New Professional Bandsaw Recommendations

[Ryan Devine]

I’m in the market for a new bandsaw. I currently have a small bench top bandsaw and want to purchase a new one that will allow me to do more and be able to resaw. What are some good brands to look for and what sort of specs should I be looking for?

I really only seen of Laguana and Grizzly. Not too familiar with brands outside of the big box stores.

[Rod Sheridan]

Hi Ryan, you could start your search with Felder and MiniMax band saws.

Welcome to the forum..........Rod.

P.S. It would be a help if you could modify your profile to include your location, even by state it would help others answer your questions more accurately.

[Art Tripp]

I have the Laguna 18BX Bandsaw and like it really well. I looked at a wide range of saws beginning in the 14" category and eventually ending up in the 18" range, primarily focusing on Rikon, Jet and Laguna models. I traveled to several dealers, each located an hour or so from home, and being able to see, touch the various saws and to compare models side-by-side is quite helpful and helped make the final decision much easier. I also did much research online and additionally through various forums and created a comparison chart which allowed an easy method of seeing the various features. I didn't really know much about Grizzly at the time but have since purchased a used Grizzly G0548Z dust collector and G0490 jointer and have been quite pleased with their quality and performance. In regard to other brands and options (some higher and others lower in cost) I really haven't done much research or checking in those areas. In the end, I think that many of the better-quality name brands are fairly good for reliable performance and that in many ways it can come down to your personal wants, needs and desired features.

The features I like on the Laguna 18BX are:

The ceramic guides are very nice, easy to adjust and durable, and while I don't have a lot of experience with the more traditional bearings, I am quite satisfied and would easily choose them again.

The blade brake is indispensable and a good feature for both safety and convenience. It can be surprising how long the blade can silently spin once the power has been shut off and it is possible to make a cut, turn off the saw, place the wood on the assembly table and gather another piece, then return to set up for a different cut only to find the blade still turning and ready to take a cut out of anything that comes in contact (fingers included). With the blade brake, you can easily bring the blade to a complete stop and clear any debris or make adjustments without having a prolonged wait before doing so. With some of my processes I also begin the cut on the in-feed side of the saw and end up on the out-feed end and having the blade brake allows me to easily shut off the machine without returning to the power switch.

Both dust collection ports are also located on the same side of the machine which helps keep clutter out of my main work area and provides less intrusion as I work around different spots on the table. The dust collection from the saw has been great with my 2hp dust collector even with 4" blast gates simultaneously open to both the band saw and whatever other machine I am working with.

I had originally planned on a less expensive 14" machine and the first time I saw an 18" model (Jet) alongside my first thought was that the 18" saws are much too big. The more saws I viewed and the more familiar I became though, the more I began to gravitate toward the 18BX and it has been a great fit into my shop.

I like the cutting capacities of the saw, the spacious table size, plenty of power with a 3hp motor, the overall quality and build are great, the features are great.

I purchased the saw during a 10% off sale and my dealer had the saw in stock which allowed me to have the saw loaded into the back of my pick-up (saving the standard $75 delivery fee), then back it into my shop where the saw would be placed, where my son and I slid the saw to the back of the tailgate and pivot it to the floor where our wives helped remove the packaging material as we maneuvered the saw. The saw was well packaged and surrounded by sturdy styrofoam, wrapped in cardboard and shipped laying down for stability.

I would highly recommend seeing and touching as many machines as possible and it can do much toward finding the individual machine that best fits your personal needs and shop atmosphere, and forums such as Sawmill Creek can do much to help in your research phase (so you are already off to a good start).

408920

[Mike King]

i have a Felder FB510. It is a nice saw. Had I seen a Powermatic before, I'd probably have preferred to have one of those big saws...

[John TenEyck]

How big of a saw are you thinking about? How much resaw height do you want, throat width, etc.? What's your budget?

John

[Chris Hachet]

Are you willing to buy used and do a bit of work or do you only want new? Do you have 220 single phase power available in your shop?

[lee cox]

A New Professional Bandsaw sounds like a big bandsaw to me. I have a Minimax S45 bandsaw and I am not sure that is a Professional bandsaw but I am just a hobbyist.
What are you going to do with your bandsaw? Sounds like you have a need.

[Doug Dawson]

i have a Felder FB510. It is a nice saw.

