Delta 14" bandsaw upgrades: who can report on the Carter kit and the Incredible?

[Gene Davis]

Would like better resaw results, and have been looking online at prices, reports, etc., for the $180 Carter ball bearing guide kit, and the Incredible at one third the cost of the Carter.

I know that the Carter guides above and below, and the Incredible just on top.

Anybody with experience with either for resaw work?

[Allan Speers]

Would like better resaw results, and have been looking online at prices, reports, etc., for the $180 Carter ball bearing guide kit, and the Incredible at one third the cost of the Carter.

I know that the Carter guides above and below, and the Incredible just on top.

Anybody with experience with either for resaw work?

No specific suggestions for guides, but a few thoughts:

1: Carter guides are supposedly very good, as far as bearing guides go, but an awful lot of users say they are very hard to adjust.

2: All other things being equal (but are they ever?) The best guide is the one that sits closest to the stock. Take that into consideration when deciding on the bottom guide, especially.

3: If your problem is trouble resawing, then the guides are not likely where you should be putting your attention:

If you get you saw set up perfectly, you can literally resaw with no guides at all. In fact, that's how I verified the setup on my (just retired) 14" Delta X5. That saw has excellent guides, (like the Carters, but easier to adjust) but I was able to resaw 12" of White Oak with them backed fully off, both top & bottom. It took a while, and of course that kind of work on 14" saw requires patience & lots of care, but you should able able to do it.

Actually, I'm not sure: My saw easily tensioned a 3/4" blade. Yours may not, and that might make a difference. Still adjusting it as above, then testing with a tall resaw, is the answer. Only look at better guides for curves and general work. Or, (obviously not your situation) if you are cutting a lot of green wood or resinous wood like Pine, in which case the last thing you want is bearing guides at all.

[Jesse Busenitz]

I have carter guides on my Delta 14" and they are inconvenient to adjust, between blade sizes.... that being said they work great. I don't do a lot of resaw on my 14" as I normally go to my 21" saw.