Looking at a New Bandsaw

[Barry McFadden]

I usually post in the Turners Forum but have come here to hopefully gain some knowledge from members experience with bandsaws. I have an old Craftsman 12" bandsaw that works great since it's about 30 years old and never had an issue other than a couple of bearings I replaced. The problem is it only has a height capacity of about 6.5" and it really limits the size of bowl blanks I want to cut. I see Lee Valley now has a Rikon 14" Deluxe bandsaw with a 13" cut capacity advertised for $1349.00 Canadian. They are in a Free Shipping promotion right now till Feb. 21 and the saw is available on Feb. 27 but I think if I placed an order now they would still give the deal. If not it's only a 45 min. drive and I could pick it up. My question is, what do you guys think about the price and the Rikon brand in general? I would really appreciate hearing your pro's and con's before I commit to the deal......thanks

[Mike Kees]

Barry you might get more help if you listed the model number. I went to Lee Valley and checked it out,it looks like a pretty good unit. Canadian woodworker had Rikon bandsaws,maybe check them for prices. The only Rikon tool I own is the 8'' slow speed grinder. Hopefully someone with Rikon bandsaw experience can help out here. Good luck ,Mike.

[Jim Becker]

Barry, you might also want to keep your eye out for a good used "heavier" bandsaw, particularly one with a Euro type design.

Rikon has a decent reputation for providing reasonably good machines in the "upper low end to mid-range" market. You have some other mass produced brands north of the border that have potential choices for you, too. I'm sure there are other members who can provide the brands.

[Barry McFadden]

Barry you might get more help if you listed the model number. I went to Lee Valley and checked it out,it looks like a pretty good unit. Canadian woodworker had Rikon bandsaws,maybe check them for prices. The only Rikon tool I own is the 8'' slow speed grinder. Hopefully someone with Rikon bandsaw experience can help out here. Good luck ,Mike.


Sorry Mike...thought I had... the model is 10-326...

[Barry McFadden]

Thanks Jim....have been looking at Craftex from Busy Bee......but I don't see a lot of good comments about them....

[Jim Becker]

Is "Busy Bee" the Grizzly equivalent "up north"??

General International might also have something affordable.

Having a tool that has some weight and heft can be beneficial to you as you work with those heavy, wet log sections to get them ready for turning. I originally had a 14" Jet saw and while it could cut the wood, the heft of the machine didn't contribute much to the "feeling of comfort" while doing the job. It wiggled a lot... After I upgraded to the beefy bandsaw I have in my shop, it didn't move at all when I threw a section of a wet log on the table to cut a round or whatever. The heavier machines can also handle the slightly thicker blades that are better suited to cutting wet wood. This is why a heavier used saw, if you can find one, might be a better fit "for what you do" if you aim to make larger turning blanks.

[Bradley Gray]

I agree with Jim re an older, heavier saw. If you have room, bigger saws are often cheaper. Band saws last a long time. I have an old 32" Crescent with babbet bearings that has run almost daily for 35 years with no major maintenance.

I recommend hanging on to the old Craftsman - I have one I keep an 1/8" blade on - very handy.

[andy bessette]

For the same budget I'd get a larger, used saw.

[David Sloan]

I had an old Grizzly saw with 8" capacity that worked well for cutting bowl blanks but the 8" capacity was frustrating so I sold it and bought a Laguna 1412. At Woodcraft the Rikon and Laguna stand side by side and from looking at them closely and reading a lot about both saws they are both great saws for the pricepoint. If preparing bowl blanks is your priority I would second the suggestion about buying a heavy well powered used saw with good height capacity. I also agree that hanging on to the old saw is a good idea. I wish I hadn't sold my old Grizzly!

[Mike Null]

I bought a Laguna 1412 almost two years ago. I am very pleased with it but my cutting is fairly easy and involves only dry wood so I'm not testing it like some of the other respondents might.

I still have my smaller BS but will sell it soon as I just don't have space. Like everybody else, I'd like to keep it.

