14" bandsaw, PM or Jet?

[Michael Drew]

I have a 12" Jet. Been using it for about 10 years or so. Frankly, I rarely use it. Mostly for cutting long arches in boards for furniture. I don't use it for re-sawing, because it's kinda worthless for that task. I figured I'd buy a real saw when I move, but this past weekend I really needed a larger, better saw. Well that need inspired me to look for something better, in the state, that I would not need to pay exorbitant shipping fees. The only two saws available, both in the state, are 14" models. A Jet 714400K for $1700 and a PowerMatic 1791216K for $1800.

The two things that jump out at me as wins are for the Jet. 1.75 hp motor verse a 1.5 hp motor with the PM. The Jet's blade is 116" and the PM's is 93.5". I'm assuming that means the Jet has larger wheels? The Jet also has what apears to be a better fence, but neither look at that great to me.

Which one is the better saw? Or, would you just wait and get a larger, better machine? That might be a couple years out for me and I've grown pretty impatient with entry level machines lately. But when I look at each one of these machines, neither appears to be much of a jump in performance and/or capacity to what I have now.

I can order a bandsaw too, but who knows how long of a wait I'd have. Probably 12 weeks, at least. Laguna, Jet and PowerMatic are the machines that my in-state dealers carry. If I buy from the dealer, shipping is generally part of the price. If I order and I ship it to me, it'll be at least $1000.

[Mitch schiffer]

I don't know much about those specific models but I was looking for a 15-20 inch saw a few months back and I looked at a 14 inch powermatic and jet side by side at a local dealer. The pm did have a nicer fit and finish and overall feel. I wanted something larger I really liked the 18 inch pm but couldn't justify the cost. I ultimately bought a Harvey. I haven't yet received it so I can't yet sau if it is better or worse but from the pictures and specs it seems liked like the best saw for the money. It seems like there is a pretty big difference from the 14-15 inch saws. I would suggest you at least consider a 15 inch before pulling the trigger. I can't speak for shipping out of the 48 states.

[Tom M King]

I'd pick a modern steel framed one over a cast iron 14".

[Earl McLain]

I'd pick a modern steel framed one over a cast iron 14".

Which is what that Jet model appears to be. Both have 14” wheels, but the wheels on the jet are farther apart providing the space to resale at up to 13” height. That’s why the blade as longer. The PM is 6” I think. The steel frame will also provide more rigidity, to better tension blades. I’ve not seen the Jet in person, or that PM, so no opinion on quality of either. Good luck.
earl
edit…”resale” should be “resaw”

[Lawrence Duckworth]

The 14" Jet wasn't my first choice, I thought I needed a bigger saw but this one so far has been impressive. Probably not a noticable difference between the two (for me anyway) other than the number of dust ports.

472473

[Bernie Kopfer]

The difference in resaw heights would incline me towards the Jet. 6 inches resaw is too limiting. There WILL come the time when you want/need more. if you envision limited usage then either of these saws will probably work fine.

[Michael Drew]

I have not spent much time looking at, or researching bandsaws, so this new 'need' to get one that I can do more with is kind of an eye opening exercise. I don't see myself making veneer, but I sure would like to rip some 4 quarter/8 quarter boards in half. I usually work with boards 12" wide or narrower. 6-8" is generally what I buy. There is no way I can do that with the saw I have now, so I end up changing my design or just figuring out a different way to machine the lumber. After wasting enough cherry hardwood to fill a 30 gallon bag with chips last weekend, I realized I need a better machine that I can resaw hardwood with. I would rather not spend 3-5k on one though. I just blew about 8K on a sliding table saw. But now that I'm looking into a better bandsaw, I'm discovering that the larger, more expensive machines have many of the features I think would be quite useful.

Jeezusssss, this is an expensive hobby. I should have stuck with race cars.

Oh well, might as well buy one now, before I retire and have a fixed income.

