looking for comments from bandsaw owners

[Jeffrey Fusaro]

i'm in the market to purchase a bandsaw. since money IS an object, i have been focusing on two 14" models - the JET JWBS-14OS and the Grizzly G0555.

i will be using the saw for preparing lathe turning blanks, and other miscellaneous cutting duties.

many of the specs for these units are identical, but the grizzly comes with some nice standard features like dual speed, ball bearing blade guides and a fence and mitre gauge. all of the items - except the dual speed - are available and extra $$$ with the jet.

if i purchase either saw, i will likely be getting the six inch riser kit, too.

if you have either bandsaw, i would appreciate any comments - good, bad or indifferent. or, if you have a different bandsaw that is in that price range and think that it is equal, or better, i'd like to hear about it.

thanks for your input.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Jeffery I have the Grizzly and I am quite happy with it. I use a 1/2" 3 tpi blade to cut wet wood. I have sawn 12" block of walnut and locust. I also cut my blanks round using templates. I have the 6" riser. Setup was extremely easy. No problems for 1 1/2 yrs now.

[Gordon Seto]

Jeffrey,

I have the same Grizzly with 6" riser. I have not used the 14" Jet, not much information for your comparison.

Set up is not difficult, but not as easy as changing speed on a lathe. Therefore there is no incentive to change blade for other task. I only used it for sawing turning stock. I have never used the high speed. The power is adequate, but hardly cutting through butter. I can't feed fast. The green wood tends to leave some built up to mess up the rollers. I have seen some discussions that ceramic blocks are preferred on green wood because they scrap the blade clean. One or two of the original rollers has gone bad; I have replaced all 4 with higher grade bearings than the OEM.
It is no Rolls Royce; but I was not paying that price range either.
I have used a larger Jet at Arrowmont. It was no comparison. At first, I thought someone has forgot to turn off the band saw; I was looking for the switch to turn it off. The class assistant walked over to me and asked me what I was trying to do (I had no wood in hand). The saw was already off for some time, the way it coasted was stronger than my Grizzly running.

To me spending some extra time cutting turning blanks is no big deal. This is the tool that will not affect the final quality. No regrets, the fit and finish of this saw is good.

Gordon

[Allen Schmid]

Jeffrey,
I also have the grizzly and have been very happy with it. My comments mirror Bernie's as I cut my blanks, some dry but mostly wet and really am impressed with what the saw will handle. Don't have the riser kit but a buddy of mine has used the kit for years. Good saw overall!
Allen

[Mark Rios]

There was/is a recent thread regarding this very subject, between the G0555 and the Rikon 10-325 IIRC.

There was/is some good info in this thread.

[Dave Carey]

I've had the Griz with the riser for a couple of years now and have used it for bowl blanks and flat work. Just resawed a 2"x9"x60" piece of ash yesterday. It groans and moans at times but gets the work done and at the price I paid I think it really is a bargain. I bought some Timberwolf blades from Suffolk Machinery after I put the riser block on (which was easy if you have a friend handy.) Just looked at the receipt; they had a buy three, get four deal for $57 including shipping. That was a while ago but saw and blades holding up well. BTW mine arrived with a bent lower door and the customer service folks could not have been more helpful. A lot of my other equipment is Jet (table saw, dust collector, drill press, mini-lathe) and I'm a fan of their's as well but for the price I couldn't pass up the G055.

[Burt Alcantara]

I've got the Grizzly with riser. I struggled with "regular" blades to the point that I was sure the saw was too anemic. Once I tried the Timberwolf 1/2x3AS blade the saw came back to life with renewed vigor.

Like Gordon, the bearings stuck and were replaced with quality bearings. The guide itself does not hold alignment. Everytime I cut a large log or slab the guides move so that will be replaced down the line.

Cutting logs makes wood crumbs that get all over the table. One thing I'm going to try is to drop a line from the top and connect it to the guide bar close to the cut. Sometimes the mess is so bad I can't get my jig on the table.

