Mm16 ????

[JOSEPH GOVEA]

Hi Eveyone,

I am in the market for a bandsaw for my garage shop, I have been into wood working a little less than a year. Just wanted to know if the mm16 is a little to much bandsaw for me or should I start with something smaller I was thinking it would be something that I might be able to grow into. There is a ww show coming to pomona, ca in two weeks Any input is greatly appreciated.

[Jeff Sudmeier]

A lot of the people that start with a Jet or Delta 14" either keep them or wish that they did. I am all for buying the biggest tool you can afford, but I think here is one case where you would still use the 14" for a lot of utility cuts and the MM16 or Laguna LT16 or LT16HD for the heavier ones.

[Jim Becker]

Joe, if you can make the investment in a great tool, make the investment. You'll enjoy it more "now" and should you change your direction to some other avocation (unlikely... ), you'll get much of what you paid back for a good long time. Great tools keep their value wonderfully.

The 3 tools in my shop that I enjoy the most (in addition to my Festool stuff) are my MM16 band saw, my MM FS350 j/p and my Stubby lathe. No regrets on those purchases. Not even a little.

[Dennis McDonaugh]

If you can afford the MM16, go for it. You won't be disappointed. It'll take any blade from 1/8 up to 1 1/4 so you won't need a smaller bandsaw for detail work and of course it resaws like a dream.

[Nick Mitchell]

Buy the best tool you can afford.

I know plenty of people who've regretted bargain purchases, but no one regrets buying quality.
It only hurt$ for a brief moment

[Jim DeLaney]

A lot of the people that start with a Jet or Delta 14" either keep them or wish that they did. I am all for buying the biggest tool you can afford, but I think here is one case where you would still use the 14" for a lot of utility cuts and the MM16 or Laguna LT16 or LT16HD for the heavier ones.

That's exactly my situation. I bought the LT-16 with the intent of getting rid of the 14" saw. Instead, I found that the 14" is handier for a lot of things, so I kept it. I generally keep a 1/8 or 3/16" blade inthe 14", and a 1/2 or 3/4" blade, primarily for resawing, in the LT16. Makes a great combo, IMO.

Another, albeit minor, reason is that blade changes on the 14" are much quicker and easier than on the LT-16, due mainly to the LT-16's ceramic guides and/or the need to switch from ceramic to cool blocks if using a blade smaller than 1/4".

[Ted Shrader]

Joseph -

I did like Jeff said. Bought a Jet 14" a few years ago. Added a riser block. It works. . . . but the MM16 that landed in my garage a few mmonths ago works {i]soooo[/i] much better. If you get the MM16, you won't regret the purchase.

Regards,
Ted

[Michael Perata]

Very happy owner of a MM 16 and the Jet 14" I replaced, is... well, the Jet 14" - nice saw, but NOT a MM 16.

[Brad Schmid]

Joe,

Like everyone has said, the MM16 is a fantastic piece of equipment. My biggest regret is that I struggled resawing with a 14" saw too long. I should have made the investment long before i did. Simply put, it makes things like alignment, power, proper tensioning, and functional dust collection non-issues. An additional benefit of the saw is you can run good quality carbide blades like the Lenox Trimasters (which you can't do on a 14" saw because of small flywheel radius and tensioning capacity). It also has better safety features in general than smaller saws. If you're committed to woodworking long term, I can't imagine you would ever regret going with the larger saw.

Brad

[Alan Turner]

I put what seemed like a fortune into a Delta 14. Riser; larger motor; fancy guides, new spring, etc. Finally, as resawing was like watching grass grow, dumped it for an Agazzani 20, and missed the 14 for quick scroll work. Then bought an esate which had a PM 141, which is also a 14", and kept it, and it gets used quite a bit as I keep a 1" carbide resaw on the 20, and a 3/8 on the 14".

[Dan Forman]

Ask yourself if you would most likely spend more time wishing you had the bigger saw than wishing you had the smaller one. Two saws would be ideal I suppose, but which one would make your work more enjoyable and productive. If you plan to do much resawing, the MM is probably the way to go. I just got one, and it's my first band saw. I didn't want to have to mess with upgrading later. You can even get cool blocks for it if you plan on using smaller blades for detail work. And if you really like to upgrade, you can always go to the MM24!

Dan

[JOSEPH GOVEA]

Thank you everyone for your insight. I know at times I tend to put a lot of thought into purchases of this size. Being able to talk to people who have been there done that, it really helps me make a decision I know I will not regret. I only hope one day to be in your shoes and be able to give my advice to someone just starting out in woodworking. Again thank you all for your help

[Dennis McDonaugh]

Thank you everyone for your insight. I know at times I tend to put a lot of thought into purchases of this size. Being able to talk to people who have been there done that, it really helps me make a decision I know I will not regret. I only hope one day to be in your shoes and be able to give my advice to someone just starting out in woodworking. Again thank you all for your help

Joseph, I think we all put waaaaay too much angst in major tool purchases. I know I do and your delima is typical. I think we all know which tool we should buy, but its a lot of money and we need some reassurance that we're making the right decision. I've never regretted buying the better tool. Never.