Bandsaw advice

[Brian Byers]

Hello everybody, this is my first post. I've been reading lots of threads looking for advice on bandsaws and jointers I was diagnosed with Leukemia In 05 and needed to sell my shop. Got some tools back but I'm planning on making some bigger purchases soon as I plan on getting more serious about my woodwork. A lot of advice I read was going back as far as 2012 . Models have changed. Companies may have improved or gotten worse.so I'd like some newer advice.
I've got a 14" Delta with Carter guides and a stabilizer for small stuff. I'm looking for something that can resaw. I'm thinking about these saws in the $1500-$2000 range.

Laguna 14bx 2.5 hp $1500
Laguna 14suv 3 hp $1800
Laguna 18bx 3hp $2000
Jet 15 3hp. $1800
Rikon 10-353 3hp $1450
Rikon 10-346 4hp. $1950
Grizzly G0514x2 3hp. $1800

I like the trunion on Laguna saws, when I see them cut on YouTube I get a confidence that this saw could do anything I wanted. A friend at a local cabinet shop has Laguna and hated the guides but I see a lot of people love the guides. One year warranty doesn't thrill me.

Jet I really like. Only read a few reviews but they were good. LOVE the warranty. I could buy this from a local store and this store would help me out 100% if I needed anything. The negative on this saw is no footbreak. There is a chance I may move across the country in a few years and if I did I would be working with foster kids. If I'm helping kids build things I like having the brake.

Grizzly seems to be the best bang for your buck. I'm looking at the G0514x2. I prefer to have the 3 hp motor in a bandsaw. I talked to Mr. Iturra from Iturra designs. He is so nice. He knows bandsaws very well. He said the new grizzly stuff is real good. He said I wouldn't be disappointed if I bought one of there saws. The only negative I see is the 1 year warranty. There is something about the 5 year warranty on tools that leaves me feeling warm and fuzzy😊😊😊. I keep thinking about the movie Tommy boy and the guarantee fairy.
I'd love to hear your thoughts, thanks guys
Brian

[Mike Weaver]

Hi Brian and Welcome!

Did you perhaps mean a bigger bandsaw to RESAW rather than RESALE?

Assuming that's what you meant, I suggest you dismiss any of the 14" or 15" saws from your list. i would not see enough of an advantage over your current saw to want to spend that kind of money for the gain i would anticipate.

BUT, that's just my opinion and might be worth what you paid. ;-)

Unfortunately, I have no experience with any of those 18' saws you list.

If you have the option of seeing any of those saws in person, or better yet, give it a test run, that may help you. Heck, if you list a general location, you may find a Creeker with one of those saws who might be willing to show it to you.

The search function on SMC works well too - you may find some great nuggets of info.

For reference, i happen to have a Minimax MM16 which I love and can heartily recommend.

Apologies I cannot be of more help.

Good luck with your woodworking (and health)!!

-Mike

[Matthew Hills]

Not sure that foot brake helps with kids; I'd think an electronic brake would be preferred in that case (I believe Grizzly has this as one of their options --)

What will you be resawing?
Any pieces of significant weight will benefit from the support of a large table.
I will note that a vertical bandsaw is not a great subsitute for a lumber mill.

You should also consider what type of blade you want to use.
All of the saws you listedshould be great with the popular 1/2" 3tpi blades.
You may want to research the specific saws a bit if you have your heart set on using a carbide blade.
Wider (1")/thicker carbide blades will require a strong frame and spring to draw sufficient tension, and do better with a larger wheel diameter so as to not fatigue the blade.


Matt

[Prashun Patel]

A foot brake is nice to have.

If you plan eventually to work with kids on the bandsaw, the best thing you can do is build large outfeed and off cut support, use a new, sharp blade, make a million push sticks for every possible type of hand and cut.

Having worked with my son and his friends on the bandsaw, they tend not to lighten up on the cut during the last inch, which causes their hand to jerk forward. They also underestimate the torque of the off cut.

