I’m in the market for my first bandsaw. I’ve read the Taunton “Tool Guide” reviews for the 14″ models and think I’m down to the Grizzly G0457 and the Powermatic 14″ (PWBS-14CS). The BIG differences between the two are (as I understand it):
– Griz has 2HP, Powermatic 1.5
– Griz has better fence
– Powermatic has an “easy” blade change and the Griz is “difficult”
– Griz is a bit cheaper (~$100)
I’ve downloaded the manuals for both and, to be honest, I can’t quite tell why the Griz is “difficult”. The tool reviews nor the manuals really seem to highlight the difference.
Can anyone enlighten me?!
Many thanks!
Replies
Doesn't look any more difficult than my Grizzly 1019Z (old 14" model). Not as quick as changing out a router bit, for sure, but not "difficult." I'll mosey over and find the Powermatic manual, just for fun.......
OK, looks like the Grizzly does not have a quick release for blade tension? That would give the Powermatic a leg up on blade changing, but I wouldn't see that as a deal-breaker.
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Edited 10/14/2009 10:56 pm by forestgirl
forestgirl,
When you say quick release are you talking about the long arm that releases/applies tension? If so I find the one on my Delta very useful, especially when winding on a new blade. I slowly spin the top wheel and the blade centers itself on the crown.
Just me mebbe.
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Yep, that's the gizmo. I noticed that the Powermatic has one, but it appears (though I didn't read every detail) that the Grizzly does not. I'm sure it's handy, and I would love to have one on my old 1019Z. But it wouldn't be a make-or-break for me if there were other out-weighing considerations. The frame-style of the Grizzly is quite different from the Powermatic. On the other hand, that doesn't mean the Grizz is better -- depends on how well they made the thing, right?
Ah, decisions, decisions.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
There ain't anything worse than putting a blade on a three-wheeled bandsaw. It takes one more hand than I have. Two wheel saws must be the easiest things around." Although I have the right to remain stupid, I try not to abuse that right"
I have a 70s-era 18" three-wheeled Inca, and don't find changing blades all that difficult. Sure, the blade guides have to be loosened with an Allen wrench, the tension loosened, and the new blade positioned on the three wheels, but I get by with only two hands. The guides have to be changed for the new blade, and the tension adjusted, anyway, so no big deal in my view.That said, I've been thinking about combining the robotics from one of those data-center tape-changing machines with a Wurlitzer juke box. Then, all I'll have to do is drop in a quarter, push a button, and it will change the blades for me. ;-)
Thanks for the responses thus far! It's great to get experienced and different perspectives on this. It's really a matter of tradeoffs and what I'm going to do with it (which is not totally clear to me at this point, not ever having used one and not knowing first hand the capabilities). Given that I can only spend about $1,000 which would you choose:A) 2HP, smaller table (14x14) , 6" fence, "difficult" blade changesORB) 1.5HP, big table (15x20), 4" fence, "easy" blade changesNote that, for me (as a beginner), not doing lots of repetitive work, setup is going to be important ... I.e. I don't want a "difficult" blade change process to be a big time/frustration issue.Thanks again!
What is the resaw capacity of the two saws?forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Forestgirl,
Sorry I missed your question. The Powermatic has a 12" resaw capacity and the Grizzly has a 10-1/8" capacity according to the Taunton 2009 Tool Guide.
Thanks for your interest and responses. All have been helpful.
Dennis
"The Powermatic has a 12" resaw capacity"Dennis,
The base Powermatic is only 6". You need to buy the riser kit and do the change over. This kit will cost you $80-$90, plus your original blades are of no value unless you knock it down to 6" again.Having done this with my saw I would say that it isn't quite the same saw. Mainly because the guide post was designed for a 6"cut. Extending the guide post to accommodate a 12" cut allows you to put a lot of stress on the upper guide assembly. You have to be careful when feeding.
This is why I said the Grizzly 17" (or any competitive 17") might be better value for not a lot more money. The entire frame, entire machine, is designed for up to 12" resawing.Don
Wow. That's some food for thought. I just looked at the G0513X2 17" and it's the same price as the Powermatic with their promotion ($999 with free riser block). Hmmmm ... back to the thinking board. Thanks for the heads-up.
Dennis
Your welcome. One other draw back to the standard 14" with the cast frame is the table height.
