Bandsaw purchase

[wannabeonetoo]

Hello folks; I'm on the brink of buying a bandsaw (the old , many owner 10 " died  :'().
I'm looking at a Steel City 14" deluxe ,it has a single speed,very nice fit and finish,cast iron wheels(which I like),1.5 hp.,quick release blade tension,rack & pinion blade guide.
The down side is it doesn't come with a fence and is $200 more than the other saw I like.
The other saw is a King Industrial 14", comes with a nice fence and 3 speeds. Only is 1hp.,no r&p guide,aluminum wheels.
My questions are : does the price difference justify the differences.?
                             are cast iron wheels that much better than al.?
                             are 3 speeds necessary (I will be resawing)?
                             when resawing does power trump variable speed choices ?
  Hope you folks with experience can help.
   Steve

[metalspinner]

I rarely use the fence on my 14" Delta. And never required variable speed.  The larger horse power motor and heavier wheels will help in resawing, IMHO.  The quick release tensioner and R&P guide post sound like neat features.  What kind of guide assembly does each have?

For the occasional times you need the fence, homemade jobs may be better than factory.

I'm not familiar with the brands enough to comment on them, but for the features you mentioned, the Steel City would be my pick of the two.

[SwampDonkey]

I never use a fence either. I would be concerned about depth of cut if your looking at sawing through larger than 6" stock. Variable speed will never be used (can't imagine for what purpose). Besides those considerations, I would go for horse power.

[getoverit]

I do quite a bit of resawing of extremely hard woods and have just upgraded to a 24" grizzly.

I have a Jet 14" with a 1hp motor and this was always trouble when trying to resaw. The biggest reason I upgraded was for more HP. So for my opinion I would go with the heavier wheels and more horsepower. I cant immagine why you would want a variable speed bandsaw.

[wannabeonetoo]

The guides are "ball bearing" type with thrust ball bearing at rear of blade. However ,the S/C saw has "double" wide guide bearings as opposed to single wide on the K/I saw.
The S/C company "apparently" was formed by some execs. from Delta who were "downsized" when Delta changed hands some time ago, so these guys formed S/C ,sourcing their tools from the same offshore manufacturers Delta uses.
K/I tools are sourced offshore too. The castings look the same as so many other brands they all are likely to be the same , just "rebranded" with a few cometic changes.
Maybe if one was to cut non-ferris metals the speed change would be handy ??
  I'm leaning more toward the S/C (which I was partial to in the first place) ;D
I'll keep you posted ,thanks guys ;)
Steve   

[bck]

 For resawing I definetly think the more hp you have the better. I also think different speeds are not needed for wood.
I got a 19" grizzly this year that came with the resaw fence. This fence is awesome, use it all the time. I have used homemade fences with my bandsaws before but never liked them all that much.  I thought 3hp would be enough "but" have thought about building a platform on the saw so I can mount a 10hp  :D  :D   I hate a 4 cylinder car too  ;D
   
Getoverit, your saw 5 or 7 1/2hp ?  are you satisified or do you wish it had more power ?

[getoverit]

it is a 5hp, but the wheels are solid steel and weigh over 100 pounds each. With all of the inertia that the wheels provide, it is plenty enough to saw through even the hardest of woods with ease.  This is a HUGE difference between this saw and the jet 14" that I also own.

Both saws have the Carter guides (ball bearings) which make a big difference too.

[Engineer]

It's pretty rare that bandsaw owners use the stock fence, or use a fence at all.  I tossed the fence on my 14" Delta and I have another 14" Delta in storage that needs rebuilding, that won't have a fence either.  It is really easy to make something in the shop, because a bandsaw fence need only be fixed on one end at a pivot point, you need to be able to adjust it for blade drift.  Also, for resawing, you're better off sawing off a point than a flat face (in my experience).  I'd personally take the Steel City saw because of the extra horsepower and the CI wheels.  Although, CI wheels that are only 14" diameter, probably don't impart that much extra inertia over an aluminum wheel; you would definitely see a difference in a much larger saw.

If you really want a fence, either Mule Accusquare or Kreg make excellent aftermarket bandsaw fences.

[wesdor]

I hope I can add a bandsaw question to this thread (don't mean to hijack it).

I'm starting to look for a bandsaw and want at least a 12" cutting capacity.  A friend that I trust has recommended that I look at the Laguna model.  Do any of you have comments / comparisons between a Delta, Grizzly and Laguna? 

Thanks in advance for your expertise.

[Engineer]

Although the Delta/Jet machines and other 14" clones can accommodate riser blocks that push their capacity to 12", I would not recommend it.  My Delta has a riser block and I have tried resawing some 10" wide stuff, with various combinations of feed rate, blades and blade tension, and I can honestly say that it's not worth the effort.  I would look into the Laguna, Rikon, Grizzly and similar machines in the 17"+ category.  While they may have a large throat capacity, they also have a wider blade capacity and larger HP motors.  I have heard a lot of good comments about both Laguna and Grizzly saws and wouldn't hesitate to get either one. 

I look at resawing this way - if you're running a bandsaw mill to cut 12" wide boards off green logs with a 15-hp or larger engine, why would you even TRY to saw 12" wide pieces off a piece of DRY wood with a 1- to 2-hp motor?  I know my Woodmizer is really slow cutting 12" wide hardwood, and it's 14 horsepower.  It has helped me understand the limitations of the little bandsaw in my shop.