For US$5k, it oughta be! Does it have a blade brake? I have the Laguna 18bx, and I'm totally happy with it. FWIW, the closest I've ever come to being seriously injured by a woodworking tool was on an earlier bandsaw during silent coastdown. This was decades ago and I still shudder to remember it.

[Rod Sheridan]

Yes, the FB510 has a brake...........Regards, Rod.

[David Kumm]

I agree that more info is needed. I have 30" and 36" cast iron saws and they really aren't professional resaw machines. What type of blade do you intend to run, what resaw height, do you have three phase power, and how much resawing do you plan to do- and what can you afford are all relevant. Dave

[Darcy Warner]

I am in the camp that resawing should be done on a resaw and leave the bandsaws to bandsawing.

I just picked up a wadkin resaw for less than half of that Felder, used the left over money to buy a 30 and 36 inch saws.

[Frank Necaise]

I recently got a Minimax S400P and have been very happy with its capability. I have mainly used it for resawing so far but I have also used the tilt table as well. The 220V and 4.8 hp provides so nice single phase power.
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[Allan Speers]

I am in the camp that resawing should be done on a resaw and leave the bandsaws to bandsawing.

I just picked up a wadkin resaw for less than half of that Felder, used the left over money to buy a 30 and 36 inch saws.


Agreed, and I'd love to have a Wadkin.

- But the same holds for just a large, regular bandsaw, set up specifically for resawing. A few years back, I got a 21", 5 HP Grizzly & put a Driftmaster fences on it, plus a 1" carbide blade.

I stupidly then sold my 14" Delta X5. I've regretted that move ever since.

Changing blades on a big saw is no fun, plus it would be great to have different guides, for different applications.
What was I THINKING? :(

[Chris Hachet]

I am in the camp that resawing should be done on a resaw and leave the bandsaws to bandsawing.

I just picked up a wadkin resaw for less than half of that Felder, used the left over money to buy a 30 and 36 inch saws.

Even as a hobbyist I am looking at a 30 incher.

[Chris Hachet]

I recently got a Minimax S400P and have been very happy with its capability. I have mainly used it for resawing so far but I have also used the tilt table as well. The 220V and 4.8 hp provides so nice single phase power.
408946

Italian Bandsaws are nice.

[Alex Zeller]

I think the OP needs to give us his budget too. $1000, $2000, $5000. Depending on how much he's willing to spend really makes a difference as to what models and features he can expect to get.

[Mike Kees]

Wonder if the OP has even read the replies so far ? Another hit and run.

[Ryan Devine]

He’s here. Just turned notifications on so I can see when replies come in.

Budget is about $1000. But I’m open to increasing it if my budget isn’t accurate.

[Mike King]

$1k won't buy you a "professional" saw new -- they start at around 4k. You may be able to find something decent in the used market for a bit more than that. If you are pretty firm on your price and want to buy new, Rikon makes a nice bandsaw for about that price -- I helped a friend set one up and was impressed with the quality of the saw for the price.

Don't get rid of your current saw. You'll be surprised by how much flexibility having two (or more) bandsaws provides. Michael Fortune has 8.

Mike

[Ryan Devine]

As far as specs I donÂ’t really have much. Just know I want the ability to do some resawing and something that can handle more powerful projects. This wouldnÂ’t be for large slabbing cutting. So thinking something middle of the road.

[Chris Hachet]

$1k won't buy you a "professional" saw new -- they start at around 4k. You may be able to find something decent in the used market for a bit more than that. If you are pretty firm on your price and want to buy new, Rikon makes a nice bandsaw for about that price -- I helped a friend set one up and was impressed with the quality of the saw for the price.

Don't get rid of your current saw. You'll be surprised by how much flexibility having two (or more) bandsaws provides. Michael Fortune has 8.

Mike

This. I have 3 and am looking at a 4th.

[Chris Hachet]

He’s here. Just turned notifications on so I can see when replies come in.

Budget is about $1000. But I’m open to increasing it if my budget isn’t accurate.

A Laguna 14/12 would be excellent at right about that number.

Used market is wide open at that price. But you would have to be patient and be willing to make minor repairs and get the machine dialed in.

Used saws...older American iron...Walker turner 14 and 16 inch, Powermatic and delta 20 inch, Crescent 20 inch, older 14 inch American Deltas, Davis and Wells, Oliver 192, Oliver 217, Oliver 117...Boice Craine 14 inch...the list is very long.