Powermatic 44"
Grizzly 37 1/2"Most of the tubular steel framed saws are in the 35"- 38" range.IF you are going to be resawing heavier stock, the extra lift is significant, less control because the work surface is higher. There is a reason I know all of this. I have to often said "Jeez I wish I had of gotten a bigger one from the get go."
It is easy to grow into, harder to replace, because the resale value on these machines is not always that great.I'm arguing against the design not the brand. Any reasonably manufactured and powered bandsaw will do an acceptable job.Don
Don,
Another "beautiful hypothesis slain by an ugly fact" ... the 17" grizzly is simply too large, heavy and unwieldy for me to transport. It's over 400#, and has to be transported vertically.
Oh well ...
Oh well. I would have one if I could buy Grizzly in Canada. Craftex (Busy Bee) have their 18" on for CAD$999.00
I already have to roll a 400 lb jointer around as required. The bandsaw doesn't get moved that often.
If you are now going after the Powermatic, you might ask them why the cutting time in the review was on the high end. The spec sheet seems to suggest one speed only. Don
Don,
I actually live in Canada as well ... Vancouver area ... fairly close to the Grizzly showroom in Bellingham WA. I'll have to check the BusyBee out. I'm not so much worried about moving it around as I am getting it here and into my shop.
Dennis
Dennis,
Great. Then you can hop over and actually put your hands on it and do a hard comparision to any other product.I don't see why you would have to transport it vertically if properly supported. If they suggest it will twist or bend then you don't want it.
As far as getting it into the shop you need a couple of buddies, a bar-b-que and some beer. Usually works as long as the food and beer come out after the job is done.Let us know what you find, especially if you can compare to the Craftex.Don
Skye,
I started the thread on noncoplanar bandsaws that is just winding down. I did it because I was in the market for a bandsaw, and the FWW review of bandsaws that you referred to said that the Powermatic was the farthest out of coplaner, yet it resaws VERY WELL. I called the guy who wrote the article. He said that he recommended against the Rikon and the Delta. I recommend against the Rikon for lots of reasons - too long to go through here. If the Laguna is too expensive, he recommended the Powermatic or the Grizzly. The Powermatic can resaw wider boards than the Grizzly. The Powermatic has a consistent problem with their wheels being out of coplanar -- BUT they saw very well, so maybe that doesn't make a difference.I work at Woodcraft so I changed the blades and set the guides on the Delta, the Rikon, the Jet, the Powermatic and the Delta. The Rikon is TERRIBLE for adjusting the guides because they change position as you tighten them down. I saw NO problem in changing the blades on any of them. The rest were easy to set the guide bearings on. I have no access to the GRizzly so I cant comment on that.BUT I noticed that the Grizzly has a one year warrantee, and the Powermatic has a five year warrantee. That is significant to me. Very significant. If Grizzly really thought their stuff was good quality, they would give a longer warrantee. However, the people I know who own Grizzlys are happy with them.Given all of this, I ordered the Powermatic with the riser kit. The best of the responses that you got was from Roc -- he said to focus on how the saw cuts. The Powermatic and the Grizzly cut very well. Two weeks ago, Grizzly was giving free shipping on the 14" bandsaw that you are thinking about. When I called them to buy it, they said that they stopped the free shipping to the US and now charge about $100. Since I get a significant discount at Woodcraft, I decided to go with the Powermatic over the Grizzly. The difference in the warrantees also played a part in my decision. I don't think the difference in performance between the two is significant, based on the experience of the FWW people.Hope that helps. I don't care what decision you make, but I would like to know what makes you go with the model you choose. Please let me know.
MelMeasure your output in smiles per board foot.
Thanks for the helpful reply. I'm leaning toward the Powermatic as I've had customer service problems with Grizzly in the past. I'll let you know which way I go. If you're in the Seattle area let me know ... Woodcraft was one of the sources I am considering.Thanks
Dennis
P.S. The blade length on the Grizzly G0457 14" band saw looks to be a bit odd at 106" whereas the Powermatic is a readily available 93.5" blade.
The Grizzly has tubular steel frame with a fixed 10" resaw capacity and is not changeable.
The Powermatic is a 2 piece cast frame. To increase the resaw capacity, you add a 6" riser block and buty new blades - 105"
Don't know why Grizzly didn't go a full 12".
