Bandsaw - Laguna or Grizzly or other?

[Dale Murray]

The major limiter in my decision making is price - I'm attempting to cap myself at $1500 plus shipping.

Saws that appear nice on paper/screen:
Laguna 14BX220-250 @ $1499 (2.5hp, 115" blade)
Grizzly G0513x2F @ $1295 (2hp, 110/220, 130" blade, 17" wheels)
Grizzly G0514x2 @ $1675 (3hp, larger table, 220, geared table tilt) <-- I know this blows my budget but if this one is significantly better than the others, I'll do it.

Desires:
- Decent resaw capacity. (dont know that I need 12" of it, but would not turn it down).
- Stable platform, my current saw is on wheels (old craftsman).
- Cast iron wheels
- Cast iron trunions


Not a concern:
- Weight; temperature controlled garage, not concerned about weight.
- 110/220 - I am fine with either.

Thoughts:
The price jump between a 132" blade and a 143" is pretty significant.

Please guide me through this forest of decisions.

[Van Huskey]

First, most places that weld their own blades (where you should be looking for bands) the price difference will be proportional to length so a foot difference won't change the price much, plus the longer blade will last proportionally longer as well, in the end money will even out.

Second, all of those are fine saws. My current recommendation for a $1500 budget for use as an all rounder is the 18" Rikon 10-342. Circle saw in Houston has the best Rikon prices I am aware of and costs about $1450 shipped with liftgate. Note you did not include shipping which for example on the 514 will run and extra ~150 if you need liftgate delivery. My opinion of the Rikon lower priced saws really changed when they upgraded the guides last year. In the end I like different things about each of the saws you mentioned but I think the Rikon is the best buy currently at $1500 and their warranty is 5 times longer than Laguna or Grizzly.

[lee cox]

I am paying about the same for my bandsaw blades. I started with a Rikon 14 inch and now have a Minimax 18 inch BS. If I buy off the internet and buy 5 blades where I get free shipping actually my BS blades are cheaper.

[Dale Murray]

Rikon did not even hit my radar, honestly. That does look like a nice saw. Table size could be larger but it does tick all the boxes.

[John K Jordan]

All of these should work. Unless someone has or has different saws a lot he will probably recommend what he has in the shop, assuming he's not mad at it.

Almost all bandsaws will benefit from some tuning and some of the unfavorable comments you might see may be from those who don't.

I have a 110v 14" Delta with a riser block which worked well for me for years. When I added a 220v 18" Rikon I could use larger blades and had more power on a much sturdier frame/trunnion/table. I don't know how much it costs but for me it is perfect. I could cut the same things with the Delta but not as fast. I use my bandsaws for everything but primarily for processing large chunks of green wood for turning.

I get blades made locally with Lennox stock. They are pretty cheap and sometimes they can make them while I wait. I sharpen them myself two or three times so my favorite blades end up costing me as little as $5-$6 or so each compared to buying new blades when one gets dull.

You might add dust collection capability to your criteria. With one small mod I like the dust collection on the Rikon.

JKJ

[Wade Lippman]

My current recommendation for a $1500 budget for use as an all rounder is the 18" Rikon 10-342.

I have one of these. I used to have a G0514, but sold it when I moved. I don't use a BS that much, so figured I could get by with a smaller/cheaper one. i thought the Grizzly was a more robust build, but am happy with the Rikon.
HOWEVER... Rikon regularly has excellent sales and I would recommend waiting for one of those. IIRC, I got $250 off mine. At regular prices I would probably go for a Grizzly.

I noticed several changes from my 3 year old one. They apparently improve the fence and guide adjustments, BUT reduced the power from 2.5hp to 2hp.

[Van Huskey]

Rikon did not even hit my radar, honestly. That does look like a nice saw. Table size could be larger but it does tick all the boxes.

In the sub $2k range Grizzly, Laguna and Rikon are the big three in value.

If you look the Rikon has a stationary addition to the table which makes it larger than listed, it is steel but mimics the layout of most of the larger American cast iron saws.

[Van Huskey]

I have one of these. I used to have a G0514, but sold it when I moved. I don't use a BS that much, so figured I could get by with a smaller/cheaper one. i thought the Grizzly was a more robust build, but am happy with the Rikon.
HOWEVER... Rikon regularly has excellent sales and I would recommend waiting for one of those. IIRC, I got $250 off mine. At regular prices I would probably go for a Grizzly.


I noticed several changes from my 3 year old one. They apparently improve the fence and guide adjustments, BUT reduced the power from 2.5hp to 2hp.

