Need Advice on Band saw purchase: Grizzly GO513X2 vs. the new Laguna 1412

[Patrick Curry]

Hi all, new member but longtime browser of the forum. I'm close to pulling the trigger on a new bandsaw. It will be the only BS in the shop so versatility and ease to swap blades is a consideration.

My needs will include resawing rough cut lumber and I can live with 12" to 13" max but I'll also use the saw for smaller figured cuts.

I considered the Rikon 325 but then 'talked myself' into spending a little more for the Grizzly GO513X2. And, then along came the Laguna 1412. Now I'm back to consider a 14". Maybe some of you can personally relate to this process, but I'm starting to run circles. This seems to happen to me on 'big' purchases but I'm usually happy in the end.

Any comments or thoughts are welcomed but specifically I'd like some opinions on the difference in wheel sizes and also max blade sizes between the Laguna 1412 and the larger Grizzly17". The actual difference (diameter) between the cast iron wheels is 1.75" if I recall correctly. The Laguna will take a 3/4" blade and the Grizzly a 1" blade. Past forum posts have left me with the impression that BSs' won't always track their max rated bands correctly , so not sure what to make with max blade ratings.

I don't have hands on experience with either of these BS, and since the Laguna is a new model I'm guessing not many will. But knowing the difference in sizes between these two models (specifically the wheels and max blade sizes) would I be foolish not to go with the 'larger' Grizzly for resaw purposes? The reviews on the Laguna report the saw does a very fine job with resawing, but I'm left wondering if the two were compared side by side, would one stand above the other for this function?

I understand the Laguna 'fit and finish' may be in a class of its own (among the saws I could afford). That has some appeal but I'm trying to be practical in this decision process. Trying to look past this unless it adds functionality to the saw. Trying to visualize both as nothing more than BS silhouettes of saw dust

One last point that I've spent time comparing is the ceramic vs ball bearing guides. I've gathered that most prefer the Laguna guides, especially for detailed figure cuts.

Thanks!!! Love this site and all the info I've gathered from the members over the years. Already glad I registered.

Patrick

[Augusto Orosco]

I do have the Laguna 1412 and am very happy with it. Unfortunately, I really can't help you with comparisons, since this is the first bandsaw I have every used. Also, if you have seen the thread on the 1412 (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...-14-12-bandsaw) there might be two or three here at SMC, including me, who have purchased the saw. One has been having some troubles with the machine (not a US purchase though). On the other hand, I have read very positive reviews on PW and FWW about the saw (with the usual caveats about magazine reviews, of course, where conflicts of interest are hard to avoid)

In my case, I can attest for the nice fit and finish, smooth operation and performance. Also, although I have a 1/2 blade on it, I am sure it can take a 3/4" blade. Hope I could help you more, but that's all I have to compare to.

Good luck!

[Sam Beagle]

I will also be watching this thread very carefully, I'm actually in the same position exactly as the poster. I'm looking at the same 2 machines. I live like a half hour from a monster grizzly facility in PA. So that is the only thing I like better at the moment. The Laguna seems to have unlimited upside. Sam

[Andrew Gold]

One of the really hard things about shopping (or at least for me) for equipment like this is it's basically impossible to directly compare models from different companies. You can compare the specs and the like, and compare experiences from different end users, but basically no one will have real hands on experience with both machines...

It's frustrating, as often the devil is in the details and it would be nice to see what folks think after using comparable machines for extended periods of time.

[Frank Martin]

I have no experience with either machine. However, I will offer the following. Laguna has some thought leadership when it comes to bandsaw innovation. For example, they have arguably the best guides in the industry. One can probably say the same for the Driftmaster fence. Of course both of these can be adapted to other machines as aftermarket accessories. As for Grizzly, I had only one machine, while initially satisfied, I was very happy the day I sold it. This is not a bash at Grizzly, it is just that they are made for a price point which allows affordability for many woodworkers, but the trade off in quality is as expected there.

If you are not in a hurry, I would suggest you wait for an Italian machine in the used market. I had purchased a Laguna 16HD years ago used, then never used it for 5 years and sold it again. In a few months got back into woodworking with more time and had an opportunity to buy an almost unused Agazzani 18" bandsaw for $1,200. So, they are there, but not very common.

[Patrick Curry]

Thank you, Augusto. Glad to hear your happy with it, and thanks for the info on the blade size.

[Stan Mitchell]

I happen have the Grizzly GO513X2 and am pleased with it.

After having used a 17" for several years now, I wouldn't want to go any smaller - in fact - there have been times when I wish I had 24" saw.

A 17" swing is nice - but I've had to flip pieces over to avoid hitting the post on some projects.

Executive Summary - bigger is better in my opinion.

[Michael Mahan]

Don't just go with Laguna because of the guides &/or the Laguna Driftmaster fence, cause both of those can be put on most all of the other quality Band Saws ,
I'm in the process of putting the ceramics guides & the DriftMaster on my Italian MiniMax 20"
Frank is right take a hard look at the Italian Band saws ,they are the best made

[Patrick Curry]

Yeah, and since I don't have hrs of experience under my belt with a BS of either size it's not going to be a lot of help for me to go over to my local WoodCrafters and give the Laguna a test run. For me anyway, you don't start to appreciate the finer details between two machines (both of quality) until spending hours with it.