I have a G0514X2 and I like it fine. I think there is a big difference in quality between the value saws and the premium saws (ones you have not listed here, like Minimax). If I were buying again, I would try a couple different ones so you know what you are missing by not spending an additional $1000. The fit and finish do make the experience nicer, but it is not appropriate for everyone. It's like Toyota vs Lexus.

[Brian Byers]

Sorry about the typos. It was late. Currently I've been using a lot of cedar and 2x4's. Planing them down, staining the boards about 4 different colors (little contrast) and making panels. They go behind the stages or the bride and groom. They have been real popular. I'll probably start renting them out for weddings. I do have a love for walnut and I know somebody that had a bunch milled 4-5 years ago.. I want to cut my own veneers and do some inlays and double bevel Marquetrey (sp). Ad I've read the past week I've found that the amount of money I was going to spend on tools has gone up. I was looking at Rikon 10-326's and grizzly 17's. As I read about the tools you all have or have experiences with I have increased the amount of money I was going to spend. I planned on spending 5 to 7 k on shop upgrades. If I buy a Itialian Laguna or minmax bandsaw I won't be getting a jointer or some of the other tools I want. Reading woodworking threads is going to cost me🤑. I find myself looking at 8"-12" jointer with helical heads instead of a 6" jointer. I feel a need to have a high end sander and extractor instead of my Makita with a bag to collect dust. I never thought about dust before, I've never had a dust collector. I am more concerned about cancers and copd then I used to be. I've had Leukemia and I've watched my mom suffer with copd. Breathing in dust from plywood and MDF has got to be bad for you. I am afraid I can't let myself go to a minmax or other Italion saw. Unless I get a good deal on a used one. I've never even seen a used one come up on CL in northern Ca. I will be making some money doing woodwork but I'll probably only work a max of 3 hours per day ( health problems). That's why I've considered the high end 14" saws. 2.5 to 3 hp. I watched some of the 14" high end saws from Laguna and rikon do a pretty good job. I like the powermatic 15" but I can't see myself ever getting it. I'm disabled and don't have the money to buy high end. I'm hoping to make a little extra doing woodwork. I still can't believe these forums have got me talked into getting rid of my 5" Makita sander and get a festool sander and vacuum 😄. I've got a amazing wife who wants to see me get a shop full of the best tools we can get. She remembers how hard it was for me to sell my tools in the past when I got sick. Taking your 18" Jet bandsaw, Jet 3 hp shaper with power feed etc etc and selling them to pay medical expenses is a sucky thing to have to do. I appreciate the advice guys☺

[Dick VanNewkirk]

I bought the 18 inch 3hp Jet about a year ago and have been very happy with it. I really like the tooless guide adjustment. I don’t have any experience with a foot brake, so I haven’t missed it. The deciding factor on the Jet was similar to your feelings, I could buy it from a local business. My original budget was to try to keep the cost under $1000, which meant Grizzly or CL. In my searches on CL I found a MM and an Italian made Laguna, both for about $2000 and located about 200 miles away. After thinking about it, I realized that after driving 200 miles, I might lose my objectivity and any any problems I discovered after I got the saw home would be solely my problem. However, my budget had ratcheted up to $2000. While I’m sure that the majority of Laguna and Grizzly customers have had good experiences, I read about enough frustrations to consider the possibility. I REALLY did not want to spend that much money and then have to deal with any problems with someone in a different time zone. (There aren’t any local Laguna dealers). I knew that my local store would help me if I had any issues. Happily, I haven’t had any. Also, I like to support local business when I can.

[Geoff Crimmins]

I have the smallest Festool vacuum and use it with my DeWalt sander, so I expect that you could do that same with your Makita sander. The sander isn't quite as nice as a Festool sander, but the dust extraction works great. Also, a good half-mask respirator, such as the 3M 7500 series, works great and is a big a help if you don't have good dust collection in your shop (and even if you do.) I have friend with a Laguna 14 SUV, which works great for all kinds of cutting, including resawing and cutting turning blanks. Sure, an MM16 is nicer, but it's not really necessary. Any of the steel-frame 14" saws and the Grizzly 17" should be capable of doing what you need. Sure, a high-end saw is more refined and a bit nicer to work with, and will cut faster because it has a bigger motor. But that's a want, not a need. I've seen some people say anything smaller than a 30" bandsaw isn't good for resawing. I've also seen people demonstrate that you can resaw with a 14" Delta bandsaw, you just have to have it well adjusted and accept that it's going to cut slowly. That said, it's not usually a good idea to settle for a lesser tool that you're going to want to replace in a couple of years.

