Minimax s400p 16" bandsaw question

[Greg McClurg]

There is a minimax 16" s400p bandsaw for sale near me. I don't know much about these saws other than minimax has a good reputation. The saw is only 1 1/2 years old and used by a hobbiest, mainly for resawing. Do any of you have experience with this saw, and are there any issues with it? If I go look at it is there anything in particular that I should check out? The person is asking $2,600...do you think this is a fair price if it hasn't been abused?

Thanks,
Greg

[Mike Kees]

I do not know U.S. pricing for minimax,but I would not waste time posting or talking about it. If you are serious get over there with cash,QUICK. Just looked at one in Calgary yesterday $4900 Canadian.

[Greg McClurg]

Thanks Mike

[Robert Cherry]

I took delivery of my s400p about a year ago. $2900 seems like a reasonable price for such a new machine, but not a screaming deal. Check that the blade is running with the teeth off the front of the tires, make sure the upper blade guide assembly moves smoothly up/down, check the table for flatness and be sure the door interlock switches look clean and work properly. And bring a few friends to help move it, it’s a beast!

[Greg McClurg]

Thanks Robert

[Jacob Mac]

I have one. If it is in good shape, and you plan on woodworking for awhile, I think it is a fair deal. I think new they're about 3600 now.

[Van Huskey]

It is arguably the best 16" saw you can buy now. Just check it over like any other used machine as there are no pattern issues with the saw. A new one will run 3600-3700 shipped so it is a decent price but not a screaming deal, if it has blades with usable life (especially carbide) it adds to the value. I would go with a stack of cash and try to get it for a couple of hundred less. As always if you wait long enough there will be a better deal but how much better and how long the wait is one never knows.

[Tim Lanier1]

Great saw. I love mine. Got it earlier this year in Denver for $1800. It was about 5 years old and very lightly used. $2600 seems a little high to me. I'd see if the guy would take $2200.

[David Kumm]

Anytime you can save the shipping or avoid the almost a buck a mile cost of transporting yourself, you need to consider it. New machines increasingly have issues that a good condition used machine has all ready had sorted out. If the table is flat, you are ahead of a large % of new machinery so give it a quick look and if it checks out, drive it home. Dave

[Mike Kees]

Man, I only dream of ever finding one of these saws used at any price.I have been looking for about 6 years,not one so far. I have all but given up and am saving up my pesos to buy one new.

[Van Huskey]

Man, I only dream of ever finding one of these saws used at any price.I have been looking for about 6 years,not one so far. I have all but given up and am saving up my pesos to buy one new.

The newest version MMs (Centauro CO HD) with the tall resaw are pretty rare for sale even in much higher population density areas. But I understand your woes I have been hoping to find a Beaver 3300 (one of those little saws I just want to own and need like an extra hole in my head) for many years and living over 1000 miles south of the border you never see them around here. At some point, I am going to have to make a long road trip to get one.

[Mike Kees]

Van is that the 12 '' one with the holes in the casting over the wheels and the solid aluminium or something covers. Better yet just post a picture. Mike.

[Van Huskey]

Van is that the 12 '' one with the holes in the casting over the wheels and the solid aluminium or something covers. Better yet just post a picture. Mike.

Sorry for the thread jack OP, but I think you have what you need.

The 3300 is the 14" saw, the saw is cast aluminum or as you said aluminium. Honestly, there is nothing particularly special about it is just one of the saws I like the lines on and would just like to own, I would probably only use it once...

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The 12" you are thinking of is the 2300

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[Mike Kees]

I do see those on Kijiji, probably at least 5-6 a year. I have not quite figured out the lineage of Beaver ,I know there is a tie-in with Rockwell somewhere in there.I believe they were only in Canada,eh ?:)

[Van Huskey]

I do see those on Kijiji, probably at least 5-6 a year. I have not quite figured out the lineage of Beaver ,I know there is a tie-in with Rockwell somewhere in there.I believe they were only in Canada,eh ?:)

With further apologies to the OP...

Pre-War they had a relationship with Walker Turner but Beaver was sold to Rockwell in the mid-50s. Fairly quickly most of the original Beaver line was ditched for Delta designs. They lived through all of the various Delta-Rockwell iterations until Delta was sold to Chang Type a few years ago and the Guelph operation was shut down. While they do have a small cult following I wouldn't pick up most of their machines if they were on the side of the road with a free sign on them. The bandsaws just call to me partly because I am a bandsaw nut and partly the design which has a bit of the Art Deco feel. The old Powermatic 14" and General 15" and even the ubiquitous Delta 14" saws are better IMO as saws but the Beaver 2300 and 3300 just have character. If I were Canadian and was planning a two saw small/large(r) setup in my shop I would have either a 3300 or a General 190/290/490/690.

