ResidentEvil Posted May 30, 2015 Report Share Posted May 30, 2015 If you had no band saw in your shop, what would you buy.? Assume that you want it for cutting curves, moderate resawing (<10"), ripping wood with tension...typical band saw stuff. What would you buy if your budget were $2K? What would you but if your budget were $1500? .........................................................were $1k? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodbutcher74 Posted May 30, 2015 Report Share Posted May 30, 2015 I just purchased the Grizzly G0555X for $795.00. I am very happy with my purchase. For the budget in the $1000.00 class, you could get the saw,the riser block kit and have it delivered to your door. Don't think you could go wrong. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted May 30, 2015 Report Share Posted May 30, 2015 WB is correct, that's a great saw for the price.. On the higher end of the money would probably be the PM stuff.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinF Posted May 30, 2015 Report Share Posted May 30, 2015 Well, with those requirements WB is 100% on it. No point in blowing an extra grand for more hp or resaw capacity than you'll need. I just looked in the catalog, the saw is $545, riser is $80, and you can throw in a mobile base for $65 cause shipping is free that saw will probably do everything you'll ever need to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted May 30, 2015 Report Share Posted May 30, 2015 Laguna 14-12 is the best bang for the buck going right now. Even if you spent two grand, there aren't a lot of saws out there that will dramatically outperform the 14-12...at least won't outperform by a thousand dollars worth...that is unless you get into the used market. I have a 17" Grizzly and a Laguna 14-12...it's nice having two saws but I wish the 17" was quite a bit bigger because honestly there's not a whole lot of difference between them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodbutcher74 Posted May 30, 2015 Report Share Posted May 30, 2015 Well, with those requirements WB is 100% on it. No point in blowing an extra grand for more hp or resaw capacity than you'll need. I just looked in the catalog, the saw is $545, riser is $80, and you can throw in a mobile base for $65 cause shipping is free that saw will probably do everything you'll ever need to do. I just wanted to point out I have the G0555X. It's $795.00. You get an upgrade on the motor, table and fence. Also the X model comes with cast iron wheels and a work light. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinF Posted May 30, 2015 Report Share Posted May 30, 2015 I just wanted to point out I have the G0555X. It's $795.00. You get an upgrade on the motor, table and fence. Also the X model comes with cast iron wheels and a work light. ok, I looked in the 2015 catalog, but I looked at the GO555P. Still a good price, especially if you can get free shipping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brendon_t Posted May 30, 2015 Report Share Posted May 30, 2015 I just purchased the Grizzly G0555X for $795.00. I am very happy with my purchase. For the budget in the $1000.00 class, you could get the saw,the riser block kit and have it delivered to your door. Don't think you could go wrong. I did this very thing 6 months ago. It cuts beautifully, I have resaw up to 11" (although it is not powered for that constantly). I bought the saw, riser block kit, and a few timber wolf blades. All under $800 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chet Posted May 30, 2015 Report Share Posted May 30, 2015 +1 with Eric. The 1412 was my first "real" bandsaw and I am super happy with everything I have done with it so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 30, 2015 Report Share Posted May 30, 2015 I have a PM 1500. It was pricey but is a monster of a saw. Even though it is a 15" saw, it is built more like an 18"+ saw and has tons of power. I usually keep a 3/4" or 1" blade on it and it has largely replaced my tablesaw in my work flow. It has more resaw and throat capacity than I will ever need. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted May 30, 2015 Report Share Posted May 30, 2015 I just purchased the Grizzly G0555X for $795.00. I am very happy with my purchase. For the budget in the $1000.00 class, you could get the saw,the riser block kit and have it delivered to your door. Don't think you could go wrong. I have the same and really enjoy it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ResidentEvil Posted May 31, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 31, 2015 Thanks to everyone for your comments. I do appreciate them, and have spent some time looking over each saw recommended. Laguna 14-12 is the best bang for the buck going right now. Even if you spent two grand, there aren't a lot of saws out there that will dramatically outperform the 14-12...at least won't outperform by a thousand dollars worth...that is unless you get into the used market. I have a 17" Grizzly and a Laguna 14-12...it's nice having two saws but I wish the 17" was quite a bit bigger because honestly there's not a whole lot of difference between them. The more I read and study, the more focused on the Laguna 14-12 I become. I've read good things about the ceramic guides, and the overall quality of the saw. The main question I have for you, or anyone else who has one, is whether being limited to a 3/4" blade is a significant damper on resawing ability? The other saw I'm looking at (one of the grizzly 17") has the ability to spin a 1" blade (though there is some question as to whether the saws are able to tension the largest blade. Secondary question is whether the electrical outlet on the saw, that is intended for a work area light, is a standard outlet (so I can hook up my own light) or if it is proprietary (so I have to buy Laguna's version). Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinF Posted May 31, 2015 Report Share Posted May 31, 2015 Thanks to everyone for your comments. I do appreciate them, and have spent some time looking over each saw recommended. The more I read and study, the more focused on the Laguna 14-12 I become. I've read good things about the ceramic guides, and the overall quality of the saw. The main question I have for you, or anyone else who has one, is whether being limited to a 3/4" blade is a significant damper on resawing ability? The other saw I'm looking at (one of the grizzly 17") has the ability to spin a 1" blade (though there is some question as to whether the saws are able to tension the largest blade. Secondary question is whether the electrical outlet on the saw, that is intended for a work area light, is a standard outlet (so I can hook up my own light) or if it is proprietary (so I have to buy Laguna's version). Thanks! I can offer this about resawing. I have a $300 masterforce (menards) brand 14" bandsaw, 3/4 hp, it says it can take up to a 3/4" blade but from what I've read most cast frame saws won't tension a 3/4" blade properly so 1/2" is about the biggest you want to go. That said I run a 1/2" woodslicer and I resawed 6" 4/4 cherry the other day and it was equal thickness top and bottom with no drift adjustment, just properly setup guides, good tension and the fence set square to the table. It will consistently give good results with a 1/2" blade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Posted May 31, 2015 Report Share Posted May 31, 2015 Thanks to everyone for your comments. I do appreciate them, and have spent some time looking over each saw recommended. The more I read and study, the more focused on the Laguna 14-12 I become. I've read good things about the ceramic guides, and the overall quality of the saw. The main question I have for you, or anyone else who has one, is whether being limited to a 3/4" blade is a significant damper on resawing ability? The other saw I'm looking at (one of the grizzly 17") has the ability to spin a 1" blade (though there is some question as to whether the saws are able to tension the largest blade. Secondary question is whether the electrical outlet on the saw, that is intended for a work area light, is a standard outlet (so I can hook up my own light) or if it is proprietary (so I have to buy Laguna's version). Thanks! I'm running a 1/2" blade on my 14-12 for resawing... I'm not entirely sure that the 3/4" would add a lot of benefit or, as you mentioned, that it can even be tensioned properly. I'll get one at some point and try it, but for now, I'm satisfied. The power outlet on the saw is a standard outlet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chet Posted May 31, 2015 Report Share Posted May 31, 2015 I haven't had any problem tensioning the 3/4" blade on my 1412. I am using the wood slicer. This is one of the reasons I went with the 1412, I had read in a magazine article that did a review of the Laguna that you wouldn't have any problem tensioning the maximum size blade that Laguna said the saw would handle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Cancelleri Posted May 31, 2015 Report Share Posted May 31, 2015 I'm gonna agree with Eric on the 1412. I had a Rikon 10-325 which is comparable to the Laguna 1412 in power, performance, capacity. I upgraded to the 1412 for the improved dust collection, fit and finish are worlds better than the Rikon. For $2000 I'd go with a Laguna 14SUV which is a 3HP 14" model. It runs on 220 and can handle a 1" blade, has a brake and is a very capable saw. After that it would be a 1412. Anything smaller than that resawing is gonna be a real chore. I prefer the steel post style body versus the old style delta frames, as you're able to get better tension and have a stronger pillar. If you're gonna go under $1000 The Rikon isn't a bad option, it does however have some flaws and some things that could've been done better. For curve cutting, the Grizzly is a great buy, but I wouldn't do much resawing on it. I look at it this way, if you're gonna buy something and then spend money on the accessories to make it a better saw and add capacity, etc just spend the money on a better saw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ResidentEvil Posted May 31, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 31, 2015 So if I were to get a 1412 (and I probably am), what blades would you all recommend I start out with? Same blade work OK for resawing and ripping? Which size and brand of blade(s) would you recommend? And hen what about one for curve cutting? 1/4", make/model? Also, should I have any reservations about ordering from Amazon as opposed to directly from Laguna or a reseller like Rockler or Woodcraft? On Amazon, I can get a new one through Woodcraft with no tax and shipped for $19.99. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Cancelleri Posted May 31, 2015 Report Share Posted May 31, 2015 So if I were to get a 1412 (and I probably am), what blades would you all recommend I start out with? Same blade work OK for resawing and ripping? Which size and brand of blade(s) would you recommend? And hen what about one for curve cutting? 