Grizzly BS with motor brake?

[DavidD]

I'm looking at getting a bandsaw. Based on numerous reviews and my own comparisons, I think that I'll be getting either a 17" or a 19" Grizzly (bigger is better, right?).

Does anybody here have one of Grizzly's BS with a motor brake rather than a foot brake? Is it worth the extra $155 to upgrade? Stopping the blade in ~ 3 seconds sounds pretty good, but if you've got to reach over to hit the off button to activate, is it really that important?

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks,
David

 

[toolferone]

I own 2 bandsaws, neither with a brake. As a hobbist I am not worried about the time savings. Of course saftey is important. I would think most BS accidents happen pretty fast and the damage would be done before you could shut off the machine. This is my opinion only. You have to decide what safety level is right for you.

 

[merrill77]

I own 2 bandsaws, neither with a brake. As a hobbist I am not worried about the time savings. Of course saftey is important. I would think most BS accidents happen pretty fast and the damage would be done before you could shut off the machine. This is my opinion only. You have to decide what safety level is right for you.

I'm waiting for the SawStop bandsaw

<ducks and covers>

 

[Sully]

I've also often wondered about brakes on bandsaws. Although I could see the time and $ savings for production shops, as a hobbyist I have never felt the need to have one. One of the three bandsaws I currently own has a brake; I have never used it.

$0.02
J

 

[bobby g]

I use it every time on the saw that has one and wish the small one had a brake. I think it's a safety feature in that you can stop the blade after you shut it off and not accidentally put yourself in danger during the long coast-down of the wheels.

bobby g

 

[scsmith42]

David, I have a Grizzly G0513XB2 bandsaw with the automatic brake, and I like it a lot. Having the blade stop immediately after turning the saw off - in my opinion - is a nice safety feature.

My previous Grizzly Bandsaw was the 24" model with a manual brake. I used the manual brake frequently, but prefer the automatic brake.

My horizontal bandsaw does not have a brake, and I wish that it did.