What bandsaw would you buy?

[John TenEyck]

I continue to look for a new to me used bandsaw but I'm not very optimistic one will turn up that meets my set of circumstances.

My circumstances: Basement shop with the only access a single set of stairs through the house. I'm fine taking off the table and motor, but anything much more than 400 lbs after that is going to present a serious problem. 12" minimum resaw height. My J/P is 14" wide so 14" would be even better. (Cutting width is of no concern.) Because of that, anything less than 3 HP seems like too little power. I have a 14" Delta that I would keep. I want this saw to be able to put 25K psi on the blade so it can resaw w/o issue. I would use it to resaw and cut veneer, and use the Delta for most everything else.

Budget is always an issue. The MM16 would likely fit the bill if I could get the heavy beast down there, but I can't justify $3500. Moving down scale the Hammer N4400 (17") looks pretty good but only has 12" resaw height. The Laguna LT18 3000 might fit my needs very well, but it's getting large and heavy. The Laguna 14SUV is just a 14" saw, I don't see it as a serious resaw. The Grizzly G0514X 19" BS's have 3 HP motors but are just too big. The G0513X 17" saws are more the right size but only have a 2 HP motor, and I'm not confident they can put adequate tension on a full width blade.

How do you see my options?

John

[John Lankers]

I have the N4400 and it's a good saw but you're right it works well for general purpose work but not so much for serious resawing. Besides removing the motor and the table you could also take off the wheels and the doors to loose another 50# or more.

[Ben Rivel]

Went through the same choice making process less than a year ago myself and went with the Hammer N4400. Super happy that I did.

[David Kumm]

If you are doing serious resaw in the 12-14" range, weight is necessary for the saw to be stout enough for the purpose. As long as the saw fits under the ceiling, get a couple of riggers to move it down the stairs. They can handle 600-800 lb stuff. Cry once. The older Centauro,ACM 24" machines with 16" resaw are pretty nice if they will fit. Dave

[Matt Day]

I have a basement shop too with stair access only, and have a 20" 1000lb Powermatic bandsaw down there. I removed enough weight (table, motor, wheels) and got it down to 600lb or so. Still super awkward because of the shape and size. I don't have any good anchor points to make a sled tied off to a chain hoist or something. So I rented a battery powered stair climbing hand truck. Worked like a charm and cost $40/day IIRC.

Oh, I reinforced the stairs too as I don't think the builders planned on that kind of weight back in the '60's.

[Robert Engel]

I have a Rikon 10-345 18" 2HP motor and it has plenty of power for everything I do. I'm not sure 3HP would make much of a difference.
The weight is right at 400#.
I've also used blades in excess of 1" and find I can tension them adequately.
I don't use wide blades to resaw anymore I find a 1/2" resaw blade works quite well.
Although the resaw capacity is slightly less than 12".
Not saying this is the one for you because I don't know what you might need to muscle through, but I think this saw would be a consideration for you.
One nice thing is if you order it delivered to a WC store, shipping is free.

[joe maday]

There is also the 18" Jet bandsaw with the 3hp motor. Triangular frame is supposed to be stronger and the motor is rated continuous hp not peak hp..at least that's what the Rep said last I spoke to one.
What about a second 14" delta, used. you could add a riser block, larger motor, it would not be so heavy and not so tall? Set one for 1/4" blade and one for 1/2-3/4 to re-saw. You are limited on the blade width..but so many people have been using 1/2 blades...it probably is not an issue.
Interesting what you choose, I'm having the same problems. but I don't re-saw that much so I'm thinking of adding the block to my present 14 delta and see how the 1hp USA motor performs. Changing blades is not a big chore, and saves the space a second or larger machine takes up.

[John Lanciani]

MM16. It's the only saw that checks all the boxes on your list, anything else will just be a compromise that may lead to buyers remorse later on. Worst case is that you have to remove the wheels as well as the table and motor to get it down the stairs but that isn't really that big of a deal all things considered.

(My two daily use bandsaws are an MM20 for resaw and heavy ripping and a Delta 14" for everything else, a perfect pair in my opinion.)

[Gregory Stahl]

MM16 is my vote. I have owned some of the other bandsaws you are considering and they don't come close to a MiniMax. I purchased my first MM 24 about 8-years ago, and added a second a few years ago. I would not want to move a saw into a basement just to haul it out in a couple years. Since you want to cut veneers, I would invest money in the MM or the best possible saw you can afford. The MM should last a lifetime. The Centauro 24" David mentions is a nice saw if you can find one.

Greg Stahl

[Erik Loza]

...I want this saw to be able to put 25K psi on the blade so it can resaw w/o issue.

....I would use it to resaw and cut veneer

....Budget is always an issue.

How does that saying go in the motor sports world? "Fast, cheap, and reliable. Pick any two." Once a customer starts talking about resawing 12"+ stock, the list of machines that will do that starts to get very slim.

I can't give you an unbiased answer but will share my experiences:

1.) I've never had a customer be unable to get an MM16 into their basement. Where there's a will, there's a way. I'd be willing to be that if a free MM16 suddently materialized on your doorstep, you'd have no problem getting it down the stairs.

