Help buying my first bandsaw(s)

[Tom Trees]

Not up to speed on a hundred year old cast iron saws, that is, if they go by specified throat capacity (blade to column)
or wheel size, but nearly all modern 2 wheeled saws say made since the 60's, the specification is referring to the wheel size, in inches or millimetres 20"/ 500 or even a single figure referring to the metric on some Italian saws.
That 3 wheeler saw would be an exception to what's regarded as the norm nowadays.
Many of the new wave (less than the last decade I believe) of machines from SCM/Minimax/Centauro (Italian saws)
have the wheel size also matching the resaw capacity,
with more powerful motors, and will probably be a bit taller and heavier than the last generation of saws from Italy.

The lighter of the industrial line Italian designs has been unchanged since the late 1980's, and probably still available yet, I'm not sure on that one?
Although the more recent of them (still old generation) have a bit of extra dust extraction (another hole cut into the frames under trunion)
and maybe some trunion design for rack and pinion table adjustment.
That's it really, different paint, basically anything that sounds like an exotic Italian sports car, and is over that 200kg benchmark will be a good'un!
Those Italians are renowned the world over for their ingenuity,
but it's not only bandsaws you know!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7eYB_xu7WE


Those old generation Italian saws can be bought for the same money as a new single phase curve cutting machine (anything under 16" in my view)
You will spot an Italian machine a mile away, the frames are the same, basically ACM's line of SNA, or heavier SNAC or equal to the SNAC line, Centauro's CL types and they all share the same standard parts.
It might be worth scouring the net and adding "3 phase or three phase machines/machinery whilst your looking on CL.

Good luck