Bandsaw Purchase...maybe tomorrow

[Andy Haney]

I searched, but didn't find any threads on this subject. Please let me know if I missed any.

I’m strongly considering my first bandsaw purchase this week. I’ve been looking at the Rikon 10-325 for a few years, but recently discovered the Jet Deluxe Pro JWBS-14DXPRO.

In comparing specs I see few differences:

...The table on the Rikon is larger, but I don’t think that will be significant.
...The Rikon includes a fence and the Jet doesn’t. Easily remedied, several ways.
...The Rikon is 1.5 hp vs. 1.25 hp for the Jet.
...The Jet includes Carter-style guides, and that would have to be purchased separately for the Rikon.

With exception of the hp and the table size, after-market covers the difference. How much better (REALLY) are Carter-style guides?

Owner/user ratings appear to be pretty high for each machine. Based on reading reviews I’m inclined to believe the smaller (hp) motor on the Jet would perform acceptably for resawing, as long as one exercises restraint and lets the tool do the work.

The Jet goes on sale tomorrow (I think) at 15% off, and that is really attractive to me. That makes the cost difference between the machines about $305 with the Rikon being higher.

...Jet standard package approximately $765 (plus tax);
...Rikon (plus Carter guides) approximately $1,070 (plus tax).

Please offer any opinions. Thanks in advance.

Andy

[Andy Haney]

First, just to bump this up in hopes of some response. Does anyone out there own either the Rikon 10-325 or the Jet Deluxe Pro JWBS-14DXPRO? I would appreciate any feedback, either positive or negative.

Thanks,
Andy

[Greg Bender]

Andy,
I had the Rikon and it is a good saw.The resaw ability is 13.5" and the jet is probably 12".The rikon also has a steel welded box frame which is stronger than the cast iron frame when it comes to maintaining blade tension.The rikon also has bearing based blade guides so going to the overpriced carter guides isn't really necessary.The table size did turn out to be an important consideration when cutting certain projects.Good Luck with your choice.
Greg

First, just to bump this up in hopes of some response. Does anyone out there own either the Rikon 10-325 or the Jet Deluxe Pro JWBS-14DXPRO? I would appreciate any feedback, either positive or negative.

Thanks,
Andy

[Shawn Pixley]

I have the Rikon and would buy it again. As to the guides, I like the bearing style gudes. For my primary uses of resawing and relatively large curves, they perform well. If i were to need frequent use of a 1/4" or 1/8" blade, I might go for the Carter blocks. My Rikon was on sale and didn't cost me as much as you calculated.

[Dale Coons]

+1 on the Rikon, mine's been great over the past 2 yrs. Make sure you get the 10-325 not the 320

[Mike Tekin]

I will take a different spin and play devil's advocate - the Rikon is a nice saw, however, where will Rikon be in 5 yrs, 10 yrs, from now? They are a newer company and in this economy, things can happen. When I purchase power tools I always go with the bigger names - Grizzly, Shop Fox, Delta, Jet/Powermatic, etc. They have proven track records and support.

Next, I would like to reccomend another saw to you - the Powermatic PWBS-14CS, 14" BS. Its also on sale for $849, but includes the nice Carter style guides, a 1.5hp motor, a dust blower, miter gauge, and fence, halogen built in lamp, quick release handle for the blade tension. The jet doesn't include a fence or miter gauge.

You would be looking to spend at least $80-150 for a nice fence for the jet.

Also, I noticed that the Jet and Rikon have a rack and pinion fence post adjustment, but the Powermatic doesn't. Its definately a competitive playing field in 14" bandsaws these days!

Good luck

[Paul Johnstone]

I am a huge fan of Rikon, but after looking over the Jet, it looks pretty good.
I have the Rikon 18".. it did come with a fence, but in all honesty the fence is not the greatest. I ended up replacing it with a Kreg fence.
So.. I think you would be very happy with the Rikon.. However it looks like the Jet machine is pretty nice.. an amazon review said it had cast wheels. The guides look nice as well. The Jet seems to consistently get good reviews. I guess if it was me, I would probably save 300 and get the Jet.

