Alas...FINALLY got the 2017 Grizzly Catalog ..

[Bill Space]

BUT unfortunately no discount coupon with it.

I've decided I need to replace my old grizzly bandsaw with a new one. I'm still up in the air on what to buy. I was seriously considering the 17 inch extreme bandsaw. But now I see the 24 inch industrial bandsaw is not so different in price, and it may make more sense to purchase the larger saw.

The shipping weight of the 24 inch size about 170 pounds more than the smaller saw. Resaw height is about the same.

What do you guys think? Any disadvantages to purchasing the larger saw. Assuming shop real estate is not an Issue.

Last fall I was out of the country and could not take advantage of a 10% off coupon that someone offered. Was not smart enough to order and request a delayed delivery.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this!

edit: I meant to include bandsaw in the thread title but somehow posted this before I intended to…


Bill

[Adam Merritt]

I haven't purchased a bandsaw yet, but I like looking at them, so I'll take a shot. I'm making some assumptions that you're looking at the G0636XB 17'' vs G0568 24", but here are the differences that stood out to me. In the end, I tend to lean towards larger tools, but that may just be because I'm from Texas. I think either one would be a great addition to your shop.

• The 24'' requires a 40amp circuit (hardwire is intended, but you *could* go with a deattachable cord if you really wanted) vs 30amp on the 17'' (L6-30 is what I use for all my other tools, so this would be an important consideration for me in my limited space).
• 17'' has right and left tilt (only 5 degrees left, but its something), 24'' lists right tilt only
• 17'' has adjustable fence and includes resaw attachment, 24'' table is bigger (9'' extra left of blade) but blade would be more expensive, no adjustable fence or included resaw
• 24'' has 5300fpm 1/4 to 1 1/2 blades, 16'' is 4500fpm 1/8 to 1 3/8in blade. Not sure this matters much to me, but maybe it will to you.
• 24'' has $30 extra shipping (yeah yeah, this is a moot point on $2k)

[Bill Space]

Adam,

Appreciate the input!

You got the model numbers right.

Apparently the single phase 24" saw having a 5HP motor like the smaller saw only requires a 30 amp supply, at 220 vac.

Not it sure if the lack of a 5 degree left table tilt is a concern with the larger saw, for my needs.

Shipped price for both is in the $3K range.

At at this point I am leaning towards the 24". Just seems like it offers the bigger bang for the buck.

Hoping to get further input either confirming this choice or shooting it down!

Bill

[Adam Merritt]

Bill,
You may have better luck if you create a new post referencing the bandsaw decision in your title. I would think many people may just skip over this assuming its talk about the Grizzly catalog itself and not realize there was a bandsaw discussion to be had. I have a feeling I wouldn't be the only to to respond so far if more people knew. I wish I had more insight, but I would honestly be leaning towards the 24'' myself. I know that if I bought the 17'', I would almost immediately have some bizarre project making me wish I had a 24'' and regret the decision. Also, I missed this last night, the 24'' has a foot brake that the 17'' does not. Again, I can't tell you how important that is, but it seems pretty handy to me to have the ability for hands free blade stop ability when working on a larger piece.
Regarding the power, I had to dig a little further. You are correct. The online comparison shows the 24'' has a 30 amp full-load rating (40 amp would keep the full-load power draw below 80% of the circuit capacity), but the manual has an update for machines manufactured since July 2013 changing the full-load amperage to 23 amp, which would work just fine on 30 amp 220v circuits. Sorry, I didn't dig this deep last night; it was dinner time and I had no reason to doubt the website.

[Van Huskey]

Also, I missed this last night, the 24'' has a foot brake that the 17'' does not.

The G0636X has a foot brake the G0636XB has a motor brake, I prefer a foot brake but I suppose it is a personal thing. I like to be able to stop the saw handsfree.

I think this really comes down to what your primary sawing will be. The G0568 is not built as heavy as the G0636 is relative to size. The 17" saw weighs 620 pounds and the 24" saw 836 pounds. A 24" saw built similar to the G0536 will be around 1,000 pounds. If you are buying the saw primarily for resawing the G0636 is a better choice if you will be doing more sweeping curve cutting or other functions where you need a large throat then the G0568 is a better choice. Otherwise they are relatively similar except for the fence on the 636 which is nicer if you plan to resaw, I think Grizzly may have an upgraded fence for the 568.

[Bill Space]

Adam,

Agree that a new thread would make sense. Not sure what I was thinking last evening

Thanks for for your thoughts. I will think about this more and start a specific thread when I get closer to making the purchase.

Bill

[John C Bush]

Hi Bill,
I have the 21" 513B (5 hp) and it is a great saw. I use a Lenox Woodmaster CT 1" blade and get great resaw at the 14 1/4" height. I made a tall fence with 3/4 ply and clamp it to the solid CI fence on my model and it works fine. I have only wished for more height a couple of times and the table/throat size has been ample for my curve/flat cutting needs. If you didn't need the additional 2" resaw height the 513B is a less costly choice that has proven to be a good saw for me. Mine has the foot brake as well. Good luck shopping.