I have been having some pretty significant trouble ripping some very old chestnut beams and white oak planks on my G0513X2 using a 1" 3TPI blade from Grizzly. I was starting to get concerned (and a bit dismayed) that perhaps my trusty G0513X2 and its 2HP motor may have been over-matched; however, based on some posts I have read here, I now believe it may be the blade I am using.
I gave a call to Suffolk machinery and spoke with Tom (very helpful and knowlegdeable), and based on my situation & needs his strong preference would be a 1-3/8" bi-metal blade, but he is not sure it will fit on my G0513X2...it may be too wide. The Grizzly specs say the G0513X2 can handle up to a 1" blade, Tom relayed that he does know of folks who have used a 1-1/2" blade, but not the 1-3/8" blade.
Has anybody out there ever used a 1-3/8" blade on their G0513X2? Any recommedations for me on where to measure on the machine to see if it will fit? Any other considerations/advice/pitfalls of using an "over-thick" blade on my bandsaw?
Thanks in advance!