Who makes the "best" Bandsaw?

[Don Brubaker]

Perhaps a tall and subjective order, but looking for feedback on bandsaws. My priorities are 1) ease of blade change; 2) resaw capacity including good fence and table; 3) guide system (have used carter's and like); 4) overall quality compared to price ...... I hesitate to mention what I've been looking at for fear of narrowing or shading the comments, but will anyway! Laguna's 14" LT14SE; Rikon's 14" 10-325; Powermatic's 14" PWBS-14CS; Grizzly's 14" (G0555x & G0457); and lastly Jet's 18" (which is weird that it has less resaw capacity than any of the smaller ones.) I believe all but the Jet have been reviewed in Fine Woodworking, but I want to hear from "the real users" out there!
Thanks ahead of time!
Don

[Bob Noles]

Don,

There is no "best"! Only the one that works well for you. I have the Rikon 10-325 and it works "best" for me, but YMMV

[Dewey Torres]

I have the Powermatic's 14" PWBS-14CS and it is a fine saw with every accessory you need right out of the box including a carter tensioner, locking fence, re-saw attachment, miter gauge, wheel brush, dust blower, effective dust collection port, work light oh and the Powermatic name!

Not to be baised though, looking at your requirments it will not match the capacity of some of the other saws posted here without a riser and I paid about $850 so it won't match some of the others in price either.

[Peter Quinn]

I have the 14 Powermatic. It is a very good traditional 14" BS. Serves my needs, not a monster resaw tool but it will resaw, as will most in this price range with the right blade and a good setup.

Blade change is decent, but that for me is a nit pick issue at best, as the worst I have seen was merely an annoyance, not a swing vote. The 1 3/4HP gives it a little edge in the 14" weight class.

Drive belt tensioning is a nightmare on this saw. It isn't necessary often, just on initial set up and occasionally there after, but the motor mount is very poorly designed which makes the process tough. Not something I realized when I purchased it, and not something they have fixed.

I have used a 16" Laguna, very nice tool, beats my 14" hands down in every respect except sales price.

For the BEST bandsaw you might want to search for Agazzani, start by looking here :http://www.eagle-tools.com/Pages/agazzani.html. That will give you a sense of what many argue is the best, then you can move towards figuring which one works best for your needs, space and budget. I can tell you the PM PWBS-14 I have works way better than the Agazzani I can't presently afford and thus don't have for me!

[glenn bradley]

JMHO, I had a problem with that FWW review as the Laguna was the only saw to stall during the tests and it won(?).

[Dave Sweeney]

I certainly won't claim that it is the "best" but after more than 2 years of researching and hemming and hawing I choose to go with the Rikon 10-325. Now, I've only had it for a little over a month but so far it's everything I thought it would be. My final two choices were the Powermatic and the Rikon and I went with the Rikon primarily because of the standard 13" resaw capability as I had read about some issues with the Powermatics riser kit.

[Lance Norris]

I have the G0457 and its a very capable saw. I dont have any complaints, have used it extensively and would recommend it to anyone. It doesnt get many comments because you can buy the G0513 for less money and get more capacity, but I needed a smaller, steel frame saw that was in 2 pieces so I could get it into my basement shop and the 457 fits the bill nicely. Great saw.

[Don Bullock]

If I was to buy a band saw for re-sawing I'd go with an Agazzani. Jesse at Eagle Tools in Los Angeles sells them.

[John Sanford]

Are the power requirements a limitation for you? If so, that's a really big filter that you should make clear up front so folks aren't trying to steer you towards the premium saws that are only available with 220-240v motors.

[Jim Becker]

As the first reply stated, there is no "best"...only a lot of good choices.

What do you want to use your new band saw for? That's important to know if anyone is going to help you narrow things down well. And what is your budget. What someone might consider the best choice for functionality may not fit your finances...or maybe it would.

[Matt Ocel]

My very first "big tool" for my workshop other than a contractor saw was the Delta 14" BS.

I shoulda got the PM.

[Prashun Patel]

I just bought the Grizzly G0555 (14"). It got top marks in the latest issue of Wood Mag for bandsaws under $500.

If yr budget is under $500, then check out that article.

[David Song]

I would really love to own Rikon 10-325 14" deluxe one of these days.

[Charlie Plesums]

I sold my Jet 14 inch to upgrade to the Grizzly G0555 at half the price but twice the features. It was a good change.

