All right, its time for a new bandsaw. I’ve got a 14″ Delta that I’d like to upgrade. I need a bunch of advice though. I’ve never been around good big bandsaws, and I’d like to choose the best I can afford.
I need a saw that will resaw with minimal tweaking. I’d like the ability to rip wide stock. I want a saw that will last my lifetime. There are probably a thousand other things that a bandsaw can excel at, and I’d like a saw that will do them all, reliably. Not too much to ask is it?
So far Minimax, Laguna and Agazzani seem to have saws that fit the bill. I talked to a the Minimax salesman today, and he made a good pitch for the MM16. I have never seen any of these saws in person, but the MM16 looks good on paper. However, I’m worried that 16″ is not big enough. My 14″ seems puny, and 2 more inches is not much. Originally I was trying find an old 36″ monster, but… I guess my question is, should I go with a bigger saw, say a 24″?
Then there is this question, which of those three saw makers has the best bandsaw?
How did you choose, and what am I missing in my decision making process? Thanks for your help.
Replies
Steve, the MM16 is quite a jump from the Delta 14" but the MM24 might leave you fairly content and no need to upgrade. I originally had interest in Agazzani and felt it was better than MM but I opted for MM because of decent service and was slightly cheaper. Have you looked into Tannewitz?
http://www.tannewitz.com/tannwood/PowerSeries.asp
Nope, I'd not looked at the Tannewitz saws, but I just requested some info.
Why had you decided the Aggy was a better saw then the MM? The MM salesman was talking about the HP ratings for the three makers I listed, and he said that Aggy was pretty close with their specs, while Laguna was way off. Of course the MM was right on. Which MM do you have?
Steve
Steve, I completely forgot to come back and respond to your question. Anyway I have the MM16 and feel that it's a really great saw. The MM16 comes ahead in hp and weight, but the actual resaw capacity is 11.5 inches, not 12. I believe the Agazzani is full 12 inches. Also, from my observation, the Agazzani seemed a bit more sturdy. In retrospect, I'm glad I got the MM. The customer service has been very attentive and there's a large group of owners who are happy with their purchases. I have two other MM machines and am very satisfied with those as well. Honestly I don't think there's a whole lot of difference between the three machines. It's matter of how comfortable you are with the service. My woodworking doesn't depend on whole lot of resawing, so the 11.5 inch capacity is fine for now but I may move up to a bigger saw once I have the money and the space.
Here's a pic of my MM16 when it arrived. I had to place it on a dolly because the hand truck couldn't make it through the busted driveway.
I just spoke to a salesman at Nor Star Machine Tools (206-230-4910 - Jim) here in the Puget Sound area after I got their number via e-mail by contacting the Tannewitz web site.
He told me the Tannewitz Power Series were all made in China. I don't know if he knew his saws or what that means to anyone else but there it is.
I'm still leaning toward MiniMax. This is a great thread!
Regards,
Mack
A good friend of mine has the MM16. It's the most ruggedly built wwing machine I've seen yet. The rep at the show really pushed some wood through the saw and it never balked once. My friend's experience w/MM as a company has been wonderful...they continually refused to say bad things about their competitors, but the same was not true in reverse. We happened to see a Jet 18" at the same show....it's really an unfair comparison. There's not a GI, Delta, Jet, Grizzly or PM that's really in the same league. Most of the comments you read will echo similar sentiments.
There's an interesting article written by a mechanical engineer who compared the MM with the Laguna.
http://www.woodcentral.com/cgi-bin/readarticle.pl?dir=reviews&file=articles_206.shtml
scott ---
I read that article.
I would never go to an applianne store with a bag full of food and ask the salesman to cook me a meal. He is a salesman not a cook.
I would not expect a salesman to be a competent wood worker. I would not expect a demo saw to be tuned. (everyone except me seems to believe that a bandsaw needs tuning and you cannot just cut alone the fence.)
The example that the author used may be true but may give a false view of the two machines.
As far as cutting a 1/8" slice off of a 4/4x12" piece of wood using a 4" high fence. Either the result was not a uniform 1/8" or the story is a lie.
But then the internet allows lies to be spread.
George,
Appliances are "shown" in a showroom and seldom have hookups. Wood working machines displayed at a wood working show are a different animal altogether. A "demo" saw is by definition for "demonstration"; I would expect it to be meticulously tuned and set up for the best possible "demonstration". I would also expect the manufacturer to send highly trained and knowledgable folks to do the "demonstrating". If a manufacturer expects to sell machines as a result of the "demonstration", there better be more to it than slick paint, a cool looking design and flashy brochures.
