12-14” bandsaw resaw - what brand? Sub $2k

[bushwacked]

So about to dive into a new bandsaw here around Christmas or so depending on which brand and when their sales are. 

If you could order any brand bandsaw under $2k with the resaw for 12-14”, what would you get? 

This is one area I just don’t think PM has much of a noticeable difference in results. 

[Chet]

My Laguna 1412 has been flawless over 5 years and  I recently changed from a 3/4 to 1/2 inch blade for resaw and it has been outstanding.  being able to tension the blade just a little more makes a huge difference.  It has a resaw capacity of 13 inches.  It has a 1.75 hp motor and at this point I haven't wished for more.  Their other 1412 model has the brake if that is something you prefer, in a one person shop I think it is easy to live with out.  Either one of these will be great saw and leave you with quite a of change toward your next tool.  If you need a mobile base they have one that when not in use sets the tool right on the ground.  Dust collection is decent.

Some people don't seem to like the ceramic guides but that is their choice.  Again I see no wear on mine thus far.  

[Battle Ridge]

I have the Laguna 18BX bandsaw and don't hesitate to recommend it.  The ceramic guides have been great, the spacious table offers a lot of room to comfortably work. the 3hp motor offers plenty of power, both dust collection ports on the same side of the machine are nice, the resaw capacity of 16" should fit your needs well, the unit is well built and sturdy, the brake is indispensable, and the fence and other features are great.  I was able to buy the saw during a 10% sale and the dealer had the saw in stock which also allowed me to save the $75 shipping fee.  I had looked extensively at the Jet, Rikon and Laguna 14 - 18" saws and the Laguna had the design and features that fit my needs best.

[Chestnut]

The rikon 10-326, Laguna 1412 (&14bx for a couple extra features), and the new jet 14" seem like all good saws.

I was standing in rockler talking to a couple guys I have the 14bx one had the 1412 the other had the 10-326. We concluded that some parts of some are nicer than others but there is no clear outright winner. I'd nudge the laguna to being a bit better but i like ceramic guides. Jet's require an allen wrench to adjust.

[Mick S]

I'm also in the market and have pretty much settled on the 18BX. Gonna wait for the Thanksgiving sale so I can get the mobility kit with it.

[bushwacked]

2 hours ago, Battle Ridge said:

I have the Laguna 18BX bandsaw and don't hesitate to recommend it.  The ceramic guides have been great, the spacious table offers a lot of room to comfortably work. the 3hp motor offers plenty of power, both dust collection ports on the same side of the machine are nice, the resaw capacity of 16" should fit your needs well, the unit is well built and sturdy, the brake is indispensable, and the fence and other features are great.  I was able to buy the saw during a 10% sale and the dealer had the saw in stock which also allowed me to save the $75 shipping fee.  I had looked extensively at the Jet, Rikon and Laguna 14 - 18" saws and the Laguna had the design and features that fit my needs best.

You feel the BX18 can properly tension the 1” and 1 1/4” blades? 

[Just Bob]

My son just bought the new Jet  14 inch steel frame saw and really likes it. 

 

 

 

[Battle Ridge]

2 hours ago, bushwacked said:

You feel the BX18 can properly tension the 1” and 1 1/4” blades? 

I have the 1" Resaw King blade and the 18BX tensions it without a problem.  While the saw is rated for up to a 1-1/4" blade, I generally prefer not to work at the upper limits of my equipment so i went with the 1".  Also, the 1" blade can do everything I want it to do so I'm not sure there would be a lot to be gained by going larger.  From where I had the tension set, the saw seems like it would be capable of doing the larger blade but I'm not sure the larger blade is actually needed to get a great cut.

I will be reclaiming & resawing a good amount of 8/4 lumber from an old one-room schoolhouse and I am planning on picking up a less-expensive 3/4", 3 tpi blade to resaw some of the questionable wood.  While I will be doing my best to locate nails both by sight and with a metal detector, I don't want to risk damaging a more expensive blade on wood that I'm not sure about.  Once I have gone through a portion of the wood and am comfortable, I may switch to the RK, depending on the cut, durability and quality needs.

[Coop]

Then I won’t mention my Grizz 14” with riser block with a max of 1/2” blade. You guys are getting into @Spanky capabilities. 

[Battle Ridge]

3 hours ago, K Cooper said:

Then I won’t mention my Grizz 14” with riser block with a max of 1/2” blade. You guys are getting into @Spanky capabilities. 

