Bandsaws: Jet JWBS-SFX 14" vs Grizzly G0513A40

I am a novice looking to purchase my first bandsaw for a small woodworking shop. I will mostly work on small & medium projects, and will be occasionally re-sawing rough sawn 4x4's and maybe 6x6's. I am investing money into other woodworking tools, so I am limiting myself to about $1500. At the moment, I am eyeing the Jet JWBS-SFX 14in. for $1439.99 and the Grizzly G0513A40 (40th anniversary addition) 17 in. for $1699.00. I was initially thinking of getting a 14" saw, but for just $200 more I could get the Grizzly 17". Both bandsaws have great reviews. For those of you with experience with bandsaws, is the decision a no-brainer? Or is it a flip of a coin? Which saw do you advise and why?

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Originally Posted by Elmer Haley

I am a novice looking to purchase my first bandsaw for a small woodworking shop. I will mostly work on small & medium projects, and will be occasionally re-sawing rough sawn 4x4's and maybe 6x6's. I am investing money into other woodworking tools, so I am limiting myself to about $1500. At the moment, I am eyeing the Jet JWBS-SFX 14in. for $1439.99 and the Grizzly G0513A40 (40th anniversary addition) 17 in. for $1699.00. I was initially thinking of getting a 14" saw, but for just $200 more I could get the Grizzly 17". Both bandsaws have great reviews. For those of you with experience with bandsaws, is the decision a no-brainer? Or is it a flip of a coin? Which saw do you advise and why?

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Neither if considering new. Depending on your location you may find either of these bandsaws or something close used for a fraction the cost. These are targeted for first time buyers IMHO and often upgraded. As for the models mentioned I think both would serve you well. There isn't much to differentiate them.

IMO it all comes down to resaw capacity and / or how you plan to use it. Do you have a table saw or do you plan to rip on it as well?

I had a 17" 3hp Grizzly...customer service was great. Had a few issues with the saw, but they did everything they could to make it right. I got the 17" saw so I'd 'buy once, cry once,' but honestly I underestimated how big it was and overestimated my needs.

Downsized my shop and got a Laguna 14/12 or whatever its called and a 1/2" Resaw King blade. Recommend that combo highly FWIW (don't sleep on a good blade...the blades make all the difference).

Did you also consider Laguna 14|12? It's also a highly rated machine. I have the 14|BX because i wanted the more powerful motor and 220v I am very happy with it, but there is a prices difference over the 14|12, which sits at about 1600 (you just missed their sale too). Another machine to consider is Harvey's ambassador-c14 with it's 3hp motor, and in a flash-sale today for $1579. One important thing to note about the 14|BX and the Harvey ambassador-c14 is they both have emergency foot brakes that stop the blade, which both machines you are looking at don't have. The wind-down on a bandsaw can take a bit of time and that is one safety feature I like having on my bandsaw, knowing the blade is STOPPED!

With that said, every time I look at buying a machine (except for my tablesaw), I always look at Grizzly, and I so far have not bought anything from them. I know they have a range of quality and some more 'discounted' machines and I just end up steering away for some reason. In the end though, most of the time the base of these machines are the same, with a few different knobs on them and a different paint job.

Here's what looks to be that machine, the larger Grizz that is...
though unsure if there were upgrades made to it.
Cant argue with those results.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5b5lgjp-6I

Took me a while to find again, interesting take on things.
Seems Kurt has made use of the cheaper table to his advantage!
Attachment 514732

Edit: Only spotted the above machine is actually a different model with a foot brake,
though there looks to be something in-between, but whether it's actually the same machine, I couldn't tell ya.

The cheaper one you mentioned, has aluminium wheels compared to cast iron.
I think it would be worth the jump, should the machine be identical, minus the foot brake?
I suspect that might take a bit of digging really.
https://www.grizzly.com/products/gri...unnion/g0513x2
Attachment 514735

Personally, if looking for a forever machine, I'd be looking for 3 phase Italian machine for cheap, capable of comfortably tensioning a Woodmaster CT and tame it with a VFD.

Good luck

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Originally Posted by Justin Rapp

Another machine to consider is Harvey's ambassador-c14 with it's 3hp motor, and in a flash-sale today for $1579.

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That looks like a great deal on the Harvey. I was about to pull the trigger on it, but then saw the $499 shipping cost. OUCH!!!! I know shipping is expensive, but that seems a bit steep. Is the Harvey c-14 really worth their regular asking price??? Or do they inflate it so that the $1579 looks like a bargain? I mean the regular cost of $2749 for a 14" BS seems a bit out of range when looking at the cost of other 14" bandsaws.

Those Harvey's look junk to me, no hub for adjustment of the lower wheel!
Attachment 514736

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Originally Posted by Tom Trees

Those Harvey's look junk to me, no hub for adjustment of the lower wheel!
Attachment 514736

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Honest question Tom; have you ever asked yourself why you're the only one beating this drum?

If warranties make a difference to you, Jet is 5 years and Grizzly is 1 year. Or at least it has been. I'm definitely not a fan of Grizzly bandsaws with cast iron wheels.

Good honest design John, as not everyone is as lucky as some folks are.
One could ask the same thing, why you may think it may not matter, or indeed why you'd bother clicking,
if you've no interest in bandsaw comparison type threads... surely you'd be aiming for the standards to be upheld, if not bettered?

