Bandsaw and Jointer purchase

[Joseph Ragsdale]

I'm about to buy a bandsaw and jointer to finish outfitting my little shop.

I build hardwood furniture and rarely use sheet goods. However, if I do have a need for sheet goods, I have powered hand tools suitable for the task.

The bandsaw will be used as my primary saw for ripping, resawing, curves, and some cross cutting. The jointer will be used for cleaning up the cuts from the bandsaw as well as for the normal uses of a jointer.

Additionally, I have a 12" compound miter saw for cross cutting and routers for dadoes, rabbets, etc. I can use the jointer for rabbets as well.

My limitations:

For the foreseeable future it's impractical for a single tool to require more than 15 amps 120V.

For the foreseeable future my shop is 12" x 14", so having an aircraft carrier for a jointer isn't practical.

I can live without a table saw. Table saws are the biggest space wasters, so I feel a good bandsaw and a lot of practice with it will be the way to go.

I'm considering two choices: Powermatic or Grizzly.

Powermatic 54A 6" Jointer $799
Powermatic PWBS-14CS 14" Bandsaw with free 6" Riser Block $934

Grizzly G1182ZHW 6" Jointer $549
Grizzly G0555X 14" Bandsaw $669

With a difference of $515, is going with these two Powermatic models worth it over these two Grizzly models?

As far as I know Grizzly doesn't make a jointer comparable to the Powermatic 54A. According to Grizzly's catalog, the G1182ZHW has a more "heavy duty" construction and is somewhat close to the Powermatic.

[john frank]

I'd pay a premium for Powermatic over Grizzly any day. In fact I'd buy any machine before grizzly. The Powermatic however is made in taiwan. They make very little if any machinery in the USA any more. That said, I'd look for some good used made in the USA machines. They would most likeley cost quite a bit less, and probably be better for the long haul. But whatever you get, do enjoy your shop time!

[Rick Moyer]

I disagree with John. I might pay a smaller premium for an older powermatic 66 table saw, but not three times the price for a comparable Grizzly saw, which is what they want. But you asked about jointer/bandsaw so here is what I think. Given what you say about the bandsaw I would spend most of my budget on the best bandsaw you can get (240 preferred, but 120 if necessary). A 120 jointer <8" is going to get replaced eventually anyway I suspect, but a better bandsaw may be enough for you for a long while. I have the g0555 version and it is a pretty good little saw, however, if you use it as much as you say, you may want more resaw capacity. Unfortunately you will likely want to have both of the machines running at 240V eventually anyway, so maybe my point is moot. So far I'm glad I got a bigger jointer and the bandsaw is adequate for my needs. YMMV.

[Mark Roderick]

I used to work in a space that size and I know it can get cramped. The good thing was that I was never very far from any tool!

I wouldn't bother with a jointer if I were you. A six-inch jointer is only good for edge-jointing and you can do that easily and in half the space with a hand plane. A good contractor's saw doesn't take up much more space and will be about 100 times more useful for general woodworking.

[Jim Andrew]

I bought a new grizzly jointer, and I like it. Is it as good as powermatic, don't know for sure, but a jointer is a pretty basic power tool, and the grizzly is pretty well built. Mine runs smooth and produces a very good cut. Jim

[Art Mann]

Since you will not be buying a tablesaw, I think you will need the biggest bandsaw you can fit in the shop. Bandsaw tables are tiny and make ripping bigger pieces difficult. I would recommend looking at the larger Grizzly bandsaws with the welded steel frame. I don't think the Powermatic is worth it when you can get a lot more of the capabilities you need for the same money elsewhere.

[John Thompson]

Before Power-matic was purchased by the same group that owns Jet and when it was made in Tennessee, I would say Power-matic. But.. the playing field has leveled. Both are made "over there" and there is no significant difference in quality as there once was. Make an exception of the Power-matic 66 TS, which even though is not made here is the same basic design as the 66's that were.

I also agree with Art that if you do any heavy ripping, you should skip the 14" and go with at least a 17". If you do any serious re-saw.. or thicik ripping in the future, you will save yourself an up-grade as the 17" can handle a 1/2" or 3/4" bi-metal as it has the larger wheels and power. It won't take up any more foot-print in your shop.

But.. it you are limiting your shop to 120V.. that may not be a viable option for you? You have to do what you have to do and nobody knows what better than you.

Thanks for your service to your country...