I would go the extra $100.00 and buy the Grizzly G0513X2.Don
>>> The blade length on the Grizzly G0457 14" band saw looks to be a bit odd at 106" whereas the Powermatic is a readily available 93.5" blade.That's because the Griz cuts 10" height out of the box while the Powermatic cuts only 6". You need a riser block and other parts to get the Powermatic to resaw 12" stock. I believe that you can't increase the resaw capacity on that model Griz.Howie.........
The good bandsaw blade makers cut blades to length for you. Don't let blade length influence you at all, it is bogus issue.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Dennis,
I asked all of the folks in the local Woodcraft which bandsaw they would buy now, and WHY. All of them already have bandsaws. Most got Deltas a number of years ago, when Delta was very good. Every one of them except one said they would get the Powermatic. Two reasons. The first and most important is that it performs well. It makes good cuts. The second reason is that if you ever need service, Powermatic has service centers everywhere. It beat's Grizzly's service network. None of then knew that Powermatic has a five year warrantee while Grizzly has a one year. Interestingly enough, all of them just use their bandsaws, and not a one of them has ever checked their bandsaw for coplanar wheels. In my words, they are "real" woodworkers, not "yuppie woodworkers". If it ain't broke, don't fix it. I have only been out to your neck of the woods once in my life. I loved it out there, but my job was elsewhere. If you are ever near Washington, DC, you and your family are invited over to my place for a cookout. Stay in touch,
MelMeasure your output in smiles per board foot.
Mel,
Most helpful! I'm sold! Sorry I can't buy it from you!! I actually lived in DC early in my adult life ... still have a brother in Annapolis. Who knows?
All the best,
Dennis
Dennis,
I am retired from a career mostly at NASA. My part time "job", if you can call it that, pays $8/hr for two half days a week at Woodcraft. The two real benefits are: 1) access to lots of knowledgeable woodworkers and tools, and 2) a great discount on anything you buy. Interestingly enough, the BIG percentage discounts are on cheaper stuff, and on "big iron", the discounts are small because the markup is low. I am not complaining. As soon as it ceases to be sufficiently interesting, I will stop. Where else, except for FWW, could I have gotten a chance to look deeply into five bandsaws, remove and replace their blades and adjust the guides. Since the Powermatic had been put together wrong, I got to diagnose it, and make the fix. I get to assemble a tool now and then. All of this has increased my understanding of how the big irons work and how they are adjusted, and how well adjusted is good enough. I enjoy the intellectual part getting a real understanding of how much is enough, as well as the practical part. Similar for handtools. For example, when the new Stanleys came through, I was able to take them apart, put em together, hone one and put it to wood. Same for the Wood River planes. Both the Wood River and the Stanleys were made to look like the Lie Nielsens, (which in turn borrowed heavily from the old Stanleys) But the new Stanleys are IMHO, pure junk, and the Wood Rivers take a bunch of work to get in shape, and the mechanisms are not so good. It has been fun to learn that stuff first hand. The other day a customer came in with a broken Wood River plane. One of the castings in the adjustment mechanism broke in two. He asked if it was worth trying another one. I asked him if he had ever tried a Lie Nielsen. He hadn't. After trying one, he bought TWO of them -- a No. 9 and a No. 4. He is a smart dude and he saw the differences in quality immediately and really liked what he saw. It if very satisfying when I can point out something like that to a woodworker and watch the light come on.Have fun. I am. I'll let you know how my Powermatic works out.
MelMeasure your output in smiles per board foot.
Your part-time job reminds me of me! My other passion is sailing and restoring an old (1970) sailboat. I'm also retired from a high-tech job and went to work at West Marine for $10/hour because it was a great learning experience AND the employee discounts were great. Maybe I should do that for woodworking too!
Mel,
Any thoughts re Don01's message below?
Thanks
Dennis"The Powermatic has a 12" resaw capacity"The base Powermatic is only 6". You need to buy the riser kit and do the change over. This kit will cost you $80-$90, plus your original blades are of no value unless you knock it down to 6" again.Having done this with my saw I would say that it isn't quite the same saw. Mainly because the guide post was designed for a 6"cut. Extending the guide post to accommodate a 12" cut allows you to put a lot of stress on the upper guide assembly. You have to be careful when feeding.
This is why I said the Grizzly 17" (or any competitive 17") might be better value for not a lot more money. The entire frame, entire machine, is designed for up to 12" resawing.Don
Don,
He is right that the Powermatic has a 6" capacity. You have to get the riser kit, as the guy said, to get to 12", which is 2" more than the Grizzly has. You have to install the riser kit. Some people have trouble with this. Some people don't.
