Big question on band saw purchase

[Frank Berry]

I had a Delta 14" band saw and had to get rid off it along with my jointer and planer due to lack of space. I have since regained all my space and will be replacing at least my band saw for now.
Has anyone gone from a 14" band saw down to a bench top model? If so, are you happy or sorry you made the change?
I did not care for the Delta I had because it lacked a few things I would have liked and had no problem getting rid of it at the time, but not sure if I should go with another 14" or a bench top model. Again, I am only a hobby woodworker. I do not get into the fine furniture building as some of you.
I might re-saw a little, and I do like to do small cuts on the band saw. The 14" model I am wanting right now is the Grizzly G0555LX. I looked at the Craftsman 10" bench model and just don't think there is enough quality in it to make the decision over the 14". I also looked at the Rikon in 10" and that is essentially the Craftsman at a higher cost. I really would like some help on this as I am going to place my order as soon as the DR. gives me the ok to start my rehab on my shoulder surgery from 3 weeks ago.
Thanks in advance.

 

[tarheelz]

In order to aid you in deciding, how about buying a used benchtop model off of our Craigslist (or our classifieds) for $100 or less and seeing how it goes? If it does what you need - great. If you need something more, buy the bigger saw and flip the benchtop model and not be out any $$.

 

[Sealeveler]

I have one of the Craftsman 10" and it is under powered.It will only resaw 4 5/8 .I did get router bit sealed bearings and that helped in that area as the original bearings were not sealed and would lock up and needed to be washed out often.
Tony

 

[Frank Berry]

Great idea Dave but I never do well selling on Craigslist. I always lose money and never come out even. The smaller bench models don't always have the things I want in a band saw. I would have to get super lucky to find one that would do for me. I would love to save all that money to put down on another planer and jointer.
This is why I ask for opinions from those who may have gotten the smaller one from the big one or vise versa. I would love to hear the pros and cons of the smaller ones. I already have a spot on my out feed table that the band saw can sit on verses a stand alone model. Having to make arrangements with Grizzly and Saia trucking to meet somewhere to off load the big machine is also a problem for me because I live on a private one way in one way out road that will not handle the big tractor trailer trucks. The smaller model would be the answer to all the problems if I can find a good one.

 

[JimD]

There is a guy selling plans for a wooden bandsaw - actually he has two designs. The original is a 14 inch with riser block design and the other is a 16 inch using the same blades so it has only about 10 inch depth capacity. I think his last name is waddell. His website is woodworking for engineers or something like that.

 

[redknife]

You can get that used 17" bandsaw (classifieds) for the price of the Grizzly. I don't mean to encourage more than you need, but it is hard to ignore at that price.

 

[Frank Berry]

I just inquired about another Delta 14" on craigslist. Waiting for an answer.
Buying used makes me very nervous though.

 

[Raymond]

Frank, like you, I am a hobbyist. I started with a 10" bench-top bandsaw and still have it but I also bought a Shopfox 14" bandsaw with the riser kit and now use both.

I use the small one to cut turning blanks for pens, tops and other small items. My advice is get a bench-top to start with while you look for a 14 to 17 inch bandsaw.

I use the 14" for cutting larger pieces, bowl blanks and for resawing (up to 12" pieces).

A lot of woodworkers that I have met have two bandsaws of different sizes and capacity for different reasons and uses.

 

[Frank Berry]

Thank you Raymond. After having the smaller saw, what made you get the larger one?

 

[Raymond]

Thank you Raymond. After having the smaller saw, what made you get the larger one?

I wanted to be able to cut bowl blanks and do a little resawing if needed. I have been turning for about 12 years and that is where the majority of my experience lies with regards to woodworking. Plus I want to get into making bigger wooden toys - the type toddlers push themselves around on.

 

[MarkE]

I have the Rikon 10-305 benchtop model. It is a fairly capable machine. I removed the Rikon blade guides and added the Carter Stabilizer which made the saw much more useful for my needs. In addition, I have a MagSwitch fence that I use with the bandsaw. The OEM fence is not that good, imho.

That being said, I also have a Grizzly G0514X2 19" bandsaw that I use for re-saw, rough sizing cuts and narrow rips, etc. I keep a Lennox Woodmaster CT re-saw blade with 1.3 tpi on this saw, so any cuts made with this saw and blade always need additional work on the planer and/or hand planes, etc.

I tend to use the Rikon more than the Grizzly for the kind of work I do. It works great for cutting curves (really great with the Carter Stabilizer) and working with short, narrow and/or thin work pieces. It just does not have the power or capacity for any kind of serious re-saw work. Re-saw capacity is only about 4-1/2", but I don't feel like the motor is powerful enough to make a long cut at that depth. I have cut through 3" thick maple for about 10-11" length with the saw, but it was very slow going. Would not want to have to do that on a regular basis. Blade choice might make a difference, but this saw is not really meant for the heavy duty work of re-sawing.