I just found out that one of the local "tool" dealers carries some Grizzly machines. I might be able to order a Grizzly saw from them, and not have to eat the entire shipping costs. I was surfing the Grizzly web site and they have a mind numbing number of saws. I do not understand all the different lines. Very confusing at first glance. (I do not own any Grizzly tools)

[Rod Wolfy]

If you have the space, maybe rethink the situation. I had a Jet 14" and sold it. I had a 20" Aggazani and found that I couldn't run a 1/4" or smaller blade very well. I moved and sold the Aggy. I now have a 12" Jet for curved cuts or most of my tasks and a 21" Grizzly.

If you can't fit a 14" and a bigger saw, then maybe a Laguna twelve/14, Grizzly 16" or Laguna 18bx"?

[Michael Drew]

Thank you, Rod.

I'm actually reconsidering the 14" saws in general. The local Laguna dealer told me they have a 12/14 on order and I can claim it. But, it's on backorder, and they don't know when it will ship. So it seems I might as well just get a larger machine anyway, if I end up ordering one. I've almost convinced myself to just bite the bullet and place an order for the Laguna 18/BX. It's about 3K. Doesn't really look like the footprint is much more than the 14".

I'd probably just keep the 12" saw I have, and fit an 1/8" blade to it (3/8" is the max anyway). Keep a larger, 1" blade on the 18" for resaw work.

[Jim Becker]

Michael, if you can afford to get the larger saw, by all means go in that direction. But keep the 12" around for scrolling. :)

[Bernie Kopfer]

I heartily concur with what Jim just said. If you have room keep the small saw. I have that setup and it is a pleasure to not change blades.

[Lee Schierer]

The only two saws available, both in the state, are 14" models. A Jet 714400K for $1700 and a PowerMatic 1791216K for $1800.

The two things that jump out at me as wins are for the Jet. 1.75 hp motor verse a 1.5 hp motor with the PM. The Jet's blade is 116" and the PM's is 93.5". I'm assuming that means the Jet has larger wheels? The Jet also has what apears to be a better fence, but neither look at that great to me.



The two saws are both 14" saws. That means the wheels are 14 inch. The blade length difference indicates that the Jet had a riser installed for resawing. That means you can resaw wider pieces of lumber than a standard 14" saw.

[Charles Coolidge]

I did this dance last year. Having owned and sold a Grizzly 19" I wanted to downsize that thing was HUGE! But I also wanted max resaw capacity. Ended up with the Powermatic PM1500 15". For me this was the sweet spot, a smaller size/footprint 15" saw but with many of the features of the larger Powermatic saws. Plenty of HP at 3hp and for the size a very healthy 14" of resaw capacity. Takes blade widths from 1/8" to 1". Yeah as for the price...cry once.

As for getting it off the double high pallets (won't go under the garage door that high) I went full MacGyver on it.

472593

[Michael Drew]

OK - so the size designation on bandsaws is the wheel, correct? Not sure why something so obvious escaped me - duh.

I don't really have room for two, but I think it's too late for me to be worrying about that anymore. My 'garage' in the current home will likely not see a vehicle in it again.

I'm thinking that a rack and pinion type table tilt mechanism would be handy, and a lot more precise that a simple friction fit carriage. The Laguna machines do not have this feature. It appears the larger Jet machines have a hybrid gear tilt? Does that really matter?

The 18" Laguna machines have a foot brake. Not sure if that's terribly important, but seems like a good option.

The Jet machines appear to be heavier than the Laguna equivalents.

So now I suppose my question for this thread has changed a bit....... Which saw would be the better choice - Jet or Laguna? The Laguna 14/12 looks to be the best 'bargain' for a 14" saw. Prices below are approx....