I think the fellow that took the chunk of wood to the "demo" was right on the money! He took wood that he had some experience cutting on his present tool and compared it to the results on the two prospectives. Why would you spend big money on a tool that worked only as well or marginally better than what you have??
Mack
Thanks for the link Scotty, interesting read, curious what others think of it? Steve
I live in Utah and was impressed with what you said about the Minimax. Where can I buy one?
MiniMax has no dealers; they sell direct from Austin, Tx. They're usually at most all of the WoodWorking Shows. http://www.minimax-usa.com/ I have their smallest saw (now discontinued), the S14 and have been pleased with both the saw and sales/service. They're good folks to deal with. There's a MiniMax users group you can join if you want more feedback (takes a day or so from the time you sign up to when you can begin posting). http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/MiniMax-USA/
Fwiw, the newest MM16 has increased resaw capacity- 16", beefed up frame, and a bigger motor- 4.8hp.
You can contact them directly. http://www.minimax-usa.com/
Dirt,
Boy, are you in for a pleasant shock.....wait till you see these puppies live. Comparing a 14" whatever with a 16" MM is like comparing a Ford Echo with a Lincoln Navigator...gee, not much difference in the wheel base....lol.
Don't you also need to consider keeping your 14" Delta....along with a big re-saw ...to minimize the fussing? ...it seems many do that...
BG, I love that comparison, LMAO! Hope you're right. I'm only "guessing" there is a better saw out there, as I've never used anything but 14" Deltas.
Keeping the Delta makes sense, plus the wife likes to play with it, so maybe I can "give" it to her as a present when the new saw rolls in :)Steve
You will enjoy the larger bandsaw, whichever brand you choose. Look at the Iturra catalog before you buy. He has loads of information that might help you decide what size wheels you want and which blade to purchase. Consider keeping your 14"BS. I keep a 1/16" or 1/18" blade on my 14"BS with the Carter stabalizer on it for small work and keep a carbide tipped blade on my 16". If you get a 16" and want a carbide tipped blade, look for a thin blade. Most carbide tipped blades start at about .035" in thickness. I believe that Lennox has one that is .025". This may last longer than the thicker ones. Supposedly the thicker ones flex too much on a 16" or smaller wheel to have long blade life. Carbide blades do maintain a sharper edge longer than regular steel. If you can't afford carbide tipped, look for bi-metal. One article in FWW several years ago recommended a 1/4" bimetal blade with 6 tpi for almost all uses and said to tension it tight. Have fun.
Chuck,
Great info, thanks. I'll get Iturra's catalog. Actually, should have done that a long time ago. Boy that 6 tpi blade sounds like the opposite of everything I've been told. Seems like everybody says 3 tpi or less, no matter what. Actually, I've got a cheapie 6 tpi blade in my Delta right now (sharpest one I had) and for making bridle joints it worked OK.
In your opinion, would there be a benifit to a bigger saw then 16"?
Steve
edit cause I can't spell worth a ^@#%
Edited 2/8/2004 2:02:15 AM ET by Dirt Stirrer
I guess it would be nice to have a saw bigger than 16", especially if you want to use the thicker carbide tipped blades. Having a 12" resaw capacity is great, but how often do you plan to resaw something that big. I can't pick up a 12" piece of wood that is very long anymore. Picking up my 35lb 4 year old granddaughter ruins me for several weeks.
There are a couple of LARGE bandsaws on ebay right now. Check them out. You might save some money.
In my IMAGINARY WORKSHOP I have a 36" bandsaw, a double arbor 16" tablesaw, and planes & chisels that never get dull. In my real workshop, I am happy with what I have. I have a basic Laguna LT 16 with 12" resaw cabability and feel fortunate to have a carbide blade on it. My eyes will probably moisten up when the blade breaks from fatigue. Buy whatever you can afford and will do what you want to do with it. I always thought a Italian saw should be painted Ferrari Red. (I can't spell either) Have fun with whatever you purchase.
Chuck,
I have a 16" saw and I'm thinking of a .025 lenox carbide blade. How many hours do you have on yours so far?