Despite the fact they look similar the new Rikon is a lot different saw and they addressed most of the shortcomings of the older 18" saw, it is built a little heavier (between the 17 and 19" Grizzlys which is what you would expect for a similar 18" saw) has a much better fence and much better guides. You can wait for the sales but Circle Saw sells the Rikon bandsaws everyday for essentially what you get them for when they are on sale at places like Woodcraft.

[Robb White]

Don't forget with a Grizzly catalog you get a 10% off coupon so that should make it closer to budget. I have the GO514x2 paid $700 delivered used and like it but don't have anything to compare. Only thing I did was upgrade the tires to the blue ones off eBay. Good luck.

-Rob

[Rich Taylor]

I upgraded from a half-century old Delta 14" to a Grizzly G0513X2 and couldn't be happier. I originally did not want to pay the extra from the smaller 14s, and was enamored with the foot brake on the other 17" model, but was able to get it at the Spring Tent Sale in Springfield, so... My experience so far is some limited resawing (the saw came with the higher fence which makes the task pain-free), mostly just curved cuts etc. which it does effortlessly. My CSU (Chief Spousal Unit) and I cut curved sections out of a couple of 2x12s for a decorative bridge and the saw didn't even breath hard. the 131 1/2" blades are not terribly expensive (although certainly more than the old 14" ones for the old Delta) Overall, I have nothing but praise for the saw.

[Joe Beaulieu]

Hey Dale,

I went through this exercise about 6 months ago. I ended up with a Laguna SUV. Its a 14" saw, but comes with a 3 HP motor and 13 plus inches of resaw capacity. As you said, I will likely not need that much resaw, but I like the extra power. I figured that I would enjoy the extra couple of hundred bucks the SUV cost over the next model down (The BX I believe, but dont hold me to that). I see you are considering the 3 HP Grizz. I dont know Grizzly, but many guys out here are big fans.

I can tell you the Laguna saw came quickly, the shipping was $75 with a lift gate delivery, and setup was a breeze. The fit and finish are outstanding. The only argument I have had with them has been that the upper 4" dust port doesn't hold onto the 4" adapter off my DC. I move the DC hose from machine to machine, and have a 4" quick connect fitting on the end of the flex hose. The port on the Laguna is just slightly too large for that fitting, but it does accept the 4" hose without an issue. Not a big deal.

I have recently resawn some 8/4 Purpleheart`. That stuff is hard! With the Resaw King blade on my Laguna I got a beautiful finish and it cut it effortlessly. Several times through to get 1/8" thick veneer. At no point did I feel the saw was overtaxed. Good stuff.

It sounds like you may be leaning towards the Grizzly - I have nothing to dissuade you. All I can say is that my experience with the Laguna has been very favorable. I have been really happy with the purchase. HTH.

JB

[Van Huskey]

The Laguna LT14 SUV is also a good saw (but it is a generation behind the BX models and doesn't have as nice of a fence and power controls) and is on sale mow (as are all Laguna machines) at Rockler for 10% off so the SUV is just under $1700 shipped where the normal price is $1799 without shipping. All the Lagunas have what I think are the best guides for a bandsaw.

[lee cox]

JB, I use a quick disconnect DC system also. When I got my Minimax 18 inch BS I noticed the quick disconnect would not work. I had to connect the hose directly. I wanted a better solution. So I bought, I think a SDR straight couple 4 inch fitting. I fitted it to my Minimax 4 inch DC shoot using weather stripping. I wound the weather stripping around the 4 inch DC shoot and pushed the SDR couple piece on. Now my 4 inch quick disconnect plugs into the SDR extension on the bandsaw.

[john lawson]

Buy a used 16" o 18" Italian made saw. The older Lagunas, some new Lagunas, all the older Minimax, Agazznni, and Felders (may be a Bulgarian in there somewhere), or the older Bridgewoods.

Almost all these saws are bulletproof unless they come out of a commercial shop. Even then they should be good. I have a 1987 24" Minimax that I drug out of a barn. I de-rusted it, painted it, put a VFD on it and it is like a new saw. I paid $600 for it and $200 for a VFD. It was a great investment.

And don't worry about the difference in cost based on the blade length, it is negligible.

[Dale Murray]

The Laguna SUV is just a bit more than I wanted to spend, honestly. It was in consideration.

I have been looking on Craigslist in the Chicago area for used saws, a few that meet my criteria in regard to size are either over priced (they want more than its worth) or are reasonably priced expensive machine (priced correctly for a saw that was originally $3-4k). If I can find one used I would definitely buy it.

What is VFD?

[Van Huskey]

What is VFD?