[Brian W Smith]

Larger used would pair up nicely with your Cman.Put a narrow blade on it for contour work,set up the 20...or larger with 3/4 or better resaw blade.

[Chris Hachet]

Is "Busy Bee" the Grizzly equivalent "up north"??

General International might also have something affordable.

Having a tool that has some weight and heft can be beneficial to you as you work with those heavy, wet log sections to get them ready for turning. I originally had a 14" Jet saw and while it could cut the wood, the heft of the machine didn't contribute much to the "feeling of comfort" while doing the job. It wiggled a lot... After I upgraded to the beefy bandsaw I have in my shop, it didn't move at all when I threw a section of a wet log on the table to cut a round or whatever. The heavier machines can also handle the slightly thicker blades that are better suited to cutting wet wood. This is why a heavier used saw, if you can find one, might be a better fit "for what you do" if you aim to make larger turning blanks.I am looking for one of these myself. Yes, as the owner of a 14 inch Jet, a 14 inch machine is very limited in many ways. I want at least an 18 inch size and at least 3 HP. That seems like a reasonable size.

[Chris Hachet]

I had an old Grizzly saw with 8" capacity that worked well for cutting bowl blanks but the 8" capacity was frustrating so I sold it and bought a Laguna 1412. At Woodcraft the Rikon and Laguna stand side by side and from looking at them closely and reading a lot about both saws they are both great saws for the pricepoint. If preparing bowl blanks is your priority I would second the suggestion about buying a heavy well powered used saw with good height capacity. I also agree that hanging on to the old saw is a good idea. I wish I hadn't sold my old Grizzly!I have only gotten rid of a couple of tools since I started woodworking and I regret getting rid of both of them, actually. One was a Craftsman router I gave to my neighbor when he started woodworking. At least I have another woodworker who lives nearby when I need a hand with something!

[Chris Hachet]

Larger used would pair up nicely with your Cman.Put a narrow blade on it for contour work,set up the 20...or larger with 3/4 or better resaw blade.


This is my thinking. Putting a Carter stabilizer on my 14 inch, looking for a nice used machine for resaw work.

[Barry McFadden]

Thanks everyone for the advice. I really think that a 14" bandsaw would be plenty power for me (1 3/4 HP) since I'm making due now with the Craftsman at 1/2 HP. You got me thinking though about keeping the Craftsman as well instead of selling it. I think I'll take a look at the Rikon 10-326 when they get it at Lee Valley around Feb. 27th. Thanks again.

[Jim Becker]

Barry, the horsepower is only one piece of the equation...one of the reasons that many folks like the beefier saws is because they are beefier. They vibrate less, are more stable and can also handle blade tension that the typical 14" saw provides. It's actually very similar to making a decision about a lathe...the stouter and heaver it is, the more stable it is doing the work, particularly with larger pieces. But you are correct that a typical 14" bandsaw can make the cut.

[Randy Heinemann]

I don't know about the price nor what the differences in pricing is between the US and Canada. However, I bought mine Rikon 14" Deluxe several years ago for $795 at a Woodcraft store (plus Wisconsin sales tax). Since then I upgrade the guides to Rikon's tool less guides which came out late last year for another $150. So the total price would be about $950 including the upgrade.

As far as performance, I love it. I did not love the fence included with the saw and use Carter magnetic fence which I can set as I choose on my bandsaw and other tools with cast iron tables. Does a great job on resawing and cutting curves the few times I've used it to cut curves. As for power, it depends what you expect from the saw. When resawing a slow constant feed works best and cuts the straightest and I haven't found any wood that it won't handle. If you're doing a lot of resawing and want power to feed faster, then you might want to consider a heavier duty bandsaw with a larger motor; like an 18" with 2 HP (which I believe Rikon also makes).

As for dust collection, I rigged up a "Y" connection so that a flexible hose/nozzle rests right under the table insert near the blade and the regular 4" port is connected also. That improved dust collection a lot and, while not perfect, is great on most cuts, especially for the finer dust.

