Bandsaw Question

[Brian Riley]

I had it all set in regards to getting a MM16 bandsaw.....or at least I thought I did. While looking through a curent magazine I saw that Grizzly has come out with a 21" bandsaw - G0566. It is not on their website yet but here are the basic specs:

3HP - 220v
Throat - 20"
Resaw - 14"
Blades - 1/4" thru 1 3/8"
Blade Length - 165"
Speed - 4600 rpm
Cast Iron Fence
Geared Table Adjustment
Ball Bearing Guides
Weight - 678 lbs.

Total Cost - $1645

Now, I am FAR from being any kind of a major player in regards to woodworking however I do enjoy it and when I do build something I do my best (perfectionist by nature). But in reality it can be weeks between my times spent in the woodshop (due to other obligations) and who knows how often the bandsaw would be getting used. It is these facts that is making me wonder if I can really justify spending the $2200 on the MM16. I have never had any experience with Grizzly tools at all so that is also in the back of my mind.

I guess I'm just looking for some advice on which way I should go while trying to keep in mind the reality of my situation. That $550 difference between the cost of the Grizzly and the MM16 could go towards another piece of equipment. However on the other hand I don't want to think that I could be throwing money towards a bandsaw that I wouldn't be happy with (Grizzly).

Last question - how often do you require the need for more throat space whether it be a 14", 16", 18", 21", etc. bandsaw that you may have?

Thanks again,
Brian

[Steve King]

Brian,
I don’t know about the Grizzly BS but a friend of mine has the MM16. He is very hard on his equipment and the MM has never failed him. To find more on the Grizzly BS, you should post the question on the Oak forum. I think every member on that site has Grizzly equipment.



Steve

Moderator notice: A direct link to another public forum violates the SMC Terms of Service. Link was removed.

[Jim Becker]

Brian, only you can determine which way to go on this. Grizzly makes some fine equipment and it's obvious that the price they charge is fair and compelling. I do suspect that if you put the two machines side-by-side, you'd be able to find noticable differences, but whether they matter or not is up to you.

I will not tell you that Mini Max equipment is perfect...I have had to request parts replacement for both of my MM machines. But I'm certain I made a good choice in my buying decision. And, I love the company and people who work there.

[Steven Wilson]

I'm a weekend woodwarior too and haven't yet regretted buying the best 20" midweight bandsaw on the market; Minimax MM20. I looked at the ACM bandsaws marketed by Felder, Laguna, and Bridgewood as well as the Asian bandsaw offerings from Grizzly, Jet, Seco and others, and the MiniMax MM series (made by Centauro) are clearly better in a number of ways; wheels, trunion, guide support, tension, electronics (safety lockouts), and frame (thickness). I chose the MM20 over the MM16 because of the greater resaw capacity, larger motor (4.8hp), and throat space. Other than size issues the MM20 and MM16 are the same. Folk's who own one are very satisfied with them. With MiniMax you'll also have great customer service and their user group (on Yahoo) is very active and a great resource; you will be taken care of after the sale.

With the July special being run by Minimax (check their website and download the IWF flyer), the MM16 is at a great price point (lower price, blades and mobility kit thrown in). Of course, with the low cost of credit at the moment you should give serious consideration to Minimax's complete shop special; a MM16 bandsaw and CU300 Smart combo machine with shipping included for $12K. If you're in the Twin Cities give me a buzz and you can spend some time on mine.

Steve

[JayStPeter]

I was in the same situation a while ago. I was looking at, and saving for, a LT16. When I called to pull the trigger, I was informed of the shipping charge. Whew, needed to wait another month or so. Then I picked up a mag and saw the brand new 17" Grizzly. Same specs, a little lighter weight, half the price including shipping.
So, that's what I got. It's been a good saw and I have no regrets. A used 8" jointer came my way soon after and I had the left over cash to grab it.
I would like to have a MM or LT. But, I haven't found fault with my saw yet that would nearly justify it. That said, if I didn't have a bandsaw and I had the cash, I'd get a MM or LT.

A bandsaw is a super useful tool. I've found lots of uses I never thought of for mine. Might I suggest the 19" Grizzly. It would put you at half the MM cost. It's also a proven tool. I did have some early production problems with my 17" Grizzly. But, once I got hold of Bill Croffut at Grizzly, he took care of all of it. It did take around a month to get it right, but I didn't really NEED the saw at the time. They had to get new parts made and shipped over. I give Grizzly customer service a thumbs up.

As for your throat question, I have run into a number of situations where the throat was limiting. With just an 8" jointer, I haven't come close to a situation where I've needed the full 12" resaw height (though that was my main concern when comparing saws).


Jay (European taste, with a Tiawaneese budget)

[Ken Garlock]

Hi Brian. I bought the MM-16 last fall. It is built like the proverbial brick outhouse. The customer service has been excellent. I have not had a problem with the saw, but a couple the blades included in the package were back ordered, and my salesman kept me informed of their status. In addition, this Wednesday I received an Email from my salesman asking how I liked the saw and if there was anything I needed. That was a first for me, having a sales person interested in how his equipment was holding up.