Right now, Powermatic is giving you the riser block kit when you buy the 14" bandsaw.
If you want a "no fuss, no muss" bandsaw, get the Grizzly, because it does not need a riser block.
If you read the FWW article, you will see that the Powermatic gave a better cut than did the Grizzly. However, I believe you will be happy with either of them.
Let me know if you have any other questions.
MelMeasure your output in smiles per board foot.
Don,
you asked me about the guy who recommended that you go with a larger bandsaw. I have heard many woodworkers say that. BUT, while a 17" or a 25" or a 32" bandsaw might be good for some, NOT FOR ME. I am not wired for 220. I don't need to cut things bigger than about 12". I don't have the room for a big machine. The best advice is to let your NEEDS define what you get. Don't get a big bandsaw because someone told you that it is a good thing. Don't buy a bandsaw because someone said that it is easy to change blades on that model.Figure out how big the pieces are that you want to cut.
Are you wired for 220?
Do you have room for a big machine?
Do you have the money for a big machine?
Could you get a big machine into your workshop?Are you willing to buy a bandsaw that cuts up to 6" thick, and buy a riser block and install it? That last question is not trivial. You will probably need someone else to help you do it. There are two videos on internet on putting a riser block on a Powermatic. Have you looked them up? I suggest that you look at and try the bandsaws of people you know, if you have the opportunity to do that. It helps you see the differences very quickly, much more easily than reading reviews in magazines or recommendations by other people with needs which are different than you. If you can live with a 10" cut, the the Grizzly is a good option. You will not need to insert a riser block. If you are comfortable with installing a riser block, then the Powermatic is a good option. From what I have seen, I wouldn't recommend the Delta or Rikon or Jet 14" saws. If you have some extra money, the Laguna is a GREAT machine, and it comes "ready to go to work". It doesn't have a "quick tension release lever". One poster said that changing its blades is difficult BUT it really cuts well. And cutting well is what it is all about.Hope that helps.
MelMeasure your output in smiles per board foot.
Dennis,Mel is right about the voltage and I apologize for not addressing that. Once you start looking at 2 HP motors, the power requirements do change.
Both the Grizzly 513 and 513X2 are dual voltage 110/220. At 110V they will draw a lot of amps. The Powermatic is dual voltage as well.Quality of cut is a subjective issue. In the referenced article I find it strange that the same blade in 6 different 1.5 HP saws gave such a wide range of cutting times. And a few of the 1.5 HP saws performed as well as the 2 HP saws.
That tells us that all is not equal in terms of raw cutting power. And as Mel says you have to go with what your needs are, today and
tomorrow.
I would argue that a bigger machine, if everything fits for you can always handle the small work. The samaller machine cannot always handle big work. Only you know where you want to be in a couple of years.Don
Don,Thanks for the perspective. I have plenty of 220 in my shop as I wired it specifically to be a workshop. I do need to assess the space question as I'm pretty limited there ... it's a 2 car garage which I'd like to be able to occasionally slip one car into with judicious use of mobile bases. It was an eye opener for me to see the price on the 17" Grizzly ... I'm looking pretty closely at it now as a result.Dennis
P.S. I also found the differences in resaw times a bit strange, if not unbelievable.
My experience tells me to not pay much attention on the length of the warrantee. As an example, I worked as a security guard at the Sterling Faucet factory for a while. They had two lines of faucets. The first had a one year warranty. It was more expensive and had a much more rigorous quality control that the second line which had a five year warranty. I think that when someone has bad luck with a product that they tend to replace it making sure that they don't get the same brand.