Laguna 14/12 $1600 (110 or 220V, weight not noted)
Laguna 14bx $2000 (110 or 220V, a bit heavier than the 14/12 @260 pounds, and has foot brake)
Laguna 18bx $2800 (3hp/220V, 410 pounds, foot brake)
Laguna 18cx $4000 (adds mechanical variable speed, 1.75hp/110V, 480 pounds, foot brake)

Jet JWBS-14SFX $1700 (110/230V, 272 pounds)
Jet JWBS-15 $2500 (1.75hp-110/230V, 382 pounds, gear tilt trunnion)
Jet JWBS-15-3 $2900 (3hp/230V, 382 pounds, gear tilt trunnion)
Jet JWBS-18 $2900 (1.75hp-110/230V, 502 pounds, gear tilt trunnion)
Jet JWBS-18-3 $3100 (3hp/230V, 502 pounds, gear tilt trunnion)

[Charles Coolidge]

So when they say 14 inch take that with a grain of salt. My advertised 15 inch bandsaw only has a max throat depth (blade to column) of 14.5 inch so there's not 15 inches left of the blade. The manufacturers fudge ahem, round up, sometimes generously.

I don't find the rack and pinon matters 'that' much on a smaller saw though my 15 inch has it. The tables are smaller and lighter. On a larger 19"-20" with larger heavier tables it's nice.

Love my foot brake, it's a third hand. When I need both hands at the end of the cut the foot brake turns the machine off and brings the blade to a stop a lot more quickly.

[Mark Rainey]

Laguna 14/12 has serious competition from Rikon 10-326. I have had mine for 3 years with excellent support from Rikon. Lee Valley has it for $1500 and free shipping and Lee Valley has unsurpassed customer service.

[Michael Drew]

Laguna 14/12 has serious competition from Rikon 10-326. I have had mine for 3 years with excellent support from Rikon. Lee Valley has it for $1500 and free shipping and Lee Valley has unsurpassed customer service.

Yah, I looked at that machine. It does look like a great bandsaw. Unfortunately, there are no dealers in Alaska. Lee Valley and other will not ship for free. Something that large will be at minimum, $1000 to ship. That's why my brand choices are Jet, Laguna, and PowerMatic. And to a lesser extent - Grizzly. If I get one of those four brands, shipping costs are absorbed due to the dealers shipping many machines at once.

[Mitch schiffer]

My local dealer does not get freight paid orders on grizzly. You may want to check with yours on that is you haven't already.

[Dave Sabo]

I’d forget jet and powermatic .

I’d be looking at Rikon and Harvey , perhaps Laguna but I just don’t like dealing with Laguna.

[David Publicover]

I have a Laguna 18BX and am very happy with it. Have you considered the 14BX?

[Tom Schmutz]

I did two things to my Jet 14 to improve cutting Installed a set of Iturra Design precision roller bearing blade guides and installed a Timber Wolf blade. Resawing dead on now.

[Charles Coolidge]

I’d forget jet and powermatic .

Why? I have a Powermatic and like it.

[Charles Coolidge]

Holy price increases batman, the PM1500 I purchased 11 months ago has gone up 38% :eek:

[Dave Sabo]

Why? I have a Powermatic and like it.

Because they don't stack up very well against the other two (3) when features and price are considered.

And on a more superficial level, I can't stand the stale mustard color.

[Rob Luter]

I had to make this decision a couple years ago. I went with a Rikon 10-326. Zero complaints. It works great for resawing.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48393929847_ba2f0510d5_b.jpg

[Michael Drew]

My local dealer does not get freight paid orders on grizzly. You may want to check with yours on that is you haven't already.

I'm not sure what arrangement the dealer has with Grizzly, but it is a bit wonky. That's why I said earlier that they carry Grizzly, but "to a lesser degree". It must be what similar to what you stated?


I’d forget jet and powermatic .

I’d be looking at Rikon and Harvey , perhaps Laguna but I just don’t like dealing with Laguna.

Thanks, but both are unavailable in Alaska unless I pay the freight fees (figure at least $1000). I have a quote from Harvey for a table saw a few weeks ago. It was $1600 for freight.


I have a Laguna 18BX and am very happy with it. Have you considered the 14BX?