Sarge..
P Co. 75th Ranger Reg. VN 68-69

[jason lambert]

I am in the same boat I decided on a Jet Joiner the one with the shorter table for space reasons, although the powermatic was nice I just didn't want to spend the extra bucks on that tool. As far as bandsaws go the Powermatic hands down, it is a really nice saw, nicest of the 14" and worth the money, The trouble is if you are paying that much for the 14" for a couple of dollars more you can go to a 18" and it takes the same room. I was looking at the 14" steel city and powermatic and after much thought wound up getting the 18" steel city. The only difference is the 18" is a beast to move it doesn't come in two small boxes like the 14".

[David Parker]

Hi Joseph,

I'm planning a shop that is of similar size to yours. Like you, I plan to base my shop around a band saw. I initially was looking for an 18 inch band saw, since everything I read suggests that bigger is better. Unfortunately, after seeing some of these live and up close, I realize that it would be a major pain to get one of these behemoths down my basement stairs - if it's even possible (I have a 90 degree turn in my basement stairs).

So now I'm focusing on 14 inch band saws. One that I've had my eye on is the Steel City 50100. I could just pick this one up at my local Steel City dealer. It comes in two boxes and would be easy to get into my basement shop. I am also considering making a larger table top for it similar to here.

Instead of a jointer, I had planned on building a really nice router table with a split fence that I could offset for edge jointing. I don't think I'd have room for a separate jointer, since I already have a large lathe (Jet 1642-2EVS).

A key to my small shop will be to have all my equipment tables and workbench mobile, with a similar table top height. That way, I can position things to give me adequate infeed / outfeed support regardless of what tool I'm using. Good luck with your shop.

Dave

[Peter Quadarella]

If you considered the Powermatic for $934, I would suggest you consider the Grizzly G0513X2 for $950. I am building a tablesawless shop for similar reasons and have settled on that one. I agree with Art, without a table saw you want the biggest saw you can get. You didn't mention if you can do 220v, if you could this saw would be within your power requirements (10amps at that voltage), if you need 120v, then I guess stick with the 14". But I wouldn't spend the extra money on the Powermatic - I can't see where it's worth it.

[Joseph Ragsdale]

I suppose the problem I have going with Grizzly over Powermatic is that I've never seen a Grizzly tool. I have seen Powermatic tools. The few I've seen are painted yellow, so I suppose they're the newer models made in Asia.

There does seem to be a lot of satisfied customers of Grizzly products, but I have read some horror stories. But then again, you can read a horror story on every product made and especially on the internet. I look for trends rather than focus on a single review.

The G0513X2 is $1,044 when you include shipping. The Powermatic 14" bandsaw is $934 and includes shipping.

One step down from the G0513X2 is the G0513 17" bandsaw. The G0513 has aluminum wheels rather than the cast iron wheels of the Powermatic 14" and G0555X.

Would the G0513 still be "better" than the Powermatic 14" and G0555X even though it isn't cast iron construction?

It doesn't really matter though considering I doubt I can run the G0513 off a 120V 15 amp circuit.

[Joseph Ragsdale]

Rockler currently has a sale on the Powermatic models I listed. Rockler also includes a free 6" riser for the Powermatic bandsaw. It brings the prices down to $855 for the bandsaw and $765 for the jointer both shipped to my front door.

In addition to the Rockler sale, Powermatic has a $50 mail in rebate for the jointer.

That brings the total price to $1,570 shipped to my front door. If you include the cost of the free riser, it's $1,512.

I might go with the Powermatic models. I have some thinking to do

[Wilbur Pan]

Is there a reason why you wouldn't be able to install another circuit to allow you more than 120V/15A?

[Mike Cutler]

Joseph

Tough decisions all around. Picking out machines is always tough.

I know from your other posts that you have an electrical supply distribution issue that is currently limiting you. There may be some "temporary" ways to alleviate the issue safely, and allow you to go to 220 machines. Just a thought.

One more thought on the jointer.
The size of the jointer in a small shop is not the limiting factor. It's the size of the material being passed over it. What I mean by that is that a a 4' board requires 9' of shop space to joint, a 6' board requires 13 feet of space to joint, etc.. The size, length, of the jointer underneath is a non issue.
The difference in size of footprint between a 6" and an 8" jointer is not that great.

In a 6" jointer the Powermatic is the machine to pick. Solely for the increased length of the infeed table and outfeed tables.
If you're willing to spend $800.00 on a jointer though, I'd look at the Griz' G0586, or G0656. They're more jointer for the same $$$

[Brian Erickson]

In case you decide to go with the Grizzly 6" jointer, it's actually cheaper right now on Amazon. It's still shipped from Grizzly, but the price before shipping is 395 rather than 475. Sometimes the Grizzly stuff is more expensive on Amazon, but occasionally there's a deal...
Brian