Mike
Mike,
The blade I have on my Laguna LT16 is a 1/2" 3tpi .035 from Laguna. I bought it at the time because the wider blades cost more. I have somewhere up to 10 hours total. I release tension after I use it. It cuts whatever I throw at it. I think that the .025 would be the way to go. Louis Iturra knows much more about band saw blades than most people. If you are going to spend the sort of $ that a carbide tipped blade costs, get what may last you longer. It seems to make sense that it would be easier and less strain to tension a .025 on 16" wheels. I can probably tension my blade properly, but I don't know as I can't afford a tension guage. I do have some 1" 6tpi .035 Lennox bimetal blades that work just fine. I am a sucker for buying quality blades on ebay at a discount if they fit my 130" saw. I may be highly opinionated, but I know I don't know everything about band saws. I still think most people will enjoy a 16" saw over a 14".
Hay Chuck---Glad to see another Laguna person I have a HD-16 that been in the family for about 6 months now. Funny that you folks are talking about carbide blades I am waiting on a resaw king to arrive here. Well I am off to the shop got a big order to get done hope to talk at you later.
Thanks Chuck. I appreciate your comment.
Mike
I found the article about the 1/4" bimetal 6tpi blade. It was in The Best of Fine Woodworking Power Saws and Planers. The article was written by Jim Cummings. He recommended 6 tpi instead of 4 tpi because the 4tpi with hooked teeth may self feed and be hard to control at slow speeds. He said the 6tpi takes smaller bites and behaves itself. This was an older article however. I don't know if everything still holds true, but bimetal is still better than regular steel for the blades. I haven't used a smaller bimetal blade, I had bought a carbide tipped 1/2" 3tpi before I read the article.
Steve, that FWW "advice" sounds a little outdated, and in any case, the number of TPI is going to depend on how thick the wood is you're cutting. From reading the follow-up to Chuck's post, it sounds like that recommendation was being made for maybe general curve cutting and cross-cutting. Certainly not for resawing, LOL. forestgirl Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>) you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
No one has asked what you are going to do.
I have a 14" Delta.
I can resaw 8/4x12"x4' for small tables or 4"x6"x10' for some special work I do. I am not limited by the machine but by what I can handle alone - Resawing 8/8x12"x8' requires a long fence and a helper.
I can saw up panels to any width by keeping my stock to the right and having the offcut less than 16". (I guess for sheet goods 24" + fence would be useful.)
Professionals do one of two things:
1) build what they have the equipment for, or
2) buy equipment they have jobs for.
Ah yes George, you're right, but I'm not a full time pro, so I don't have to financially justify a new tool, thank heavens. Seems like a good way to ruin a great hobby.
Don't get me wrong, I like the Delta just fine, but, I think I'd like a bigger saw better. So many of the things I do with the Delta seem to be pushing its capabilities to the edge. I've resawed quite a bit of oak with it, and it works but it could be better. I don't have a riser, so if you figure the cost of that, then a bigger motor, and a better fence, then you've got a sustantial expenditure to make a 14" Delta do something another saw would do out of the box. Kind of seems to me like the shaper vs. router table debate. Guess I'm a shaper guy.
I think I'll keep the Delta, I'm kind of attached to it, but I'd like try something else too. Steve
Steve,
"great way to ruin a great hobby"
Yeah! What he said!! It's kind of like all those planes. I don't really need them but like someone else said; if my midlife crises is nothing more than a bunch of nice handtools, my wife should count her blessings!
Mack
So you wanted a 36" monster saw. Just sold my 36" Moak with 4 speed transmission for $550 and picked up a 20" Cresent. You should look for a used 20" Delta or 20" Powermatic. Either can be found in the wood/metal version for less than $1000. A 20" PM with 24" resaw just sold at auction for $750. Look for a used BS.
Why did you sell your old Moak? I'd love an old 36" saw, especially for $550! I tried to start a thread on a 20" Rockwell saw, but no bites. Are the old saws as good as a new MM or Aggy? I'm looking at taking delivery of the new saw this summer, and if a good deal on a huge old machine came up between now and then...
I've followed a bunch of old saws on Ebay, and DoAll's seem to bring a premium, ever been around one?Steve
Steve,
I worked around/with a Do-All when I was in the Navy. It was very large (30" min.; probably 36"), very old and very good. Had a two speed gear box (?) with infinately variable speed. Had a blade welder/grinder built in. Their big machines are top notch; don't know if they make any smaller machines; I've never seen one.