Yes, the 14bx was (and still is) the saw I was mostly interested in. I'd rather have it than the 14/12. The 18bx looks kinda huge standing next to the 14bx. I'm actually wondering if it might be too large what I use a bandsaw for. But I think almost anyone on this site will tell me to go larger than what I think I need.....


Holy price increases batman, the PM1500 I purchased 11 months ago has gone up 38% :eek:

Yah, Powermatic is quite proud of their stuff.

[Charles Coolidge]

Because they don't stack up very well against the other two (3) when features and price are considered.

And on a more superficial level, I can't stand the stale mustard color.

I have to say the Harvey appears to be a lot of bandsaw for the price, especially after the price increases over the past year. I bought the Powermatic 15 for only $300 more and got free shipping so pretty much a wash with Harvey at the time. Now the Harvey has Powermatic crushed on price. I don't know if its a temporary price reduction or marketing BS but Harvey appears to be offering some deep discounts on their website.

Color? Yeah black is nice. I'm meh on Powermatic mustard, hate purple/blue, and green or off white cream makes me want to hurl.

[David Publicover]

Yes, the 14bx was (and still is) the saw I was mostly interested in. I'd rather have it than the 14/12. The 18bx looks kinda huge standing next to the 14bx. I'm actually wondering if it might be too large what I use a bandsaw for. But I think almost anyone on this site will tell me to go larger than what I think ...

I had similar concerns but marked off the footprint of each on my shop floor. The difference was not as much as I had thought. The 18BX is taller but that wasn’t a issue for me.
Good luck with your search!

[Robert Hayward]

Holy price increases batman, the PM1500 I purchased 11 months ago has gone up 38% :eek:
I paid $2464 for mine when I bought it.

[Mitch schiffer]

I'm not sure what arrangement the dealer has with Grizzly, but it is a bit wonky. That's why I said earlier that they carry Grizzly, but "to a lesser degree". It must be what similar to what you stated?

From what I understand from my local dealer that carries grizzly is that they recent lowered the dealer discount margin to 7 percent. They also do not get freight paid orders no matter what the order size is. It is my understanding that on most other brands the margin is closer to 30 percent and they get freight paid orders even just for one machine. For these reasons they don't really push or even want to sell the grizzly products anymore. It is worth noting that shop fox does offer freight paid orders and the margin is higher so you might consider that since it is essentially the same product as grizzly with maybe a few minor differences, and the free freight makes up for the slightly higher cost. Is getting a machine from Canada a cheaper option? maybe that would be a better route since is seems closer unless there are some kind of import/export fees tacked on to shipping. If you can save 1000$ on shipping that might put you into range of a minimax I believe they are available in Canada.

[Rob Luter]

Thanks, but both are unavailable in Alaska unless I pay the freight fees (figure at least $1000). I have a quote from Harvey for a table saw a few weeks ago. It was $1600 for freight.

Sorry. Missed that above.

[Michael Drew]

I’d forget jet and powermatic .

I’d be looking at Rikon and Harvey , perhaps Laguna but I just don’t like dealing with Laguna.

I'm curious why you do not recommend Jet, and if the issues you've have with Laguna are recent? I hold similar opinions as you do about Powermatic. They seem to be intentionally pricing themselves out of the market space.

[Michael Drew]

I think I've convinced myself to get the Laguna 18bx. The dealer told me it doesn't matter which Laguna I order, the lead time is the same. It is being driven by transportation.

When I place the order, I might as well order blades. If I keep the 12" I have now, and keep a 1/8" or 1/4" blade on it, what blades would you more experienced band saw users recommend? I honestly do not know all the different tasks I'll end up using this machine for. And should I stick with HSS blades, or spring for a carbide blade?