I'm kind of hoping that someone can speak to the differences between wheel sizes and that .25" max blade size for resawing. I've read before where contributors put a great emphasis on the both, but these two machines are fairly close. If it's not going to make much difference, I'll go with the 1412.

[Patrick Curry]

That's about my price point, and I'm not at a standstill without a BS, so maybe that's something to consider. I'm also in the process of picking up an 8" joiner and that's the necessity for the current work on my schedule. BTW, I'm going with Grizzly on that one. Based on pricing, I don't really have an option.

Do you mind me asking where to look for these Italian BS? For that price, I'm guessing you were able to pick it up and avoid delivery expense? I'm in Louisville, KY...it's not a small town but its unlikely that I'd find one locally or even a few hrs of windshield time.

[Chris Merriam]

I was in a similar situation as you, just with a larger class of saw, I was ready to spend 2-3k. I looked at the Laguna 14, 18LTE, and 16HD, the Grizzly GO514X2 and the Minimax MM16. I spent days and days reading posts all over the internet about these saws. I'd read one post and make a decision, then read another and change my mind. I was able to finally draw some conclusions:

-Any Laguna saw that is not an "HD" is not made in Italy, they are made in Asia, just like Grizzly is
-I really like the Laguna guides and their tool-fee adjustability
-I really like the appearance and features of the Laguna line. They just "look cool". I've never seen a Grizzly in person to compare.
-Laguna went through a period of poor customer service several years ago, but things seem to be better now
-Grizzly is suppose to have excellent customer service

I ended up getting an MM16, deciding to pay more but hopefully buy a saw for life and never worry about upgrading again. But being able to see the Laguna saws in person gave them a LOT of positive weight for me, I really liked them. For me though, I decided to go with who had the better customer service record. By the way, the Lexington Woodcraft store has the Laguna saws in case you haven't seen them in person (the 14/12 and 14SUV)

Oh, one other point regarding 14in wheels that I read, a 16in wheel seems to be about the minimum recommended for running the Lenox carbide tipped blades.

You're welcome to drive over and check out my new saw if you want to get a feel for what a higher end Italian saw looks like, just don't expect me to be an expert on it, I just got it and it's my first big bandsaw.

[Art Mann]

For those of you who advise waiting for a good used Italian made band saw, I must say that I have followed Craigslist and other used tool markets for over 10 years and I have yet to see a single saw as you describe within practical driving distance. I have been looking for a used classic cabinet saw and I found two in 2013, both of which were over priced. I suspect my situation is pretty typical.

[Patrick Walls]

I had the Grizzly 550 extreme band saw. It was a good saw. It was not fantastic. It was underpowered (in my opinion) and had tracking issues until I bought better tires for the wheels (urethane) and installed them. I also bought the carter guides. It was a decent saw for the money. I sold it a while back and right now I am waiting for delivery of my Laguna 1412 band saw with great excitement. I am counting on this saw being so much better (I bought the Laguna Wood King blade) that I do not intend to buy a table saw this time around and instead will buy a drum sander fro SuperMax. I also have the Laguna 2 hp dust collector on order that should be shipping very soon. I will post a report on both after I get them.
Pat

[Michael Mahan]

For those of you who advise waiting for a good used Italian made band saw, I must say that I have followed Craigslist and other used tool markets for over 10 years and I have yet to see a single saw as you describe within practical driving distance. I expect my situation is typical. I have been looking for a used classic cabinet saw and I found two in 2013, both of which were over priced. I suspect my situation is pretty typical.

that goes how good a value the Italian Band Saws & the Classic Cabinet Saws are ,
great machines are held on to & not up graded ,
the only time they are sold used is a bankruptcy , death or divorce .
They hold their resale value as well

[Jay Gargiulo]

I have a 1412 and unfortunately have been unsatisfied with it. There's something wrong with it, but after several hours on the phone with Laguna's customer service, we're still not totally sure what it is. My current theory the guide post is not square, but I honestly have no idea. It doesn't track consistently and won't resaw anything more than 6" or 7" reliably, and even that takes a very careful setup.

The CS has been responsive but not always great. They have sent me a number of blades because they thought that the first Resaw King I bought was improperly sharpened, however the first time they sent them, they were 125" instead of 115". They said they would re-send them but the order got mixed up and I ended up waiting about three weeks for new blades, which still didn't solve the problem. More recently, I requested to speak with one employee who was particularly helpful but they insisted I talk to someone else who I had spoken with before but was not nearly as knowledgeable as the other guy. They follow up and go through the motions, but most of the reps will give you stock responses even if you have gone through the process before.

I read numerous positive reviews before I bought mine and was convinced that it was a great deal at the price point, but now I'm regretting not buying something closer to premium like the Hammer 4400 or MM16. As for Grizzly, I share a shop with my uncle and he bought a bunch of Grizzly tools when he first started and we are now replacing them one by one with higher quality tools.

More than likely, I got an oddball from the factory that has a problem that is not fixable with basic setup tweaks but I just wanted to share my experience. If you can afford to buy something better, or could even save up for a while for it, I would seriously consider it.