TO ALL MINIMAX S45N 18" BAND SAW OWNERS -What do~

[Brian Weick]

you think of the Minimax s45N - 18" band saw. I am thinking of purchasing this band saw but am looking for some opinions of this saw, problems, positive +/- ? It is the Yellow version , with 3ph 220v 1.8hp? Any opinions would be greatly appreciated- thank you
Brian

[Roy Wall]

Brian -

You just missed a little discussion yesterday about the same band saw:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=68636

This should help.........

[Justin McCurdy]

I called a few days ago on the same saw. If you have 3ph, the price is right. If not, MiniMax sells an upgrade package w/new motor etc. for $500. Adding the prices up, not much of a deal.

[Brian Weick]

That discussion and read the entire thread but , the saw he is thinking of purchasing is green and gray - the saw I am questioning is the s45 "N" 18" band saw with a 3ph 1.8hp - yellow "mustard" color. I just was wondering if this is a reliable band saw, and is there anything that I should be concerned with. What is the difference between the yellow, the white and the color MM he is looking at?
Thank you for replying.
Brian

[Brian Weick]

Are you familiar with the MM Band saws- what do you think/
Brian

[Jim Becker]

Brian, the colors are different relative to age. You might call Sam Blasco at MM (an SMC member) and see if he knows what era that particular version is from or if he can find out for you. Likely a decent machine, but having all the information will be helpful to you in your decision.

[Brian Weick]

Thanks Jim- I really appreciate it! I'll give him a call.
Have a great day!
Brian

[Roy Wall]

Brian -

Sorry I'm not familiar with the s45 (although I've heard good things about it). Perhaps its been painted.........? I have a MM20 made by Centauro.

The folks down in Austin (MM) may be able to give you some history about the s45. Phone # is 866-WRK-WOOD

Half the time I think the Band Saw Factory in Italy has several Factory Signs ( Minimax, Centauro, Laguna, etc) and they flip to a new one every month to label the band saws being made....:cool: )

[Brian Weick]

Minimax- they said the saw I am looking at is 10-12 years old, the salesman said the saw is OK - but compared to the new sn45 totally upgraded-, more features-yada,yada,yada ??? I think he was trying to get me into a new machine. 1.8 hp - is that enough drive- keep in mind- it is a 3ph motor. He thought it was underpowered? I really like this saw - it is incredibly clean and looks like it was taken care of- just was wondering about the performance of MM band saws in the sn45 category.
any thoughts?
Brian

[Jim Becker]

1.8 HP isn't "minimal", especially for the capacities of that particular machine. 3ph is also nice if your shop handles that. (I think it likely does given other members of your "collection"...and I'm not mistaken) Is it as good as the current crop of 4.8 hp machines for power? No. But again, how you actually use it makes the difference.

[Charlie Plesums]

Brian -

Sorry I'm not familiar with the s45 (although I've heard good things about it). Perhaps its been painted.........? I have a MM20 made by Centauro.

The folks down in Austin (MM) may be able to give you some history about the s45. Phone # is 866-WRK-WOOD

Half the time I think the Band Saw Factory in Italy has several Factory Signs ( Minimax, Centauro, Laguna, etc) and they flip to a new one every month to label the band saws being made....:cool: )

I believe the S45 (450 mm, or 18 inch wheels) is made by MiniMax, and has been for many years. Can you cut a lot of wood with a 1.8 hp motor? Yes, but not like we are used to cutting with our 4.8 hp MM saws.

The MM line of saws are industrial grade saws built for MiniMax by Centauro. They are undoubtedly heavier than the S45, but there are occasional gripes about a rough edge, etc., that hobby users find offensive in an expensive machine, and industrial users simply file off rather than getting management involved.

I believe the Laguna saws are made by Meber.

MiniMax has had an S16 and an E 16 at various times. Rumor is that one was made by Meber, the other made in house by MiniMax.