Regardless of which saw you buy, get a copy of the Ittura Designs catalog, it is an education in itself. Also, spend $135 on their tension gauge. And lastly, buy some Lenox bi-metal blades.

Buy quality, and spend your money once

BTW, my second choice was the Bridgewood/Wilke PBS series band saw.

[Steven Wilson]

If you're really interested in comparing apples to apples then compare the Grizzly to the S45 or S16 bandsaws from Minimax; they're more similar in construction to each other than the MM series bandsaws are to the Grizzly lineup. The MM series saws (along with similar product from Eagle Tools, Bridgewood, and Laguna) are the next notch up in quality and robustness. Of course you could get a real heavyweight like the Northfield 20" but then $10K is a bit much http://www.northfieldwoodworking.com...aws/20inch.htm .

[Tom LaRussa]

Anybody have any info or experience with Tannewitz? I recently found out that they have a subsidiary, Max Industries, which builds somewhat smaller saws which seem to be aimed at the smaller industrial user / hard-core hobbyist markets. They certainly look impressive on paper -- the smallest saw they make is a 16 incher with a 10.6" under-blade capacity, a 3.6 hp motor, and a weight of 355 lbs.




<UI><LI>Miter Gauge and Fence STD
<UI><LI>Sealed Ball Bearings
<UI><LI>Adjustable Miter Gauge and Rip Fence
<UI><LI>Magnetic Controls
<UI><LI>Precision Machined Tilting Table
<UI><LI>Accurate Blade Tension Indicator
<UI><LI>Sturdy rack & pinion guidepost
<UI><LI>Quality Blade Guides
<UI><LI>Four-sided Blade Guard with Exclusive retracting Rear Guard
<UI><LI>Interlocking Doors for Safety
<UI><LI>Tracking Windows


<TABLE class=bodytext width=650 align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=2></TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top colSpan=2><TABLE cellPadding=2 width="100%" align=center border=1><TBODY><TR><TD> </TD><TD align=middle>$7,250</TD><TD align=middle>$4,095</TD><TD align=middle>$2,800</TD><TD align=middle>$2,100</TD></TR><TR><TD>MODEL</TD><TD>36" BAND SAW</TD><TD>24" BAND SAW</TD><TD>20" BAND SAW</TD><TD>16" BAND SAW</TD></TR><TR><TD>THROAT CAPACITY (MAX.)</TD><TD>35.8</TD><TD>24</TD><TD>18.9</TD><TD>15.2</TD></TR><TR><TD>UNDERGUIDE CAPACITY (MAX.)</TD><TD>22 STD*</TD><TD>16 STD*</TD><TD>11.8"</TD><TD>10.6"</TD></TR><TR><TD>HORSEPOWER</TD><TD>10 HP STD
230/460 3ph</TD><TD>3.6 HP^
230/460 3ph</TD><TD>3.6 HP^
220/440 3ph
220v 1ph </TD><TD>3.6 HP
220/440 3ph
220v 1ph</TD></TR><TR><TD>BLADE SPEED</TD><TD>5500 SFM</TD><TD>5500 SFM</TD><TD>5500 SFM</TD><TD>5100 SFM</TD></TR><TR><TD>WHEEL DIAMETER</TD><TD>37"</TD><TD>25.2"</TD><TD>19.7"</TD><TD>16"</TD></TR><TR><TD>UPPER WHEEL ADJUSTMENT</TD><TD>5"</TD><TD>2.5"</TD><TD>2"</TD><TD>2"</TD></TR><TR><TD>BLADE WIDTH</TD><TD>3/16" - 1 1/4"</TD><TD>3/16" - 1"</TD><TD>3/16" - 1"</TD><TD>3/16" - 1"</TD></TR><TR><TD>TABLE SIZE</TD><TD>31" X 45"</TD><TD>24 1/2" X 34 1/4"</TD><TD>19" X 25"</TD><TD>16 1/2" X 22 1/2"</TD></TR><TR><TD>TABLE TILT</TD><TD>45<SUP>o</SUP>R, 5<SUP>o</SUP>L</TD><TD>45<SUP>o</SUP>R, 5<SUP>o</SUP>L</TD><TD>45<SUP>o</SUP>R, 5<SUP>o</SUP>L</TD><TD>45<SUP>o</SUP>R, 5<SUP>o</SUP>L</TD></TR><TR><TD>TABLE HEIGHT </TD><TD>44"</TD><TD>38 1/2"</TD><TD>35.4"</TD><TD>35"</TD></TR><TR><TD>OVERALL HEIGHT</TD><TD>112"</TD><TD>86"</TD><TD>75"</TD><TD>73"</TD></TR><TR><TD>BASE DIMENSIONS</TD><TD>38" X 68 1/2"</TD><TD>25" X 44 1/2"</TD><TD>17" X 29"</TD><TD>16" X 25"</TD></TR><TR><TD>NET WEIGHT</TD><TD>2050 lbs.</TD><TD>760 lbs.</TD><TD>475 lbs.</TD><TD>355 lbs.</TD></TR><TR><TD>BLADE LENGTH</TD><TD>21'9"</TD><TD>15'6"</TD><TD>13'6"</TD><TD>11'4"</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></SPAN><TR><TD class=bodytext align=middle colSpan=2>^ 5 Horse Power available on 20" & 24"
* Larger Underguide capacity available on 24" & 36" </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
http://www.max-ind.com/m_catalog2.asp