Mack
Mack,
I see there is a 36 inch Doall on Ebay now too, with a welder and grinder. I'm planing this purchase for July or so, but a good deal on a really big saw might be too hard to pass on.
Are those blade welders relatively trouble free? A guy could save a fortune buying blade stock in bulk and rolling his own.
Have a good evening, Steve
My only experience was quite a while back but as I recall there was very little grief with that machine.
I'm sure that if you once got the unit up and running and you were the only guy using it you'd be in great shape. The one I was around was used by scores of people and it was still very reliable.
You're absolutely right about the coiled blades. It is significantly cheaper by the 100 ft. ?? roll.
I used to entertain the idea of a huge BS but the space and the 3 ph power and the time required to restore turned my thinking back to the MM and similar saws.
If you have the space and the use for it, I don't think you'll ever regret getting a Do-All. Enjoy!
Mack
Edit: Scrit has some very valid points about the old iron! A blade welder could be bought or made for that matter, separately. Only thing the old DO-All has that I haven't seen on most others is the variable speed. That's only necessary if you're going to be cutting lots of different materials besides wood. Keep me posted about what you decide.
Mack
Edited 2/11/2004 10:55:20 AM ET by Mack
Mack,
I believe that you are quite correct about the Do-all's.. My dad owned a machine shop that had an absolutely humongous Do-all bandsaw (36 inch) with variable speed, blade welder and pulley system to apply pressure when sawing the various forms of steel that machine shops use. I really don't remember that the resaw height was much more that what I have on my MM16... As far as the depth of the throat, that's another matter..On top of the fact you would need a crane to move the thing..
God I wish I had one of the South Bend lathes that dad had in the machine shop...
Edited 2/11/2004 12:46:06 PM ET by BOBABEUI
The one I was around was a really great tool. I remember seeing 12" thick aluminum being cut on that thing, micarta, brass, plexiglass, all manner of steel and (rarely) even wood. It was just a matter of selecting the right blade and the right speed.
On the other hand, I don't plan on cutting anything but wood, I don't have electrical service to support such a beast and my space is good size (1200 sq. ft.) but it's not an aircraft hanger!
Regards,
Mack
Hi In reply to your post. My friend John has a BIG old bandsaw for sale. His # is (406)-581-0893 He also has a 12" jointer. Give him a call and good luck Bob
Last summer I was all set to buy the MM 24. But! I was on there forum and a man posted that his table was warped and how MM gave him money to have it ground at a machine shop. That didn't set well with me, so I called Jesse at Eagle (who I've known for 20 years) and asked him what he would do about a warped top. He said I wouldn't get a bad top from him because he has his technician go over every machine and fill out a check list before it leaves his store and the top is one of the items on the list. No brainer! I bought the Agazzani 24 3ph.
The only bad thing I had already bought thinner and a box of rags to clean the grease off. They clean most of it so they can check and aline it. Within 10 minutes of hitting my shop floor I was cutting wood.
The only problem I have had was the drive belt squeaks when it first starts. Jesse offered to change the belt the pulleys the wheel, what ever it takes to make it right. You can't get any better service than that.
Last monday was re-saw day. I Billed $700 from various customers. I reallllyyy like my saw. I call it my Agie MM (Money Maker)
I also kept my Delta 14 with a 1/8" blade in it.
Jeff in so cal
Jeff,
I'm hearing good feedback from Aggy and MM owners,but no Laguna loyalists, hmmm....
Might I ask, why did the warped table situation spook you? Did MM offer to pay for his time too, or just the machining?
Sounds like you're quite happy with your choice, in retrospect, would you change anything?
Why did you choose a 24" saw?
Steve
I don't know if I would call myself a "loyalist"...I mean they are tools aren't they? I have a Laguna 16SE. It has worked great for the few years I've had it. It does everything a bandsaw is supposed to do. Before that I had a Jet 14". It also cut wood, just not as much, and not as fast as the Laguna. I'm sure you can always find a better tool than the one you have!
Mike
Steve,
"I'm hearing good feedback from Aggy and MM owners,but no Laguna loyalists, hmmm...."
I wouldn't say that. The Laguna is a great saw. It seems that every one who owns one loves it.
"Might I ask, why did the warped table situation spook you? Did MM offer to pay for his time too, or just the machining?"