My first 'real' woodworking machine was the 18BX and from my research and in viewing different machines in person (Rikon, Jet, Laguna), I really liked what I saw and I haven't been disappointed.  My previous equipment was a Craftsman radial arm saw that I've had for 25+ years and an inexpensive Rockwell table saw (each purchased new), so the Laguna was a significant step up.  Earlier this year I was able to purchase a new Dewalt DW735X (with extension tables and spare blades) when Amazon dropped the price to $450 and to make better use of the planer, I started looking at jointers.  

I really didn't know much about Grizzly until I came across a G0490 8" parallelogram jointer in great condition on FB Marketplace and after some quick research, I purchased it for $750.  The seller was preparing to move out of state and had a whole workshop of Grizzly equipment that he was starting to sell (the jointer was the first).  While there, I had the opportunity to look over additional Grizzly machines and was impressed with what I saw.  The seller had pretty good things to say about his experience with Girzzly tools. 

Several weeks ago I bought a new Grizzly G0548Z 2hp Dust Collector w/ one micron canister filter for $200.  The seller purchased it new a few years ago but before assembling he purchased a larger dust collector at an auction and the Grizzly sat unused in the corner of his garage until he needed the space for something else.  He couldn't find all of the parts that went with it (handle, clamps, etc.) but Grizzly's website made finding and ordering the parts quick and easy and their shipping was quite prompt (the missing parts totaled about $40).   This seller also had great things to say about his dealings with Grizzly (he had a large metalworking lathe and other big $$$ items from Grizzly).

I wouldn't rule out considering Grizzly for equipment in the future, particularly taking into consideration the price point of their tools, and I've been impressed with my Grizzly gear and the comments of others.  All things considered though, for a bandsaw I am still partial toward the Laguna 18BX particularly with the ceramic guides, dust collection port locations, blade brake and a couple other features.  I haven't really checked out Powermatic or other mfg's.  With the larger name companies, each seem to be relatively reputable and in my case, it came down to the specific features and creature comforts I felt best with.  In the end, a person could likely be satisfied with any of the machines sitting in their shop.

It also doesn't hurt to check out Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace as an option and while I have been partial to buying new, occasionally a great buy can be found in the used market, both in finding a great price or in finding more machine than would originally fit into a budget.

[Mark J]

I am planning on buying the new Jet 14 SFX, too.  It's a compromise, but I think the best saw for me for what I see as my needs.

I don't know one blade guide from another, but those can be changed out so I focused on features that I couldn't change.  

I wanted a brake, two miter slots*, and enough capacity to mount a "wide" blade, do a 10 or 12 inch thick veneer slice and preferably a bigger table with decent throat size.  And at the end of the day I did not want to have to put in a 220 circuit.

14 SFX has no brake and there are other compromises, but I think a pretty decent machine for my goals.  Hey if it doesn't work out there's Craig's List.

*If you are shopping the 14SFX it does have two miter slots.  Their brilliant marketing department managed to cover up the second slot with the fence on ever photo they took, and then neglected to mention the feature in their write up.  

[Chestnut]

The only thing i dind't like about the SFX compared to the 1412 and this is super minor and picky was the guide crank adjustment mechanism was very rough and didn't crank easily nor as smoothly. Also it's heavier and more bulky for the initial move into the shop.

[Chet]

14 minutes ago, Chestnut said:

guide crank adjustment mechanism was very rough and didn't crank easily nor as smoothly

Was the rack and pinion damaged in any way?

[Chestnut]

No,  so the rack and pinion on the laguna is like 1" wide.

The jet saw the rack? I think it's the rack portion is like 1/8" wide and is a bit rougher in finish. This is a very MINOR complaint. Honestly i adjust the height of my guides hardly every. I set them so they clear the fence in resaw position and they never go lower at least for the work i do. The Jet version is still well made and i have no doubts that it will last but it's not as smooth and will require more frequent lubrication to keep it functioning.

[difalkner]

We bought the Laguna 14SUV a few years ago and it's been a fantastic machine.  Resaw capacity is rated at 14" but it will actually cut about 14 7/8".  It's 3HP and 240v, heavy, ceramic guides, and has worked flawlessly since the day we bought it.  I run the Resaw King 1" blade and that's all that's ever been on it.  And the Laguna support has been great, btw.

The widest we've cut with it is a piece of 14" wide Sinker Mahogany, which it cut very easily.  I've posted this before but this seems like a good time to do it again (what can I say, I like the video )

David

[Chet]

Oh, I miss understood what you were saying Drew.  I thought you were saying that your Laguna was a little rough, I missed that you were comparing the Jet.  I had a little problem with the rack on my 1412 once but its amazing how much smother it runs when you clean the dust off. 