All in all, a great bargin at that price. BTW, don't even bother with the Grizzly blade. Whatever saw you buy, get the 4 pack from Timberwolf.

Burt

[Henry Cavanaugh]

I would add Rikon 14" delux 325 to your consideration. The reviews and post by others speak highly.1.5HP,13" resaw height, 2 speed, 2 year warantee, etc. Woodcraft is about to have a 10% off sale on everything.

[Jeffrey Fusaro]

thanks for all of the good info, so far. seems like mostly positive comments about the grizzly. :)

the timberwolf blades sound like a good idea from the get-go. since i am going to get the riser, and i am going to be buying longer blades from the start, i might as well get good ones.




I would add Rikon 14" delux 325 to your consideration. The reviews and post by others speak highly.1.5HP,13" resaw height, 2 speed, 2 year warantee, etc. Woodcraft is about to have a 10% off sale on everything.

henry--

i looked at that saw yesterday. and the powermatic. both a woodcraft. i was told about the sale. i liked the rikon a lot - better than the powematic. unfortunately, even with 10% off, the saw is still not in the budget. :cool:

sometime in the not too distant future, i want t get a larger lathe. i have the jet mini, now and i am overwhelming it with some of the pieces that i am trying to turn - especially the log blanks. gotta save some money to put toward that investment. ;)

[Ralph Lindberg]

I would also consider the G0555X; 50% more power and better base (with storage)

I looked at the G0555X, with lift kit and ended up with the G0457 (with 2x the power of the G0555) and no need for a lift

[Jerry Pittman]

Jeffery,
I have the Jet JWBS-14CS which, I believe, is the same unit you refer to but with a closed stand. I've had it since november and like it a lot. It cme out of the box dead-on accurate and has stayed that way so far. I got the riser kit as part of the sale price so I immediately built it as a 12" cut unit and am very pleased.
Since others have abundant experience with the Griz models, now you have info from the other side of your question.
Jerry

[Gordon Seto]

I've got the Grizzly with riser. I struggled with "regular" blades to the point that I was sure the saw was too anemic. Once I tried the Timberwolf 1/2x3AS blade the saw came back to life with renewed vigor.



On bandsaw blade, give your local sharpening place a trial. A 105" 3 TPI AS custom made blade for green wood is only $7. A lot of members from our Clubs have switched from Timberwolf. They hold up and cut well.

Gordon

[Burt Alcantara]

Gordon


A 105" 3 TPI AS custom made blade for green wood is only $7. A lot of members from our Clubs have switched from Timberwolf. They hold up and cut well.Not sure if you're saying to sharpen the Timberwolf for $7 or buy a new blade for $7. Is this a standard item among commercial sharpeners? My current blade is beginning to get a little dull. I was going to order a bunch more.

[Gordon Seto]

Burt,

The owner/operator of the small sharpening shop just custom made the new bandsaw blade according to the length we want for $7 on a 105" blade (14" BS with riser). We just tell him what we want the blade for, then he would choose the kind of blade.
At this price, we can afford to replace the blade more often. I don't think a TW blade lasts several times over them. Even the 2nd tier new blade is sharper than a too good to replace Timberwolf. We don't have to stock up.

Gordon

[Reed Gray]

I have purposly stayed away from Grizzly tools. In a lot of tool reviews, they come back as having to be tinkered with, and fit and finish are okay, but seldom good. Their commercial grade machines are better. As far as blades go, I use Lennox bimetal blades, as they will outlast a carbos steel one about 10 to 1. A 150 inch cs blade for my big saw is about $20, and a bi metal one is about $75. As far as sharpening, I took 3 150 inch blades (teeth 3/4 inch on center), and 3 96 inch blades (3 tpi) in to be sharpened, and it cost about $35. Blades are good for several resharpenings. I have one friend who used the Timberwolf blades, and he tried one of the Lennox, and he switched.
robo hippy