I'm a hobbyist on a limited budget looking for a bandsaw, primarily for resawing. Let's say, 12" of 8/4 hard maple cut down the middle would be the maximum I would ever ask of it. I'm under the impression that I'll need a steel framed bandsaw for that. What else do I need to know? Are guides just personal preference, or do certain ones actually work better for resawing? Will a 14" bandsaw work? Or would I be better suited with something capable of running a 1" blade? Does horsepower really matter? If so, how much is the minimum? What about cast iron wheels or trunnions? Are they a big deal or just nice to haves? The brands I'm looking at are Rikon, Jet, Laguna, and Grizzly. Are there any others worth considering? And while I only have 120v outlets, I can wire up a 220v no problem if needed. I'm okay with a saw that does what I need, but at a glacially slow pace. I have far more time than money, though I can afford whatever I need to afford, so I'm also okay with spending more if it means I don't have to upgrade a few years later. But I also don't want to pay more for a bigger, more powerful machine if it only makes resawing quicker or easier. Then again, I don't want to save money on something that won't saw a straight line either. I know I definitely don't need features like a brake or anything quick change or easy access (unless they don't cost extra), since they don't affect the quality of the cut. Again, I have time to waste. I just want to know the bare minimum I can get away with that will still yield good results.
I've been looking locally on the used market for something that might work, and I'm not liking what I'm finding. Usually, the people in my area are asking the same (and in a few instances, more) for a used, discontinued saw as what the updated model would cost new. And if I'm going to buy used, I kind of expect a sizable discount. Something like 20% off MSRP, at the bare minimum, and that's if it's still in good condition. And I'm just not seeing that out there. And since most of these saws were purchased before inflation went crazy and new bandsaw prices exploded, they're actually asking MORE the USED bandsaw than they originally paid for them, which is a turkey I just can't jive with on the grounds of principle alone.
So I'm probably looking at new, though I'll keep my eyes peeled on the used markets, just in case something pops up. Right now, I'm considering the Rikon 10-324. Would that resaw 12ish inches of 8/4 hard maple with a 1/2" blade and 1.5hp motor, even if glacially slow? If not, what's my limiting factor here? The motor, the blade width, something else? What's the minimum I can get away with? I might not ultimately buy the minimum, but I'd like to at least know where my baseline is so I can factor in the value/cost of upgrades from there.
Edited to add:. It's okay if 12" is a nightmare. 8" max would be a good target since 95% of what I do wouldn't exceed 8". I'd just like 12" to be technically possible.
And I work in a garage. So I'd have to back the car out, wheel out the bandsaw, plug it in, set it up, cut, dust it off, wax and oil it, and put it back. So it'll never not be a slow process to use it. And since I have two cars and all of my tools, gardening equipment, fishing and kayaking equipment in the garage, I have no space for a dust collector (or most power tools like even a table saw, but for a bandsaw, I'll make room). And since we have wild temperature and humidity swings here, everything rusts, despite my best attentions. So I'm wanting to avoid anything unnecessarily big and heavy, and something unnecessarily expensive, since it will eventually rust. I'm good about limiting things to a light surface rust, but I can't treat any rustable tool purchase like a forever tool. I might get 20 years out of it, but it won't last forever for me. It's just how things go. So a big, heavy, and expensive bandsaw will work against me in the long run. But one that's too small to even do the job is worse. Hence why I'm looking for "the minimum".
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