My experience with band saws has showed me that the re-sawing results you get is directly related to the position of the blade on the wheel tires, the guides themselves, and whether or not the guides are setup correctly. I use a procedure that Carter has pushed for years (in fact has a pamphlet or DVD they sell) and it has improved my results significantly. The Rikon 14" Deluxe is no exception here. Until I set up the guides properly, the saw didn't perform very well for re-sawing.

Don't know if that helps. Sorry I can't be more informative on the pricing.

[John TenEyck]

Sorry to go off on a slight tangent but if you are depending upon the guides in order to cut in a straight line when resawing, Randy, then you need to spend more time getting the blade at the correct position on the tires. Guides are pretty much unnecessary for resawing if the blade is tracking true on the wheels. Same thing for the fence. It should be parallel with the miter slot. If you have to skew it, something's wrong.

John

[Mike Kees]

Hi Barry, I dont know where you live in Ontario but I have occasionally checked out kijiji and have seen 3-4 used laguna saws in the Toronto area in the last 6 months or so.Mike.

[Chris Hachet]

Hi Barry, I dont know where you live in Ontario but I have occasionally checked out kijiji and have seen 3-4 used laguna saws in the Toronto area in the last 6 months or so.Mike.There are very few Laguna saws used for sale here in the states, if one can find one used for a decent price run do not walk...

[Chris Hachet]

I don't know about the price nor what the differences in pricing is between the US and Canada. However, I bought mine Rikon 14" Deluxe several years ago for $795 at a Woodcraft store (plus Wisconsin sales tax). Since then I upgrade the guides to Rikon's tool less guides which came out late last year for another $150. So the total price would be about $950 including the upgrade.

As far as performance, I love it. I did not love the fence included with the saw and use Carter magnetic fence which I can set as I choose on my bandsaw and other tools with cast iron tables. Does a great job on resawing and cutting curves the few times I've used it to cut curves. As for power, it depends what you expect from the saw. When resawing a slow constant feed works best and cuts the straightest and I haven't found any wood that it won't handle. If you're doing a lot of resawing and want power to feed faster, then you might want to consider a heavier duty bandsaw with a larger motor; like an 18" with 2 HP (which I believe Rikon also makes).

As for dust collection, I rigged up a "Y" connection so that a flexible hose/nozzle rests right under the table insert near the blade and the regular 4" port is connected also. That improved dust collection a lot and, while not perfect, is great on most cuts, especially for the finer dust.

My experience with band saws has showed me that the re-sawing results you get is directly related to the position of the blade on the wheel tires, the guides themselves, and whether or not the guides are setup correctly. I use a procedure that Carter has pushed for years (in fact has a pamphlet or DVD they sell) and it has improved my results significantly. The Rikon 14" Deluxe is no exception here. Until I set up the guides properly, the saw didn't perform very well for re-sawing.

Don't know if that helps. Sorry I can't be more informative on the pricing.


Welcome to the creek and nice thoughtful rational first post....

[Joe Beaulieu]

Hey Barry,

i bought a new bandsaw about 6 months ago. I picked the Laguna LS-14 SUV model. I love the saw - it's a 14" saw, but with a whopping 13 1/2" of resaw height, and a killer 3 hp motor. I put a "Resaw King" 3/4" blade on it and it cuts wafer thin slices of veneers off of anything I try to put through it. I recently cut some 1/16" thick slices out of an 8/4 Purpleheart slab effortlessly, with a finish that only needed a little planing to prep. It is a little more money than you are thinking of now, but IMO well worth the extra cash. Alternatively, I believe Laguna also offer a slightly lower end 14" saw for about what your budget is, so have a look at Laguna. You will love the saw!

HTH

Joe

[Barry McFadden]

Thanks for the info Joe.... There is a place about an hour from me that sells Laguna tools that I was planning on checking out....