I found the Rikon very hard to adjust. It had all the features, but I spent over an hour getting one tuned up after a blade change (I got it working really good), and the next day it was all out of adjustment. I was doing a demo and had to say "see what I cut with it last night."

Many people consider the best bandsaws from Centaro (sold by MiniMax). I have a MM24 in addition to my G0555 - fantastic saw, but I kept the Grizzly also. Agazzani is also in that league (but I bought Centaro)

[Danny Thompson]

I'm happy with my Rikon 10-325. Bought it primarily for:
- 13" resaw capacity
- 1 1/2 hp motor
- pre-wired for 110 (can be reconfigured for 220)
- $675 at Woodcraft (10% off sale, which I think is coming up again maybe this weekend or next).

Best of luck.

[Don Brubaker]

I'm happy with my Rikon 10-325. Bought it primarily for:
- 13" resaw capacity
- 1 1/2 hp motor
- pre-wired for 110 (can be reconfigured for 220)
- $675 at Woodcraft (10% off sale, which I think is coming up again maybe this weekend or next).

Best of luck.
I've been looking at the Rikon, but was concerned about two things ..... ease of changing the blade and the blade bearing system. I've used the carter system before and loved it, but have heard great things about the "unbeatability" of the guides on the more expensive Laguna. Any comments on this? Thanks.

[Don Brubaker]

For me the 220 or 110 works. I'm interested in both the resaw capacity which the Rikon seems to excel in, but also want ease of blade change / re-alignment as I would like to be able to easily (without dread!) change from the 1/8" to the 3/4" blade, etc. I really like the Laguna, though almost twice the cost, but unsure of the guide blocks versus the Carter (which I've used and like). The cost is probably not an issue, though with someting like the Rikon, I could then get "another toy" versus just buying a Laguna. I'll take a look at the Agazzani, but never ever heard of it until now. At the moment it seems to be between the Rikon and Laguna (talk about price difference!) with a "meandering" look at the Powermatic (for quality?) or Grizzly's (for overall features?)

[Frank Drew]

Tannewitz.

(Well, you did say "the best", and didn't say you had a tight budget.)

[Howard Acheson]

You might want to pick up the latest Wood Magazine (September 2008). They have a comparison review article on a number of 14" bandsaws. Some interesting information on who they perform on various type of cutting operations.

[Don Brubaker]

Tannewitz.

(Well, you did say "the best", and didn't say you had a tight budget.)
Okay, the Agazzani was one thing, at around $2k, but "Tannewitz" ...... that's a bit over budget! At least I'm learning everything there is to know about bandsaws "but was afraid to ask"! Oh, that's right, I did ask! Even the Azazzani is a bit high, but starts making the Laguna look "cheap". Still uncertain about the Laguna's guide system though.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Don,

As you can tell there are basically 2 price ranges:

Agazanni, Laguna, Mini-Max

All the others....Grizzley, Powermatic, Jet, Rikon, SC,

It really is a matter of how much you want to spend and what features you desire.

There are a lot of fans of all the brands here.

Determine what your budget is. Decide how you plan on using it. Determine what additional features you would like to have. Then...go shop. If you have the time and opportunity, go put your hands on one. Maybe even take it for a test drive.

If you have never owned a BS, get Mark Duginske's latest book. His book is well written, well illustrated and will provide all the information that you need for buying, setting up and using a bandsaw. Excellent reference material. I bought it and really like it.

Good luck with your decision!

[Jeff Duncan]

You also may want to re-think trying to use a 3/4" blade on a 14" saw. Either go to a larger wheel size or smaller blade size. 1/2" is the biggest width recommended for a 14" saw, some guys use 3/4" successfully, I wouldn't want to plan on it though.
As said before it really comes down to what you want to do with the machine. But I certainly wouldn't consider Grizzly or Rikon to be "the best" by any stretch. Tannewitz are definitely great machines, but nobody mentioned Northfield?
JeffD

[Rod Sheridan]

Boy Don, you sure came up with a corker of a question!

I, like many people on this forum, purchased a 14 inch bandsaw and lived to regret it.

I use my bandsaw for 4 functions in order of frequency

- rip crooked, rough wood, or wood with a lot of internal stress

- resaw for panels or veneer

- roughing out turning blanks

- cutting curved shapes

I found the 14 inch saw inadequate for the second and third task listed above.

I then looked at bandsaws extensively and decided I didn't need an Agganzi or a Felder, so I purchased a General International 17 inch model.