Tink,
I agree that length of warrantee is not "The" important factor. The important factor is "expected performance". That is where one needs to focus, and not get sidetracked by extraneous, irrelevant or less important parameters. Length of warrantee is worth taking into consideration as a secondary parameter. It is not BAD to have a longer warrantee. Of course, one question is: will the company actually honor the warrantee? Will the company be around to honor the warrantee? Does the company have a way of getting service to you, or you to service? Delta (now Black and Decker) and Powermatic/Jet have pretty extensive networks of service centers. A bandsaw is not something you can pick up and take to the service center. Some of the other makers don't have these networks.One certainly HOPES that one doesn't have to ever have the service people look at their Bandsaw, or tablesaw or jointer or planer, etc. Some people are quite handy and can diagnose mechanical problems of the big iron machines. However, as you can tell from these threads, many people haven't a clue as to what to do to make their jointer work properly. Indeed, they don't know if it is the jointer or their lack of skill in using the machine. So the ability for such people to get service, if they need it, is very important, and for such people, length of warrantee is important. No rules are valid all the time. Sometimes companies, such as car companies, give a longer warrantee as a sales gimmick. I don't want a lousy car with a long warrantee, and have to take it to the shop every week. I'd rather have a good car with a normal warrantee. :-) For example, a Toyota. When it comes to tools which sell for a bunch of money, say, more that $500, I can't understand why a company would only warrantee them for a year. That just isnt enough, IMHO. Heck, what can go wrong with most of the big iron machines? If they don't have problems in the first day or week, they probably wont have problems for a decade when used by a hobbyist. (Different story for a real woodworking shop). Interesting topic.
Thanks for writing.
MelMeasure your output in smiles per board foot.
"When it comes to tools which sell for a bunch of money, say, more that $500, I can't understand why a company would only warrantee them for a year. That just isnt enough, IMHO. Heck, what can go wrong with most of the big iron machines? If they don't have problems in the first day or week, they probably wont have problems for a decade when used by a hobbyist. (Different story for a real woodworking shop)."Mel,
You have a good point. I think that a longer warranty can indicate the manufacturers faith in the product, but one would hope that anything major will show up within the first 6-12 months of use.Having access to discussion resources such as Knots and FWW is a great benefit to all of us when things just don't make sense. Most of the major credit cards offer an additional warranty provision on all purchases at no extra cost. Check your card holder agreement to be sure and keep your receipts.Don
Don,
I fully agree with you about KNots being a great place to share info on issues. We can learn more if we use the experience of others as well as our own.
I hadn't thought of the credit card warrantee. I am going to look into that. Great idea. Thank you.
MelMeasure your output in smiles per board foot.
First of all, many thanks to all of you for the very interesting and helpful dialog. "Ain't" the Internet great! But what makes it great is each of you for taking the time and interest to share your knowledge and experiences. So I lost my little mind yesterday and went to the Woodworker's show in Abbottsford, British Columbia with the intention of checking out the BusyBee and whatever other bandsaws were present to see if I could discern any difference. Bottom line: I purchased a 16" Laguna Series 3000 (at about twice what I had planned to spend). I got a very good deal on it and, having not heard anything but sterling reports on it, decided to just close my eyes and do it. It's a gorgeous piece of equipment that I cannot imagine I'll ever need/want to replace. As I get into setting it up and using it I'll be glad to share my experiences, for what they're worth, with anyone who's interested.Thanks again for the great discussion!
Dennis
Skye
A 16" Laguna.
WOW. That is fantastic. That is a dream saw. Please let us know how things work out when you have it set up and going.
Thanks,
Mel
PS Congratulations.Measure your output in smiles per board foot.
May I become the woodworker that my bandsaw expects me to be!
Thanks for all of your feedback and advice!
Dennis
"May I become the woodworker that my bandsaw expects me to be!" What a great line! My sentiments about the new woodturning adventure I'm embarking on.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Congratulations.Here is my post from a few months ago.47012.1
Frosty“If you put the federal government in charge of the Sahara Desert,
in 5 years there’d be a shortage of sand.” Milton Friedman
Ha!! Budget my backside!!!Oct 15 "Given that I can only spend about $1,000...."Then the tool show 4 read 4 days later:"Bottom line: I purchased a 16" Laguna Series 3000 (at about twice what I had planned to spend)."Good on you Dennis.There is only one budget at the tool show - YES or sometimes..................................... no.Our Edmonton show is coming up at the end of the month.Don
Have fun at the Edmonton show! It was a little on the "sparse" side in Vancouver (Abbotsford) ... but, not sparse enough to prevent me from blasting the budget, eh?
Instead of warrantees being for a given period of time, it might be more fair if they were good for so many hours of operation. Oh, that might work for automobiles and even industrial air compressors but might be difficult to measure on the average shop tool. "Sir, these pliers broke with only 96 hours of use".
I once bought some Matag coin operated washers and dryers for apartments. Upon installation, we found that two machines didn't work. Since they were brand new, I contacted the Matag serviceman who found that one had a bad switch and the other didn't have the wiring harness hooked up inside. Price - about seventy five dollars. Another machine ran about a week and needed a bearing - about $50. I was informed that commercial appliances are not warranted. I haven't purchased any Matag items since.
