14" bandsaws....why so much disparity in pricing...and is it worth the extra money??

[Butch Butler]

I was out here in the shop this afternoon admiring the work I had done on the overhaul of my old 14" imported bandsaw. I thought back through the process and the seemingly endless searches for parts that would fit and where I eventually found them.....some from Delta...some from Jet...and some aftermarket. I also remembered collecting manuals, parts lists, exploded drawings and the like and realized how much alike many of them were in both construction and appearance (discounting, of course the obvious logos and paint schemes).
Having never owned a "high-end" bandsaw, I was wondering what is the real difference between a $600 or $700 saw and a $1000 or $1100 saw? Now, I'm not so naive as to believe that all saws are created equal, and I know that Brand Name, track record and customer service count for a lot in deciding which saw to buy. I'm just curious as to, in essence, what the differences are and if they are worth the investment?.....end of braindroppings.........Butch

[Rick Fisher]

There is a difference, but IMO there is not much overall difference between a Delta, Jet, Shop Fox, Powermatic etc.. 14" Bandsaw. Nicer knobs, fit and finish.. sure.. Is it worth 40% more ?.. Thats up to you..
If you look at the European Laguna LT14 Bandsaw.. That is a different story.. Its much more money and much more saw.

IMO.. if your shopping for a machine, you should want to know why its better.. never just rely on one brand being better than another.

[Mike Barney Sr]

The way most Taiwanese factories operate, so I am told, is to run production and then "grade" the products for quality. Different importers specify the level of quality they will pay for. The Delta 14" bandsaw is made in Taiwan these days, yes, but they do specify a level of quality that is higher than most other importers. And they pay for that. It is not because of the name on the machine. I have used Delta, Jet, and Grizzly. I can tell the difference in the accuracy of the cut. Every bandsaw blade has a drift which must be determined, but maintaining consistent drift through the cut is tell-tell of the quality of the machine. Delta does the best job of this. Truer guides and wheels make a BIG difference. IMHO.

[Peter Quinn]

LOL. I traded my 14" PM BS for a 20" Italian machine last year, but today I was searching for something in the shop on a lumber rack and ran into a small pile of veneer I sliced as a test with the 14" when I had it. It was cherry, 8" wide, .045" thick, very consistent thickness over its width and length, takes maybe two or three passes through the drum sander to clean it up. The powermatic saw was easy to tune up, had minimal drift, and plenty of power. As 14" saws go, its not the worst you could do. Now I haven't tried them all but when I was shopping for 14" saws I seem to remember thinking they were not all made or equipped the same even though the basic castings were the same.

Speaking of castings, at some point the castings get broken out of the molds, and machined. I have a sneaky feeling that is where the quality or grade starts diverging among similarly cast machines. Just because they are all poured in the same place doesn't mean they are all the same.

[Bruce Wrenn]

The one thing that sets the Delta apart from the rest is the way the lower guides mount. The are much closer to the table than all the other brands, and thus offer better support for the blade. The Delta was / is the basis for almost all the other 14" BS made today.

[david brum]

14" bandsaws kind of remind me of racing bicycles. In the same way that most 14" bandsaws might share the same frame, several bikes over a wide price range might share the same frame. One might have entry level parts whereas another might have high end parts. Do they both pedal down the road? yes. Do they ride the same? Heck no.

If you follow my analogy, you can look at a Harbor Freight or similar bandsaw (I owned one) and see that it uses the cheapest possible wheels, guides, gauge of metal, motor, etc. Will it cut wood? Of course. It will also be more frustrating to use properly and probably not be as durable.

You can also look at a PM 14" or similar saw with cast iron wheels, nice roller guides, heavy gauge metal, bigger and better motor, etc. Can you tell the difference? Heck yeah. Does it cost a lot more for the bells and whistles? Absolutely. It will probably also be more satisfying to use and last longer. It just depends on your needs and depth of your pockets.