Variable Frequency Drive which can be used to change single phase power to 3 phase power. This is one method of opening the door to the many commercial 3 phase machines that are seen for sale used.

[Terry Therneau]

You might want to look on the owwm.org site. There is a 30" Tannewitz for $900 in northern Illinois. This is an industrial machine and about as close as you will ever get to bulletproof. You'll need to add a $200 VFD, plugged into 220, but they are very easy to set up.
1. You need to register on owwm in order to see the ads. It's only done to stop the spammers --- they'll never send you stuff.
2. I myself have a 26" Moak and love it, so my bias shows. Paid $1100 for it delivered (about $1/lb). Smooth as silk, big table, foot brake, tensions any blade I care to put on it. The Tannewitz has an even better reputation than Moak.
3. If you are thinking about dragging it into a basement my enthuisam would be considerably decreased....
Terry Therneau

[Van Huskey]

You might want to look on the owwm.org site. There is a 30" Tannewitz for $900 in northern Illinois. This is an industrial machine and about as close as you will ever get to bulletproof. You'll need to add a $200 VFD, plugged into 220, but they are very easy to set up.
1. You need to register on owwm in order to see the ads. It's only done to stop the spammers --- they'll never send you stuff.
2. I myself have a 26" Moak and love it, so my bias shows. Paid $1100 for it delivered (about $1/lb). Smooth as silk, big table, foot brake, tensions any blade I care to put on it. The Tannewitz has an even better reputation than Moak.
3. If you are thinking about dragging it into a basement my enthuisam would be considerably decreased....
Terry Therneau

While old iron is definitely a great option but even if the OP is game logistics have to be considered. The OP says his shop is in a garage, the Tannewitz P series saws IIRC are about 88" tall so if the OP has 7' garage doors that 2000 pound saw would have to tilted quite a bit to get through the door. Even a 8' garage door will give issues with the saw on a pallet and pallet jack since there isn't usually an actually 96" of height under the garage door on an "8' door".

A possibly better solution is the Powermatic PM 81 20" bandsaw listed on OWWM in Plainfield IL for $700, that is only 30 minutes from the OP so renting a liftgate truck would be an inexpensive option but you don't need one if you have help and a pickup. The PM 81 is 75 or 76" tall so they will go under a 7' garage door (depending on the door it may have to be slid through on a sheet of plywood, DAMHIK) and 700 pounds is a lot easier to wrestle than a 1 ton behemoth. The seller didn't mention what motor or if it is 3 phase but appears to be a nice running user with extra blades and a mobile base. The PM 81 is much more saw than any of the new saws the OP is considering but some people simply have an aversion to used machines and that is fine and understandable.

[Dale Murray]

Garage ceiling is just under 8' with a beam across the middle of it with 7' clearance. Garage door is 6'6". With all that said, I want nothing to do with anything over 20 inches; I still need to put a car in there. Space is 22'x24', overall.

I registerred with OWWM, waiting on approval.

[Van Huskey]

Garage ceiling is just under 8' with a beam across the middle of it with 7' clearance. Garage door is 6'6". With all that said, I want nothing to do with anything over 20 inches; I still need to put a car in there. Space is 22'x24', overall.

I registerred with OWWM, waiting on approval.

The PM 81 would be a great saw for you, it is on a mobile base BTW. When you get approval it as listed on Jan 3rd and will be on the 3rd or 4th page of the BOYD (bring out your dead) sub-forum. The price is EXTREMELY reasonable especially if it is a single phase motor and if it was within 30 minutes of me it would already be crammed into my extra bandsaw storage vault.

[Dale Murray]

I'll definitely check it out once I am approved.

I stopped by Woodcraft to look at the Rikon machines. They do not have the model you refer to but I am impressed with the apparent build quality of what they did have.

The Laguna machines appear a bit anemic in their construction.

[Mike Hollingsworth]

For a great woodshop, the bandsaw is where you want to spend your money. What's in your wallet?

[Van Huskey]

I'll definitely check it out once I am approved.

I stopped by Woodcraft to look at the Rikon machines. They do not have the model you refer to but I am impressed with the apparent build quality of what they did have.

The Laguna machines appear a bit anemic in their construction.

Chances are they have the last generation 18" saw in stock, the updated one has only been out for 3 months or so, they just introduced them at IWF last summer. In terms of rigidity the Laguna saws are very similar to the Rikon saws when you are comparing apples to apples but I know exactly what you are saying that for some reason they don't "look" as heavily built. I have determined for me that Laguna has a more polished appearance and for some reason my mind equates that to lighter build. I have the same "problem" with Felder and SCMI, the SCMI machines have a little more industrial look and always look like they are built better but most of the time it is actually an illusion.

