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Thread: Repeated Grizzly G0555LX Issues. What to do next?

  1. #1

    Repeated Grizzly G0555LX Issues. What to do next?

    Hi guys,

    First time posting as you can tell, I've been lurking for a little while and now I need some advice and wanted to share the experience I've been having with Grizzly.

    It was time for me to get a bandsaw, and after doing quite a bit of research I decided that the Grizzly G0555LX best fit what I wanted to spend at the moment while still looking like a solid performer for my current hobbyist level. So, towards the beginning of May, I traveled down to Grizzly in Muncy (I'm about 2 hours away) and picked up the saw in the showroom.

    Got the saw home, and right off the bat started noticing some issues. First of all, the Grizzly logo on the front was installed upside down. Yeah, not a huge issue by any means, it took me about 30 seconds to unscrew it and flip it over, but it shouldn't have gone out that way. I also noticed a pretty big scratch in the paint on the edge of the table. I decided it wasn't a huge deal and finished up assembling the saw.

    Here's where I started running into more issues. As I tried adjusting the blade tracking I could just not get it to track consistently, and found out that the upper wheel had a lot of movement in it even under tension. I found that one of the set screws for adjusting the wheel laterally had stripped out and was allowing the bracket that the upper wheel mounts on to flop around inside the tensioning assembly.

    I called Grizzly on Monday morning (bought the saw on a Friday so I had to wait through the weekend) and they sent me a replacement tensioner assembly. They didn't have any in stock in PA so it shipped from WA and arrived on Thursday. So I got that installed and was able to run the saw finally. Long story short, blade wandered all over the place, saw had a moderate amount of vibration. So I rush shipped a Timberwolf blade thinking it was the cheap stock blade and the also cheap Grizzly one I bought when I picked up the saw, and it had the same issues. Spent an hour on the phone with Grizzly and we determined the upper wheel was out of balance. The person I was talking with told me he was going to send me another wheel, but I told him I did not want to keep messing around with replacing parts in case that wasn't the only issue and asked instead to just return it for another.

    So after doing some more research and finding that people were saying that some of the cheaper Grizzly stuff could be hit or miss, I thought I would stretch my budget and go for the G0513 instead of another of the G0555LX.

    Well, I made the mistake of bringing my wife with me on this trip back to Muncy so you can imagine how that went. With her persuasion, as well as the fact that the tech who checked the saw when I returned it said he had never seen a wheel out of balance like that before, I decided to stick with the G0555LX, thinking I had just gotten a lemon. I decided to pick up the riser block this time too.

    I got the new saw home and unpacked it as little as possible to check all the major things before diving into assembly (did this this past Saturday night). I checked the upper wheel first, that was fine this time, then I checked the set screws on the back of the tensioner, and they were completely missing the nuts that are used for adjustment! A little frustrated, I figured it would be easy enough just to grab a couple at the hardware and take care of that myself, although I was still planning on giving Grizzly a call this week to complain.

    I just got around to getting the saw together this afternoon, and more issues popped up.

    Paint peeling off the table again

    The set screw that holds the wheel for adjusting the blade guide height is missing so the wheel fell of on the floor.

    The cord that runs from the switch to the motor was crushed between the motor and the body of the saw during assembly, I had to loosen the motor mounts to get it out and I'm not sure if the wires in it are damaged.

    I'm not sure if something is bent, but I'm barely able to set the upper blade guides back far enough that the clear with the 3/8 blade that came with it. I don't know how it would be possible to use a smaller blade as the teeth would hit the guides.

    BTW I ended up finding the two nuts that were missing in two different parts of the box, looked like they were thrown in there. No such luck with the missing set screw.

    Overall the saw just runs fair at best, and I'm not even sure if I should run it now, as when I first ran it I hadn't noticed the pinched cord yet.


    So if you've made it this far, here's where I could use some help. This saw is definitely going back and I don't care to try for a third. This whole Grizzly experience has led me to stay away from them, so I was looking at going to the Laguna 14-12. But, part of me is still wondering if the G0513 would fair better than the G0555LX. I don't know if it was just this one model that hasproblems, and I would be better to stick with Grizzly, or if there overall quality control is lacking. I have heard of a few people having some issues with the Laguna as well though, and I've heard that with all the foreign made saws a bad one tends to pop up every once in a while. So I'd just like to figure out figure out what would be best to try to avoid this very frustrating experience again.

    So my real question is: does anybody have any experience with how the quality control differs over the different Grizzly lines, or had an experience getting multiple bum tools like this?

