bandsaw delima

I'm looking to buy a new bandsaw soon. I have search the reviews and I need some more resent reviews on the grizzly G0514X2 and the comparable G0513x2 at normal price they are 300 bucks apart. The 19inch has a 3hp motor and the 17 has 2hp the 19 table is a little bigger and the 19 has a wheel to adjust the angle of the table as opposed to a geared lever. I am posting this in the turners section because I will be cutting wood to meet turning needs primarily. I do some resawing and was able to get very nice resaws on my G0555 so I really do not have any concerns that either one of these machines will do what I need. I want to hear about issues and how happy you have been with your purchase if you have either model please respond. I really want to know if the 2hp is a stout enough motor to resaw up to the 12 inch height limit. I just want some recent reviews. I do not want to here about other saws, there are many great saws out there but I would like to stick with one of these.

Thank you

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Originally Posted by Dean S Walker

I really want to know if the 2hp is a stout enough motor to resaw up to the 12 inch height limit. I just want some recent reviews. I do not want to here about other saws, there are many great saws out there but I would like to stick with one of these.

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I know nothing about those saws. I do have another brand (which you won't hear about) which has a 2 HP motor. I use it mostly to cut green and dry wood for turning up to the maximum height, just over 12". I also resaw as needed. The 2 HP motor is well strong enough on my saw. I primarily use 1/2" 3 tpi blades. I think I've had it over 10 years now.

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JKJ

I can't tell you about the Grizzly saws as I have never used one, and don't/won't own one (quality issues are not as bad as they used to be..). The smaller saws with 1 hp motors, usually with riser blocks are pretty minimal for cutting 12 inches high as in yes they can do it, but they have to struggle to do it. 2 hp should be plenty to cut 12 inches high. My big saw, cutting 16 inches high has a 4.5 hp Baldor motor and it walks through stuff at 16 inches high. Of course, if you don't have a good sharp blade, hp makes no difference... 3 hp might cut 16 inches high... Most bandsaws have tables that are way too small, especially on the off feed end.

robo hippy

Thanks John, I know that sounded kind of closed but I was just trying to avoid the 13 different models everyone would mention. This for some reason has been gut wrenching on selecting a saw. I just do not want to be disappointed and I just can't justify a Italian saw. I know there are others out there and most are probably pretty good but I have enough confidence in grizzly that I can get it tuned. I was able to tune the G0555 I had and get surprisingly good results.

Thanks Reed. as mention above just can't swing the great ones. I am pretty sure the 12 inch height it enough for me, I was just unsure if the 2hp would be overworked and the 3hp would be needed. I never cut higher than 6 inches on the little 555 just thought a riser would overwork the saw.

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Originally Posted by Dean S Walker

T...I never cut higher than 6 inches on the little 555 just thought a riser would overwork the saw.

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I don't know what a 555 is but It might cut better than you are imagining. For years I used a 14" delta with a riser block for the same kinds of turning stock I do with the 18" 2HP saw now. It has a 3/4 hp motor.

I made hundreds of 12" cuts with that saw and I never knew it was underpowered. I didn't get in a hurry. Before I knew it was supposed to take a big saw I resawed a 12' long douglas fir 2x12 into four thin boards and although it took a while they were perfect. A sharp blade helps. (I resharpen the blades several times myself before putting on a new one.)

But my 2 HP saw cuts faster and I use the extra width a lot when cutting shorter blanks from boards and slabs so the little saw just sees smaller work now.

JKJ

With the Grizzly 17" and 19" bandsaw I would recommend you get get a model that has the cast iron trunnions rather than the stamped steel trunnions. It's a big improvement, in my opinion. It's also available as an upgrade part. I used to have a Jet 18" bandsaw with a 10" resaw height and a 1-3/4 hp motor. It cut turning blanks up to 10" just fine. That said, my friend's saw with a 4-1/2 hp motor cut the same thing noticeably faster. I would expect the 17" Grizzly to work just fine. I now have a 1hp 1950s 14" Delta bandsaw and an electric chainsaw.

--Geoff

I have the 17 inch grizzly 0513 anv. model for a coulpa years and it has been a good machine with no problems

Thank you fellas, It looks like the 17 inch will be plenty for the 12 inch height. good this will save 300 bucks. I appreciate your time.

I should have mentioned that the griz resaw fence is not very costly as a accessory.

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Originally Posted by david privett

I should have mentioned that the griz resaw fence is not very costly as a accessory.

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The 513/514X2 comes with the resaw fence.

