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Thread: Best 24” bandsaw for industrial setting?

  1. #1
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    Best 24” bandsaw for industrial setting?

    Anyone here own any of these saws or have any gripes/good things to say about them? I have an old 36Β” crescent which is a well built machine but has a multitude of issues that arenΒ’t worth it to me to fix. Looking at these smaller 24Β”ish saws to replace it.
    Primary uses resawing up to 8Β” occasionally (2 days/mo), mostly radius work for windows and doors and curved moulding. Radius work needs to be pretty precise (yes id love a CNC but space and money are holding me back on that).

    Grizzly G0569 2,995
    Laguna LT24 (Italian made version) 4,999
    Powermatic PM2415B-3 6,299
    SCM S 640P 7,395
    Felder FB 610 awaiting quote but guessing itΒ’ll be in the 7k range

    IΒ’m one to buy a machine IΒ’m going to have for the rest of my career, so looking at quality. IΒ’m in my mid-20s so i have another 30-40 years in the business. That said, if the griz or Laguna is a quality saw and is built to last, saving 2-4K also sounds good.

    Thanks for any input!
    Last edited by Lee Schierer; 01-11-2021 at 9:13 AM. Reason: Switching to the standard editor will eliminate the strange quote symbols

  2. #2
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    I'm very happy with my Grizzlies. Do not have that saw but it would be my choice.

  3. #3
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    The ACM and Centauro saws will be the higher end. The new SCMI may be ACM now rather than Centauro so check that out. I don't know if the Panhans version of the Aggizanni design are available but they would be worth checking. Felder used to sell and dACM saw but their new in house saws are somewhat lesser quality. If you are looking for a keep forever saw, also consider a good condition 30" Oliver 217 or Tanny PH, or the 27" Northfield. The cast iron saws are another step up but condition is everything. Dave

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sam Force View Post
    I'm very happy with my Grizzlies. Do not have that saw but it would be my choice.
    If you don't mind me asking, do you use them in a professional setting? Every day use? I don't mean to sound rude if it comes off that way. I just want to be sure that the asian design and castings can hold up to this sort of use for decades to come. The price is definitely tempting as compared to the others, but i don't want to buy a "Kia" when I'm looking for longevity!

    Thanks!

  5. #5
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    Jack,

    Is this a one man shop?

    Considering you are somewhat budget conscious, i would limp along with the crescent for 45-60 days and give the used market an earnest shot. I cant remember where i recently saw this saw--or maybe it sold already--but it was a 30-36"(did they even make a 30"?) Centauro in Jersey for under a grand. 9hp and probably from the late 80s or early 90s. From what ive seen over the years, the biggest bandsaws can be some of the best gets on the used market. In particular, the euro steel frame saws in the 36" range can be superb bargains. They dont have the looks of the cast iron american saws, but i dont know how the bang for buck gets any better. Im talking about running saws in fair condition for $500-800 pretty routinely. You are near a pretty good pool of machines in and around north jersey and long island. My machine resaws really well and i can only imagine the joy of double the power, double the weight, and double the tension on a wider carbide blade.

    I own a laguna ACM 20" machine. 5hp baldor motor. I sell some stuff, but im a light hobbyist when it comes to usage. This machine is fine for me, but I would want something huge if i did the work you describe. My machine is adequate for a small 1-2 man shop making furniture. 8" resawing at a fair clip is no problem along with other general purpose stuff. For what you describe, it would have to be a massive table on a 36-42" machine.

  6. #6
    OP, what I hear is that you want "industrial" but can't swing the price for new. I would suggest keeping an eye out for a used Italian saw. Good luck in your search.

    Erik
    Ex-SCM and Felder rep

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Erik Loza View Post
    OP, what I hear is that you want "industrial" but can't swing the price for new. I would suggest keeping an eye out for a used Italian saw. Good luck in your search.

    Erik
    Hmmm... not sure where you got that from. I am more than willing to buy a new SCM or Felder machine which i consider pretty high end machines. My question is in regards to the quality and personal experience of the various features of the above machines.

    Obviously it would be great to hear someone who runs a grizzly really hard say that its a great machine and has lasted them a decade and more to come, because it would save me a few grand. But if I have to shell out the big bucks because griz or laguna cant hold up, I'd be more than happy to as long as I get what I pay for.

    Industrial meaning used hard and often. I would rather hear personal accounts from those who use their machines daily to make money, not someone cutting bowl blanks every other weekend (no offense to those people, I would just rather hear the opinion of someone who has been around the block more than I have with their machines). Unfortunately I don't have decades of experience in the bandsaw market. I just started my own operation 2 years ago and looking to upgrade is all.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Patrick Kane View Post
    Jack,

    Is this a one man shop?
    It's a two man operation at the moment, but looking to grow. Thank you for your suggestions. I think I'll try to keep my eye out more on the used market. I have been checking around pretty frequently within the past week or so, but it is pretty dead at the moment. I might keep looking as I try to educate myself more on the above 'new' options.

    Thanks!

  9. #9
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    In my opinion, you can strike Grizzly out of the equation. There are reasons it's $2-4,000 below the others.

  10. #10
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    Dave, Great information here. Thanks!

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by Jack Hovanec View Post
    Hmmm... not sure where you got that from. I am more than willing to buy a new SCM or Felder machine which i consider pretty high end machines. My question is in regards to the quality and personal experience of the various features of the above machines...
    Having been in many, many production shops, I will you that only bandsaws I see that are more than 10 years old are either European or the cast iron American dinosaurs, which it sounds like you already have.

    Erik
    Ex-SCM and Felder rep

  12. #12
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    I have a SCM 20” Minimax and it’s a great saw, that said I would jump at a used Zimmerman or Hema in a second. SCM stuff, especially the heavier machines, definitely stand up to daily use.
    Bumbling forward into the unknown.

  13. #13
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    I upgraded from a 17" Grizzly to a 20" Minimax and there really isn't any comparison. The Grizzly was a good saw, but the Minimax is a great saw, and would probably be capable of anything you would want to do short of a dedicated power fed resaw. The larger S 740p, S 840p and S 940p are even more heavy duty. If you want the absolute best American made bandsaw still available, look at Northfield. Still in production, made to order.

  14. #14
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    I have a Centauro CO 600. (24'') this saw is a 1984 model, it came from a theater company that used it from new to build sets for 2-3 different shows each year. I rebuilt it with all new bearings and cleaned it up to put it right back to use in my1-2 man cabinet shop. It is a great saw that gets used as a lumber break down machine. Mostly ripping and Resawing .I paid $600 for it and after bearings,paint etc have about 1100 in it. The only downside is it took me 6 years to find it. This saw would definitely fit what you are looking for.

  15. #15
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    I have one of the Taiwanese Grizzly 19" bandsaws. It's been a very good saw for my needs but I'm a hobbyist. It sounds like there's a bearing (not on the guides) that is going bad much sooner than it should have. It could just be a fluke but my guess is that when you move up in class you get better components so you don't have these issues. I'm not sure I would go with a Grizzly if I was going to use the saw for a business on a daily basis. Depending on what you need from a bandsaw I think the Laguna LT24 would do what you need without the price tag of the more expensive European machines. I see plenty of them in shops around here.

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