Ok.......I'm getting a big bandsaw.

[Brad Hammond]

Help me out with selection. here's my needs: light resawing ( but there's always the possibility of moderate to heavy resawing), cutting bowl blanks, cutting out forms for templates, and overall looking really cool in the shop. :p

i'm leaning toward the grizzly 17" because of the 2hp motor and 12" of cutting clearance. the jet looks like a solid machine, but it's only 10" cutting height and a little more under powered. plus, the grizzly has a bigger table and comes with a fence. i realize that no matter what saw i get i could probably get it to cut 100% better with a timberwolf blade no matter what size motor hit has.
i guess i'm looking for something to "grow into" and to buy one saw once and for all. this is the attitude i'd taken with my other large equipment purchases and i'm very happy with what i have.

just wanted some opinions from folks that i trust before i pull the trigger. i'm open to ALL input regarding your saws, and the pros and cons of the saw's you all have, AND if i'm missing something as far as what to look for in a saw please let me know.
thanx
brad

[Robert Goodwin]

Ahh, a fellow parrot head,

I don't have one ( Big bandsaw, I have the 14” Griz), but I have read many favorable reviews of the Mini Max line. I checked them out at the WW show in our area, and they look well made.


Rob

[Paul Downes]

Brad, I'm going to order that saw this week. I looked at it this past spring at the Muncy Pa. store. I had some concerns. The 1/4" steel, stamped trunions seem really solid. I put a conciderable amount of my 270 lbs. pushing down on the table and I could not detect any deflection. Try this on a lot of the lesser saws out there and you will see a lot of deflection. I also am going to use this saw for resawing. I hate making woodchips out of good wood. My only other concern is the aluminum wheels. I don't know if I will be able to get high tension into a 1" blade but it's the compromise/chance I'm going to take. I have not heard any critical posts/remarks about this saw. I expect to be quite pleased when that green shows up at the door.

[Brad Hammond]

My only other concern is the aluminum wheels. I don't know if I will be able to get high tension into a 1" blade but it's the compromise/chance I'm going to take. I have not heard any critical posts/remarks about this saw. I expect to be quite pleased when that green shows up at the door.

paul,
this may be wierd offering advice on a thread that i started, but today i've done a little more research and from what i can gather if you get your blades cut to 131 1/2" that takes care of the tension probs, especially on the 1" blades.
i really appreciate the advice. i was looking for someone who'd had their hands on the saw.
thanx
brad