The Tannewitz "Power Series" saws look even more impressive:

<TABLE class=bodytext width=650 align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=bodytext colSpan=2><TABLE class=BodyText id=Table1 cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=1 width=680 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=bodytextreallybig colSpan=3>Tannewitz Power Series</TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=3>More power, more value, and more features provide the perfect performance package.</TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=3></TD></TR><TR><TD></TD><TD></TD><TD vAlign=top>
Power-more horsepower for resawing and contouring. Cuts the big jobs down to size.
Speed-only a heavy duty, finely crafted saw can run at these high speeds. You will see the difference in ease of cutting.
Heavy duty tension-allows you to tension larger blades for faster and more accurate resawing. Blade deflection is no longer a concern.

STANDARD EQUIPMENT

• Mitre gauge and rip fence
• Fully enclosed blade guards
• Magnetic controls
• Upper and lower door interlocks
• Roller guides
• Sealed bearings
• Tension indicator

</TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=3></TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=3> </TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=3><TABLE class=BodyText cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=1 width="100%" border=1><TBODY><TR><TD>MODEL</TD><TD align=middle>HB500</TD><TD align=middle>HB600</TD><TD align=middle>HB700</TD></TR><TR class=RedText><TD>PRICE</TD><TD align=middle>$2,200 / $2,400</TD><TD align=middle>$3,100</TD><TD align=middle>$4,000</TD></TR><TR><TD>Throat Capacity</TD><TD align=middle>19"</TD><TD align=middle>22 7/8"</TD><TD align=middle>27"</TD></TR><TR><TD>Resawing Capacity</TD><TD align=middle>13 5/8"</TD><TD align=middle>16 1/2"</TD><TD align=middle>18 5/8"</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>Horsepower</TD><TD align=middle>3hp, 1ph, 220V
5hp, 1ph, 220V
5hp, 3ph 220/440V</TD><TD align=middle>5hp, 1ph, 220V
7.5hp, 3ph 220/440V</TD><TD align=middle>10hp, 3ph 220/440V</TD></TR><TR><TD>Blade Speed</TD><TD align=middle>4750 SFM</TD><TD align=middle>5500 SFM</TD><TD align=middle>5500 SFM</TD></TR><TR><TD>Wheel Diameter</TD><TD align=middle>19.7</TD><TD align=middle>23.6</TD><TD align=middle>27.5</TD></TR><TR><TD>Blade Width</TD><TD align=middle>3/16" - 1 1/2"</TD><TD align=middle>3/16" - 2"</TD><TD align=middle>3/16" - 2"</TD></TR><TR><TD>Table Size</TD><TD align=middle>20 1/2 x 26 3/4</TD><TD align=middle>24 x 31 1/2</TD><TD align=middle>27 1/2 x 39 1/2</TD></TR><TR><TD>Table Tilt</TD><TD align=middle>45 degrees right</TD><TD align=middle>45 degrees right</TD><TD align=middle>45 degrees right</TD></TR><TR><TD>Table Height</TD><TD align=middle>36"</TD><TD align=middle>38"</TD><TD align=middle>38"</TD></TR><TR><TD>Overall Height</TD><TD align=middle>77 1/4"</TD><TD align=middle>86"</TD><TD align=middle>93"</TD></TR><TR><TD>Machine Base</TD><TD align=middle>15 x 30</TD><TD align=middle>15 x 34</TD><TD align=middle>17 x 40</TD></TR><TR><TD>Net Weight</TD><TD align=middle>500 lb</TD><TD align=middle>780 lb</TD><TD align=middle>1100 lb</TD></TR><TR><TD>Blade Length</TD><TD align=middle>165"</TD><TD align=middle>188"</TD><TD align=middle>210"</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD></TD><TD></TD><TD></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD align=middle colSpan=2>
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[Alan Turner]

Brian,
I have the Aggazanni 20", and wish it were larger. I think it is quite similar to the MM series. No comment of the Grizzly as I have none of their tools.
In terms of the question as to whether you will want more resaw height as you go along, the answer is always yes. I have 11.75", and sure wish it was 18". But ceiling height limitations prevent it, unless I dig a hole and lower it in. Could be hard to open the bottom door, however.
Good luck with your decision. Nothing is more expensive than buying a tool the second time.
Alan