly for anything on the customer service side of things. I'm happy that they're taking the saw back, and that they've handle things well, but they could go a step further.

I bought arrows at Dick's this last hunting season that I had cut to length at the store. When I got home I measured them and discovered they were cut incorrectly. I called and spoke with the department manager and he apologized repeatedly and checked what length I needed them cut to and said there would be replacements waiting for me the next day, with a $25 dollar gift card to pay for my gas. This is true excellent customer service to me. The money for gas really didn't even matter to me, it was the fact that he was ready to do that without me really complaining or mentioning anything because he knew I had been through an inconvenience. But with that being said I know Grizzly probably has to do things fairly strictly the way they do to keep their prices as low as they can, which I can appreciate as well.

So, hopefully I didn't talk in circles and get on too much of a rant in the end there. Just to sum up again, I'm going to see what my options are for uncrating a saw at Grizzly and possibly getting it set up while I'm out there, and we'll go from there. Thanks again for the replies. I appreciate the help.

[Rick Moyer]

While there, and before you commit to a purchase, you might ask about taking one of the saws for a "test ride". They have that glass-enclosed area, near the bandsaw displays, that I believe is just for that purpose. I've been there (Muncy) many times but never was into that room. Also while you're there, buy me a G0514X2B :D. I have several Grizzly tools, TS, BS, jointer, cyclone... They are normally an excellent value, but that all goes away when you've had the issues you have had. I'd bet you'd be happy with a G0513, assuming you'd get one without problems as you have had with the 0555LX.

[Keith Outten]

I closed this thread as it has run its course, in fact this situation could have been taken care of between both parties without a public discussion which is the preferred method.
.