[Van Huskey]

First consider there are two distinct "types" of 14" saws currently on the market. There are steel spined saws and there are cast iron spined saws all of which (in current production) are clones of the ubiquitous Delta. The steel spined saws have a significant advantage to the cast iron saws and the very best current 14" saws are steel spined and have Laguna emblazoned on them. None of the other European brands imported to the US brings a 14" saw so they sit at the head of the class. Just below those IMO would be the Asian Laguna LT14 SUV with its 13" resaw 3 HP motor and best in class guides, providing even more support than the Delta approach. So the steel spined saws (Rikon, Grizzly, Laguna, General) offer advantages over the Delta clones BUT remember execution is just as important as design so each saw must be compared separately. As mentioned all the current 14" cast saws share a common lineage with the Delta going back over 70 years in basically the same form. It must be understood the Delta was designed for light duty use with a 1/4" blade and roughly 6" of cut under the guides. Manufacturers have pushed this basic form harder and harder over the years until it is about tapped out. 1 1/2hp motors, 12" of resaw (with a riser block) and promises of 3/4" blade compatibility. The unique 45 degree lower blade guide on the actual Delta built saws does offer design advantages but quite frankly have been eclipsed in practical function by the excellent ball bearing guides currently available from most manufacturers. IMO Delta has lost their way with bandsaws over the last few years, their catalog is down to one 14" saw where every other manufacturer continues to offer a broader spectrum of consistently upgraded saws. If I had to choose a current production cast iron clone it would be the PM, big motor, long warranty and loaded to the hilt with more every option, but it may be more of a gilded lily when it come to pure function. From a value approach the Grizzly versions are hard to beat and offer a wide range. Just a side note there was a cast 14" bandsaw to rule all the 14" cast saws, the PM 141. Extremely well (over) built saw that really makes the Delta's frame look puny. It's one limitation was it was one solid casting with no provision for a riser block thus resaw is limited to 6". It also had angled lower guides which were far more beefy and offered a larger range of adjustability. Solid examples of this saw can be found used in the middle range of what new cast clones sell for today.

Although some may argue the proposition especially with the 14" cast clones IN GENERAL you do get more as you move up the price point but there is always a point of diminishing returns and only you can decide where that is for you.


In the big scheme of bandsaws for me the "ahaa" moment was the first time I used an Italian bandsaw. Among the things Italians do better than anyone else in the world are sports cars, shoes, bandsaws and building F1 cars. Are these saws better than the Eastern saws, yes, are they worth the 2,800 and up prices again that is for the individual to decide. Also keep in mind a well tuned $400 Grizzly with the proper blade for the task is a "better" bandsaw than a poorly tuned Minimax MM24 with a poor blade choice.

[lowell holmes]

Have you looked closely at the saws at Lowes recently?

The saws at Woodcraft are noteably better in many ways. They cost more also.

[Pete Bradley]

The way most Taiwanese factories operate, so I am told, is to run production and then "grade" the products for quality.

I've heard this too, but I doubt it's true. Such a "grading" process would make production flow more difficult and would result in unpredictable yields relative to orders. It is possible that some makes are more stringent about what they'll accept, but I doubt there's a lot of difference between the name brands. Most of the differences for these come down to knobs and features. That said, there is wide variation in quality of 14" clones just because there are so many different manufacturers.

My recommendation for someone looking to get the most bang for their bandsaw buck is to consider skipping 14" altogether. A bigger, heavier machine will cost more but will have really major differences in what it can do. As with any tool though it's better to buy quality that you can afford than to cheap out to get a larger machine.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

The 14" is a pretty versatile saw. IF you're wanting to resaw a lot, perhaps you may want to look into a bigger saw. For most, a 14" is fine. Stock, it will cut a 6X board. 12" with riser. If you're not planning to cut more than that, no sense in paying for the extra capacity. I have a PM with riser. Its as much saw as I can use. It does okay in resawing, I can resaw 10" maple. It is more expensive, but definetely not short on power. That said, I'd take a look at the Rikon 14", it has 13" of resaw capacity. 699 on sale. Quite a bargain IMO. You need a blade when you buy it, both of the people I know who bought one said the stock blade sucks.

Just my $0.02.