Replies

1. 
   Sawthelight | Dec 06, 2004 03:19pm | #1

   With a budget of around $1000, you are limited to a handful of 18" bandsaws available, but it can be done. While some other brands, such as the Rikon you mentioned, are available, my preference from personal experience & research IMHO, would be either the brand new Jet JWBS-18X, or the model it is replacing, the JWBS-18B. The new X model has a larger motor, greater resaw capacity (a full 12") & beefed up cast iron trunions. Both models feature true Carter style upper & lower bearings (not the euro style), cast iron (not aluminum) wheels, rack & pinion blade adjustment, large cast iron table, & a 2 year warranty, as compared to a 1 year warranty from most other brands in this price range. The Jet "B" model, is being heavily discounted by almost all dealers, at under $1000, while the new X model will be a bit higher.

   Another alternative many might consider, would be the Grizzly bandsaws, models G0513, G0514, G0506 & the brand new G0566. The G0513 is only a 17", not an 18" or larger bandsaw, but is a great value at $750. The big brother to this is the G0514, a 19" model with the same 12" cutting capacity & motor, but a larger table & heavier. Both of these have aluminum, not cast iron wheels, however, & are supplied with euro type bearings, not my preference.

   The Grizzly G0506, an 18" saw, has been in the line longer, but is a totally different bandsaw. It features a larger 26" by 19 3/4" cast iron table, cast iron wheels, a blade speed of 4610 FPM & weighs in at 537 LB shipping weight! Unfortunately, it has a reduced cutting capacity of 9 3/4", & is a bit over your budget at $1,195.

   The brand new 21" G0566, probably has been the most elusive bandsaw of all to see, or purchase! Advertised several months ago with full page ads in several magazines, yet is not shown in the current Grizzly 2004 or Christmas catalogs either. Amazingly, you can't even find it on Grizzly's own website! The G0566 is now available, on display in all 3 Griz showrooms, & can be ordered from their toll free order line as well. It has the most amazing specs for the price I have ever seen, but it may be overkill for your situation.  The 21" G0566 features a 14" cutting capacity, 3 HP motor, 20" throat capacity, huge 29 1/2" long cast iron table, a quick change blade release/tensioner lever (rare in larger bandsaws), micro adjusting geared tilting table with a handwheel, cast iron wheels, true ball bearing guides (not euro), magnetic safety switch, rack & pinion upper guide adjustment, two 4 inch dust ports, cast iron fence, 4,600 FPS blade speed, & a whopping 678 LB weight in the crate! Price is only $1395, $100 off the original price, only until December 31, 2004.

   Hope all of the above helps some in your decision making.

   Merry Christmas, Cowboy Bill.

    

    

    

    

1. 
   gusser33 | Dec 06, 2004 11:34pm | #3

   Cowboy Bill.  Thank you very much for the information.  I really appreciagte your efforts.  I am going to look into the new Jet and at the New grizzly go566.  Perhaps I should just spend the extra $ and go for it.  I have never purchased anything from Grizzly and am somewhat hesitant.

1. 
   Sawthelight | Dec 07, 2004 02:59am | #6

   Joe, my brand new Grizzly G0566 21" bandsaw is being delivered to me as you read this. I purchased it, along with the brand new Grizzly G0564 Oscillating Edge Sander last thursday, but because of the combined weight of these machines (1300 LB), their was no way I was going to try to take them home in my pickup truck! I had been researching & trying to decide on the purchase of these two items for months, & finally made the decision. I wound up buying much larger, more massive, & more expensive units than I had originally anticipated, but both of these 2005 models seemed to offer such an incredible number of features for the money, I could not resist.

   The G0564 sander is in the boat as the G0566 bandsaw, both are for sale & on display in all three Grizzly showrooms. Neither one is in the Grizzly 2004 catalog, or even in the brand new Christmas catalog, they are that new! Heck, neither is even shown on their website yet. But both are for sale in the showrooms, & over Grizzly's toll free order line. The sander is a 3 HP 6" X 108" belt oscillating belt sander, that weighs 591 LB shipping weight. It features a smooth geared handwheel that smoothly lowers & raises the massive precision ground cast iron table,  & for safety includes not only a magnetic contactor/overload relay, but a large topside panic power kill button for safety. Sanding surface tilts vertical to horizontal, & features a graphite coated platen, two 4 inch dust ports, T-slot table & miter gauge, quick release belt lever, & osciallating sanding surfaces.