2.) I can 100% guarantee that the MM16 will properly tension any blade you can put on it. And I don't mean just for "demo cuts" (a cut that seems impressive on videos and at trade shows but that you probably wouldn't be able to do in the real world on a repetitive basis). I mean reliably, where the operator can put the blade on there any time they choose and with minimal effort or setup, get it to perform the way it is expected, for the entire life of the machine. There are more bandsaws that can't do this, than can.

3.) The MM16 is not cheap but it is competitively priced with the other Italian saws available in the US. So, the pricing is fair. I assume folks realize this but things cost what they cost for a reason and in my experience, you get what you pay for. If I wanted a new 4Runner tomorrow, for example, and the sales guy told me, "Hey, this other SUV is just as good as the 4Runner and will do everything you want, but is 25% less in price", I might start to wonder why.

I can't tell anyone what to buy. As much as I would love to sell every sales lead who contacts me a bandsaw, the reality is that maybe 1-in-5 will actually justify the money for it. And of those five guys, the other four will statistically end up going Chaiwanese. But I will also add that of those remaining four guys, several will tell me when I talk to them in a year, that they have regrets about what they ended up with. Of course, by that point, the money is gone and there's a machine in your shop, so you're essentially married to it. But each of our wallets is our own. Whatever you decide to do, best of luck in your search.

Erik

[joe maday]

I guess the real question is How much re-sawing and veneers are intended to be cut? It's great to think about "dream machines" but it still comes down to use, space and cash. A block on the 14" delta would be a start to see if re-sawing and cutting veneers warrants a 3500.00 machine. I think it is logical what Erik says....and in my view. Maybe John should wait a while, save up and get the MM16 (it seems to be the saw the OP really wants). Use the 14 (get a riser block) in the meantime.....even if it takes twice as long to cut/re-saw veneers or lumber..and uses up a few 1/2 blades,... it would be better than buying a 'compromise saw" and have remorse. Maybe he will realize the 14 delta will fit the bill and put the 3500 towards something else.

[Dan Friedrichs]

I'd reconsider the LT14SUV. It's not as large as the others, but it's in a whole different league than your 14" Delta.

[Tom M King]

I guess the real question is How much re-sawing and veneers are intended to be cut? It's great to think about "dream machines" but it still comes down to use, space and cash. A block on the 14" delta would be a start to see if re-sawing and cutting veneers warrants a 3500.00 machine. I think it is logical what Erik says....and in my view. Maybe John should wait a while, save up and get the MM16 (it seems to be the saw the OP really wants). Use the 14 (get a riser block) in the meantime.....even if it takes twice as long to cut/re-saw veneers or lumber..and uses up a few 1/2 blades,... it would be better than buying a 'compromise saw" and have remorse. Maybe he will realize the 14 delta will fit the bill and put the 3500 towards something else.

I have a Delta 14" with a riser block, and a Centauro 24". The speed difference for resawing is more like a factor of 20 since the larger saw not only moves the blade faster, and under higher tension, but can use a stiffer one with much larger teeth. I timed it. Yes, factor of 20 with absolutely no loss in cut quality. The 16 won't spin the blade as fast, but can tension it, and run it fine, so the speed difference won't be quite as much as between the 14 and the 24.

[John TenEyck]

Thank you all so far for your thoughtful input. In full disclosure, my 14" Delta has a riser block on it and a 1.5 HP Leeson or Baldor motor, can't remember which. I've done lots of resawing and even more veneer slicing with it, generally using a 1/2" 3 tpi bi-metal blade. It does both jobs well in terms of quality but let me tell you it is SLOW. Can I put up with it? Sure, but I don't want to. I think the low tension is more of an issue than the low HP, so adding an even larger motor is not likely to help much.

For everyone who said "It sounds like he really wants the MM16.", or "That's the only saw that meets all his criteria.", or something along those lines, you are probably right. By the way a friend of mine has a Grizzly 17" Ultimate BS, with a big honking 5HP motor. That thing is a beautiful big beast and slices veneer about as fast as you can push wood through it. The price is really good, too, comparatively. But it's just too big and too heavy to think about getting down into my shop and would occupy too large a footprint even if I could. And by pure chance, another woodworker just contacted me about meeting and exchanging shop visits, and that he has a MM16 in his basement shop. I'm all over that. I want to see how he got it down there, how he likes it, etc. And I'm happy to hear at least one person advised that I take a second look at the Laguna 14SUV. A pro friend of mine advised me to do the same and that he was very happy with his until he traded up to a MM20 for the added height. Back back on point, the MM16 probably has the best combination of HP, height, and overall relatively small size, and it's in a different league than the 14SUV. At nearly twice the price and a lot more mass, it should be.

That was pretty funny Eric, and I think you are right that if a MM16 showed up on my doorstep I'd figure out to get it down into my shop.

Thanks again for your input. I'm looking for more.

John

[Bill Space]

Been thinking about your question…


I've sort of concluded maybe you haven't asked the right question.

I would think it might be better to ask what bandsaw best suits my needs. And then ask how do I get the thing into my basement shop?

I recall others stating here that they used moving companys to move heavy machinery into their basement shops, and that it was not really all that expensive. If you're like me you hate to pay somebody to do what you think you can do yourself… But still the end result is what is important.

So my suggestion is that you consider buying what will most likely satisfy your needs and budget, and then allow for a bit of expense to get the Bandsaw where you want it. Without risk or injury to yourself.

Hey! You asked for opinions! 😀😀😀

Bill