You can find real deals on older American saws if you are willing to do restoration work. I passed on a decent running Boice Crane 14 inch saw for $100. Needed cosmetics but was mechanically perfect.

I have seen quite a few used Italian 14 and 16 inch saws go for under a grand. Probably 15 or 20, actually.

Google IRS auctions...watch them and watch other auctions.

Find other woodworkers in your area that know how to repair and dial in machines, they will usually be happy to teach.

Inca (not Incra) built a fantastic couple of bandsaws that come up for under a grand frequently. There is an Inca yahoo group where they often come up for sale. They are Swiss made and work fantastically. I know of one of the three wheel variety that is used on a daily basis to cut veneer for musical instruments.

[andy bessette]

Paid ~$1500 for my used MiniMax 16. And ~$1700 for my used (like new) Agazzani 20.

Budget enough for a decent machine of quality.

[Chris Hachet]

As far as specs I donÂ’t really have much. Just know I want the ability to do some resawing and something that can handle more powerful projects. This wouldnÂ’t be for large slabbing cutting. So thinking something middle of the road.

Sounds like a Laguna 14/12 would serve you well.

[Chris Hachet]

Paid ~$1500 for my used MiniMax 16. And ~$1700 for my used (like new) Agazzani 20.

Budget enough for a decent machine of quality.

Both excellent bandsaws.

[Chapel Eastland]

Perhaps you might focus on a bandsaw that will give you professional results. And that depends on you.

There are people who use a 70 year-old-Delta that turn out marvelous works of art.

There are people who use a Minimax or a Italian Laguna who turn out trash.

Buying a "professional" oven won't make you an professional baker. Same with bandsaws.

[David Kumm]

If you are looking for a machine that can do a fair amount of resawing in the 10"-14" range, a budget of 2000-2500 for used would make life easier. An ACM 540 or 640 ( also badged as Felder and Bridgewood ), a Minimax, Centauro, or SCM 500 or 600 would be more than adequate assuming you are not resawing every day. A three phase machine with a $300 vfd can go for less than a single phase equivalent.

John here has good things to say about the heavier Grizzly saw but I assume it is in the 3000 range new. You can make due with lesser machines but that has a cost too. Dave

[William Falberg]

I can't comment on the popular consumer resaws because I make my own for the fun of it. I learned long ago that carbide-tipped blades cut smoother than regular set blades and the wider the blade, the faster the feed rate. By that reasoning, I decided my resaw had to run 1" 2TPI CT blades comfortably (enough tension on a sufficient two-wheeled frame) with enough horsepower to plow through 18" hard wood before the cows came home. I chose 14" wheels because that is the size limit of my machinist's lathe. I use machined 6061 aluminum billet wheels because they're perfectly balanced, centered, round, and spherically crowned. Most folks won't spend that kind of money on a resaw but that's how you get veneers so smooth they don't need planning after every cut. For the same reason racing cars use magnesium wheels on independent suspensions, I use aluminum blade transport wheels. The blade doesn't flap and I don't need a cast iron frame to reduce vibration because there is no vibration. I put the tension spring on roller bearings to compensate for deflection in the kerf. Major brands put their spring tensioner on a slide that acts more like a brake. All the little goodies you want cost more to build in. Plus: No fence will perform the kind of production resawing you want so you should be looking at feed rails and sleds with a pre-set drift angle incorporated into the feed system. My latest veneer saw had a 2HP motor and it wasn't quite enough to push a dull 1" -2TPI CT blade through 16" of cherry as fast as I would like it to. I got used to it cutting like butter before we cut all the nails we could find. Next time I'll use 3HP. Ask your local machinist to cut you a pair of 14" bandsaw blade transport wheels. Sit down when he reads you the price. Then you need drive and idler shafts and a tensioner with tracking adjustment. You're probably better off hot-rodding the saw you got. I get 18" cut depth and it runs anything from 1/8" to 1" blades. Bandsaws are a whole different animal when money is no object.

[Bill Dufour]

Grob is probably the best but only if you get the variable speed model so it has enough speed to cut wood. Also the easiest to lift since they all have a 3/4 threaded lifting eye hole in the upper arm.
Powermatic or Delta 20" saws are good but make sure they run fast enough for wood. Some are low speed for metal only, some are variable and some are high speed wood only.
Bil lD