Bandsaws,,

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michaelgarner

michaelgarner

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Michael
Ok I know NCpete asked this awhile back,,but, I want everyones opinion.

I have a grizzly 14in, no riser block, about 8yrs old. Fasttrack fence on it. It does ok with resawing but deff not vaneer work. Should I invest the money with new parts like roller guides, upgraded release, newer fence(fasttrack doesnt account for blade drift) new tires, ect ect, or save my money like i was upgrading parts and hold out for a minimax, or something else? look forward to your opinions. thanks friends be blessed
 
Ozzie-x

Ozzie-x

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Randy
Hmmm, not sure how good (or bad?) yours cuts. Somebody here did a complete hot-rod revamp of their BS, but I don't remember who or any of the details. If you're not happy with your saw's performance, the easiest and cheapest 1st route to try is to do an "xtreme makeover" tune-up job and get some really good blades like the timberwolfs. Clean it up and fine-tune adjust eveything on it. I really like the timberwolf blades for ripping and resawing. The rip blades are a bit ragged for fine cutting like cutting dovetails, so you also need a good finer tooth general purpose blade. I use 1/2" blades for everything because I rarely cut small tight curves. Might give this route a go and see if you're happier with it, and save your $ for the new BS.
 
michaelgarner

michaelgarner

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Michael
ok,,looking at getting a new saw this year,,the Rikon has tension problems,,what saw is the runner up around the same price?
 
woodguy1975

woodguy1975

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John
OK here we go.....

I would not get the new Rikon.

The Grizzly 17" is next in line in about the same $800 price range. Once you increase your range the choices get more. Stay away from the Jets and Deltas. They are underpower and very cheaply made. Bridgewood makes a nice 17" with a US motor.

Up around $1500 you have a whole slew of choices including the Laguna LT16 I have on order and the Grizzly 18" HD.

I think "You get what you pay for" is particularly true for bandsaws. There is a hugh jump in quality as the price goes up.

Surprise to read anything I just typed from me... probably not. :)

John
 
michaelgarner

michaelgarner

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Michael
thanks woodguy,,
I was thinking of holding out for a while and getting the laguna,,so I can have a good quality saw.
 
Phillip

Phillip

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Phillip Fuentes
michael, in the meantime, i filed some of the mounting holes in my fasttrack fence into slots. now i can adjust for drift, and for fence face parallel (vertically) to the blade. i'll take some pics tomorrow and post them, that should help until you choose a new saw. i've got a 14" delta but i can't wait to get a bigger saw either, i'm spoiled at work.

phillip
 
C

Colonel428

New User
Steve Swail
Hey Michael....I've got a MM16 and the thing is built like a tank. It's WAY more than I will probably ever need, but you know, I look at this WW'ing stuff as a life-long hobby. But, if something were to happen and I had to sell my tools I believe the higher end stuff is going to retain more of it's value....Just my opinion. The two quotes that stand out to me from others when buying tools is "buy the very best you can afford" and "I've never regreted buying a quality tool, only the cheap ones"....You'll need 220V power for the MM16 if you go that route. Talk to Dane Kirkpatrick with MM. He's a super guy and their after the sale customer service is as good as advertised. I'm trying to save up for one of their sliding table saws but it will be a while before I can afford that :p . Best of luck in whatever you decide.

Steve
 
woodguy1975

woodguy1975

New User
John
Colonel428 said:
Hey Michael....I've got a MM16 and the thing is built like a tank. It's WAY more than I will probably ever need, but you know, I look at this WW'ing stuff as a life-long hobby. But, if something were to happen and I had to sell my tools I believe the higher end stuff is going to retain more of it's value....Just my opinion. The two quotes that stand out to me from others when buying tools is "buy the very best you can afford" and "I've never regreted buying a quality tool, only the cheap ones"....You'll need 220V power for the MM16 if you go that route. Talk to Dane Kirkpatrick with MM. He's a super guy and their after the sale customer service is as good as advertised. I'm trying to save up for one of their sliding table saws but it will be a while before I can afford that :p . Best of luck in whatever you decide.

Steve
Click to expand...

Go MM16s. :) We have 3 on the board. :) I love mine as well. I've owned it for for over two year. I have done nothing but be more impressed with it as I've used it. Dain is a good guy to deal with too. MM customer suppor it absolutely top notch.

Most of you know I've got a Laguna LT16 on order. I don't prefer Laguna's customer service. They actually bashed my MM16 when I was placing the order. I almost told the guy to stick it, but the end of year deal was going to save me a lot of money so I delt with it. When you shop in the range of the MM16, you have the Laguna HD 16, Agazanni, Meber....... Lots of good quality Italian saws. They overlap a lot and are built very similar. The difference really comes down to customer service.
Mini Max is on top as far I'm concerned.

John
 
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