[Brian Weick]

My opinion....
Have you considered buying OWWM....?
Those machines you mention Rikon/Jet- they are made overseas..... I am giving you my personal opinion about this...not saying those machines are bad but lets face it, as far as construction and materials being used,they don't even come close to American made Woodworking Machinery form the past. I find it rather intesting that service & support is so crucial....why is it that way- don't get me wrong I think it is important, especially when it brand spanking new. Some companies do have a good service record and than you have some that ,,,,,well- . are severely lacking


IMO- that fear of not having service is because machines are not being made the way they used to be..and we know it...so as consumers , knowing this, you don't want a bumper warranty and being left out in the cold. But there was a time when Service was not as strongly considered because of the quality of the machinery being produced.



I have a client that I was doing a master bath project for that had his own WW equipment in his shop in the basement and we got to talking and he was telling me about some problems that he was having with his TS and his BS. So I told him I will check it out for him. The equipment in question was a Craftsman 14 BS and a Craftsman 10" TS. He kept telling me that he has had to get new blades constantly for his BS and the miter on the TS was constantly running out from where it should lock in place and the cuts bind. These tools where purchased back in 1985 NEW.

I went over turned the band saw on (1/4" blade) and put some lumber at her and right away I knew something was drastically wrong.... the blade was running in the opposite direction............it has been running this way form day 1 he said. Now he is just a hobbyist with WWing and I didn't want to make him feel bad... if you don't know about the machinery you have sometimes you should get acquainted with it,,, that's all I will say about that..
So anyways
I go under where the motor is and there is a sticker that says - "this item may have been shipped running counter clockwise, switch terminal L1 & L2"- So I took care of that, readjusted the upper and lower blade rest bearings- they were on the blade constantly..... adjusted the upper wheel to get the blade to track in the middle again, turned it on and he was one happy camper... he was blown away as to why they would ship a BS running backward,as well as myself...

The table saw.... the trunnion (if you want to call it that) was out of alignment with the table- I got that square,,, then I got to the miter adjustment ran it to 42 and back - and what was happening was the cabinet wall (thin sheet metal) was used for the mount stop sleeve for the miter and was flexing - So I took some 1/4" steel plate to run vertically on the outside of the cab , milled the whole for the lead screw bolted this on , re-assembled and there was no more movement... dead nuts stop at any angle. It also never made it to a true 45.. the pulley on the saw arbor was assembled ,from day one ,on the outside of the arbor and when you cranked it up to get a 45 the pulley was butting up against the bottom of the main field table. So I backed off the set screw and moved it back where it should have been and sure enough - went to the 45. lubed all the mechanical parts and works like a charm now.


This is the problem with some of the machinery being produced today... it's sent overseas and designed to be built with the "Do more with less" philosophy which will show it's ugly head as time goes by. So I am not a fan of the foreign made machinery because of this mindset that companies have been forced to adopt to keep themselves competitive with all the crap coming from overseas...

Don't get me wrong... you still can get American made machinery;ie- "Northfield" - but who has $12.400.00 for a new table saw.... but what a table saw that is...the trunnion alone weighs more than todays 10" saws you find at your local distributor.

That is why I say it would not be a bad idea to look into the older used cast iron machinery when quality actually meant somthing.....and you will get a better bang for your buck...



The WW machinery I admire & own is American made and I have 1 piece in particular in my shop from 1909 - you just simply can not harm this machine ... solid cast iron-

What your intension's are for the usage of the Band Saw ?

Here is a prime example of OWWM. This is an "Oliver" 192-Heavy 18" band saw from 1959. It was totally striped and restored. They are considered the "Cadillac" of WW machinery... and I have to go along with that... the proof is in the pudding as they say....


So - You have to do what you feel comfortable with and only you would know that but I just wanted you to be aware that there are other options for quality machinery at a fraction of the cost new in todays market for the same with all construction & material being equal...


B.

[glenn bradley]

Rikon is a nice saw, however, where will Rikon be in 5 yrs, 10 yrs, from now? They are a newer company and in this economy, things can happen. When I purchase power tools I always go with the bigger names - Grizzly, Shop Fox, Delta, Jet/Powermatic, etc. They have proven track records and support.