I don't think you should have to spend that mush time on a brand new tool, where is quality control in Italy? If I remember right they gave him $100.00 My time is worth more than that.
"Sounds like you're quite happy with your choice, in retrospect, would you change anything?"
I'm very happy. My band saw of choice would be a combination of all of them. There is no perfect tool!
"Why did you choose a 24" saw?"
The difference from a 20" to a 24" is quite a bit. The whole saw is bigger. It's like going from a mid size car to a full size. On the 24" and up you can use a power feeder, I needed that. Also I like the lever tilt on the table.
I just realized that I waxed the top only once the day I bought it. I wax my other tools daily because they need it. And I use my band saw the most. It's not machined, It's plained?
Jeff in so cal
I did some of the same going back and forth at the Philadelphia (Ft. Washington) woodworking show a couple years ago between Laguna, Minmax and Bridgewood (Wilke Machinery). Found the same experience several others mention about the "mistruths" some reps would state about the competition.
Bottom line for me, after extensive looking at the construction of the machines, weight of the flywheels, etc., was Bridgewood PBS series, 20 inch saw. It is wonderful. You can look at it at http://www.wilkemachinery.com
In the article link that Scotty has in his reply to you, it says, "The Bridgewood and Felder saws are virtually the same, except: Bridgewood has replaced the Italian motor with a US motor due to overheating problems." You probably know the quality and price of Felder (fantastic and expensive). And the Bridgewood pirce was in line with Minmax, Laguna, etc.
Alan - planesaw
Dirt Stirrer,
I have a MM16 and am quite pleased with the machine. I can easily resaw stock that is 13 inches wide, the 3.6 hp motor has more than enough power and at 480 pounds quite ruggedly built. I would buy the machine again in a minute, can't say that for any other power tool that I have so far.
Not too sure that you could go too wrong with any of the three machines that you mentioned..
Good luck
Hands down, the best band saw I've had the pleasure of using is a Northfield 20". My high school shop was equipped with a Northfield table saw, jointer and band saw. Smooth as butter, loads of power, fit and finish was impeccable! Here's a link to their website http://www.northfieldwoodworking.com/bandsaws/bandsaws.htm These products are spendy, I think in excess of $6000 for the base model band saw, probably approaching 10 with all the bells and whistles. They show up used with some frequency if you keep you eyes open. The other potential problem is that they run on 3-phase power, nothing that a phase converter can't fix, though.
Their table saws are works of art too. My first job out of college was just down the road in Northfield, MN. They had some government contracts at the time and the inspector would schedule visits to our facility and theirs in the same round to cut down on travel. He claimed that the saws would run so smoothly that in his words "you can stand a nickel on edge on the table and when you turn the saw on, it won't tip over". I don't doubt his claim having used one of the saws all through high school. He promised to take me through on a tour, but I changed jobs before I had the chance to take him up on the offer.
I have a Laguna 16HD. I think it is a superb bandsaw.
Stephen J. Gaal
Well folks I own a Laguna HD-16 and you will not find anything on the market that can even come close to it. If you look at todays market this is the only company that is chaning the standards for performance. The new Laguna ceramic guides are awesome. Look who is winning the awards this year at the shows.I can run this saw all day long and never mess with it.
That's what I wanted PERFORMANCE
Cedar,
I've been flodded with Minimax info, but still no Laguna propoganda. Fill me in on the ceramic guides, why are they better then anything else? I like Lagunas color scheme, but hope I get some real info soon.
By the way, welcome to Knots. Any particular reason for your name? Steve
I build Cedar furniture for a living. Laguna's ceramic guides are one of a kind. No one eles has a product that I can compare them to.
Think about this no moving parts and they do not get hot.
I looked at them all and it's hard to figure out which one to buy.
Once you get a Laguna home and set up where you can put it to work you will know that you bought the right saw. To me that's the most important thing I look at----How much work will a machine do.
Steve
When it comes to bandsaws size IS important - at least when it comes to resawing! Like Jeff I, too, bought an Aggy - in my case a 28in. The jump from 20in to 24in is significant if you want to resaw (24 to 28in is less so) - the 28in saw for example will accommodate 16in under the guides and rip 21in wide on the fence. It came with the standard (in this market) 4 HP 3-phase motor. It has been boringly reliable and does everything I want of it. It can easily tension a 1-1/4in .040in thick body carbide tipped blade (I use Lenox Trimaster III 2/3tpi variable pitch hook tooth for resawing) and it will consistently cut sub-1mm (3/64in) thick veneers at 12in high in hardwoods with the power feeder. I don't see much difference in quality between the Aggy and the MM (Centauro in Europe). I think it depends on how well you get on with the vendor.