To the OP I will resist the urge to suggest different saws per your request but two things about the two you mentioned. 1. ever here anyone complain that they bought too big of a saw or too much HP? 2. my rule of thumb for cut depth vs hp is 1/4hp per inch for a BS with the proper blade 3. doing log work on a bandsaw one wants as large of a table as possible as well as a very stable one especially when tilted, the 514X2 has about 20% more table space and a more robust tilting mechanism.

While not my choice in the general price range, for the cuts you outlined and between the two you specified the 514X2 is the better choice IMO and worth the $300 BUT the value of $300 is a very personal thing.

I have a Grizzly G0555LX 14” bandsaw with 1 hp motor. I also have a Jet 18” bandsaw in my shop. I have found that 95% or more of the time I can use my 14” Grizzly G0555LX for most bowl blank cutting as well as spindle blanks. I do have the riser block kit on it, where it will adjust to cut 12” height. My saw is set up correctly, and I use the Woodturners blade from Highland Woodworking, which is especially designed to cut green wood.

Most of the time, I never use the big Jet, as the cutting height on it is also 12” and the Grizz does a super job. The Jet does have more power, but with a good blade, proper feed rate, and correct blade tension, my G0555LX has all the power needed to cut 12” thick bowl blanks...done it many, many times!

I mostly reserve the big Jet 18” for resawing, or cutting boards from logs, so it does get used, but only a little for very large turning blanks that won’t be stable on the smaller table of the G0555LX 14” saw.

Points duly noted,Van I'm leaning toward the 514 if I buy new looking at a used min max right now, hopefully I can end up with it

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Originally Posted by Dean S Walker

Points duly noted,Van I'm leaning toward the 514 if I buy new looking at a used min max right now, hopefully I can end up with it

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Which Minimax are you looking at?

I think people were getting confused about a rip fence that comes with the griz bandsaw . or the optional resaw fence that can be bolted to the stock fence. It is about 5 inches tall if memory serves me right.

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Originally Posted by david privett

I think people were getting confused about a rip fence that comes with the griz bandsaw . or the optional resaw fence that can be bolted to the stock fence. It is about 5 inches tall if memory serves me right.

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I don't think so. Both the 513X2 and the 514X2 (the saws the OP lists) come with the aluminum resaw extrusion which attaches to the standard fence. The only saws in the 513/514 series that do not include the resaw extrusion are the stripped down 513 and 513ANV, the bottom of the line 19" saw the 514X also has the extrusion.

I have the 513X2. It's a good saw. It does have the resaw fence and cast iron trunions and wheels. My only complaints are the tires failed on mine pretty quickly (less than a few hours of use). May have been the 1" blade. I bought better urethane tires and it's been good since. However, for the money being spent, the extra $300 for the 19" 3HP saw might be worth it. Though I have never had a HP issue with the 513.

I stand corrected thanks for the details.

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Originally Posted by Geoff Crimmins

With the Grizzly 17" and 19" bandsaw I would recommend you get get a model that has the cast iron trunnions rather than the stamped steel trunnions. It's a big improvement, in my opinion. It's also available as an upgrade part. I used to have a Jet 18" bandsaw with a 10" resaw height and a 1-3/4 hp motor. It cut turning blanks up to 10" just fine. That said, my friend's saw with a 4-1/2 hp motor cut the same thing noticeably faster. I would expect the 17" Grizzly to work just fine. I now have a 1hp 1950s 14" Delta bandsaw and an electric chainsaw.

--Geoff

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Just for an opposing view, I have two G0513’s, one with stamped steel trunnions and one with cast iron. There is no noticable difference to me at all between the two machines even under material of a great weight.

I see Grizzly has their cheaper G0513 on sale right now. It has aluminum wheels.

I have the 17" Griz. bandsaw and it does a good job. I did have to replace the tires on it a couple years after I got it. It is a pain to get aligned but once aligned it stays . The table is kind of small but most are. I have used it for cutting turning blanks and resawing with good results. I have the one with a foot brake to stop the blade and like the brake. It has a tension release on the blade and after a few months I quit releasing the tension. It doesn't seem to help and I sometimes forget to re tension. I'm not to wild about the bearing type blade guides but they do work.

I have the 17 inch saw with the cast trunion and as some has mention the only issue I have had with my saw after 5 years is the tires failed within a week after buying but I put the urethane on and still running them. I did replace all of the blade guide bearing this year still saw great. Glad I bought the 17 might should have gone with a 19 but for cutting blanks and maybe resawing a few small butt cuts it is great.

