Anyone have a Larger Grizzly Bandsaw?

[David Weaver]

Good morning - after asking the question about the MM bandsaw, a WW buddy and I have decided that we're going to wait until we can find an appropriate 27" Moak or Northfield bandsaw, but in the interim, we would need something to get by - something with 12"+ resaw capacity, and preferably 3+ horsepower.

Some of the really low-end stuff doesn't look at attractive, but since this is ultimately going to get replaced with a cast bandsaw, something in the middle would be decent. Does anyone have any experience with the newer 21" and 24" Grizzly saws that are in the $1800-$2500 range? The machine would probably only be used every couple of weeks, primarily for resawing domestics. We're hobbyists, not pros.

[Jim Chilenski]

If what you are looking for is a dedicated resaw setup, why not look at the Hitachi CB75F? I don't own one but have thought that with a 3" deep blade that it would be the perfect resaw.

Jim

[Byron Trantham]

If what you are looking for is a dedicated resaw setup, why not look at the Hitachi CB75F? I don't own one but have thought that with a 3" deep blade that it would be the perfect resaw.

Jim


Now that's a band saw!:p

[David Weaver]

If what you are looking for is a dedicated resaw setup, why not look at the Hitachi CB75F? I don't own one but have thought that with a 3" deep blade that it would be the perfect resaw.

Jim

Jim - do you have one of those, and if so, is it a 220v or 3 phase version? I just checked online for the saw and saw some reviews on amazon for the 115v version and they weren't too favorable, though one guy said he had one with a 3-phase motor and he was happy. At that price, though, one could have the 24" 5hp grizzly saw. We each probably do two projects a year, so not having a dedicated resaw bandsaw wouldn't be that big of a deal. Thanks -Dave

[Jim Chilenski]

Dave,

NO, I do not own the Hitachi, wish that I did. I was suggesting it as a dedicated resaw. I too have read the reviews on Amazon about it being under powered, but have to wonder if that is really true. If I could find one that someone was unhappy with, and were willing to sell at an attractive price, I would buy it. But for all of the negative comments they don't seem to be available on the used market.

If you really want a Northfield, there is a 36" one listed for sale on woodmachines.com. Asking price of $2200.

Jim

[David Weaver]

Trouble is that we are dealing with a ceiling height of about 96-98". We would love to find a Northfield 27 or a Moak 27, but the 36s and 42s are just too tall.

It looks like they (the 27 inch size) weren't real popular with production places and patternmaking shops, as there are few around. We also don't have any contacts in school districts to get the few that may be remaining around here. We know someone who got a Moak 27 from a school, almost unused, but he's a retired teacher. We're not as fortunate - our contacts are all white collar private sector workers or metal workers.

We'd take one of the same thing in a heartbeat.

[Guy Germaine]

I've got the G0513X 17" Grizzly. I love it. It has 12" resaw and a 2 hp motor. I've resawn some 12" cherry and walnut with it and it's done a good job. I would buy it again in a heartbeat. You could also look at something like this:
http://www.grizzly.com/products/G0531

[David Weaver]

I pointed my WW buddy toward the 21" version with the 5HP motor, and he immediately went toward the G0568. We may make a trip to Muncy, PA at some point if we can't find a smaller cast iron saw before then.

If I was buying for my home shop, I would buy the G0568 in a second, but it's going in his shop. It's too bad we aren't a little closer to Muncy - I'd like to get through the grizzly showroom to look at the stuff there.

[Brad Knabel]

I've got the g0566 (the g0568 with a 3 HP motor).


I've been very happy with it. I responded to a similar question not too long ago:
http://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=53343

The 3 HP motor has more than enough power for resawing thick boards and processing bowl blanks from logs. But for the price difference I would go for the 5. I was an early adopter and got the saw before the 5 became available.

The thread above describes my experience in more detail. But I'd be happy to answer any specific questions.

[Ryan Bess]

David,
I own the grizz GO514x 19" 3HP, and am very pleased with it. I have resawn 8-12" wide highly figured woods with great success. If my bandsaw is any indicator of the larger grizz saws, I would not hesitate to buy the size appropriate for your needs.
Ryan