Bandsaw Recommendations?

[Paul Zoske]

I'm looking into buying my first bandsaw and any advice or brand recommendations are appreciated. Let's pretend I can afford anything up to 1500 bucks but would be much happier if I spent a lot less than that. I figure I need at least a 14" or larger to be able to do some resawing now and then.

[James Leonard]

But it is no longer made in the USA. I would buy the 14" JET if I had it to do again. They are essentially the same saw and the JET is so much less expensive.

-James Leonard

[Jeff Miller]

I have this and I like it a lot,is it an industrial 24\7 production machine (no), but is it accurate smooth and quiet (yes). I wired mine to 220 v. and put it on a mobile base.

By the way it will saw some pretty tough stuff. I had to cut down an old oak barn beam from 8" x8" to 6" X 6"x 6' long for my nephew for a fireplace mantal and it handled it real well.
That's when I decided I needed a dust colector, wow couldn't hardly see for all the dust.

You got the money get a high priced one, I got what I could:cool:

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f32/woodfarmer/shop/shop057.jpg


Good Luck
Jeff

[Andrew Williams]

I have the 14" Jet. It has been a decent tool. I think it was worth what I paid for it. They have a few different ones, and I think the one with the beefier motor is the way to go. Mine is 1 1/4 HP (the biggest one) and that is barely enough to resaw at a very slow feed rate (under 6"). If resawing is what you are buying a BS for I would recommend a 17" with a larger motor that can handle a wider blade and higher vertical capacity. On another note, I think that a nice 14" bandsaw is an excellent tool for doing typical bandsaw work like cutting curves and tenoning. If I were to buy another larger bandsaw I would try to find a way to keep my 14" Jet and would basically use it for the 3/16" blade, curvy, smoother finish kind of stuff, and keep the big gun for thick blade resawing.

[Lance Norris]

I have 2. The one I would recommend is the Grizzly g0457. It is a 14" steel frame saw with 10" of height capacity. It has a 2 hp motor and has been excellent. $895+ shipping. I also have the 14" Ridgid and it is also a good saw, but is a little rough out of the box. With some tuning, it has proven to be very good also.

[Brad Ridgway]

My local tool shop just started carried Steel City - some interesting write ups about how these guys left Delta, etc due to disagreements and wanted to start a better company. Had been looking at the Rikon before

Anyway , i bought the 16". My contact there said he's stack it up against the minimax anyday... A little skeptical on that, but it had all the features i wanted and no riser block ! One note, the blades are 125" not 123" so you'd have to have the blades made, but no big deal for what 'm getting for sub-$1K


BTW, the Utter Guys are great to deal with if you don't mind the shipping... (utterguys.com or their ebay store) I've bought all my large tools from them (GI, ShopFox, Steel City)

-brad

[Nancy Laird]

We also have two - one is an old Atlas that was LOML's dad's saw, purchased in the early 50s. Our other one is a Hitachi 14-1/2" resaw bandsaw with a 3" blade! It will do some serious resawings.

If we were to get another one, we would probably go with the Steel City 18", 2hp, 2 speed. It's currently $1279.99 at www.woodworker.com (http://www.woodworker.com).

The 14" Steel City is $659.99.

Nancy

[Jim Becker]

Consider the Grizzly G0513X or the Bridgewood equivalent. Both a little less than your limit and beefy saws. Some folks like the 18" Rikon in this space, too. All of these machines have more power than the typical 14" saw and you need that for decent resaw capability.

[Dana Van Pelt]

I would recomend the USA 14" Delta 14" bandsaw. Delta still makes the bandsaw in America and also offers a lower priced unit from overseas. If you will look at the blade guides on the Delta USA they are made directly under the table for close and better support of the blade.

Examine the jet and you will find the blade guides much lower and not supporting the blade at the cut as well. I have sold 100's of both the Jet and the Delta. If I was wood turning and just wanted to knock down wood to fit my lathe, I would save a buck and buy the Jet. I would buy the Delta if I was a furniture maker and especially wanted to do resaw work. Good luck,
Build with Confidence
Mike & Dana

[Derrell W Sloan]

Take a look at the Grizzly G0514X. 19'' heavy cast iron wheels, large table with nice fence, 3hp motor with magnetic starter, and best of all in your price range!

[Wilbur Pan]

Here's a bit of an out-of-left-field suggestion, if you don't have to get the bandsaw real soon, and if you're reasonably handy, which I think anyone who does woodworking qualifies as.