 

[Frank Berry]

Understood. I like to build larger items like picnic tables and benches, lawn chairs and some smaller items once in a while for the wife like her bird houses. I have built a few small curved bridges that go over streams on our property and some arbors for the wife's flower gardens. She keeps me busy all the time with my woodworking tools. I fear no need for the smaller band saw at this point. Almost bought the Sears Craftsman 10" bench saw when it was on sale but right when I was going to get it bought I had second thoughts and told the salesman to forget the sale and I was going to get a real saw and walked out. Been in touch with Grizzly ever since.

 

[Frank Berry]

I keep getting this sick feeling that if I buy anything under the 14", I am going to be real sorry for it. I am really trying to warm up to a smaller saw but it does not feel like it is going to happen. I have only used the larger saws in my high school days. I had two periods of wood shop class each year for the 4 years of high school plus one period in grade school in 7th and 8th grade.
I started working with wood in second half of my 6th grade. I used to help build all the back drops and scenery for our school plays as well. To me it was the best part of going to school at all! It's funny that I never got into making fine furniture. It was never my thing to do, but I do love making things for neighborhood kids like crate scooters. I guess just working with my hands is what I love the most! Sorry for the rant!

 

[MarkE]

I look at it like this:
A larger saw can more easily do the things that a smaller saw can do, but a smaller saw can never do some of the things that a larger saw can do.

Have you looked at some of the newer 14" class saws, like the Laguna 14|12?

 

[Frank Berry]

I look at it like this:
A larger saw can more easily do the things that a smaller saw can do, but a smaller saw can never do some of the things that a larger saw can do.

Have you looked at some of the newer 14" class saws, like the Laguna 14|12?

I agree completely. I would rather have it and not need it then need it and not have it.
I think the Laguna is a bit out of my price range.
I am looking to drop about $600 for the band saw this time around.

 

[Frank Berry]

I got a real good close up hands on with the laguna the other day in Raleigh at Klingspor's. Really nice machine with a hefty price tag on it.

 

[MarkE]

Yeah, it's a bit pricey. Great machine, though, from what I have heard.

It seems you have narrowed yourself down to a couple of choices within your budget. You can get a new machine like the G0555 and add the riser kit now or down the road if you need more re-saw capacity. Or you can wait a while and see if something comes up on the used market that presents a better value. If you are not in a rush, I would try the latter approach for a while, you never know what you might find. The new bandsaws are always going to be available, so no need to rush to get one of those.

If you do decide to look at used, I would not worry too much about getting ripped off. You can insure that you have an opportunity to 'try before you buy' to make sure the machine is in good working condition. And I would bet that you could find someone here on this site that would be willing to check the machine with/for you if you feel that you need that extra assurance. All you have to do is ask.

 

[Frank Berry]

All good points Mark. I am not in any real rush other then getting cleared from the Dr so I can get rid of my sling and start my building projects again. I have held off this long so far without the band saw. I do miss it, but can hold a while longer to see what turns up out there.

 

[cyclopentadiene]

The advantage to a larger saw is a larger more powerful motor. I started years ago with a Sears 3 wheel 10 inch. It bogged down with 8/4 hardwood no matter how slow you cut. I think it had a 1/2 hp motor. I upgraded to a Ridgid 14 inch with a 1 hp motor. It never had issues and was a great saw fo the price.

Since I have upgraded to a jet 18 inch with a 2 hp motor. I switched primarily for the size of pieces I build. In addition to the size, the upgrade from the 14 inch to the 18 inch allowed for bearing guides as opposed to the block style guides. This makes a huge difference as blades do not twist, reman on track and do not dull as fast. I have resawn over 10" wide boards and can clean up with one pass through the planer. The only complaint with the Jet is the fence is mediocre at best. Laguna is the Lexus of band saws and well worth the cost if going 14 inch as the price has decreased significantly over the past few years. The larger 18 inch Laguna saws are awesome but very expensive. If you want a Ferrari, an agazanni or mini max are the best.

When it comes to band saws, bigger is better!

I rate equipment tha the three most important tools are 1) best and largest dust collector you can afford 2) best table saw you can afford and 3) biggest and best band saw you can afford

There are other options to get flat and square stock (although a jointer and planer are valuable). I have a full size drill press tha is a waste of space.

 

[jonnyfontaine]

Imho it's totally worth it especially if you're doing a lot of resawing

I got a real good close up hands on with the laguna the other day in Raleigh at Klingspor's. Really nice machine with a hefty price tag on it.