Band saw Recommendation from the gurus

D

D. Hinton

Active member
Supporter
I am getting a bonus check at the end of the month and I’m going to reward my efforts of putting up the crazies, midnight methheads and generalized insanity that comes from the ER.

I have been using a Grizzly for the past 12 years and I’ve had my limit of dealing with its problems and ready to upgrade.
Grizzly is off the table for brand recommendations.

Considering Jet and Laguna , definately open to other brands. Wanting re-saw capacity enough to cut out a goose profile.
Budget is going to be up to $3K. Obviously I would like to stay below that but I’m ready for something that will cut straight and give me reliable years of headache free use
 
Last edited:
D. Hinton said:
I am getting a bonus check at the end of the month and I’m going to reward my efforts of putting up the crazies, midnight methheads and generalized insanity that comes from the ER.

I have been using a Grizzly for the past 12 years and I’ve had my limit of dealing with its problems and ready to upgrade.
Grizzly is off the table for brand recommendations.

Considering Jet and Laguna , definately open to other brands. Wanting re-saw capacity enough to cut out a goose profile.
Budget is going to be up to $3K. Obviously I would like to stay below that but I’m ready for something that will cut straight and give me reliable years of headache free use
Click to expand...
I've had a laguna lt14 for 12 years...... zero complaints. Plenty of resaw and gets used daily
 
How far are you willing to drive? How long can you wait? With that budget and needs I'd be on the hunt for a Powermatic #81 (Page 85 in catalog linked below). Don't worry if all you can find are three phase models. For a couple hundred bucks you can add a variable frequency drive, aka inverter, to run it from household 220V single phase. You should easily be able to find one of these saws in plug and play shape for half your budget and it will do all you ask of it and more. There is one right now outside of Chicago on IRS auctions that is mint. I'd link it but they block all auction sites at work. There are other old gems out there too if you are interested.


 
 
I've had a Rikon 14" for years - it's been a good, dependable saw. My biggest beef with it is that the table is slotted for blade removal towards the user's position (6 o'clock) rather than at the 3 o'clock/right hand side. While this may seem logical to engineers and non-users, it means that the slot is oriented behind the front fence rail so you're stuck with their fence system, which is just ok, or a Carter mag-fence type.

If no rush and ok working on/refurbing old tools, I agree with others - find a Powematic or an old steel Delta. If I was doing it all over I'd probably go 16" for a little more capacity, but that need is fairly rare so I doubt I'll upgrade unless a great deal on an older 16 popped up locally.
 
D. Hinton said:
I’m in now hurry. It’s going to be end of the month before my check comes in.
And actually for once being patient
Click to expand...
Look at this company I’ve heard good things about them.
www.harveywoodworking.com

ALPHA HW615Pro 3HP 15" Stain-less Bandsaw

In Stock This superior nickel plating solution adopts the autocatalytic platingprocess, combining with a mid-phosphorus chemical nickel formulasignificantly enhances wear resistance and rust prevention capabilitiesresulting in a smoother and more lustrous finish. Furthermore, the nickel-plated...
www.harveywoodworking.com www.harveywoodworking.com
 
patrick mccarthy said:
Look at this company I’ve heard good things about them.
www.harveywoodworking.com

ALPHA HW615Pro 3HP 15" Stain-less Bandsaw

In Stock This superior nickel plating solution adopts the autocatalytic platingprocess, combining with a mid-phosphorus chemical nickel formulasignificantly enhances wear resistance and rust prevention capabilitiesresulting in a smoother and more lustrous finish. Furthermore, the nickel-plated...
www.harveywoodworking.com www.harveywoodworking.com
Click to expand...
Looks identical to the Laguna. I seem to remember Harvey made a lot of the bandsaws for Laguna and others (some of the Grizzlies, too, maybe?) before coming out with their own line. I can't remember whether they're made in China or Taiwan. I dont mean that in a disparaging way - both countries are more than capable of making excellent tools if the QA and standards are high. I learned a lot about that when researching small milling machines. A good quality brand/manufacturer can insist on better materials and tighter tolerances from the same factory that makes machines that look identical for cheaper brands. Harvey certainly has a high quality reputation, so I'm sure they're good.
 
I recently bought a barely used 1.5hp Grizzly G0555XH. It's been "ok." The tall fence sucks and the tensioning "system" is worse. i did a lot of research and this saw seem to be a good "bang for the buck" saw. So far, I'm not too impressed with it. I don't blame you for looking at other brands.
 
@ChadW
Mine has never ran right since the day I bought it and warranty service was worse than Chevrolet . Who knew that would be even possible.

Blade keeps running off the wheels and I’ve never been able to keep the guide wheels true.
What’s kind of “done it” for me the set screws on the guide wheel assembly won’t hold tension anymore and the whole thing will fall mid cut , get caught in the blade shoot sparks etc

Not worth loosing a finger
 
D. Hinton said:
@ChadW
Mine has never ran right since the day I bought it and warranty service was worse than Chevrolet . Who knew that would be even possible.

Blade keeps running off the wheels and I’ve never been able to keep the guide wheels true.
What’s kind of “done it” for me the set screws on the guide wheel assembly won’t hold tension anymore and the whole thing will fall mid cut , get caught in the blade shoot sparks etc

Not worth loosing a finger
Click to expand...
If the blade keeps jumping the wheels, install new tires. The tires fail in just a few years.
 
D. Hinton said:
@ChadW
Mine has never ran right since the day I bought it and warranty service was worse than Chevrolet . Who knew that would be even possible.

Blade keeps running off the wheels and I’ve never been able to keep the guide wheels true.
What’s kind of “done it” for me the set screws on the guide wheel assembly won’t hold tension anymore and the whole thing will fall mid cut , get caught in the blade shoot sparks etc

Not worth loosing a finger
Click to expand...
Wow. Yeah, at that point I'd start replacing parts.

On my saw, the tensioning rod is threaded. There are two threaded collars that screw up and down the tensioning rod. These collars have a threaded allen set screw tapped into them. Once you get the tension where you want it, run the collar up against a stop and tighten the set screw to hold the tensioning bar in place. This is a terrible design because the set screw tightens directly into the threads of the tensioning rod, buggering the threads..every time you need to make an adjustment. The previous owner had done a pretty good job of smashing the threads enough for me to have use channel locks to adjust the tension rod.

I said all of that, because I went to the grizzly site to look at a few replacement parts. Surprisingly the parts aren't that expensive. I only need about 20 dollars worth of stuff; but the entire tensioning system, along with upper wheel shaft assembly and tracking adjustment is only a hundred bucks. The wheel tires are less than 8 bucks ea..

If you haven't already, you might try a few new parts to get your saw sorted out. (Or in safe enough condition to sell it.)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top