    Thanks for listening to my sob story guys, and for tolerating another bandsaw thread.
    Last edited by Lee Schierer; 05-26-2015 at 7:11 AM.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
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    Camas, Wa
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    I have had the G0513X2 for about 7 years and love it. I have 6 grizzly tools and have never had as many issues as you have had. I have no experience with the G0555LX. I always thought people talked highly of it.

  3. #3
    Join Date
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    Quote Originally Posted by peter gagliardi View Post
    Well, you are at two strikes with Grizzly........
    I have a few Grizzly machines and all have been tip-top. I'm not sure what's going on with the 555 but, at this point if I were you I would take it back and walk away. Bear in mind this is coming from a Grizzly fan. For me, when things go this south on something, there will always be lingering doubt and a jump to conclusions with any difficulty. Of the tens of thousands of tools Grizzly sells over a given time period there always seems to be some lucky person who shares your fate.

    I did need to swap a fence on my jointer that was out of spec and a table on a spindle sander that had a corner that didn't get slime on it and therefor picked up some rust. Both issues were resolved quickly. As Cary mentions, the 555 series has many, many happy owners. It is little consolations that Powermatic, Jet, Delta and even the fabled Italian machines have their share of sob stories. I'm sorry for your negative experience and hope you find bandsaw nirvana soon.
    "A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".


    – Samuel Butler

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Location
    Belden, Mississippi
    Posts
    2,742
    Bummer.
    I have been well pleased with my 0555LX. A little paint chipping on the table at the index pin hole, the guides are a bit "fiddley", the stock blade is for cutting junk wood, but the saw has met all my expectations otherwise.
    Go for a third try. I would.
    Bill
    On the other hand, I still have five fingers.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
    Location
    West Granby CT
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    777
    Well you did ask at the end of your post...........

    I'm not sure what the "LX" means but I had the Grizzly 14" G0555 since about the time they came out. Zero issues with fit, finish, or assembly. It works great for all these years and performed well on tasks that were probably a bit much for a saw that size. I just recently bought a Grizzly G0490x jointer and it arrived in good condition. It's 90% assembled and I have yet to turn it on (I needed another 220 line added). That also went together fine and arrived in good condition. It seemed to be packed well. A few paint over sprays and a spot or two that didn't get paint on the side of the bed, but whatever. I have plenty of top tier tools that were more disappointing on arrival then that.

    I picked up a used Laguna LT16HD and sold the grizzly to friend. It just left the shop yesterday, I almost kept it and put a thin blade on it for curves, but enough is enough for accumulation. I was sad to see it go. The saw I bought I believe is substantially different from the Laguna 14 so I can't help you with that.

    After your experience with the saw I don't know if I would stick around for a third round of assembly.

    Since you are in driving distance to Grizlzly I wonder (because of what you had to go through) if they would assemble and tune up one for you and take that home? It should travel fine. Their techs should get you a top notch running saw, probably tuned better then you could. I know you shouldn't have to go this route but it is a great saw at that price point.

  6. #6
    I have a G0513P that I purchased used - so I knew what I was getting (good or bad) without having to wait for a surprise in a shipment.

    I got it cheap enough that buying a good set of Carter guides was easily within reach.

    I only use the saw for breaking down logs into turning blocks, and for cutting square blocks round before taking them to the lathe...so I can't tell you how it might perform for your needs.

    I does do a great job for what I need.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
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    New York, NY
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    I'd look for a used US-made Delta 14" saw. Ideally you'd be able to see the machine running before buying.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
    Location
    West Granby CT
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    777
    Quote Originally Posted by Jerome Stanek View Post
    They were even worse than the Harbor freight tools that I bought as throw a ways or one time use.
    I don't live in Ohio and have never been to the same Harbor freight as you. That being said if you lived in CT, and went to the same Harbor Freight (maybe they are different) as I have, there would be ZERO truth in that statement. But again maybe it's different out there? I had to read it twice to make sure I read it correctly.


    I hope that one comment doesn't scare off the OP, his experience might, but not that comment. There are hundreds and hundreds of reviews available for both lines of tools. Read a sample and judge for yourself.
    Last edited by Jebediah Eckert; 05-26-2015 at 10:59 AM.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Location
    Brooklyn, New York
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    207
    Don't know exactly where you are at, but here is a Laguna 16HD bandsaw made in Italy for only $1,200. It's a 3 and half hour drive from Grizzly in Muncy to give you some perspective. It would be better than any bandsaw from China or Taiwan. I know it's twice the price of the Grizzly, but just something to consider. Or just check craigslist and I'm sure something closer and cheaper would pop up that's better than the Grizzly.

    http://newyork.craigslist.org/wch/tls/5042205818.html

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Lewiston, Idaho
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    Folks,

    At the top of every forum is an announcement titled "Read Me First" written by Keith Outten. Please read it.