Thank you fellas for all the input. I have been out of town for the last 10 days for work and just now getting back to this. The fella who had the Min Max couldn't or wouldn't get the saw on a pallet. If he could have I would have sent a truck. So, Now back to this. I like the GO514 they have two versions I'm looking at on with a foot brake and one with the motor brake, they are 100 bucks apart so basically not enough for me to squabble over. They do have two different fences as well both have the extra heavy tilt mechanism. Does anybody have any pros/cons about these two. At normal price these will take up the better part of 2000.00 so here we go what else should I look for in this price range and why? Ill take 16 and up as long as its at least 12 in height. I really don't see re sawing over 12 but you never know.

Van the min max was a 16 with a 3.6hp I believe to be made in 2003. I would love to have a nice min-max or other high end but I just can not find a logical justification for it.

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Originally Posted by Dean S Walker

Thank you fellas for all the input. I have been out of town for the last 10 days for work and just now getting back to this. The fella who had the Min Max couldn't or wouldn't get the saw on a pallet. If he could have I would have sent a truck. So, Now back to this. I like the GO514 they have two versions I'm looking at on with a foot brake and one with the motor brake, they are 100 bucks apart so basically not enough for me to squabble over. They do have two different fences as well both have the extra heavy tilt mechanism. Does anybody have any pros/cons about these two. At normal price these will take up the better part of 2000.00 so here we go what else should I look for in this price range and why? Ill take 16 and up as long as its at least 12 in height. I really don't see re sawing over 12 but you never know.

Van the min max was a 16 with a 3.6hp I believe to be made in 2003. I would love to have a nice min-max or other high end but I just can not find a logical justification for it.

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If you are running at 2K then the Laguna 18BX and the Rikon 10-347 are IMO better values and better saws than the Grizzly 514 series. Grizzly used to completely own the value proposition between 1k and 2k but they haven't updated their saws in this range (save for adding the bigger 14" steel saw at ~1.5k) in years. Rikon and Laguna have really put a lot of effort into this price range and have several really great saws. There is nothing wrong with the 514 series, it is just as good as it always was it has just been eclipsed in the price range, and fairly handily at that. The Rikon has 19" of resaw and 4hp AND a 5 year warranty along with much more user-friendly guides. Now as a turner the Laguna has the advantage of ceramic guides which IMO are the best guides for cutting wet/pitchy wood plus 16" of resaw.

Also never expect non-dealers to pallet or crate used machines, that is just rarely going to happen. 99% of the time you deal with all the logistics.

Van I have a friend that has the Rikon and has had some fence issues but it is and older one, Have they worked on this area in resent years? I'll look into the laguna 18bx. I was a little leery because of past customer support complaints. I understand this has been remedied. Maybe I should call their support and see what they say.

I guess putting a piece of equipment on a pallet and bolting it down is some how difficult. I really don't get that but to each his own.

I have a G0513X2F and it’s a good saw but if I were to be buying right now in a similar price range I would get one of the Laguna 18BX without a doubt. With it being on sale through October it’s $200 off and closer to the more similar grizzly model G0513X2BF. My saw has handles anything I’ve tried with it but my complaints are that the base feels flimsy for a 300+ pound saw, the blade size is unique and not normally stocked at local stores and the saw is hit or miss on whether you can properly tension some wider 3/4 or 1 inch blades. None are total deal killers if you can’t put the extra $250 into it but for realistically not much more than that grizzly the Laguna appears to be a better built saw. From playing with the floor model at woodcraft, the extra weight and heft is apparent, it felt more solidly planted to the floor. the Local woodcraft stores will probably stock blades for it which may or may not matter but in a pinch it’s nice to be able to run grab one locally versus order and wait. The ceramic guides seem nicer than the roller guides on my grizzly. The dust ports both being on the back of the saw is better in my opinion. The 3hp motor is a nice step up. The extra resale capacity is nice. The optional mobility kit is nice if space is a premium as it takes less space than a mobile base. The laguna lights are handy as I like the one on my lathe.

Anyway, unless you are stepping up to a $4k+ minimax, or buying a used Italian saw, or a new Italian laguna, I think the new 18BX looks like a terrific option. In my case already having the grizzly, there doesn’t appear to be enough reason to sale and replace, but if I were just buying that laguna looks great.

