Questions on Agazzani 20" bandsaw

Hello everyone. I have been lurking in the Creek for months, but this is my first post. Here goes...

A never used 2 year old Agazzani 20-inch bandsaw - model NRA 460, has popped up on craigslist. The price is $1875. On the outside, this seems like a great deal compared to what I was originally favoring - a Laguna LT16HD. But after you add on the Driftmaster fence, take into account the smaller motor (3 Hp vs 4.5 Hp), smaller resaw capacity (13" vs 16"), no warranty - I am not so sure.

Can any Agazzani owners tell me the throat capacity and table size of the Agazzani 20"? Is the NRA 460 the same as the model B-20 from Eagle Tools?

I have read many many great threads on this forum about the relative merits of different manufacturers. I favor the Laguna because I really like the way they are pushing on bandsaw innovations. I understand the complaints that their customer service is reputed to be less than stellar. Hopefully that has improved. I am sure I would be happy with any of MiniMax, Laguna, or Agazzani, but what would a major tool purchase be without torturing myself with endless spec comparisons.

Thanks in advance. Glad I got the "first post" anxiety out of the way.
David

I am just going to say "bigger is better" only if you "need" bigger.

I had two bandsaws at one point, a small delta and larger Laguna. If I didn't need the power and capacity of the laguna then I would just use the delta and it would work just fine. It was quieter, drew less power, and felt more of an appropriate tool to use for my smaller tasks.

So if you see yourself using the capacity and power of the "bigger" saw, then go for it.

David,

IMO, 3 h.p. is more than adequate for a 20" band saw; my 18" Oliver had a huge old 1/2 h.p. motor and power was never an issue.

Only you know what kind of work you'll be doing, but I think people sometimes overestimate how much resawing they're going to be doing, and how much resaw capacity they'll need.

As for throat capacity, it should be very close to the nominal size of the machine/diameter of the wheels (20" in this case).

I've never used an Agazzani, but I've only heard good stuff about them.

Be aware that not all Lagunas are Italian saws if that is important. Not all come with the driftmaster fence...I see one package that does I believe the 3000 classic and I do not see a 16 inch resaw on any 16 inch saws from Languna now the MM16 has all that well not the fence. Good luck in your search I just got called my new bandsaw is waiting to be picked up.

The NRA460 might be an 18 inch wheel size bandsaw. Assuming 460 is the wheel size in milli-metres then 460mm/25.4mm per inch equals 18.1 inches. I just purchased a new B20 from Eagle Tools, the table size is about 26" x 19" deep. I have only had the saw for about a week but so far I am very happy with it. It is an impressive looking machine - the fit and finish is excellent.

The 18 inch Aggazanni bandsaw at Eagle Tools is about $2400. At one time the 18" saw only had a 2.5 Hp motor - it now has a 3 HP motor. I was also looking at the Laguna HD16 but descided on the B20 since I preffered a saw with 20 inch wheels and also liked the larger table size. I think 3 HP is plently of power for a 20 inch bandsaw with a sharp blade.

Thank you Larry. Your explanation about the model number being the size in millimeters makes perfect sense, especially since I saw listed somewhere a 500 and 600 model.

The bandsaw is still listed on craigslist, but I may pass for now. I am in the process of restoring a Hammer A3 31 J/P and still need to bring 240V power into my garage.

I have a LT20 it has a 6hp motor on it and I have run the motor to its max a few times. IMO bigger is better. Forget about the little bit of power a bigger motor will draw for the few min at a time you will run the saw.
Adam