[Mike Hollingsworth]

I think the best guarantee is knowing Grizzly will be around with parts for many years to come.
Their parts ordering is amazing.

[Mike Hollingsworth]

Breathing in dust from plywood and MDF has got to be bad for you.

It's the worst.
Unlike dust from hardwood, it floats around in the air forever.

[Brian Byers]

Is there any other creepers in northern California. I have a woodcraft 2 hours south of me in Sacramento .ca. I can see the Rikon, Jet and Laguna at their store. The store I can buy the Jet or a powermatic is less then a mile from my house.

[Bruce Wrenn]

As for the one year warranty from Grizzly, buy it on most any credit card, and CC doubles the warranty for up to another year. What's in your wallet?

[Keith Weber]

One thing I learned since I started woodworking is that if you want a really nice shop on a set budget, then buy used tools.

Lots of people buy new tools and realize later that the hobby wasn't for them and they end up selling their tools (often with very little use). If your flavor is Asian tools, you'll get at least twice as many tools for your budget, since the initial resale isn't stellar on those. If you decide to go old American Iron, you'll get beefier, better quality tools for close to what you'd pay for new Asian. If you go used European, you might pay a little more than new Asian, but you'll get a discount from the new prices, and you'll have some nice tools. Not sure where you're located, but Craigslist, eBay, and local auctions are great sources. Lots of over-priced junk, too, mind you, but if you take your time to find the deals that eventually come up, you'll have a much nicer shop in the long run.

Also helps if you have the ability to repair and maintain tools. I got most of my tools for insanely cheap prices because they had issues (broken or missing part, not properly set up, etc.) A lot of time it only takes me an hour or two to fix the problem and have it back running smooth again.

Anyway, just food for thought since you mentioned needing to start over. Having sold your shop, I'm sure you can appreciate that you never get your money back if you bought new.

[Brian Byers]

Thanks Keith, I've been doing woodwork for years. I got my first shop full of mostly used tools in about 1991. I had a pituitary brain tumor (Benign) and was forced to retire. Lost everything ☹including shop. I love woodwork so I'll stick with it. I finally had I shop put together in 2002. Some old iron and some new Jet and some used Jet. It was perfect. Started building a new house with a 28x40 shop. 3 weeks after I started building I started urinating blood (Leukemia) spent 3 months in the hospital and again lost everything. Spent years renting with no shop now I'm blessed with a home with a 1000 sq foot shop. 95 % of shop is used stuff I'm happy with. About 6 months ago I got a 14"Chinese delta for $200. I only bought it because of the Kreg fence and I recognize the Carter guides. I kept my eyes open foe a American delta. 2 months ago I got a 1977 delta 14" from original owner. I switched the guides and fence and sold the Chinese delta for about what I paid☺☺. It only has 1/2 up motor but it works for small stuff. It's so important for me to have a great running larger bandsaw and Jointer that im not sure i want to go used on those. Im concerned i might find a great 20" and then not notice something like a crack or a messed up wheel. I will definitely keep my eye open for used. If I find one I'll be back on this forum to get your opinions. Chemo fried my brain. 4 years after chemo I still couldn't figure out how to make the miter cuts on the tri, around a wall a.c.. I'm doing great now and I'm ready to go. Thanks for your advice☺

[Corey Pelton]

I picked up a Grizzly 17" G0513x2 a few weeks back. It does amazingly well for my needs, and the resaw capacity (over 12") is useful. I was using the stock blade, but decided to change it out for a better blade, but I've yet to dial the saw back in to make any cuts, so I can't tell if the saw will work even better with the upgraded blade. I'd imagine it will Either way, like others have said, you can't go wrong with Grizzly. Solid company. Sounds like their customer service is great too.