[Jim Becker]

Be careful making a major investment in bands until you have the saw in-hand. It gives you time to think about how you will, at least, initially use the machine so you can have the best band(s) for those needs. But having a couple of "basics" isn't a horrible idea. I like to keep a 1/2" 3-4t band on my saw most of the time for general utility. When I replace what I have now, I'm going to try the Dimaster from Lennox as it reportedly stays sharp a lot longer and that's nice for my general purpose use. I seriously recommend you do keep the small saw for scrolling including with the 1/8" band you mentioned. While you "can" run a narrow band like that on the larger machine, it may require a completely different setup for tracking than wider bands...that's true with my MM16 for sure, because you cannot track such a narrow band with the teeth off the side of the wheel as is normally done with flat tire saws.

There are quite a number of threads around bandsaw bands that have good sources...hopefully, you can find some of them for additional insight beyond what folks mention here.

[Michael Drew]

Thanks for the sage advice Jim.

The saw does not come with any bands, so I'll need to buy at least one. Figured I'd get two or maybe three, with the saw. Probably Laguna brand to get me started.

I do know that I will use this machine for resawing. I have a nice 8" wide X 6' long 8/4 board of Purple Heart that I need to rip in half for a project I have in mind. I can imagine myself using this machine for this type of task. I can't count the number of times I've passed on nice, thick boards, and compromised on not-so-nice 4 quarter boards because I didn't have a means to resaw the thicker boards.

[Jim Becker]

You can do resaw work (to start) with a 1/2" or 3/4" band no problem. They may cut a hair slower and maybe not quite as smooth than a fit-for-purpose band, but they will do the job as you figure out what you will be doing. So if you want to get a few basic bands, consider a 1/4" or 3/8" for the narrowest, a 1/2" for general purpose and a 3/4" for thicker, straighter cuts so you can play. That will also let you figure out what width works best for "you" as the general purpose band that will live on the saw most of the time. (I hate changing bands... LOL)

[Rod Wolfy]

Michael, if you're going to get the 18bx and keeping the smaller saw, I think you've made an excellent choice (Since I almost did the exact same thing)! I ended up with the Grizzly mostly because of the 21" clearance, but I usually over buy nowadays. I have a Lennox Tri-master carbide, but that was because I needed a custom sized blade.

If I was going to get the Laguna, I would have gotten their ReSaw King, which I've seen pretty good reviews on & it's practically made for that machine. I think it was the ¾" blade. I'd leave that on the Laguna all the time and then get a ¼" & ⅛" or ³/¹⁶" for the smaller saw, depending on how tight a radius you usually need to cut. I broke my ⅛" and I've been using a ⅜", but it won't cut circles very tight. I need a smaller one!

[Dave Sabo]

Yes , I’ve had issues with Laguna recently (last year).

[Michael Drew]

That's again for all the help.

I have a 3/8 blade on my 12" saw now, and it's a bit too large for the machine. I can't get enough tension on it to make the thing cut straight. I'll throw a 1/4 or 1/8 inch it and forget it. The 18bx probably will not show up for a couple months. Maybe longer. The dealer is looking into blades for me.

So what is it that makes a 'resaw' blade a resaw blade anyway.

[Bernie Kopfer]

That's again for all the help.

I have a 3/8 blade on my 12" saw now, and it's a bit too large for the machine. I can't get enough tension on it to make the thing cut straight. I'll throw a 1/4 or 1/8 inch it and forget it. The 18bx probably will not show up for a couple months. Maybe longer. The dealer is looking into blades for me.

So what is it that makes a 'resaw' blade a resaw blade anyway.

I keep a quality 1/4” blade on my small saw which gets used frequently for small cuts, curves, etc.
Any blade with few teeth (2-4) per inch usually is considered a resaw blade. Deep gullets help move the sawdust out too. The thicker and wider the blade contribute to the stiffness of the blade while cutting in the wood. You don’t want it to wander. But most importantly is that it is properly tensioned. If you search these threads you will find that there are a few blades that are consistently mentioned for resawing. That said a resaw type blade will cut anything straight but perhaps not as smooth as you’d like. I keep a 1in Trimaster on my saw and am constantly impressed how smoothly it cuts.

[Jim Becker]

So what is it that makes a 'resaw' blade a resaw blade anyway.

