14 inch vs. 17 inch bandsaw

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thsb

New User
Tim
Now that i have some nice 2 inch wood (QS Hard maple from Jeff) i feel the need to buy a bandsaw for some re-sawing capabilities. All along i was thinking about a 17 inch Grizzly but in looking at the Laguna SUV 3hp 14 inch, it has more power and 2 inch more resaw capacity than the Grizzly G0513X2. It is 400.00 more but i can rationalize the extra expense if it is a better saw over time. Having said that, the Grizzly is sure to be fine for my needs as well. It seems the main advantage of the Grizzly is price and the 3" difference in throat capacity. How important is that extra 3" in most people's experience? i like the idea of a smaller footprint in my shop with the Laguna, and it is on sale right now (and maybe always is at mmToolShop).

Any thoughts about this? The posts that I have seen don’t specifically address how much of an advantage the 17” over the 14” is in terms of practical usage, as most of the comments preferring the large saw refer to resaw capacity and power which appear to not be an issue in the decision between these two saws.

Thanks in advance for any comments.
Tim
 

danmart77

Dan
Corporate Member
Now that i have some nice 2 inch wood (QS Hard maple from Jeff) i feel the need to buy a bandsaw for some re-sawing capabilities. All along i was thinking about a 17 inch Grizzly but in looking at the Laguna SUV 3hp 14 inch, it has more power and 2 inch more resaw capacity than the Grizzly G0513X2. It is 400.00 more but i can rationalize the extra expense if it is a better saw over time. Having said that, the Grizzly is sure to be fine for my needs as well. It seems the main advantage of the Grizzly is price and the 3" difference in throat capacity. How important is that extra 3" in most people's experience? i like the idea of a smaller footprint in my shop with the Laguna, and it is on sale right now (and maybe always is at mmToolShop).

Any thoughts about this? The posts that I have seen don’t specifically address how much of an advantage the 17” over the 14” is in terms of practical usage, as most of the comments preferring the large saw refer to resaw capacity and power which appear to not be an issue in the decision between these two saws.

Thanks in advance for any comments.


Tim

Tim
You're in Durham so a visit wouldn't be tough. I have a large bandsaw and I do a fair amount of resaw work. I just finished resawing walnut this morning. I think I could point out some things to consider before you invest. Its up to you how big you go but some important details are in the equation.

Dan
 

Chris C

Chris
Senior User
You might want to check the classifieds here....I think there is a Laguna 14 SUV listed for sale
 

rcarmac

Board of Directors, Secretary
Robert
Staff member
Corporate Member
I like your thought process. By wood, then need a bigger bandsaw for resaw, then need a bigger joiner and planer to dress that rough sawn lumber. I think you can get at least 3 new tools out of that one purchase from Jeff.

I was looking for a 14" band saw for resaw but ended up with an 18" because it was a crazy cheap deal. For my purposes, I haven't really used the benefit of the 18". When I resaw, its usually less than 6"-8". So I don't deal with a lot of large big wide pieces. So I really feel the 18" is over kill for me and 14" would be fine. So I think it really comes down the sizes and pieces that you think you will be resawing.
 

MarkE

Mark
Corporate Member
If you can wait until the picnic you could win the Hammer N3800 for the cost of a raffle ticket. :D

A couple of random thoughts:
Looks like the Grizzly has a slightly larger table and a couple of extra inches of throat. Larger wheels are supposed to put a little stress on the blade then the tighter radius of smaller wheels.

Larger wheels = longer blades = increased blade cost (sometimes). Although longer blades have more teeth and could last longer?

The Laguna has the foot brake with micro-switch to turn off the saw. A nice feature that I wish I had on my Grizzly.
 

cyclopentadiene

Update your profile with your name
User
Laguna all the way. It is a far superior band saw and the key to,resawing is the power which a 3 hp is not lacking. The resawing capacity is >13" on the Laguna. How often do you run across really wide 8/4 material. I have an 18" saw and it is beneficial mainly as the throat is wider and allows more curved pieces to be cut in a single pass as opposed to cutting kerfs at specific locations.i rarely resawing anything over 8-10" wide. In addition, Laguna sells the carbide tipped resawing blades.
 

Rwe2156

DrBob
Senior User
The resaw capacity is the focal point here.

You have to look at each saw. It could turn out the 17" is only giving you a couple inches more capacity.

A 3HP motor on a 14" BS? I've never heard of that.

I have an 18" Rikon it has a 2HP motor. It has about 11" of resaw capacity. Its a pretty decent saw.

A friend of mine has a Laguna 14" with the fence upgrade he really likes it.
 

Vetteman9956

New User
Brad
The Laguna in the classified would be mine, I love the thing but am downsizing and won't have 220. Those of you that have been in my shop know that I keep my tools in like new condition. When you compare pricing between mine and a new one, the big difference is mine comes with 2 1" carbide resaw blade that sell for $215 each. They are not included with a new saw. and no tax. I have cut 14" wide maple into veneer and it never slows down.
 

Chris C

Chris
Senior User
A 3HP motor on a 14" BS? I've never heard of that.


Now you have. From the Laguna Tools site.....

LT14 x 14 SUV Bandsaw Specs

  • Motor: 3HP Leeson
  • Volt: 220 1 phase
  • Recommended Breaker: 30 Amp.
  • Min-Max blade width: 1/8”-1”
  • Resaw Capacity: 14”
  • Throat: 13 ¼”
  • Blade Length: 125”
  • Foot-brake w. Micro Switch: Yes
  • Rack & Pinion Upper Guide: Yes
  • Rack & Pinion Table Tilt: Yes
  • Quick Release Tension: Yes
  • Laguna Guides: Yes
  • Cast Table Size: 19 ¾” X 15 ¾”
  • Table Height: 35 ½”
  • Footprint: 16" x 24"
  • Dust Ports: 2 X 4”
  • Machine Height: 70"
  • Weight: 340/375 Lbs.
  • Shipping Dimensions: 30” X 36” X 75”
 
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