In the market for a Bandsaw -- Opinions?

I had the exact same experience as you.
Grizzly stood out because of their price point.
Talked to a local retailer who pushed me to the Laguna. Seeing the machine and being able to test the rigidity of the frame and guides was pretty impressive.
Wish I could compare directly to a grizzly machine.

-- -Sam, in Wisconsin

I have a Grizzly G0555LANV and can’t say enough good things about it. If you are going to be re-sawing a lot of hard woods I would go with the G0513 even the next size up in hp. With the bigger saws you can use bigger blades (3/4 and up), this makes a big difference in re-sawing hardwoods, wider boards and cutting your own boards to set up to dry. I have cut a lot of hardwoods on my G0555LANV with a 1/2 inch blade it’s just a little slower than my bigger saws. As with any saw the set up and blade is the key, use good sharp blades and keep saw tuned.

quite some time ago laguna did have an issue with their customer service as I have been told on the flip side of that I have owned the 14/12 for a little over a year now and do not regret at all buying it on my opinion the ceramic guides coupled with the almost 14” re-saw capacity are worth the extra cost over the griz. not knocking the Griz I came real close to driving to PA to get one before I ran across the laguna good luck on your choice both are good machines from what I hear.

I have a Jet 14” band saw that I picked up used with very little use. Runs great. Check the local ads there are a lot of good deals out there.

If you’re looking at a 14 inch then look for an older Delta and add the riser block and save some money.

I have the GO555 saw with a riser. It has a one HP motor and re-saw fence. I bought it just to re-saw with and it does a fine job on anything I can fit under the 12 1/2” thickness capacity. I use a 1/2” carbide “SUpercut” re-saw blade now, after, trying others. In my experience re-sawing is all in blade choice. I have used this saw daily since 2008.

-- No PHD just a DD214

I have the 17” anniversary and so far love it. If it’s between those 2, get the 17”. You’re paying not much more for a larger machine but also a better body frame design. I can also tell you the 17” has 2 4” dust collection ports. One at the bottom and one right under the table.

Laguna has a strong reputation for bandsaws so I would definitely take a look but reviews, like you mentioned, on their customer service has been horrendous. I live an hour from the local city, but 2-5 hours from actual dealers so for me, phone support is extremely important and Grizzly has always been top notch, the very few times I have needed them.

I use mine right now for mainly cutting large slabs down the middle so I can flatten them easier. Right now I have the Grizzly blade they recommended for resawing which cuts through it like butter but I am going to get a Resaw King blade this week for resawing much thicker stock.

I also ended up getting an older 18” Grizzly for $200 off craigslist but the design on the 17” is better for resawing so I’ll keep a narrow blade on that one and use it for curves and also for cutting tenons.

I have the Grizzly G0513X2BF and love it. The foot break imho is useless, but the motor break is great! The X2 adds the cast iron wheels so you get a much smoother cut.

-- "I love it when a plan comes together" John "Hannibal" Smith

I don’t know about cs, but the Laguna 14” bandsaw is an awesome saw. A friend of mine has one and it is pretty sweet.

I always go bigger than I think I need. If it’s in the budget i would go 17”.

If you do a lot of detail work you can do what I did – pick up a deal on CL.
I picked up a Jet 12” cheap and keep a 1/4” blade on it for little stuff,
The 18” I keep a resaw blade on.

-- Everything is a prototype thats why its one of a kind!!

I love my Jet 14” Pro, 13” resaw capability and guts enough for serious cutting (for me, a hobbyist) including neighbors’ trees that i plank into short boards. Stickers around a grand but I caught the 15% off sale. It helped a bunch that. I was sitting on a grand in credit card reward points. So, I recommend the Jet. But if you don’t have the points then a good used one might do. Good luck.

-- - Crud. Go tell your mother that I need a Band-aid.

I have the Porter Cable 14” you can get from Lowes and also bought the riser kit. Well worth the upgrade, IMO. It’s my first BS so I don’t have much experience with it beyond what I’ve used it for and it works great as long as you have a decent blade and have tuned it up properly. Mine doesn’t drift much anymore after I tuned it like Alex from Carter Products recommended. I also agree with you that I’d rather see the tool before I buy it, especially of that scale.

Rikon 10-325

I’ve got the ShopFox W1706 14” band saw. It is similar to the lower end grizzly’s but has cast iron wheels instead of aluminum ones, and an enclosed base. I think I paid $600 for it. If there is a local shop that has one, that might be a better option than the Grizzly. It wasn’t much more money, and had some upgrades. It has been good to me. I have been thinking of the riser kit, but haven’t gotten there yet.

-Brian

-- Part of engineering is to know when to put your calculator down and pick up your tools.

If your max budget is 900 then I’d go with the 14” because you will need some money for goodies like a couple of nice blades. I have the Griz G0513X2 and my only regret is not getting the motor brake. The CI wheels take forever to spin down.

-- Tom - Measure twice cut once. Then measure again. Curse. Fudge.

Wow alot of great information here !
Its good to know that others have had the same concerns as well. This gives me more to ponder.

Thanks everyone!
-Woodtablet