Looking at your list of saws, the GI I purchased looks identical to the Grizzly G0513X2.

The 17 inch and above saws have larger tables, greater resaw height, more power, stronger trunnions (very important) and the ability to tension wider blades.

You are the only one who can determine which band saw is correct for you, however most of us have replaced our 14 inch saws.

regards, Rod.

[jason lambert]

Well I can tell you what I did that might help I though the 14" powermatic was the best but after considering price I spent a little more and only a little and got a 18" steel city. All the features are not there but he important ones like a blade tensionar are and it is alot more saw.

[Brad Shipton]

Don:
I would definetly listen to Rod's comments. Personally, I dont think the 14" is quite big enough for many tasks, but I know it is one of the most popular sizes amoungst hobbiests. I have the 18" General it is an ok machine with very similar features to the others, but the most important thing after capacity and hp is the guide system. The eccentric bearings on the General are not great for re-sawing veneer sheets and I am in the midst of replacing the guides with the Carter setup. I would take a look at the Carter website to see what options you will have for changing guides later. The blade change is easy, but I dont think any are really all that problematic.

Brad

[Jim Becker]

I agree that Rod presents some good advice, outside of the characterization that "most...have replaced" their 14" saws. That's probably not true in the general hobbyist woodworking marketplace, but it is true that a growing number of folks have opted for larger machines, either as a replacement for a smaller machine or for their first band saw after doing some research. Again, what you intend to use it for and your budget are very material to any recommendation that any of us can make.

[Dick Sylvan]

Don,

If you have never owned a BS, get Mark Duginske's latest book. His book is well written, well illustrated and will provide all the information that you need for buying, setting up and using a bandsaw. Excellent reference material. I bought it and really like it.

Good luck with your decision!

About a year ago, I met Mark at a seminar in California. Sometime afterwards, I sought him out for advice on which BS I should buy. By the time we were able to hook up, I had ordered a MM16. He told me that "you will be glad with your decision every time you use it." I don't think he was endorsing the MM16 over others, I believe he simply meant it was a great saw and I shouldn't look back.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Agganazi maybe
The MM 16 ( the expensive one) is a damn fine saw some say it's the gold standard.
It's also got flat wheels so you can run smaller blades.

If you want a top end saw you are going to pay the $$.

There's lots of reviews online and in Fine Woodworking.
Read 'em.
You'll learn things like: the importance of thickness of the metal of the frame and housing.
What happens when you apply the brazillions of pounds necessary to tension a big resaw blade.
Whether you want a crown or flat wheel
What kinds of tires they use.
What sorts of tensioners there are
The bearings
The motors and whether they are high percentage or low (only spendy motors like Baldor are high %).
How easy it is to get the wheels to run co-planar.

And the really fun part: almost no maker has the best of everything so you are going to have to decide based on what you think is important for you.

[Graham Skinner]

Hi Don.

American woodworker magazine did a review of most of the bandsaws you mentioned (issue's Oct and Nov 2004) I do not think it is still avalible over the internet, but I have a copy on my hard drive in PFD format and will be happy tp send it to you if you send a PM with your email address.

I have the Steel City 14" so can't comment about the saws you mentioned, but have a look at it before you decide as I am very happy with the performance I get from mine and it seems to be a lot of saw for the money.
BTW (whatever saw you get make sure you get a decent blade to go with it, I like the Viking blades that Lee Valley sales).

Hope this is helpfull....Graham Skinner...

[Don Brubaker]

I agree that Rod presents some good advice, outside of the characterization that "most...have replaced" their 14" saws. That's probably not true in the general hobbyist woodworking marketplace, but it is true that a growing number of folks have opted for larger machines, either as a replacement for a smaller machine or for their first band saw after doing some research. Again, what you intend to use it for and your budget are very material to any recommendation that any of us can make.
Interesting about these comments ...... I've been doing the research and the most enlightening thing I found was that many of the 14" machines seem to have better capacity, and power, than most / many of the 17-20" machines. So this would seem somewhat confusing. I actually had a somewhat older Jet 18" which only had a little over 10" resaw capacity, though it had the approximate 18" horizontal clearance. The Jet 18" was 1 1/2 HP whereas the 14" Grizzly, Rikon, and Laguna are 1 1/2 to 2 on their 14" machines, generally with 12" to 13" + resaw capacity. So o o o, I'm wondering at the advantage, except the horizontal clearance, of most of the 18" er's ...... and no "under-saw" storage (which we know is the MOST important feature!)
I replaced the stock guides on the Jet w/ top and bottom Carter's and noticed quite a bit of difference. The Jet is gone, which is another story, but I've been wanting to replace it, hence my inquiry here. The Laguna seems to be the most tempting with their proprietary guides; but yes, I've been looking at 18" er's as well, but just don't see that much advantage when looking at features compared to price, unless you start getting above 2 HP for some serious resawing. The Agazzani's (sp?) seem to be great for that, but definitely starting to get up there in price.
Thanks for all the feedback. Looking forward to some more perhaps. Seems like a great discussion.