A sad state of affairs to be sure but, don't kid yourself. Have you noticed the size, age and quality of some of the companys that have fallen off the face of the earth over th last few years. The younger more nimble outfits make have something yet to prove ;-)

[Doug Colombo]

+2 for the Rikon. I have the 10-325 (about 6 months) and love the saw. I also agree that that you don't need to purchase the Carter guides for the saw. The bearing guides that come with it work very well when adjusted correctly. I don't have any experence with the Jet, but the steel frame of the Rikon was a big plus for me - it is much more stable then the cast iron frames. Good luck and have fun with your purchase.

[Brian Weick]

+2 for the Rikon. I have the 10-325 (about 6 months) and love the saw. I also agree that that you don't need to purchase the Carter guides for the saw. The bearing guides that come with it work very well when adjusted correctly. I don't have any experence with the Jet, but the steel frame of the Rikon was a big plus for me - it is much more stable then the cast iron frames. Good luck and have fun with your purchase.

So what seams to be the problem with your other cast iron band saw....?


thank you..
B,

[Doug Colombo]

Steel frames hold the tension of the blade better than cast iron frames (especially under heavy resaw operations). As I said, I don't have experience with the Jet that he is looking at (I have other Jet equipment and have had great experience with the brand), but even Jet when talking about this saw and what improvements they have made seems to think that some cast iron saws needed to be made stronger: From Amazon description of the Jet saw "Cast Iron Frame for Powerful Performance With its massive, super-tough cast iron frame, and a blade speed of 1500/3000 SFPM, the JWBS-14DXPRO packs a powerful punch to cut through material quickly and easily. The rigidity of this newly redesigned frame also allows for even the toughest resawing jobs and saves you the hassle of using a riser block."
So before I bought the Rikon, I tried to gather data and user opinions and, at least in my case, felt that the steel framed saws were the way to go. This is not to say that a cast iron framed saw is bad. I think that either way Andy goes, he will have a great piece of equipment. This was just one point that I know moved me towards the Rikon.

[Brian Weick]

Doug,
Just so I understand you corectly...when you say "Cast Iron Frame" are you refering to something like this.......





B,

[Andy Haney]

I really appreciate it. I wish I had room for large equipment and old iron. But...my wife thinks she needs to park in my shop! Everything has to fit in a nook somewhere. Gotta get rid of the mini-fridge to make room for this purchase.

I had not looked far enough into the sale, and didn't realize the Powermatic was also on sale, very competitive is the least we can say. I am very familiar with the reputation of the PM saw, and believe I can get a great starter saw from this selection for a favorable price. Now, if I can just sneak the checkbook out of her purse...

I did note that the PM only has one speed (approx. 3k fpm). A lot of the others have a slower speed available (1,500 fpm). Are there situations when the slower speed is something to wish for?

Andy

[Joe Pack]

Hi Andy,

I just received the newest copy of Wood Magazine today. They have an evaluation/comparison of a number of machines, some of which you mentioned here. I will summarize as best I can for you.

They tested the Delta 28-206 ($825), Grizzly G0457 ($895), Grizzly G0555X ($770), Jet JWBS-14DXPro ($1,000), Laguna 14SUV ($1,495), Powermatic PWBS-14CS ($1,000) and Rikon 10-325 ($900).

They gave "Top Tool" designations to the Laguna 14SUV ($1,495) and to the Rikon 10-325 ($900). They gave "Best Value" designation to the Grizzly G0555X ($770 including riser block kit). The Delta was the lowest rated saw in their test group.

If you can find the newest issue of Wood (May 2011) you can read more details.

Now let me offer a personal opinion...take a good, long look at the Grizzly G0513P ($889 delivered) and the Grizzly G0513X2 ($1089 delivered). I have the G0513 and absolutely love it. It has all the power I will ever need for my purposes, requires no riser kit, has outstanding dust collection, easily adjustable quality roller guides...everything I could ever want in my home workshop. I looked at all the 14" saws you are considering, and then some. I chose the Grizzly after being able to see it first hand at one of their factories. There was just no comparison...except for the Laguna, no other 14" saw came close. For just over half the price of the 14" Laguna, and for the same or lower price than the others you mentioned, you can have a full-powered 17" saw that, hopefully (remember, I have one!) last your lifetime.

Hope this helps.

Joe

p.s. If you can get hold of a Woodworker's Journal 10% off coupon from a subscriber, you can save a bunch on a Grizzly saw.