MiniMax has done a lot to upgrade all their saws, both those made by Centauro and those in-house. That doesn't mean the old saw doesn't cut as well as it did 10 years ago, but the new saws probably have some significant upgrades like the salesman said. You should pay less for an old machine, even if it works great, if the new one is better, but that doesn't mean you should avoid the old one.

[David Weaver]

Jim has a good point. One of these showed up local to me in Pittsburgh for $600, and I'm on the fence as to whether or not I should go look at it. It's also 3 phase, and I'm assuming the same power as it's the same mustard yellow. It came out of a school.

1.8HP is probably fine for any hobbyist, and it means that you could get a static phase converter off of ebay for about $125 and be able to use the saw - in theory that is - I haven't done it.

I gather from what I've seen online that the saw has a cast trunnion and is made by SCMI and not centauro.

I can't see why 1.8 hp wouldn't be enough for a serious hobbyist as long as you weren't in a race to jam wood through it. May not be as nice as a 5hp saw that you could attach a power feed to and really run the material through fast, but I don't know that there would be anything it couldn't do just a little slower.

Anyone know how much these weigh?

[Stan Welborn]

I think he was trying to get me into a new machine.

That would be my assumption also. But, I know I'm basically an untrusting person. I swear talking to some of these salesmen makes me feel like they think I have a double digit IQ and don't have the capacity to recognize their words for what they are. Answer my questions, give me the information to help me make an informed decision, and let your machine do the selling. Also, I think "badmouthing" a past product, unless it truly is a bad unit, doesn't help your company's quality image. Look at the most respected brands in the tool industry. On very few occasions are their past offerings considered poor quality by the end users.

That said, I think the MM company as a whole carry great equipment. Past and present. I just purchased a used MM20 myself based on specs, and recommendations from owners of these machines like Jim. Not a sales pitch. I'm tickled to death with it, it's a killer saw. And I know I would have ended up with a machine that was either smaller, or of lesser quality, if I had been limited to purchasing one new.

I have no experience with the saw you are looking at, but although it may not have all the latest innovations, chances are it was a quality piece of equipment when new, and unless abused, probably still is. Just my $0.02 old crotchity opinion.

[Jim Becker]

Ok, being someone who pays for my tools from the good living I make...in sales...I feel the need to point out that sales people really do need to at least open the door to a "new" sale, even when you're discussing the merits of an older one. That's the expectation of their employers and their families. Most great sales people will do that in a way that's not off-putting, but not every sales person is a "great" sales person. Expressing concern over power, etc., isn't too far off the mark in this case since it's a question that the buyer needs to ask them self relative to how they intend to use the tool. Of course, how that gets expressed is important, too... ;)

[mike marconi]

Brian

I have a Minimax s45, mine is a 1997 model and has 2 tone green colors. I believe it was around 1995 - 1996 when they changed the color from yellow to the green I have, so the saw you looking would be earlier than that.

These are great band saws, but as others have said they are not in the same class as the heavier MM models (16 and up). That being said I have no complaints (except the fence, I made a custom one) with my saw and I use it a lot. Without the sound of the motor you can hardly tell when the saws running, it's almost vibration free. During the time frame of the saw your considering all Minimax products where sold in the USA through a distributor in Atlanta GA (can't remember the name). This distributor offered different motor options. The 1.8hp will be a OEM euro motor, Baldor motors where offered as an upgrade thats what mine has. I know of a guy that has the OEM motor on his and it runs great.

Mine has a 1.5hp Baldor and I resaw all the time, just the other night I was resawing some 9" wide purple heart. It does take more time as you have to slow down the feed rate. Make sure you use a good resaw blade.

The spec on the saw your looking at are probably 10.5 resaw height, blade width 1/4 to 3/4, blade length 143".