Thanks Greg, It would appear that the 18bx has some good reviews and the ceramic guides seam to be a plus especially for green wood which I cut 35-40% of the time. I do like the cast iron trunions on the grizzly514 and the extra support that the hand crank (for tilt). I feel I need to compare the 514 to the bx because of the hp offered but who knows. I have delt with grizzly on support issues and I think it is difficult to beat their customer support but having said that I rarely need it. The most common thing I have needed was BS guide bearings. The bx especially sense it is on sale appears to be the right move at this time. If anyone has any feed back on the fence quality and any other comment please let me hear your opinions. Thanks everyone for helping out here.

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Originally Posted by Dean S Walker

Thanks Greg, It would appear that the 18bx has some good reviews and the ceramic guides seam to be a plus especially for green wood which I cut 35-40% of the time. I do like the cast iron trunions on the grizzly514 and the extra support that the hand crank (for tilt). I feel I need to compare the 514 to the bx because of the hp offered but who knows. I have delt with grizzly on support issues and I think it is difficult to beat their customer support but having said that I rarely need it. The most common thing I have needed was BS guide bearings. The bx especially sense it is on sale appears to be the right move at this time. If anyone has any feed back on the fence quality and any other comment please let me hear your opinions. Thanks everyone for helping out here.

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I cant offer any input compared to the 514 but compared to the 513 as was mentioned in earlier posts I think the 18BX is better buy.

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Originally Posted by Dean S Walker

Van I have a friend that has the Rikon and has had some fence issues but it is and older one, Have they worked on this area in resent years? I'll look into the laguna 18bx. I was a little leery because of past customer support complaints. I understand this has been remedied. Maybe I should call their support and see what they say.

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The 10-347 is a completely new saw. It is by far the best BS Rikon has ever built. The guide and fence issues have been fixed on all their saws, without that I would not recommend them and generally avoided recommending them in the past. Both the guides and fences have been completely redesigned.

I wouldn't be at all concerned about Laguna's CS now, since they changed the entire business model (including taking in a big chunk of capital from an investor but with the family retaining 51% of the company) they have CS equal to the best machine importers. With the current sale the 18BX becomes a no-brainer, especially for a turner that cuts a lot of green wood.

Again, there is nothing wrong with the 513/514 series, they are just as good as they have always been, Rikon and Laguna have just gotten MUCH better in this price range recently and eclipsed Grizzly in value.

I’m liking the Laguna. My only concern is parts down the road, most of this equipment will last 5+ years without much trouble. If I know me I’ll keep this purchase for as long as practical

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Originally Posted by Dean S Walker

I’m liking the Laguna. My only concern is parts down the road, most of this equipment will last 5+ years without much trouble. If I know me I’ll keep this purchase for as long as practical

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The parts issue is a tough one to figure. If you ask the forum 15 years ago which company out of General, Delta and Laguna would be the most viable in 2018 it is unlikely you would get anyone that said Laguna. General is dead, Delta seems to be on life support with almost no stocking dealers and Laguna has well over 100 stocking dealers now. That said if I had to choose based on long-term parts availability alone I would choose Grizzly but then again I would have picked Delta in 2003...

Yea see what you mean. Grizzly is most stable but I'm sure both machines are made in the same place. worst case, would be make a part or possible go to the manufacture. It is only a small concern a friend has an old grizzly planer and the head bearing failed. Grizzly had the part but he went to a local supplier here called Purvis and they had the bearing in a FAG brand (good bearing) so he went that way, works just fine. I figure it is bearings, switches and motors all of which we should be able to get here if we look hard enough. Other than that problems usually get worked out up front.
Thanks for the help everyone.

I would think the only parts issue you could face would be if you knocked it over years from now and broke something cast iron that had to be ordered from the manufacturer. Even then you might be able to find used parts on ebay.

Bandsaws are also rather simple machines and most of the parts that need replacing are off the shelf type things unless as Alex mentioned and you actually break something that normally never breaks in use.

Ok Fellas. I know this started as a grizzly only but I have decided to order the laguna 18bx today. I will let you know how it goes. With the woodcraft sale and the ceramic guide that review well and that I cut a lot of green wood and as Van pointed out , its a no brainer. Thank you to everyone for the help I think this will fit my needs well.

Dean

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Originally Posted by Dean S Walker

Ok Fellas. I know this started as a grizzly only but I have decided to order the laguna 18bx today. I will let you know how it goes. With the woodcraft sale and the ceramic guide that review well and that I cut a lot of green wood and as Van pointed out , its a no brainer. Thank you to everyone for the help I think this will fit my needs well.

Dean

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If if you don’t like it, bring it over and I’ll swap you my grizzly. LOL

I'll keep that in mind Greg ;)