Cheap Bandsaw for Resawing

[Randy Heinemann]

By now everyone has provided opinions and I'm not sure you're even reviewing responses anymore . . . I have a Rikon 14" 10-325 Deluxe (which is now a 10-326). I believe that its resaw capacity is 11" although I don't believe I've ever resawed anything more than about 9"; possibly 10". It does have a 1 1/2 HP motor. I have upgraded to Rikon's toolless guides (which I believe are standard on the 10-326 which is the newer version). I've never found a board I couldn't resaw on this bandsaw. While it is true that a saw with a bigger motor will do the job faster, I don't believe it will do the job any better. The reason is this.

For me, the main thing with a bandsaw is setup. The guides need to be set in the right position and as close as possible to but not touching the blade. Once I learned how to set up the blade and guides (tension, position of the blade on the wheels, position of the guides in relation to the blade, and squareness of the table) I have always gotten great results with a sharp blade. A sharp blade is the other important factor. If the blade has been on the saw for awhile and is dull or the teeth are even a tiny bit out of set, it just won't cut straight.

So, first of all, unless you are putting the saw to heavy duty use frequently and are planning to resaw 10" or 11" boards a lot, a 14" bandsaw should work well. It might mean that you are forced to do a slower steady feed rate, but it will do the job just as well as a bigger saw as long as the setup is done correctly.,

There are some good videos on YouTube. The best one I've ever seen (and really saw it live at a Woodoworking Show) is by Alex Snodgrass. If you follow his steps, you will get good results. If you don't set up the saw correctly the results won't be satisfactory no matter what size or HP the bandsaw. While it might be somewhat easier and faster to resaw with an 18" saw compared to a 14" saw, the results will be the same.

Also, I wouldn't go "cheap". Most of the manufacturers of bandsaws have good quality products, including Rikon, Laguna, Grizzly, maybe General, Powermatic, Jet, and others. Buying used is a great idea as long as the saw doesn't require a lot of work to get it perform properly. Plus, these days, used tools are being sold for rather high prices and it would be tough for a woodworker like me, even though I've been at it for over 40 years, to be sure a used saw doesn't have some problem requiring additional money to fix.