A couple of things to look for on the machine. Check the blade tension mechanism make sure its operates smoothly and the threaded shaft has not been racked. Check the tires by tensioning the blade and running the saw. If the blade jogs back and forth slightly then the tires will have to be replaced. Some of these saws were set up from the factory to be upgraded with lower euro guides as an option. Standard was upper euro guides and smaller lower guides mounted on top of the frame just under the table. Mine has the upper and lower euro guides. Look for a cover plate mounted on the frame just above the dust port and machined holes just under the table in the frame on the rear of the saw. If it has these I would highly recommend the upgrade.

I have the manual in pdf form, email me if you want it.

Good Luck Mike

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I understand that on their 16" model MM got just about everything right. less so on the other models.

[John Bush]

Hey Stan,
I can understand the concern for h.p. numbers, resaw heights, etc, but the double digit IQ thing is what go me "investing" in WWing in the first place.;)

[Dave Sabo]

Mike, I believe SCMI distributed MiniMax in house. They are still in Atlanta but have spun off the MiniMax division, at least distribution wise.

[Charlie Plesums]

Mike, I believe SCMI distributed MiniMax in house. They are still in Atlanta but have spun off the MiniMax division, at least distribution wise.
MiniMax is largely or entirely owned by SCMI. They have a separate factory, but some of their high-end equipment is made in the SCMI factories.

Selling to a large factory is different than selling to a small shop or hobby woodworker, so the SCMI sales force is based in Atlanta, the MiniMax sales force is based in Austin.

[Brian Weick]

thank you for your input- I may take a trip there to take a look at it- I'm not that far away from the location so I will give it a shot.
Thank you
Brian

[mike marconi]

Mike, I believe SCMI distributed MiniMax in house. They are still in Atlanta but have spun off the MiniMax division, at least distribution wise.

Dave, your right, I wasn't very clear. At the time SCMI was distributing MiniMax out of Georgia (Duluth I believe). They sold to established machinery dealers/retailers throughout the US, which is how I bought mine. It was sometime in the late 90's or shortly after 2000 that they dropped the dealer network and started direct sales through the Austin facility.

[Jim O'Dell]

Just for clarification on Charlie's post about the S16/E16. The S16 was built by Meber for MM. It was the same unit as a previous Laguna model that was discontinued before the S16 came out. The S was discontinued and the E16 was introduced about 2 1/2 years ago. They are very similar machines in construction, but the E is built in house.
Brian I never did see if you said you had 3 phase for sure. Jim B. thought you did from you other equipment. If not, this may not be the right saw for you. If you do and the unit's in good shape and runs good, for the right price I think it would be a good saw to go with. Other than possible changes to the dust collection, I'm not sure the "upgrades" since this one was made would be that significant. Rack and pinion is nice, but doesn't make the saw cut better. Better guides can be upgraded easily if needed. Safety switches on the doors, and the foot brake are also nice safety features, ones that I wanted on a band saw, but again don't make the saw cut better. And this S45 you're looking at may have all of that.
You're on the right track in looking for information so you can make an informed decision. Be sure to update us after you look at the machine!! Jim.

[Brian Weick]

That saw was nice- from pictures , however the company that is selling it does not have 3 phase at there establishment - none of them knew anything about the saw- no way to check to see if it works. There for I was very reluctant to drive 4 hrs there 4 hrs back - get it in my shop to find that the motor may have been shot- then I have to drive all the way back and then all the way home again- time , money, no guarantee except for 30 days- just didn't sit write with me. I think I am going to go new- I looked at the jet and the Steel city 18" band saws today at Philip's brothers supply - very nice saws - I liked the construction of the jet vs the steel city- just my opinion ,but I think Jets has a little more better construction and a much better fence to boot, Steel city's fence was junk if you ask me. $1200.00 for the Jet--- $1300 for Steel city- I am going to sit on the fence write now about this- it's not something I need write away so I will give it some time. that MM s45n came up and I thought it may be a good deal - but it is out of date with todays modern saws.
Thank you
Brian

[Jim O'Dell]

Sorry it didn't work out. Better to know now, though. Jim.