[Eddie Darby]

Don, If you have never owned a BS, get Mark Duginske's latest book. His book is well written, well illustrated and will provide all the information that you need for buying, setting up and using a bandsaw. Excellent reference material. I bought it and really like it.

Great advice!!!:D

I'll see that, and raise you a "even if you have owned a BS, get Mark Duginske's latest book.:rolleyes::D

[John Bailey]

Interesting about these comments ...... I've been doing the research and the most enlightening thing I found was that many of the 14" machines seem to have better capacity, and power, than most / many of the 17-20" machines. So this would seem somewhat confusing. I actually had a somewhat older Jet 18" which only had a little over 10" resaw capacity, though it had the approximate 18" horizontal clearance. The Jet 18" was 1 1/2 HP whereas the 14" Grizzly, Rikon, and Laguna are 1 1/2 to 2 on their 14" machines, generally with 12" to 13" + resaw capacity. So o o o, I'm wondering at the advantage, except the horizontal clearance, of most of the 18" er's ...... and no "under-saw" storage (which we know is the MOST important feature!)
I replaced the stock guides on the Jet w/ top and bottom Carter's and noticed quite a bit of difference. The Jet is gone, which is another story, but I've been wanting to replace it, hence my inquiry here. The Laguna seems to be the most tempting with their proprietary guides; but yes, I've been looking at 18" er's as well, but just don't see that much advantage when looking at features compared to price, unless you start getting above 2 HP for some serious resawing. The Agazzani's (sp?) seem to be great for that, but definitely starting to get up there in price.
Thanks for all the feedback. Looking forward to some more perhaps. Seems like a great discussion.

I think you'll find that while the 14"rs have the ability to do what the larger machines do, but they really aren't designed to do them nearly as well. Everything on the larger machines are designed with more beef and therefore can handle the bigger jobs with ease. Also, you'll have to go back a few years to find a 16" or bigger saw that doesn't have, at least, 12" of resaw and 2 hp. The last one I remember was the jet that had 10" of resaw and 1.5 hp. That must be the model you had. Jet quickly changed that, as other manufacturers were outselling those machines with their 12"s of resaw and 2 hp. motors for about the same price, or less.

Also, if you are going to use your bandsaw to it's fullest capabilities, the horizontal swing room becomes a big item.

John

[Verne Mattson]

I've got a Delta 14" with a riser block. It has a 1 hp motor that I've wired 220. As a hobbyist, it's done everything I've needed it to do, including resawing, rough sawing, cutting joinery, and sculpting fast Pinewood Derby cars ;)

I really like the machine and would buy it again. However, recently I roughsawed some heavy ash boards for a new bench. The saw worked great, but it was a bear to lift the boards to the height of the table. Conversely, when you're cutting joinery, it's nice to have the table up higher.

I have to admit, I've drooled over the MM16 at woodworking shows, and would love to have one. I suppose if I did a lot of resawing I would end up buying one. I don't think I'd have a problem selling my Delta, but I don't think I'd want to...I'd keep the MM set up for resawing and the Delta for curves and other small work! :D

Whatever you do, invest in a good blade. I just bought a 1/2" Lenox Trimaster, and I'm kicking myself for not buying one sooner. IMHO it's a great blade.

Good luck and have fun with your purchase!

[Danny Thompson]

Don, I haven't used the other guides you mentioned, so I can't really comment on them.

One thing I will say is that the vast majority of 14" Bandsaws are 3/4 hp, particularly the older ones. So I think that influences a lot of negative reviews of 14"-ers.

I'd be curious if anyone gave up their 1 1/hp or greater 14"-er, and why.

[Burt Alcantara]

I have a Grizzly G0555 for about 3 years. I've beaten the heck out of this machine, broken most parts, killed the guides and more. I've been able to fix all of it my unskilled self with the expert help from Grizzly support. These guys are terrific!