   As I stated before, the Bandsaw is specially priced at an amazing $1395, & the G0564 Oscillating Edge Sander is specially priced at only $1295, until December 31. After that, price increases are promised, on not only these items, but on the majority of Grizzly machines, I am told because of the worldwide steel & cast iron shortage.  Bottom line, I believe you will be very happy with the new Jet X model, but if you can afford the Grizzly, it is very impressive (as is the sander). These are my first major Griz purchases, although I have bought several major tools made by Shop Fox in the past (Grizzly painted white with similar features meant to sell through authorized retailers).

   Cowboy Bill

    

    

1. 
   highfigh | Dec 07, 2004 04:19am | #7

   jt- where are you located and what are you planning to do with the 14" Delta? How old is it and how much would you want for it, if it's not too far away?
   "I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."

2. 
   gusser33 | Dec 07, 2004 05:46am | #8

   Bill.  Wow.  You got one.  I am excited and I didn't even get one.  Will you do me a favor and let me know how you like it.  How it was packed, delivered, etc.  I am kind of worried about buying from Grizzly as I have always purchased my tools locally and set up, delivered and  installed in place.  Although I did pick up my Powermatic 8" jointer.  It took my friend, my mailman and me to get the bed out of my Aztek.

    

   If you have a digital camera I would love a picture of it.  My email is [email protected]    thanks so much for the information and keep in touch.  Give me the whole scoop.

   joe

1. 
   Dick38 | Dec 08, 2004 06:45am | #9

   Hi jt,

   Just got my Grizzly G0555, !4" band saw today. The packaging was perfect, very well laid out. Got it put togheter and it cuts like butter with the supplied blade. This is one awsome piece of machinery for the price. Totally heavy duty.Beautiful finish.

   Dick38

2. 
   mkindpdx | Feb 09, 2005 12:16am | #17

   I am looking at buy a new bandsaw in the next month and am looking at the Grizzly. I just wanted to know, after two months of use, do you still think the saw is a good deal? I am looking at that or the Ridgid just because I could go and get it without having to wait for UPS.

3. 
   highfigh | Feb 09, 2005 01:05am | #18

   Well, you can wait for UPS but that's not how a 200# bandsaw is shipped. They use trucking companies. It's very well packed, though. If you don't have a problem with heavy things, it's not bad. I got the Grizzly with the riser block and since I have a lot of handtools, it was really easy to assemble. A little tweaking and testing and it was done. I will be swapping the trunnion locking knobs with some that I can grab more easily since I have big hands and it's hard for me to get in there for one of them. You won't be using the blade that the saw comes with, regardless of the brand. Do a search here for bandsaw topics. There's a ton of them. BS blades, too. I bought some locally from someone who gets the blade stock in bulk and makes them to whatever length is needed. A lot of people recommend Wood Slicer, some Timberwolf, not too many Olsen(sp?). I'll be going to the Woodworking Show in a couple of weeks to see how much better the other blades cut compared with mine. I can resaw 6" white oak to between 1/32" and 1/16" with minimal saw marks on the factory fence. It will be a bit more stable after I make a taller one.The RIGID is basically the same saw, but most brands don't come with any kind of fence, the Grizzly does. The fence isn't particularly heavy duty, but it does come in handy. The motor may or may not be a factor- the Grizzly is rated as 1HP, the RIGID at 3/4HP. Whether they're different is up for debate but after resawing with mine and not having it slow down appreciably on 8" stock, whatever it is, it's adequate. If I start working with sappy wood like Southern Yellow Pine, that may be an issue. Not likely, though.
   "I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."

4. 
   mkindpdx | Feb 09, 2005 04:02am | #19

   Thanks for the info. Now all I have to do is get my wife to quit giving me the "You already have a [four year old Harbour Freight shaky piece of crap] bandsaw, why do you need a new one!?!" look and I am calling Grizzly!

5. 
   Dick38 | Feb 09, 2005 08:15pm | #20

   Hi Matt,

   I agree with Highfige the Grizzly is a great band saw. I haven't had as much time to play around with it as I would like, as for resawing it sure beat's the 12" Craftsman I had. The truck delivery is only about 3 day's.

    

   Enjoy,

   Dick38

6. 
   gusser33 | Feb 10, 2005 04:17pm | #21

   Hi Matt. I don't know what your price range is, but you simply can't beat a delta in the 14" size. I wanted an 18" and i purchased a Rikon. it sold for 999. i saw it at the wood show for 899. the saw is great but for the difference in price i wish i had purchased the new delta 18".i will say this, and think about this. for all of the extras' i put on the delta 14 it would have cost me less to buy the rikon 18" it comes completely accessorized. the diffference is power is amazing. 2hp. it can resaw anything quickly. i use it all the time now. my dealer told me to just throw the old blade away. no saw comes with a good blade because the manufacturer just doesn't know what you are going to do with it. Whatever you do decide, you will enjoy it.joe

7. 
   mkindpdx | Feb 10, 2005 07:34pm | #22

   THanks for the info. I am trying to stay in the $500 range and would like the ability to resaw up to 12" every once in a while.

