Bandsaw Lower Guides

[tim walker]

Hi all, I have a MiniMax 16 bandsaw that I purchased in 2004. Have not used extensively, but now have the need for some resawing as my mesquite lumber is too thick for my SawStop. Well, my lower bearing is shot. SCM Corp wants an arm and a leg for the replacement bearings but I found a company in the UK that sells them from the old Centauro (original manufacturer of the MM16) With sipping it is around $240 to replace the entire lower guide system or $155 to just to replace one bearing. So math dictates replace entire system.

My question to fellow Creekers is "Are the lower guides really necessary?" I don't do a lot of curved cuts.

[John Lanciani]

You can probably get a set of Carter 500 series guides for about the same money and then you'll have guides that use standard inexpensive off-the-shelf bearings. I had a set of Carters on my MM20 for a long time before I sold it and was very happy with them

[tim walker]

Unfortunately they are over $300 with tax and shipping

[John Lanciani]

Unfortunately they are over $300 with tax and shipping

Or to look at it a different way, $60 to upgrade both the upper and lower guides instead of just replacing the lower with identical.

[tim walker]

Do you feel they are really superior to the OEM?

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Take the existing bearing to a bearing company and get a replacement. There is probably a number stamped on the side of the bearing that a good bearing company can most likely cross reference to a bearing of similar capability and specifications.

[Jay Houghton]

If you can repair the old guides all the better. But I've had the Carter 500 series on a bandsaw and while well built, the flaw is in have a roller bearing in contact with the blade. In theory that's great, in practice any dust, dirt, sap, whatever, will attach itself to the bearing cause the blade the bump every time it goes through the guide. I put Carter Centauro guides back on and I'm infinitely happier with them. They act like a snowplow and clean the blade as it goes through them. And actually there more bearing surface with these guides than the arc of a roller bearing. They last for ever and if you really want durability you get the guides in carbide!
They come up all the time on OWWM or eBay and the set pictured below sold for less then $100. Even if you needed a new thrust bearing that's a great price.
JayCarter guides.jpg

[Geoff Crimmins]

Another option is ceramic guides and thrust bearings, which are available for the MM16. You might see how they compare in price to other options. Mini Max | SpaceAge Ceramics

[Edwin Santos]

My question to fellow Creekers is "Are the lower guides really necessary?" I don't do a lot of curved cuts.

I have been told that in Europe the bandsaws don't come with lower guides. When they install them, it is usually for saws that are being sold in the North American market where lower guides are expected. Someone here whose name escapes me is a distributor of Euro bandsaws, maybe he can chime in.
If it were me, I'd try cutting without the lower guide assembly and see if the saw is cutting to my satisfaction. If it is, then you may not have a problem that needs a solution. And if it isn't, you're back to where you are now. It may depend on the kind of work you're doing.

[tim walker]

Update. Spoke to rep at SCM and he said same thing, that Euro saws don’t have lower guides. I stuck the broken one back on and it cut fine. Resawing some 2” thick mesquite into 1” will then plane to 3/4”. That stuff sure is hard. Cutting w1-1/4” blade even still hard to cut

I did discover the bearings for this saw for OEM are only available in Europe, so even tho the bearings assy wasn’t too pricey, shipping was almost $70. Will try without lower guides for a while