One could guess with a name like... Lanciani, you may have skin in the game? :):cool:

Seeing as we're talkin lighter weight sheet metal design bandsaws
The Italian design being the starting point, and regarding the basics at it's core, mainly the wheels...
has been unchanged since those early models.

To cut corners there is very different to the recipe in which the Italian's have made,
Guessing you might have the impression that I've got some chip on me shoulder, regarding my posts on the shenanigans
that is "jobs for the boys" ...
but compared to other brands, much less unscrupulous IMO, as they can just re-brand and sell another round of unserviceable machines to the
unsuspecting public, and that's coming from someone who wouldn't be loathing working on a machine, rather than using it.

All the best
Tom

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Originally Posted by Richard Coers

If warranties make a difference to you, Jet is 5 years and Grizzly is 1 year. Or at least it has been. I'm definitely not a fan of Grizzly bandsaws with cast iron wheels.

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Why is that? Have you found anything wrong with the cast iron wheels?

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Originally Posted by Elmer Haley

That looks like a great deal on the Harvey. I was about to pull the trigger on it, but then saw the $499 shipping cost. OUCH!!!! I know shipping is expensive, but that seems a bit steep. Is the Harvey c-14 really worth their regular asking price??? Or do they inflate it so that the $1579 looks like a bargain? I mean the regular cost of $2749 for a 14" BS seems a bit out of range when looking at the cost of other 14" bandsaws.

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My guess is it's over-inflated and maybe worth about the same as the 14|BX @ $2000, but ya, I didn't see that shipping cost. However at 1579 plus 499, you are sitting about the same as a 14|BX for 2000 plus there shipping cost, which I suspect is maybe 200?

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Originally Posted by Tom Trees

Good honest design John, as not everyone is as lucky as some folks are.
One could ask the same thing, why you may think it may not matter, or indeed why you'd bother clicking,
if you've no interest in bandsaw comparison type threads... surely you'd be aiming for the standards to be upheld, if not bettered?

One could guess with a name like... Lanciani, you may have skin in the game? :):cool:

Seeing as we're talkin lighter weight sheet metal design bandsaws
The Italian design being the starting point, and regarding the basics at it's core, mainly the wheels...
has been unchanged since those early models.

To cut corners there is very different to the recipe in which the Italian's have made,
Guessing you might have the impression that I've got some chip on me shoulder, regarding my posts on the shenanigans
that is "jobs for the boys" ...
but compared to other brands, much less unscrupulous IMO, as they can just re-brand and sell another round of unserviceable machines to the
unsuspecting public, and that's coming from someone who wouldn't be loathing working on a machine, rather than using it.

All the best
Tom

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Tom - if everyone had the funds to buy the starting price point Italian made band saw, with starting prices in the $5000 plus price range, there would be no such thing as an asian made machine in the $1500-3000 range.

If you're not careful you're not going to be even close to your budget. There's always going to be a model priced a little higher. Lots of woodworkers get by with a Delta clone 14" cast iron bandsaw which is well below a steel frame saw. I'm not sure where you live but you might be able to find a local dealer that carries the Jet to avoid shipping costs (or at least reduced costs). Grizzly is going to be shipped to you unless you live near either one of their showrooms. Personally I would go with the Grizzly. I like the larger wheels. They give you more throat depth. Also it means the blades flex less going around the wheels. Plus I believe it has two speeds. I think either one will work as long as you plan on getting good blades (the one that comes with either saw is junk) and you don't think you're going to resaw 12" boards at hundreds of feet per minute.

Sorry Justin, I should have wrote "blueprint" rather than "starting point", and should have mentioned that blueprint is the starting point in regards
to studying any machine in detail, as you've gotta be familiar with the original blueprint, to see where the corners are cut on anything else.
I'm not suggesting just Grizzly as a cheap alternative, take Rikon for example?
Plenty of brands to choose from, which have decent cast iron wheels and no oddities like bolted on aluminium hubs for the drive wheel,
and feature the usual design on the back of the machine, for adjustment of the shaft that you see on pretty much all bandsaws since the later 1980's.
Basically, I'd not be too snobby to work on something which had the fundamentals there to bother with.

If the OP can hold onto the cash, a 24" machine will likely pop up for the same money, needing a bit of work.
It'd be three phase, so one would need learn about VFD's...but that's a no-brainer for the frugal minded who don't have a choice,
and at the end of the day, nicer to get something which is more user friendly and well built like the Italian designs.
Not much with those that you can't make right again.

If looking for something only slightly smaller, and Italian, for around the same money as the 24" machines, then you'll likely be waiting forever.
Makes a bit more sense then, to be open to other brands...
just make sure the wheel bores aren't wallowed out, and I suppose that the wheels aren't unbalanced,
as with any machine... that and the motor still sound being the most important in general.
Weight of the machine here, will likely be your best bet on how hefty a blade you can run successfully,
say for a 20" machine, ideally not sub 200kg seems about right to me, I posted a pic yesterday of the cheap new lemon what got returned, weighing that much,
and it wasn't happy about the dealer and the machine company rep installing a 1" blade on it, in a last ditch attempt to get it to run right, (didn't work for them)

Just sayin, as I hear they make 3/4" carbide blades nowadays, so worth consideration for the future.
Take a look at John Teneyck's results from the Woodmaster CT, and perhaps some posts from Tai Fu for possible cheaper alternatives in time!
Attachment 514760

All the best,
Tom