"In general"...very general...a band that is optimal for resaw work is a bit stiffer and has less teeth so the swarf gets cleared well in a deep kerf. Some are a little thicker, especially if they have carbide teeth. For a saw in the 18" range, a typical "resaw" band is going to be 3/4" or 1" in width which helps with keeping it cutting true. Note that these bands typically want a lot more tension than the narrower blades and quite often, it's not a good idea to go to the maximum width that the saw manufacturer says the saw can handle. A step down in width is often the better choice. I had a 1" carbide tipped band for my MM16. I would have been better served I think with a 3/4" band for my saw in the same configuration.

[Michael Drew]

OK, that makes sense.

The machine is now ordered, and the dealer is working up some blade options for me to look at. He wanted to get the machine on order now, due to it being on back order. Blades are easier for them to get.

Now I need to figure out how I'm going to fit this saw, and the slider, into my garage. I'll probably gut it and start over...... Time to get rid of 20 years of junk anyway.

[David Publicover]

Congratulations! I hope your as pleased with the 18BX as I have been with mine.
Rearranging your shop is a great way to discover all the junk you collect. I moved last summer and was pretty shocked at the stuff clogging my small shop. I’m still trying to get the new one laid out the way I want…

[Jim Becker]

I agree with David...this is a great opportunity for you to carefully consider your "real" workflow needs and declutter/simplify. As much as I hated that when moving this past year, it really did cause me to realize that I needed to change my attitude about keeping some kinds of stuff around and to get more particular about it. So maybe take the same approach as if you are moving and consider it's a new space with a blank slate.

[Michael Drew]

Picked up the saw last weekend, managed to get it out of the back of my truck (with spray in bedliner) into my garage by myself. Reminded me that I'm not in my 30's anymore.... Yesterday, I managed to get it out of the box and standing upright and the mobility kit installed, by myself again. Got it all tuned up and running today. I bought the 1" re-saw king blade from Laguna. Took it for a test ride and man, what a pleasure to use in comparison to my little 12" playschool saw. Now I need to figure out how to use one of these safely. I can see this thing causing some serious bodily damage, real quick. Now, where to park it when I'm not using it.......

[Randy Heinemann]

If you're now choosing between Jet and Laguna, I'd pick Jet every time. JPW makes both Jet and Powermatic. I have owned a Jet jointer for 7 years and have been satisfied with it. The Powermatic version would have been quite a bit more money and there were some advantages, but the Jet has been a very solid machine. I think I have seen more negative feedback on Laguna than Jet, but that's probably a function of where I go online compared to others.

Also, I have owned a Rikon 14" for about 7-8 years and can resaw anything I need to resaw up to 11", but I've never needed to resaw over 9". The 1.5 HP motor requires a tiny bit more patience with wider boards than a larger motor would but it still does the job and does it well. With bandsaw, setup is really the key to getting good results no matter what size you have. So, I suppose it would be nice to be able to resaw a 12" board, but I don't think I've ever needed to resaw a board that wide.

[Michael Drew]

The saw I bought is the Laguna 18bx.

[Curt Harms]

Thank you, Rod.

I'm actually reconsidering the 14" saws in general. The local Laguna dealer told me they have a 12/14 on order and I can claim it. But, it's on backorder, and they don't know when it will ship. So it seems I might as well just get a larger machine anyway, if I end up ordering one. I've almost convinced myself to just bite the bullet and place an order for the Laguna 18/BX. It's about 3K. Doesn't really look like the footprint is much more than the 14".

I'd probably just keep the 12" saw I have, and fit an 1/8" blade to it (3/8" is the max anyway). Keep a larger, 1" blade on the 18" for resaw work.

If you have the room & the budget, by all means increase your bandsaw count by one. If you use a band saw much, switching blades can get old. As far as brands, I don't think I've ever seen a complaint about a Grizzly 17" that didn't involve shipping damage. Bandsaws and table saws are machines that Grizzly seems to do a good job with.

Edit: I see you bought a machine. Congrats and use it in good health.