Look for a used 1940's-1950's bandsaw. Delta and Walker-Turner are good candidates for these types of bandsaws. From a technology standpoint, there's not much new about bandsaws -- you need two wheels that can be made reasonably coplanar, a motor to spin the wheels, and a guide mechanism for the bandsaw blade. You are pretty much looking at 1940's level technology when you are looking at a recent cast iron frame bandsaw.

However, it is true that they don't make them like they used to. I was in the market for a bandsaw this past fall, and was considering either the Powermatic or Delta X5 14" with a riser, until a friend of mine showed me a well maintained 1950's Delta. Specwise, it was identical to current 14" bandsaws, but the difference in the non-spec details was an eye-opener. The gauge of steel used in the wheel covers was much heavier in the older bandsaw, the stand was sturdier, and the cast iron frame was beefier, which all led to a smoother running machine. None of this will be reflected in the specs.

I wound up finding a late 1940's 16" Walker-Turner bandsaw, which has a 10" resaw capacity. Everything on this bandsaw is cast iron, even the wheel covers. I had to change the pulley wheels, and it came on a homemade wood stand that I'm going to replace/rebuild, but altogether I think I spent only about $500 between the bandsaw and the pulley parts. Here's a picture of the bandsaw as I got it:

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/141/341843946_08f69fc49b.jpg http://farm1.static.flickr.com/162/341844053_b45adea800.jpg

I should warn you that Walker-Turner made parts such as bearings and axles in some oddball sizes that are hard to find today. If you're worried about this, many modern day Delta bandsaw parts can be used in an older machine.

Dealing with an older piece of equipment is not as hard as you might think. I'm not a mechanic -- I'm a pediatrician, and this is the first big machine I've ever to restore/maintain, and I managed to do this.

On the other hand, if you're looking for 12" resaw capacity or greater, I'd go with any of the steel frame bandsaws already recommended above. My vote would be for the Bridgewood. Or look for a 1950's Delta 20" bandsaw.

[Russ Massery]

I have and can wholeheartedly recommond the Grizzly G0513. Resaws great and "scrow"s very well. Some much so I'm going to sell my 14" Rockwell\Delta.
In your price range too!

[Mike Cutler]

Paul.

I would honestly recommend that you set your sights to the upper end of your budget.
The 14" bandsaws are nice, but.... they are light bandsaws. If you get into bookmatching,resawing, some lite rough milling. The 14" will be too light.
One of the Bridgewoods has some very heavy cast iron wheels, as does the a Griz' in that price range. My Rikon has heavy wheels also, but I don't know about the new model.
Look for a 2-3HP motor and heavy wheels for the rotational mass.

I'm not knocking the 14" bandsaws. I have a 14" Jet, in addition to an 18" Rikon, and it's a very nice machine. It is limited though.

[Pete Bradley]

Here's a bit of an out-of-left-field suggestion...Look for a used 1940's-1950's bandsaw.
No question, that was the golden age of woodworking machines. I have a Delta 28-350 20" band saw from the 40s. That's another great choice if you decide to go the "old" route. Big table, 13" resaw, and the doors are thicker sheet metal than the body of most modern machines.

Pete

[Pete Brown]

On the old bandsaws: I think one thing you want to avoid is babbitt bearing (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babbitt_metal) saws, unless you know how to pour white metal bearings.

Otherwise I agree that old saws can be nice. I also like the old aircraft carrier jointers :)

Pete

[Paul Zoske]

Thanks for all the great repllies. I am considering the Grizzly GO513X, the 16" Steel City, the 17" General International, and the 16" Jet. I certainly would not rule out an older machine if I could find one. Comparing spec for spec vs. price the Grizzly seems to be the best value. Any quality issues with Grizzly?

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Paul.....several members have bought that b/s and have been happy with it. You can do an advanced search on that grizzley model and probably find the threads and read them. It's on my short list, BTW.

[Craig Stueve]

Another vote for the G0513X here. I upgraded from a 14" Jet and couldn't be more pleased. Plenty of power, nice big table, able to handle a wide range of bllades, and able to run on 110V if you don't have 220.

Craig

[Steve Kohn]

I voted for the G0514 with my credit card a couple of years ago. Since then it has resawn a lot of wood for me, mainly cherry or maple. No problems with the saw. I do have one recommendation however. Throw the factory blade away as soon as you get the saw and put on a decent blade. I have been using the woodslicer and loving it.