[bushwacked]

So it sounds like laguna is still leading the category by far. I’m thinking the 18bx is looking really good. I never even knew it was there since I always looked at the 14 series. For only a couple hundred it seems like a great unit. 

[Mick S]

Here's a review of the 18BX including comparisons to the 14BX. If you have the space it's worth the difference, IMO.

 

[difalkner]

That's why we got the 14SUV, Mick - space.  We simply didn't have room for the 18.  But in looking at the specs our 14 has the same motor and only about 1 1/8" less resaw capacity as the 18 in the same footprint as the 14BX.  All good saws, though.

David

[Mark J]

I'm currious that no one has mentioned anything in the Rikon line.

[Battle Ridge]

5 hours ago, bushwacked said:

So it sounds like laguna is still leading the category by far. I’m thinking the 18bx is looking really good. I never even knew it was there since I always looked at the 14 series. For only a couple hundred it seems like a great unit. 

My bandsaw focus was originally on the 14" category which then branched out to include the 15" saws.  To actually see and touch each of the saws, my travels took place over a period of time and reached out to several different dealers, each an hour away and in different directions.  One of the dealers had an 18" Jet on the floor and my initial reaction was that it looked way too big and I never gave it any consideration.

Interestingly, the final dealer I visited to find the last of the saws I was considering had an 18BX sitting at the end of the display.  It kind'a caught my eye and after a thorough look at the smaller saws, I gave the 18BX a look and liked what I saw.  We (my CFO / loving wifey and I) then went through the rest of the store and returned for a final look, also taking the time to speak with the dealer about the saws.

Once home I did a lot more research and the more informed I became, the more I liked the 18BX.  My original intent was to buy a smaller saw for much lower $$ (the budget was a definite concern) but in the end, the saw itself (and looking toward the future) took priority and we were able to work the budget to fit it in (with the help of a 10% sale and the dealer having the saw in stock that saved us the standard $75 delivery fee).  The saw I originally wanted was actually closer to the $1,000 range, but my search slowly evolved and "for only a couple hundred more" for a 'better' saw, my focus kept evolving and moving up to the point I almost doubled my original price point.  I haven't regretted it once though and in retrospect I am most satisfied with where I ended up.

I would highly recommend getting your hands on as many of the machines as you can (as well as in-depth research online and elsewhere), I know that it made a huge difference in my evolving search.

Also, I created a couple of spreadsheets with each of the features of the individual machines listed side-by-side as an easy to view comparison - particularly highlighting what is most important to your needs.  

 

2 hours ago, Mark J said:

I'm currious that no one has mentioned anything in the Rikon line.

My search originally focused on a 14" Rikon and I could have likely found it to be a good saw.  Personally, I think that many of the Rikon, Jet and Laguna saws, as well as the Grizzly, Powermatic and possibly others could provide a quality product that many folks would be satisfied with. 

I think that one of the features on the Rikon that swayed me away was the location of the upper dust collection outlet.  While perhaps not a biggie for most folk, I envisioned it protruding into my workspace and thus liked the location on the Laguna better.  With some of the work I do, I find myself starting on the infeed side of the machine and ending up on the outfeed side, and having a nice clean area to walk around is helpful to have. 

Even though I have a 30' x 40' x 10'h workshop, I keep my woodworking space relatively compact because I also use the shop for general mechanical work, tractor storage, parking for my pickup (when space is available), as well as for other tree farm purposes. 

 

[bushwacked]

10 hours ago, Mick S said:

Here's a review of the 18BX including comparisons to the 14BX. If you have the space it's worth the difference, IMO.

 

That’s a great little review there! Thanks for posting. The sizes online don’t seem that much of difference but the 18 makes the 14 look tiny haha

[Chip Sawdust]

This year I went with the 1412 this year and haven't regretted it a bit, and did a lot of looking before I pulled the trigger. I'm a hobbyist so there's no money being made on my machinery, but the bandsaw should be the best you can get. IMHO

[rodger.]

I've been on the band saw merry-go-round for a long time. I've made my decision, after much thought and research. I am going with the Laguna 14BX 220V version. I only want t buy a band saw once, and this one should suit my work perfectly.

[Chestnut]

9 hours ago, rodger. said:

I've been on the band saw merry-go-round for a long time. I've made my decision, after much thought and research. I am going with the Laguna 14BX 220V version. I only want t buy a band saw once, and this one should suit my work perfectly.

Look at the 14 SUV. They had one in Acme Tools the last time i was there and i can say there is a CONSIDERABLE difference between that one and the 14BX i have. Quality is far far higher. I think it's worth the cost if you can swing the extra.