    Copied from the portion titled "Before you rant"

    Before You Rant Read This December 20th, 2010

    "It is the intent of SMC to permit the airing of concerns regarding the suitability of a particular product, or the quality or sufficiency of customer service provided by a vendor in any particular instance provided there is not a breach of contract component involved.

    However, these threads often deteriorate into a "piling on" and develop a very negative tone. That doesn't assist other viewers in assessing the overall advisability of whether to buy this particular product, nor to assess the overall customer service provided by that manufacturer/vendor.

    In order to be fair to the many vendors that provide woodworking products, the following policies will be in force:
    The original poster must have first contacted the manufacturer/vendor and have attempted a solution PRIOR to posting the thread.
    The original poster should provide factual details of the problem, and details of efforts that have been made with the manufacturer/vendor to rectify the problem.
    Subsequent posts must be limited to suggestions to the original poster to assist in rectifying the problem - not to pile on because you had similar problems.

    SMC is a woodworking forum. The intended purpose is to provide a community in which useful information may be shared among the members. Threads that do not achieve that purpose will be locked, or removed if necessary." SawMill Creek is not a Court of Law and we are not in a position to judge a breach of contract case here, therefore SawMill Creek will not become a stage or a courtroom for a legal dispute between two or more parties, it just isn't our mission.
    .
    Last edited by Ken Fitzgerald; 05-26-2015 at 1:11 PM.
    Ken

    So much to learn, so little time.....

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
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    Lewiston, Idaho
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    Jeremiah,

    Considering your experience, I would return the machine and consider alternatives including tools by other manufacturers.
    Ken

    So much to learn, so little time.....

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Northwestern Connecticut
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    To me at this point the central issue is confidence. Do you have confedence that you will get a machine from your current source eventually that meets your expectations? The issues with the wheel and its adjustment mechanisms are IMO serious manufacturing defects that directly affect performance. These need to be eliminated, the wheel needs to track. I have not used the saw you reference, I have owned a 14" cast iron Asian import BS and it was a very solid performer, out of the box, you should expect nothing less. The paint chips are minor, perhaps indicative of the general level of manufacturing quality but only just a fuzzy indicator and not related to performance. I feel you will eventually get a good one from Grizzly, question is how many trips to Muncy are you willing to make and after several failures will success leave you feeling satisfied? Or more directly can you look past these breaches in confidence and have it restored with machine that is whole and performs well? These are questions only you can answer. It may not be unreasonable to request they open a crate machine and make sure it works at this point, your time is valuable and much of it has been spent in frustration at this point.
    "A good miter set up is like yoga pants: it makes everyone's butts look good." Prashun Patel

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    Roseville, MN
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    348
    Quote Originally Posted by Peter Kelly View Post
    I'd look for a used US-made Delta 14" saw. Ideally you'd be able to see the machine running before buying.
    I second that, a US made delta or Powermatic

  14. #14
    Here's a quick update, I'm still at work and will give more details after I get off tonight.

    I apologize for not reading the post that Ken shared before posting. My intention was to contact Grizzly today, I should have done that before making the post. Thank you for keeping things fairly civil, I in no way wanted to start a dumping thread and I'm glad people's opinions were shared without being slanderous.

    Grizzly called me this morning and left a message that they had seen my post and wanted to take care of things. I checked the forum on my lunch and saw all the replies and decided to call them now instead of later. I talked to Craig, a head technician, and he was very understanding of the situation. We settled on me getting a refund, I will be taking the saw back sometime soon.

    I have to get back to work now, so I will update again tonight with more details, I just wanted to give this quick update and let everyone know Grizzly handled the situation well.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Lewiston, Idaho
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    Jeremiah,

    Because you had contacted Grizzly from the beginning of your problems, got a replacement wheel and then returned the original saw, got a new saw, you met every requirement of Keith's announcement. You have no need to apologize.

    Grizzly tools are what they are. They are a great bang for the buck. I have 2 Grizzly tools...and Powermatic......Mini-Max...Ridgid........General International.....Oneida.......Delta.............. several Jet tools.......Excaliber.....

    Grizzly tools are often a great bang for the buck. It is important for the potential consumer to be aware of how they operate as a company and be willing to accept those conditions. In the event that a tool delivers with a problem or requires work during the warrantee period, the company will provide parts and the consumer is expected to provide the labor. That is how they operate to keep expenses down and prices low.

    Normally their response to a customers needs are great within the confines of what I described.

    Glad they responded to you in a manner you find satisfying.

    Keep us posted.
    Ken

    So much to learn, so little time.....

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