Tink
There was a time when Maytag was a great company.There was a time when Stanley was a great company.There was a time when General Motors was a great company.There was a time when Delta was a great company. (it's latest Unisaw is very nice, but let's see if that is a fluke or a new trend for Black and Decker). There was a time when Great Britain controlled the seas with her Navy.Things change. Companies change. Here in Knots, we can trade our experiences and learn from each other so we don't have to repeat each other's mistakes. Have fun.
MelMeasure your output in smiles per board foot.
How right you are on all points.
Paul Lundberg "Tink" for short
Another aspect of easy blade changing is that you are a lot less likely to put the blade in harms way because the process is easier. It also makes it easier to adjust the tension when changing from one width blade to another; something you're more likely to do when getting started methinks.
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
I would NOT base a bandsaw purchase decision on how hard it is to change the blade. I recommend basing it on what you want to do with the saw.
What is the main focus ? Cutting curves, resawing, cutting curves in very thick material . . .
I have the Laguna. It is one of the most difficult saws to change blades. Lots of mucking about with allen wrenches on the blade guides rather than quick dial knobs.
But
It resaws like an angel from heaven ! ! ! Resawing was my main use for the saw.
As many wood workers have found, if you have more than one drastically different use for a bandsaw ( It needs to be drastically different to warrant a blade change ) you may want more than one band saw. Get a stout, dedicated, modern saw for resawing. Get some what ever older saw for cutting curves using narrow blades.
Even in the best of scenarios it is going to take longer than you want to change blades. It isn't as easy as opening the door and swinging the quick lever on top. If you change blade widths you will need to reset the guides and fiddle about with it. Not some thing you will want to do a couple of times in a day.
It is possible to get the what ever older saw for cutting curves for a couple of hundred dollars used or a few hundred tops.
For resawing spend over a thousand it is worth it. You may have to put up with a couple of extra minutes to set the guides on a " difficult " saw but turning the knob on top verses swinging a lever is no big difference.
Now lets say you were going to do production sawing. The same thing day in and day out and all the blades you have were identical diameter and width.
Then
when a blade was dull you COULD just use the quick lever, change blades and go.
Then it would make sense but for every day home use a quick lever is no big deal.
At the end of the day it is a good idea to release the blade tension but tightening it up the next day just takes a few second as opposed to two or three seconds with the quick lever.
NOT WORTH BASING THE WHOLE PURCHASE DECISION ON.
If you read some of the articles written by the big time crasftspeople they say they can just about do everything with one blade on a nice saw. Thus cutting down the need to change blades. For instance they can cut fairly thin stock using a coarse tooth blade and get clean nice cuts if they are careful. This is true. They even resaw with fairly narrow blades. So that leaves the rarer times when you need an extra narrow blades for tight radiuses. You really don't need to change blades all that often.
Sounds like I am contradicting myself but the what ever saws don't tend to resaw as nice as the stout, dedicated, modern saw which happened to come with a wide blade. So I use that for most things even though it is very coarse teeth. Then for me I rarely cut tight radiuses so I rarely change blades at all except for that. If I start cutting tight Rs then an inexpensive bandsaw like my partner and I bought years ago at an estate sale would look attractive. She took that saw with her when she got her own shop.
roc
Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe. Abraham Lincoln ( 54° shaves )
Edited 10/15/2009 12:22 am by roc <!-- ROC2013 -->
Edited 10/15/2009 12:26 am by roc
Right on!You nailed the proper issues with your response.Frosty“If you put the federal government in charge of the Sahara Desert,
in 5 years there’d be a shortage of sand.” Milton Friedman
skye,
in my work and world, powermatic ain't what it used to be. i believe they were absorbed by b&d. i can attest to grizzly's stuff. their 12"planer, 3 hp t-saw and 3 hp shaper have more than paid for themselves in my shop.
eef
Changing the blade is easy. Folding and unfolding the not installed blade can get you if you don't do it often - especially the big ones!
If you change blades often you will get very good at it. If you change blades to often, as with routers, you might need more than one bandsaw.
When I added the riser block to my 14" I gave away all of my little blades. Now I have just 3/4" X 3TPI and one 1/2" X 3TPI for comparison.
I love my bandsaw, but if I could do it over I would start with a 17" minimum.
Don
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