[wannabeonetoo]

If $ is no object then Laguna would have been my choice  ;D ;D. It's truly the CADILLAC of bandsaws from the research I've done  :P.
As it is I ordered the Steel City saw today.
It turns out it is a 2 speed saw after all  :-[ 1500 sf/min&3000sf/min.
I had another real close look at it and it appears to be the better  (heaviest) built of the saws I've seen. The belt is a "ribbed" type as opposed to a "V" belt. Don't Know how much more power transfer occurs, but in theory there is mor surface area working so it should be better (IMO).
Also the table is larger in both directions by about 1".
Hope I made the right choice  : :
   Steve

[SwampDonkey]

I got a 14", wish I had a 16". :D Oh well, I make due.  :-\

wannabeonetoo, what is the depth of cut, up and down?

[bck]

Dont know about the laguna, have never seen one in person.  As for grizzly I have owned quite a few grizzly tools over the years, most I used for over 20 years and have never had a single problem. Havnt had that good of luck with some other brands.

[wannabeonetoo]

S.D. it's a 14" saw , has 6" resaw capacity.I'm going to add the 6" riser kit to get 12" cap.
Engineer could be right about the power problems, however I'm sawmill challenged   (as in I don't own one , hence the name "wannabeonetoo" :D ;D).
I'll let you guys know how it works when I get it and try it out.
  Keep the tips coming and share any experiences with bandsaw usage.
    Steve

[SwampDonkey]

12" depth is going to be fun, I was hoping for 8".  :D :D

[low_48]

Laguna has a really poor reputation for customer service. Minimax has some really nice big saws. If you are in the market for a big saw, look into some of the used machinery auction sites. Factories are closing everywhere, and 36 inch bandsaws prices are dropping fast. Look for something with a belt drive so you can repower it and you won't fight the 3 phase problems. If you look (please look and not buy) at Rikon, make sure you see one and wiggle the top wheel with the blade tension off. They don't machine anything in the mount for the wheel. They just locate the wheel housing between two angle irons that are bolted in. I bet you the outside of the wheel moves a 3/8" when you wiggle it. It seems to run just fine when the tension is on, but it sure is cheap on the inside. Saw one at Woodcraft, then looked at the one they have in their shop. I can resaw with the best of them on a 14" saw with an extension block, but the blade must be sharp and a good one. Most that I see having trouble resawing, just run the blade too long. Look at your supplier for bandmill blades. I have use a 1" blade from Lennox for resawing. Works great and pricing is really good compared to hobby sawblade pricing.

[metalspinner]

low_48

Are you using that 1" blade on the 14" bandsaw?  What kind of saw is it?

[SwampDonkey]

I never used anything that wide on my little bandsaw, it's 14" but I go up to 1/2" wide bands. I never seem to have an issue with power even at the maximum depth of cut, which is 6" on my machine. My band wheels are cast iron and my guides are bearings on the back of the blade underneath the table where pressure is applied when shoving the work piece through. Also, under the table, the sides are bearing, above the work piece where the throat is adjusted up and down, are a couple of pieces of steel, one on each cheek of the blade. It's been a great saw as long as the blades are sharp, and I tend to use dull blades often. A very bad habit.  :

[Dodgy Loner]

Since you want the full 12" resaw capacity, why not just buy the Rikon 14" Deluxe bandsaw?  I've had one for two year and I can't say a bad thing about it.  Resaw capacity is 13" stock, and it has a 1.5 HP motor.  Customer service is fantastic.  I've only had to call about one problem, and it was a problem with the Olson blade, not the bandsaw itself (blade was too long).  There was no automated menu customer service desk put me straight through to a mechanic who solved my problem in no time.  I believe the customer service dept. is in Boston not India (big plus).

I've also heard woodworking magazines raving about the new jet 14" Deluxe bandsaw, which has a 12" resaw capacity and a 1.25 HP motor.  I can't vouch for it personally, but I would definitely get a bandsaw with a large resaw capacity off the factory line before I would consider a bandsaw that needed a riser block to get the desired capacity.

[Ironwood]

Man there have been some deals out there on the auction sites. I finally decided to sell my 30" Oliver 217/117. The guy had been courting me on the sale for about a year, I finally caved. I got long dollars, and began to contemplate a similar sized replacement. Low and behold, I found one through one of the online auctions, 30" Cresent belt drive and if you were not educated on old Arn youd'e never see ANY difference, they were twins. $300  , no pictures yet, just arrived (my buddy brought it up from the Carolina's as he bought some stuff there too) so cost in delivery either. Man, what a deal. You guys should look into the online stuff, you cant beat OLE ARN. 

          Ironwood

[wannabeonetoo]

Could you give us some links ??
Too late for me ,but still would like to beat myself up a bit I guess :( ;D
  Steve

[Dan_Shade]

I just bought a grizzly 5013x2  17" bandsaw.

I haven't really put it through a workout, but I ordered some 1" blades for resawing.  I've heard of not being able to get enough tension on the bigger bands due to the frame flexing, i'm not sure if this is the case or not, though....

I can say, that my woodmizer is built much heavier

on the con side, changing bands is a pain, but the WM has spoiled me there too.