Things to consider. What are you cutting now and what do you think you'll cut sometime down the line. I never envisioned cutting logs but that is the majority of my cutting now. As a result, I wish I had a much bigger table and an overall heavier saw as I've tilted it a number of times.

While I can cut 12" maple logs, I'd prefer more hp and more tension in the blade for less drift. I'm not a big fan of 14" guide bars. They are not accurate or repeatable (my experience).

Yet...the saw keeps on tickin'. I can fix anything on the saw and the only time it stops is when I hit the red button, kink a blade or break something.

If I had the money and headroom I'd upgrade to a 514 flavor. Grizzly has been very good to me.

Burt

[John Eaton]

The latest issue of Wood Magazine (on the stands now) did a Bandsaw comparison - the GO555 was rated over all others for many criteria and was also considered a bargain for the price.

-- John

[Brad Shipton]

Don:
I dont quite agree the 14" have similar capacities to the 17" or larger machines. I quickly looked at some of the ones you are looking at and most seem to have an under the guide height of around 6". The 17"/18"... mostly have 12", and this avoids cutting nice pieces up into smaller ones due to machine limitations. You cannot mount a 1" blade to a 14" BS either and sometimes a larger blade is better for re-sawing. The bigger machines are also quite a lot more stable since they are heavier and this can be a benefit when one is working with long pieces. To drive the larger blades the bigger motors are also needed. The obvious one is the throat capacity, but you already agreed to that.

As Jim suggests, if you do not need the bigger machine, great, saves a couple of bucks and a little bit of space. Be sure though, best many get selling used is around 50%. I know I have lost a few bucks when upgrading to larger machines.

Brad

[Danny Thompson]

This deal could put the whole discussion to rest: Rikon 18" for the price of a Rikon 14":

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=88840

[Peter Quadarella]

Also, to further buddy the waters, Grizzly has their G0636X which is meant to compete with the Italian saws (and has a similar price). I bought the G0513X2 and am very happy with it.

[Mark Singer]

The 20" or larger Aggazani is the best IMHO. I have had many. That is great for resaw and general work. Joints, dimensioning etc. I bought mine from Jesse about 6 years ago and its still going strong without a any problems and I have really used it on large scale furniture.

[Matt Meiser]

In his catalog, Louis (?) Iturra claims the 1940's Delta 14" saws are the best. ;)

Most people are going to claim whatever they bought is the best.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

This discussion goes on frequently.

Buy the best that you can afford with your budget. Some pretty skilled craftsman used flaked flint......bronze tools....finally evolving to those we have today.

Price is not always an indication of quality. Keep in mind, when you buy a machine of lesser quality, you can expect to have more difficulties. That's the reality of the process. That doesn't mean that the difficulties can't be fixed, it just means you should expect to be faced with some. If not, you are one lucky person. You can claim "I expect better from them regardless of what I paid or how it's designed" but frankly that's an unrealistic expectation on your part. You have a right to have a machine that functions correctly when you buy it. That also means it may take some alignment or in some cases, some broken parts fixed or bad designs re-enigineered by the the company. But to keep the price down they may have to use lesser quality bearings.....a little less mass (steel/iron) in the wheels.....a little less mass in the spine...or maybe it's not assembled and aligned to a desired level(labor).

Buy what you can afford.

Test drive it or at least, crawl all over one before you buy it.

Get it assembled and aligned.

USE IT SAFELY BUT USE IT!

Enjoy it.

[John Thompson]

I join the camp of there is NO BEST. There may be a best you have ever used... but how many have used all the saws on the market? Probably none! Will a 24" Aggazani accept tiny blades for curve cutting as well as any 14" that is set up properly. Probably not!

All BS's have pro's and con's... All. It's that simple making the question un-answerable as I see it. The best re-saw BS "I have used" was a 36" Tannewitz. The best curve cutting BS I have used could not be determined IMO as any smaller BS that is set up properly with the right blade match will work fine. If I had to make a call on that probably an early 14" Delta. Definitely not a newer Delta as I have used one of those also.

Asking the question is like asking.. how do you idenify a double agent working for the CIA..

Good luck... :)

Sarge..

[Frank Drew]

Will a 24" Aggazani accept tiny blades for curve cutting as well as any 14" that is set up properly. Probably not!

