Two more down-two to go...bandsaw? [Archive] - Sawmill Creek Woodworking Community

View Full Version : Two more down-two to go...bandsaw?

Phil Winn

08-17-2005, 8:37 PM

Alan Turner

08-17-2005, 9:38 PM

Jesse at Eagle Tools is in your neighborhood of So Cal. Give him a call and stop over. I believe he carries both the MM and Agazzanis. I have the Agazzani in my basement, 20", and it is a fine saw. 1" Lenox carbide for resawing is a new experience. I put Carters on it, and it is quite accurate. I think Mark Singer has the same saw and likes it.

Posts on Laguna are back and forth a bit as to service. Sometimes good it seems; sometimes not. I have no experience with Laguna.

Greg Ladd

08-17-2005, 9:49 PM

Phil,

You might want to check this thread.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=21993&highlight=laguna

As far as I am concerned, Minimax makes a great saw. Laguana obviously has customers who are happy with their products as well.

If you like give, Michael Kahn a call at Minimax. He is great to deal with.

Greg

Michael Ballent

08-18-2005, 1:32 AM

Congrats on your purchases so far... Everything on your list is top notch and will last you a long time. Do you want to adopt a computer geek living in Arizona ;)

Between MiniMax and Laguna I would go for MiniMax... Now that MiniMax is taking the woodworking world by storm I have heard that Laguna's customer service has gotten better just so they can compete. But I have heard of few problems with MiniMax and of those, they have been resolved quickly. As far as 16" vs 18" BS I would examine the type of work that you anticipate you will be dealing with. Resawing wood for book matching then resaw height and power of the motor would be the most important aspects to look at. If you plan on ripping wood on it, then the throat depth would be important, but 16" or even 18" wood is becoming more rare. Just my .02 :D

Norman Hitt

08-18-2005, 3:38 AM

Ordered the SawStop on Monday; today the PM PJ-882 and the PM15S
from Woodcraft...now the DrumSander (GI dual drum 25") and a bandsaw...

I can not decide between a Minimax MM16 and a Laguna LT16HD or Laguna LT18...leaning toward the MM16.

Also, now for a great all-around bandsaw blade...

and a great blade for resawing...

any great ideas?

Please either PM, email, or post. I really appreciate all of the help you all have given me for this retirement purchasing binge-

thanks,
Phil

Phil, if you might want to save a few Bucks, check on the MiniMax owners group Forum, as yesterday, there was a slightly used, fairly new MM-16 and a MM combo machine, (IIRC it was located in California), and the price was RIGHT. I think there were a few Goodies to be thrown in also. The fellow is giving up WoodWorking, for Photography.

lou sansone

08-18-2005, 10:46 AM

I had a laguna 24 and it was a great saw. the mm seem to be pretty decent as well. like others have said the customer service at laguna could be imporved, but if the machine runs fine then you will never need them. I think that in that price range and size it is really a matter of personal preference. When you get into the 36" range and are really spending a lot of money then the devel is in the detals.

lou

Mark Singer

08-18-2005, 11:33 AM

Michael Perata

08-18-2005, 12:56 PM

...there was a slightly used, fairly new MM-16 and a MM combo machine, (IIRC it was located in California).
I know the guy who has the MM 16 and would buy it from him in a second if I didn't already own the best small bandsaw in the world, the MiniMax 16.

Michel is located in San Jose and if you are interested, I can put you in contact with him.

(Woodworking to photography, sigh - but what can you say for a Quebecois) ;) [He is very nice guy, btw]

Sam Blasco

08-18-2005, 1:06 PM

Hey guys, just want to update current data. Eagle Tools used to be a dealer for Mini Max before Mini Max USA became a factory direct entity. Any Mini Max stock they may still have, or information they may command, would most likely not be up to date. Way back before I started working with Mini Max I almost went with the Agazzani, it was my second choice at that time and is an excellent product line.

It is funny how something as simple as choosing a tool can change your life. I never could have guessed then the significance of the relationship I was starting.

Chris Lee

08-18-2005, 1:57 PM

Phil,
I can not comment on the others but I just got my MM16 and this is one heck of a saw. I had it down to the MM16 and the LT18(they had a free shipping special at the time which made them similarly priced). I chose the MM because of the great experiences I have heard through this and other forums. Customer service is second to none with this company. I have heard other than positive experiences from Laguna. Whether true or not i did not want to find out the hard way after spending 2500. I received the video from Laguna and liked the saws, then a salesman called me. Honestly he made me feel like i was wating his time because I was not ready to give him my credit card. even made the comment that he was so busy he could not follow up with me and I would have to call him if I wanted a saw, which at the time he said was about 6 weeks until he could get me one.

I called Michael at MM and when he offered me the show special and said he could get one on an truck the same day, I could not help but say yes. My saw shipped from Texas to Virginia in 3 days!!! I could not except delivery until Friday and the trucking company showed up within 10 minutes of the time they said they would, with a liftgate and a pallet jack. Allthough the MM16 was on its side. I almost had a heart attack when he opened the door. Luckily the crate protected it and only had a few light scratches, which have been fixed with the touch up paint Michael sent me. I had a cuople minor issues that were addressed by Michael immediately and now my saw is running great and making sawdust. If you want a saw that your great grandkids will be using the MM is the way to go.