1/4", make/model? Also, should I have any reservations about ordering from Amazon as opposed to directly from Laguna or a reseller like Rockler or Woodcraft? On Amazon, I can get a new one through Woodcraft with no tax and shipped for $19.99. I currently have a Laguna ShearForce blade 5/8" 3 TPI. It's my second blade, the first one was terrible, I'm guessing something wrong with the temper on the teeth, however it was replaced and the defective one went back. The new one seems to cut amazingly. There are plenty of really good blades out there. If you wanna go with the big daddy blade for resawing, the Laguna Resaw King is a good blade. The WoodSlicer from Highland Woodworking gets rave reviews. I used to use Timberwolf 2-3 skip tooth blades for resawing, and had pretty good success. As for curve cutting, 1/4" 4 tpi for thicker stock is a good blade to go with, however if you're going with thinner material, up that tooth count to 6-10 depending on the thickness of the board. If you're doing really tight curves you might want to consider the Carter Blade Stabilizer, and a narrower blade 1/8" - 3/16". As far as manufacturer, Laguna, Timberwolf, and Grizzly are the only two I have experience with for small blades. I'd say go for the Timberwolf blades for curves, not too expensive, and perform really well. Blade length on the 1412 is 115". For resawing you can use up to 3/4" wide blades. I wouldn't go any smaller than 1/2 for ripping and 5/8 for resawing. You can rip and resaw with the same blade, so take that into consideration when getting blades. If you do go with a carbide tipped blade, I'd reserve that for resawing only given their cost. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Staehling Posted May 31, 2015 Report Share Posted May 31, 2015 When faced with that decision I picked up an older used Delta 14" with a riser block and upgraded motor and guide blocks for $350. For resawing, I use a 3/4" 2/3 tpi 0.025" thick Timber Wolf re-saw blade and find it tensions just fine. It doesn't seem to need all that much tension if the saw is set up carefully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Cancelleri Posted May 31, 2015 Report Share Posted May 31, 2015 When faced with that decision I picked up an older used Delta 14" with a riser block and upgraded motor and guide blocks for $350. For resawing, I use a 3/4" 2/3 tpi 0.025" thick Timber Wolf re-saw blade and find it tensions just fine. It doesn't seem to need all that much tension if the saw is set up carefully. Timberwolf blades are a lower tension blade than say a resaw king or other high tension blade. The flaw in the design is over time if you are running 3/4 "blades you can actually distort the iron and bend it down towards the table. Cast iron is fairly soft in the world of metals. Just be careful not to keep tension on your blades when not in use. For analogy sake, think about it like a guitar neck, the strings cause the neck and fretboard to bow, this is countered by the use of a truss rod. Same principle on a delta style bandsaw, only no trust rod. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chet Posted May 31, 2015 Report Share Posted May 31, 2015 Also, should I have any reservations about ordering from Amazon as opposed to directly from Laguna or a reseller like Rockler or Woodcraft? On Amazon, I can get a new one through Woodcraft with no tax and shipped for $19.99. I ordered my 1412 through Amazon and had no problem. It is shipped freight by UPS, they call and set an appointment for delivery but delivery is only to the curb. I had asked the dispatcher when we set the appointment and he said just to ask the driver and he would drop it by the garage. Well I ended up with a real A**hole driver who acted like everything in the world was an inconvenience to him so it never got farther then the curb. But it is not real bad, two guys can carry the box. For free shipping I would still do it that way again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Cancelleri Posted May 31, 2015 Report Share Posted May 31, 2015 I ordered my 1412 through Amazon and had no problem. It is shipped freight by UPS, they call and set an appointment for delivery but delivery is only to the curb. I had asked the dispatcher when we set the appointment and he said just to ask the driver and he would drop it by the garage. Well I ended up with a real A**hole driver who acted like everything in the world was an inconvenience to him so it never got farther then the curb. But it is not real bad, two guys can carry the box. For free shipping I would still do it that way again. That's pretty weak that the driver was such an ahole. When I had my Supermax delivered, the freight guy brought it to my garage and was trying to get the pallet into the garage with the pallet jack, however he couldn't get it up the lip of the garage. I said let's just take it off the pallet and put it on the ground. He helped me lift it and said "wow this thing is heavy" then said "I can take the pallet if you don't want it, most people don't and really I don't want it in my truck but hell we'll let the loaders and unloaders deal with it" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chet Posted May 31, 2015 Report Share Posted May 31, 2015 Yea, I had some stuff delivered for my business by another freight company and the guy couldn't have been nicer. Even our regular UPS guy couldn't understand the guy's problem. He even asked for the delivery slip so he could see who the driver was but that is the last I heard of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ResidentEvil Posted June 3, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2015 Got the call this afternoon that my bandsaw is ready to deliver. I got home late so wasn't able to reach them back to set it up, but hopefully tomorrow. Ordered the mobility base with it, a ProKing 3/4" blade, and a timberwolf 1/2" 3tpi blade. Watched several setup videos, so I think I'm prepped to get it assembled and set up just right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted June 3, 2015 Report Share Posted June 3, 2015 Bet you feel like the night before Christmas, hey? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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