2. 
   gusser33 | Dec 09, 2004 07:14am | #10

   Thanks for your advise.  Today I went up and looked at the rikon and it looked good, but after reading your email, I decided to order the jet jwbs18x.  I assusme the Jet is the same size as the rikon, which was bigger than i thought.  Anyway, I should be getting it next week.  It was 200 dollars more than the rikon but i felt better buying a brand name.  plus they deliver it and set it up for free.  thanks again and have a Merry Christmas.  Joe

1. 
   Sawthelight | Dec 09, 2004 06:48pm | #11

   Joe, congratulations on your purchase, it is a good choice IMHO. While the Rikon is sells at a great price, they are a brand new name on the market, & no track record exists that I know of for customer service, speed & quality of warranty repair, & frankly longevity of the product. Without that track record, & long term feedback, you can't be a fully informed buyer. Another point, Jet has been around for a long time, & chances are they will be in business several years from now if you should need tech support, parts or upgrades. With brand new companies, rate of failure tends to be higher for any new business during the first couple of years, a factor one could consider.

   The new Jet JWBS-18X model is the best yet from them, now in it's third generation, each time correcting earlier faults discovered, & adding new features. You also have a longer warranty with the Jet than many competitors offer. Free delivery, uncrating & setup is worth a huge amount, you will be very happy your dealer offered that option.

   Living in a rural area, many miles from my nearest dealer, I would love to have that service! The best I can get (sometimes) is free freight with liftgate delivery extra from one vendor, & all the rest I have to pay the freight & extra for liftgate delivery. The after paying for those, I have to haul it into my building from the driveway (not easy without a pallet jack on a 600 to 700 LB piece of machinery), uncrate it & set it up myself. 

   Sometimes I am able to transport the unit myself with my pickup truck for the 180 mile round trip. However, having to unload it myself, for safety's sake for myself, & for the tool, I generally limit this to a maximum of 250 LB per box. Having just had a liftgate delivery of 1300 LB total weight for two machines, the largest whose crate was over 7 1/2 feet tall, you better believe I did not attempt that myself. It cost me $300.00 for liftgate delivery for that one, but I consider that money well spent! They sent a two man crew with a pallet jack, & they wheeled both items into the shop for me. Boy, was I glad I did not attempt that one by myself!

   Let us know when you receive your new bandsaw, & how you like it. You will be one of the first to actually own the new Jet 18" X model on this forum, & I'm sure many would like to know all the details.

   Merry Christmas, Cowboy Bill

    

2. 
   LostOne0069 | Dec 31, 2004 07:11pm | #12

   Joe,

   Did you get your new saw yet?  I just ordered one for myself at my local tool shop and I am trying to find the specs on it.  Specifically, what length and width blades does it accept.  I'm assuming that it will take a 136" or 137" length, but would like to confirm.  As for the width, the old model took as small as 1/8".  I've only found one blurb on the specs of this saw at woodcrafters.com and it says that it takes from 1/4" to 1 1/2".  I really want to confirm is 1/4" is as small as I can go on the new saw.  Gotta get my Timberwolf blades on order so they'll be here when the new saw gets here!

   Thanks!

    

   LostOne

    

1. 
   gusser33 | Dec 31, 2004 10:02pm | #13

   Hi.  Yes I have the saw.  It is working great.  It states the blade size is 1/4" to 1-1/2 but my dealer said you can use a 1/8" blade as long as it is set so it doesn't hit the rubber on the wheel.  When are you due to get it?  Is it from a local guy?  Are you going to have to set it up?  it is really heavy.  Joe