In the end I think you would appreciate that PM81, it is a really well made saw and while nothing like the huge cast iron stuff it is better built than anything you can buy new for your budget. Assuming it does run it is a steal at the price, most PM81 sold run 2+ times that much. It is also Evergreen hich means it was built in the 70s which many consider the pinnacle of Powermatic quality.

[Darcy Warner]

I have had some nice 20 to 24 inch saws. Fay and Egan, yates, tannewitz, Northfield.

I do have my heart set on a nice 950 F&E or a Greenlee 410, some day.

I like heavy saws though.

[Dale Murray]

I just did a search of the interwebs just to see what a PM81 looks like; the one on owwm may be a steal but it far to massive for me. Its like getting a really great deal on a real Humvee may not be so great if you live on really narrow streets with limited parking.

I will definitely check out owwm when approved, however.

[Rich Riddle]

Of the choices you offered, I prefer the Grizzly. Of everything discussed, I prefer Van's suggestion of the vintage OWWM with the VFD.

[Van Huskey]

I just did a search of the interwebs just to see what a PM81 looks like; the one on owwm may be a steal but it far to massive for me. Its like getting a really great deal on a real Humvee may not be so great if you live on really narrow streets with limited parking.

I will definitely check out owwm when approved, however.


I understand but it may be deceiving depending on what dimensions you are looking at. The 19" Grizzly's foot print is 36" x 32" where the PM81 is about 46 x 32 by my ruler so it does take up a little more floor space but not a significantly more and are almost the exact same height. The Powermatic does weigh about 300 pounds more though. The way the bases are built makes the PM81 look a lot bigger than most of the modern bandsaws due to the large base. If nothing else it is so close you could at least run by and take a look, maybe make a cardboard template of the size to put in your shop to get an idea of the room it takes up. In the end I could care less what you buy, but it is such I good deal on a good saw and so close I can't help but campaign for it but if you only have room for an H2 then a great deal on an H1 means nothing.

[Dave Cav]

I just took a look at the PM 81 on BOYD. It does seem like a very good deal, and it's the right color. Yes, it would need a VFD for a couple hundred bucks, but they are VERY robust saws. They are big, but not much bigger than a comparable Griz or Laguna.

[Terry Therneau]

I agree with Van, in that the footprint of a larger saw is not that much more; surprisingly so. But I also agree that the height and weight of the Tannewitz just don't match your space. It was worth a mention though. Best of luck in your search.
Terry T.

[Rod Sheridan]

I bought a PM81 for $600.

The owner couldn't sell it because everyone was worried about how heavy it was.

No issue for me, I didn't plan on lifting it by hand.

He also gave me 2 extra 3 phase motors and a new in box VFD for it. It's a good saw.................Rod.

[Prashun Patel]

"All of these should work. Unless someone has or has different saws a lot he will probably recommend what he has in the shop, assuming he's not mad at it."

I agree with John Jordan's statement.

I own the G0514x2 and I like it. It has all your desires. I like the foot brake and it has good mass. Mass and a large, heavy table are a nice things to have.

[Van Huskey]

I bought a PM81 for $600.

The owner couldn't sell it because everyone was worried about how heavy it was.

No issue for me, I didn't plan on lifting it by hand.

He also gave me 2 extra 3 phase motors and a new in box VFD for it. It's a good saw.................Rod.


That makes me grin but I know people do feel that way. The interesting thing is while it and the Delta 28-350 weigh between 700 and 800 pounds they have large
square bases on the front and are far more stable than modern bandsaws which tend to be much more "tippy". I have taken both models of saws off pallets and moved them into a shop with nothing but brute strength and ignorance (while I only have an average helping of the former I have plenty of the latter). I can horse them around by myself by hand no problem something I would not do with a modern saw weighing over 400 pounds. BTW I wouldn't suggest it to someone else but I have a habit of not waiting for help and have done this many times over the years and may very well die under a bandsaw one day.

[Dale Murray]

What about a Jet JWBS-18S for roughly $1000? That has my interest piqued. only 1-3/4hp.

Currently. the Rikon is topping my list, unless something really good comes along in the used market.

[Van Huskey]

What about a Jet JWBS-18S for roughly $1000? That has my interest piqued. only 1-3/4hp.

Currently. the Rikon is topping my list, unless something really good comes along in the used market.

That is the newer Jet which is also a solid saw and has 16" or resaw height. The price is about right for one in excellent shape and if in the long run you are unhappy with the horsepower you can always put a larger motor on it.