There are a couple of reasons for not going to old cast iron saws: They do not have the depth of cut of the modern steel Euro saws, for example a 30in Wadkin BZB will give you just 13in under the guides. You will almost certainly have to replace the guides. A set of Chaco or Carter guides on a big saw don't come cheap (I've known people buy bargain cast saws only to spend more on the guides than the saw - I was one of them). And lastly a 24in Euro bandsaw weighs over 1/3 ton, a similar cast iron saw comes in at more than twice that - OK if you have a fork lift truck to unload it and manhandle it into position. Most new Euro saws also come with a motor brake which reduces risk of accident when turning off - not a clincher, I know, but certainly a point to bear in mind when resawing high stuff.
I'm also wary of secondhand steel frame saws. If they've been left on full tension all the tie (instead of being detensioned at the end of each session) the frame can be pulled out of alignment. This is the Achilles heal of steel frame saws is is probably the only downside.
Whatever you decide on consider keeping your old 14in Delta for small stuff - I still have my 14in saw from years back as well as the big one.
Good luck!
Scrit in England
Hi Scrit
Can you tell me about your power feeder. I haven't bought one yet. The $1,200. price tag for the big one seems high. Do I need that good of one? I will be re-sawing thousands of lineal feet of flooring with a 1 1/2" 2 tpi with a few teeth racked over to make the wood rougher. This is to simulate barn wood. I've been told that I need to go 3ph and then put it on converter with with variable speed.
Jeff in so cal
Hi Jeff
The power feeder I went for is the Comatic AF/18, see http://www.comatic.com.tw/17.htm which is sold by several people in the States (so worth shopping around), although I did manage to find an importer in the UK (for those on my side of the pond). This is not the biggest one available, but seems to suit my saw rather well. I reckoned that the smaller one (the AF/16) was a bit underpowered for my needs and also that the roller fence was a bit too small. If possible get someone to show you the feeder in use - the AF/18 will run 10in wide pine at 93 ft/min, or full speed, with a freshly sharpened blade. I opted for both polyurethane tyres and serrated metal wheels to add versatility (the serrateds means that I can resaw green timbers but they do mark the stock, the PU is used for dry stock). With 4 HP on the 28in saw I'm able to rip 14in oak without a hitch and the power feeder means that you get a much more consistent cut (at lower speeds), so less clean-up. This is probably the opposite of what you are trying to achieve, but the difference at the end of a half a day's resawing is that my shoulders and back don't ache quite as much. After 2 years commercial shop use the power feeder is still working OK and I've had no problems with it to date.
I feel that resawing on a narrow bandsaw like these isn't the same as using a wide bandsaw. Wide bandsaws are designed to cut deep, green stock which takes a lot of power. With the narrow saw all you are doing is resawing dry timber (in the main), and you are normally looking for a better quality cut, so there's less of a need for maximum speed. The kinetic energy stored in a pair of large cast-iron disc wheels (which is what the Aggy and others have) helps to overcome the resistance when you are sawing through knots, so a good sharp blade with 3 HP will probably be more than adequate. Can't see the point in using variable speed for the blade, though. If it's speed you're after rather than cut quality you might be better off trying to get something like a secondhand Wadkin PBR/HD, Meber 900 RS or possibly a Forrestor 1000 (sorry, don't know about stuff like Tannewitz's) - these are beefed-up steel-framed bandsaws, a cross between the narrow Euro saw and a cast-iron band rack, which run a 2-1/2 to 3in blade, where the blade runs directly on the cast-iron wheel (no rubber tyre) and have heavy-duty high-speed hydraulic feeders. They were designed specifically for the task you are doing, but have enough power to resaw green stock. The downside is that they are very expensive, even second-hand (although much cheaper than a cast-iron wide band saw), and they need 3-phase (motors typically around 20HP). This isn't saying that a 24in saw won't do the job, just that it won't be as fast as a purpose built machine.
Scrit
Scrit,
Thanks for your reply about old saws lacking a few things. Never considered new guides being that pricey. Makes a huge difference on which saw to pick. I'm getting a crash course on big bandsaws here, thanks for your advise.Steve
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