1. 
   LostOne0069 | Jan 01, 2005 06:18am | #14

   That's strange that it says that you're only supposed to go down to 1/4 since the 20" and the old 18" both say they can use 1/8". What did they do different in this iteration of the 18"?Also, as this is my first bandsaw, I am not entirely clear on what you mean about not letting the 1/8" blade hit the rubber. I know there are rubber "tires" on the cast iron wheels, but isn't that what the band runs on? How would you have it NOT "hit" the rubber tires?Thanks for the information! Glad you like it... I'm going nuts waiting for mine to get here!Oh, in answer to your questions: I'm supposed to get it next Thursday (1/6/05). I bought it from my local dealer, Timberline Woodworking supply (great shop, by the way, in case anyone happens to live near me here in Hell... er, I mean, Orem, UT). I'm going to be setting it up myself, but I have also ordered "The Bandsaw Book" that should help me with the learning curve. As for the weight of it... If I have to, I'll get a neighbor to help me with it, but I was able to get my Jet table saw together with it's cast iron top OK by myself so I'm not too worried.LostOne

   Edited 12/31/2004 10:24 pm ET by LostOne

2. 
   gusser33 | Jan 02, 2005 01:03am | #15

   Hi. by the way, my name is Joe. Happy New Year. You are my first email for 2005. :) Yes, you can use the smaller blade on the unit. At least that is what my dealer told me. what kind did you get? I got the rikon 18". It is amazing the difference between the 14 and 18" You will have the ability to make the wood almost wafer thin. You will really enjoy it. I spent the day in my garage shop. Was a great way to start the year. I am making two vaities for my bathrooms and I have to get them done as they are coming to plumb the house I priced them at Home Depot and they were over 500 dollars. I wll make them for under $100. Well under. Do you do a lot of woodworking? Let me know how you make out with the saw. Joe

3. 
   LostOne0069 | Jan 05, 2005 02:30am | #16

   Hi Joe, my name's Donald.  Happy New Year to you too!

   I had thought that you bought the Jet 18X rather than the Rikon.  I bought the Jet 18x and am very much looking forward to getting it.  I'm doing a bunch of remodeling, including new red oak kitchen cabinets with raised faces that have an arch across the top.  I'm looking forward to using the new bandsaw to cut all those arches.  Later I'm hoping to use it to resaw some stock to use in my planer/moulder to make some trim for the house.

   I just ordered a 1/2" 3tpi "wood slicer II" blade from Highland Hardware.  I'm not sure what other blades to get though... the research continues!

   cya!

   Donald / LostOne

2. 
   BArnold | Dec 06, 2004 03:29pm | #2

   JT,

   I recently bought the Grizzly G0513 based on recommendations from the Forum.  Total cost was $750 plus $78 shipping.  I decided on it because it has 12" resaw capacity, 2hp motor and fit my budget.  My neighbor has the Jet 18" for which he paid about $500 more; now he wishes he had my Grizzly.  If you decide on the Grizzly, don't buy their blades -- get Timberwolf from Suffolk Machinery.

   http://grizzly.com/

   http://www.suffolkmachinery.com/default.asp

   Good luck!

   Bill Arnold - Custom Woodcrafting

   Food for Thought: The Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.

   ---

1. 
   gusser33 | Dec 06, 2004 11:40pm | #4

   Hi.  thanks so much for your response.  I was also advise dto look at the grizzly g0514 and the g0566.  Plus the jet jwbs 18x.

   I can't figure Grizzly out.  They have a 19" for less than the 18".  Why?   did you have any problems with them?  Was the unit delivered without damage?  How was the quality?  what about parts?  I am sorry about all the questions.  Again, thanks.   Joe

    

    

    

1. 
   BArnold | Dec 07, 2004 12:13am | #5

   JT,

   My G0513 arrived in a well-packed crate and didn't have a scratch on it.  It took a couple of hours to carefully knock down the crate and remove it.  The only assembly operation was the table.  Checking all of the alignment takes a while to be sure it's absolutely correct, but that would be true of a unit purchased locally as well.  I went to the freight depot, received delivery there and transported it home in my F150.  The freight company offered home delivery via liftgate truck but I'm cheap and didn't want to pay the additional fee.

   A lot of people have a problem with the idea of purchasing major items via 'mail order'.  I felt the same way until I began to see how much I could save in doing so.  I've ordered a ton of stuff from Amazon and never had a problem until my last order -- a scroll saw that was damaged by FedEx.  Amazon shipped another one immediately.  I haven't purchased much from Grizzly yet, but when I had an issue with their bandsaw blades that I bought with my saw, they took them back and issued a credit with no questions asked.

   As to the price difference between the 18" and 19" bandsaws, the major thing I noticed at a quick glance is the 18" has a larger and thicker table as well as cast iron wheels rather than cast aluminum.  For additional information on this, contact Grizzly -- they'll be happy to discuss their equipment with you.

   Good luck!

   Bill Arnold - Custom Woodcrafting

   Food for Thought: The Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.

   Edited 12/6/2004 5:07 pm ET by BArnold