I’m in the market for an 18” bandsaw. The bandsaw will be mostly used for furniture making, and occasionally to cut 4x corbels for general construction applications. I don’t anticipate re-sawing lumber from rough logs, but would likely use the saw to slice veneers from lumber.
Both Rikon and Laguna are mentioned often as good values. Woodcraft is currently offering both the Rikon 10-342 & 10-347 18” models at a 15% discount & with what appears to be free shipping, and the Laguna 18BX2203 at 10% discount + shipping.
The 10-342 has a smaller table and only 2HP, the 10-347 has 4HP, and the Laguna 3HP. How important is horsepower given the applications stated above?
I’m not knowledgable on bandsaws and lack the understanding to compare the other features of these saws. I’d appreciate input from folks who own either of these models.