Speaking of Art Deco a very rare option for the 190/290 saws was a cast iron base

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[Greg McClurg]

Thanks for all the information, but someone beat me to it. No apologies need Van, I always appreciate your insight on bandsaws. Now I'm looking at a Laguna LT24 which about 10 years old used in a hobby situation. Van, your thoughts on this one?

[Van Huskey]

Now I'm looking at a Laguna LT24 which about 10 years old used in a hobby situation.

If you can get a decent price jump on it. It will be an ACM built saw and they were (and still are) available in two configurations a 17" and a 24" resaw capacity. Either of which is more than the MM16 and they will have a feature I love, a bigger table. For resawing the guides aren't much of a factor but I do like the Laguna guides if you plan to have just one saw and use more narrow blades as well as a resaw blade. The new price for them is $5k and $5.5K for the 17 and 24" resaw capacity respectively.

[Greg McClurg]

Thanks Van. It is the 17" resaw version and the guy is asking $2,500 which seems like a very reasonable offer. However, there is someone looking at it this weekend so I'm second in line.

[Jacob Mac]

Thanks for all the information, but someone beat me to it. No apologies need Van, I always appreciate your insight on bandsaws. Now I'm looking at a Laguna LT24 which about 10 years old used in a hobby situation. Van, your thoughts on this one?

I ended up with a new MM16 bc I could never get the good deal used. The deals were really sparse, and someone always beat me to it.

[Van Huskey]

Thanks Van. It is the 17" resaw version and the guy is asking $2,500 which seems like a very reasonable offer. However, there is someone looking at it this weekend so I'm second in line.

If it has the standard hobbyist use for 10 years look (fairly minty) then I would jump on it that, of course, assumes it functions minty as it looks. Bottom line that is a good price for that saw if all works as expected.

[Bryan Lisowski]

I'm not going to go against any advise Van gives you, he's forgotten more about bandsaws than most of us have learned, but with your budget, why not consider something new like Rikon 10-346.

[Greg McClurg]

I ended up missing both of them. I'll probably end up with the Laguna 18BX or the Rikon 10-347. Anyone know the difference between the Rikon 10-346 and the 10-347? Is the 347 just a new model?

[Van Huskey]

I ended up missing both of them. I'll probably end up with the Laguna 18BX or the Rikon 10-347. Anyone know the difference between the Rikon 10-346 and the 10-347? Is the 347 just a new model?


Yes, the 10-347 is the new model of the 10-346 off the top of my head I don't remember any major changes. If you buy a Rikon give Circle Saw down in Houston a call sometimes they beat everyone else's prices on Rikon. The 18BX and the 10-347 are my favorite saws in the $2K range. The Rikon has more capacity, higher blade speed and more horsepower as well as a longer warranty, the Laguna has guides that I like better, a slightly larger table and has some intangibles that make me enjoy using it more but are of no real practical value, except maybe to me. In practically every category I think one has an advantage over the other but to distill it down to a simple statement I like the Rikon better in a two bandsaw shop with it handling resawing and ripping chores along with another saw dedicated to contour cutting, for a 1 saw shop I prefer the Laguna. The Rikon is a closer approximation of the SCM Minimax/Formula line.

I know the frustration of missing used machines and there always comes a point where the impulse is just to buy new, if you do go that way quit looking for used ones... if you continue to look you will find deal of the century after deal of the century and it is hard to remember that you would likely have been 2nd or 3rd in line for them as well.

[Greg McClurg]

Thanks Van. I appreciate your comments, and advice.

[Erik Loza]

There were days where every call was, “Got any used MM16’s for sale?”. If that’s the machine you want and a used one pops up, jump on it because the whole rest of the world has been waiting for one for like 10-15 years, LOL.

Erik

[Chris Hachet]

The newest version MMs (Centauro CO HD) with the tall resaw are pretty rare for sale even in much higher population density areas. But I understand your woes I have been hoping to find a Beaver 3300 (one of those little saws I just want to own and need like an extra hole in my head) for many years and living over 1000 miles south of the border you never see them around here. At some point, I am going to have to make a long road trip to get one.

I passed on one in mint condition dirt cheap.

[Chris Hachet]

I ended up with a new MM16 bc I could never get the good deal used. The deals were really sparse, and someone always beat me to it.

Nothing wrong with buying new.