Why is that, John? I'm not familiar with Aggazani's line of saws -- my idea of ideal for a small custom shop would be a 24" Tannewitz -- but I'm not sure why a larger saw wouldn't function well with a narrow band. I'm not diputing the contention, just willing to be educated.

At the other end of the spectrum, it's clear that larger saws (such as the 36" Tannewitz you mention) are better in many regards than smaller sizes, partly because the band can be tensioned much more tightly (due to the greater circumference wheel), and that translates to less deflection in a deep cut, critical for some applications. Most shops probably don't need the capacity, though.

[Johnny Kleso]

Do-All Hands Down Makes the Best!!!!!!!

http://www.doallsawing.com/band_saws_cat.aspx?cat_id=6

But this is the best of the best and might be around $10,000 for a normal size machine...

The company I worked at before I became disabled made band saw blades for the meat and bread industry.. Trust me its Do All :)

[John Thompson]

Frank.. what you stated about a 24" for a custom shop is probably true. In a production situation the 24" would be considered a "baby" BS and the norm would be 36".

To the question of why Aggazini 24" would not be as well suited as a smaller saw for smaller blades.. here's why. First we are not talking about just an Aggazani. Include most of the Italian saws that are 24" down the MM 16 built by Centura which is a production BS maker. These saws are scaled down production type saws built like tanks and excel in re-saw work.

But go to the Mini-max site and look at accessories. They sell a set of cool blocks for their saw that is more suited for blades under 1/2". The standard Euro bearings are a fuss to get a blade under 1/2' on. I've seen a few Euro's you really can't put it on and not damage teeth on the blade if you ran it.

The Euro style bearing for starters are not the best suited bearing for curves as you can't get them extremely close to the blade for support as cool blocks.. a standard block of lignum vitae.. etc. etc..

Second... they are very large made to accomodate wider blades and thicker blades for re-saw which makes it difficult to get the teeth and gullet of a say 1/4".. 3/16".. 1/8" blade to clear the those larger bearing in the front.

IMO.. most 14" BS are better curve cutters when tuned and blade matched than anything 16" and over and especially 20" and over. But they cannot handle thick.. tall hard-woods like a larger bearing BS with ample springs for tention to carry a wider blade... and the extra HP for ummmph that is sometimes necessary.

Exactly the reason 2 years ago when I purchased an 18" BS... I kept my smaller BS so I could keep a 1/4" blades for curves on. And nothing so far has made me think that was the best decision I could have made as I did consider selling the smaller saw.

Regards...

Sarge..

[Frank Drew]

I got it, thanks, John.

I changed out the original upper guides on my 18" Oliver, replacing them with a set from Carter with good adjustability, and on the lower guides I replaced the metal blocks with cool blocks, for just the reasons you noted.

[John Thompson]

You did what you have to do in some cases to go both ways, Frank. When these kind of threads come up there seems to be a tendency IMO for many to taut a brand they are familar with or have as the greatest of the great. But.. sometimes little quirks don't get mentioned like it's not exactly perfect as you have to....... you get the drift. :)

Every band saw I have seen in 37 years has some quirks. That's not necessarily a bad thing as long as there are simple solutions. But if one is basically made to re-saw.. it requires steps to make it curve cut well and vice versa.

I choose an 18" with large Carter style bearings as it can go both directions but I felt it was a smart move on my part to keep the smaller saw so I didn't have to change blades. I am in the shop from 4-10 hours a day 6 days a week and do about 50-50 with curves and re-saw. It has saved much time to have one set up precisely to go both ways in lieu of a blade change out.

BTW... is your Oliver one of the newer.. re-introduced ones or the old Oliver made in the USA?

I will examine carefully at the International WW Show in Atlanta next month to be sure as I will be there all days including the day before it opens... but I know before I do that no manufacturer has or will introduce a BS that is ideal in all given task under one machine carriage. It would be an engineering marvel if they did. :)

Keep that Oliver humming as it is a nice machine. I looked at one and had a deposit on a MM 16 before I decided to purchase a SC 18' to fit my needs a little closer. If it's an older Oliver it's a tank similar to the Tannewitz models I admire.

Have a good day, Frank.

Sarge..

[Frank Drew]

Oliver 192-D, circa 1949; even the doors are cast iron. I bought it in 1982 from the now-defunct State Saw in Baltimore and sold it a couple of months ago, in if anything slightly better condition than when I'd bought it -- new guides, and new tires (put on by Oliver). Complete workhorse with many more years of service ahead of it.