Chris

Paul B. Cresti

08-18-2005, 8:20 PM

Phil,

As Alan suggested Jesse at eagle has the Agazzani and the MM. You might want to talk to member John Scane....he has the MM and has had some problems and is looking at the Aggazani. In the recent Maloof articles it mentions Sam has 2 Agazzani's...the bandsaw master! I have a 20" I got from Jesse and really like it!
The Lenox Trimaster is a must as far as a blade.

http://www.eagle-tools.com/Pages/agazzani.html

Phil,
Ok so I was going to be quiet on this one 'cause I figured people may have heard enough of me for awhile :eek: but it is all Mark's fault ;) he baited me into this thread......
I own a Agazzani B-24. The rest of my shop is MM. So you ask why do not own a MM bandsaw well ... good question... I bought my B-24 about 4 years ago when MM was not know very well in this country. They also only had the S45 bandsaw and did not have the Centauro line up they do now. My choices were between the ACM saws (Laguna, Felder, Bridgewood) and the Agazzani. Back then the Agazzani was the clear winner. Today it would be a very different story. I like my Agazzani but I lust after a brand new MM24 beast. I first saw a MM16 at a show about 2 years ago and was flat out astonished how well made and smooth the MM saws were. The MM16 ran smoother than my B-24! I was quit annoyed because I truly believed my B-24 was in a class by itself, little did I know. Everything on the MM saw was heavier, more stoutly constructed and thus smoother running. Not that long ago I had a MM20 in my shop, holding it for someone. I was able to compare both saws side by side. The guide post on the MM saws made my B-24 seem like a toy! It is around 1-1/4" in diam vs 3/4". The steel everywhere is substantially thicker and I did measure it with my venier caliper. The cast iron table itself is also a thicker casting. Just about everwhere I looked, the MM was built better. The quick tilt lever on the MM allows on to almost effortlessly tilt the table while on the B-24 you have to fight with the weight of the table because once you release the lever the table is "free". The lower guides on the MM can be adjusted to get real close to the under side of the table, this will give you much better blade control. The one thing that sold me on the B-24 way back when was the tires are applied at the factory, spun on a lathe and ver thick. the ACM saws had split tires that were glued on. The B-24 sounds great in principal but what happens when a tire gets chewed up?? Yup you guessed it you have to pull it and ship back to Italy and beleive you me I know (cause I am a first generation one) Italians will no move to fast for you. MM on other hand realies on a full rubber "band" like tire that is slipped on to a groove. The tires are easily replaced and are smooth with no seems. Since the wheels are balanced so well at the factory the rubber tire does not adversely affect the performance. The only thing I like better on the B-24 is the fence because it has a high and low position but one can easily make a jig/add on to the MM fence.
If I had the means I would switch over to a new MM24 but it does not make financial sense for me right now. If anyone thinks any saw can outperform a MM you are just plain nuts !:) I do not care what size saw you compare them to the MM saws simply are the best

Richard Wolf

08-18-2005, 8:29 PM

I just love Paul when he starts talking about Mini Max, they should be sending him a weekly check.
I agree with him and wish I had more MM in my shop, soon maybe!

Richard

Paul B. Cresti

08-18-2005, 9:04 PM

I just love Paul when he starts talking about Mini Max, they should be sending him a weekly check.
I agree with him and wish I had more MM in my shop, soon maybe!

Richard

Richard,
Yes I sure hope so! I sure could use some of the money back that I sent them! Besides it sure is a pain putting on this cheerleading outfit ;)

On a more serious note this forum has been a great source of info (and its roots from Badger Pond) to many of us. I just would like to return the "favor" and tell people of what I have learned from my transition into my current machinery and the great experience I have had with MM as a company. I really do not talk about ww'g/design much because that to me is kind of a personal thing, we all have our own ways and style of doing things. It was real hard for me to make the jump into what I have and I was able to make a much more informed decision because of places like this.

Gary Herrmann

08-18-2005, 9:15 PM

I got an MM16 a few months back and have been very pleased. No setup problems, no vibration problems - it passed the balancing nickel test on multiple places on the table. Salesman (Dain) was great to work with. Next big purchase (slider?, combo?) will also be an MM.

Mark Singer

08-18-2005, 9:28 PM

I think they are both very good bandsaws now.....as Paul said that was not always the case.. There are several great bandsaws out there and in the 16" size , i am not sure which is te best?

larry merlau

08-19-2005, 8:16 AM

three cheers for paul. now that is a reveiw that any one can understand. now all i need to do is save enough cans for one. the micheal guy that has been mentioned is definatly a salesman and seems to be very good at listening. i stopeed at a show voiced some opinions and he kept gettin in touch for a year afterwards. not offensive just asking if i was ready, he has the order when the ship finally gets into port. have seen a coupe in use and the quality that paul mentions is definalty there.

Dennis McDonaugh

08-19-2005, 8:50 AM

Here's another vote for MM, its a sweet machine! It's very smooth and powerful and built like a tank. I don't think any saw could be better, maybe as good, but not better.