Kenny Posted June 12, 2008 Report Share Posted June 12, 2008 so, what is everyones opinions on this bandsaw? ive read great reviews about it, and am about to invest in one, i really want a quality peice of equipment tho. any stories, experiences, drawbacks, or successes with this saw? Kenny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToddW Posted June 12, 2008 Report Share Posted June 12, 2008 Hi Kenny, They make beautiful bandsaws. So does Minimax so I'd be sure to look at theirs too. From curiosity, by would you want to buy a 14" if you're going to spend that much money? Why not get an 18" Steel City or a larger Grizzly or such, and then tune them up a little? Todd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenny Posted June 12, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 12, 2008 well, i know that lagunas are pretty solid peices of machinary, ive had a few bad experiances with grizzly, so i decided id never need anything more than say 12" of resaw capacity i guess quality over quanitity in this case Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToddW Posted June 12, 2008 Report Share Posted June 12, 2008 Fair enough. I don't think Minimax makes a 14", but I'd check to see what the total cost is going to be for their 16" versus the Laguna 14. I think they're close. But like I said, both companies make nice stuff and I don't think you can go wrong with either. Their stuff does show up on IRS auctions around here a lot, but it's often really big stuff. Still, there was a 24" Laguna that went for under 2,000 several months ago. Even had a couple of blades carbide blades, but it was 3phase. If I'd had room I would have bought it and changed it to a 5hp single phase for another $400! Gonna get 3phase in the woodshop of our next house just so I can find deals like that. Right now, I'm perfectly happy with my Steel City. If you get it, I think you'll love it. Todd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenny Posted June 12, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 12, 2008 i hope so! thanks for the advice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToddW Posted June 13, 2008 Report Share Posted June 13, 2008 Hey Kenny, I did have one more thought. Just wanted to make sure you knew the reason some people go from 14" up to 16,18,20 etc isn't just the resaw capacity. It's more because you don't have to bend the blade into as tight a curve, which lets the blade makers offer you deeper or thinner blades for resawing. Todd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenny Posted June 13, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 13, 2008 toddw - im pretty ignorant as far as equipment goes do you think you could enlighten me? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToddW Posted June 13, 2008 Report Share Posted June 13, 2008 Hi Kenny, I'll do my best to share my minimal knowledge, but I think I'll also PM Fryovani to chime in on this one. I think that really high quality band saws start at the 14" wheel size and go up from there. But it really isn't the resaw capacity that's limited by the wheel size, which is why that Laguna has more resaw than my 16" Steel City. (BTW, I got the steel city because I only had access to 110V and didn't want to start running electrical wiring just for the saw.) The real issue with the smaller 14" wheels, and also my 16" wheels, is less throat capacity behind the blade, and also that you curve the blade into a tighter arc. The tighter curve puts more stress on the blade and it's weld. Since I use regular non-carbide timberwolf blades from suffolk, I figure I'll probably dull a blade before I break it, but it also means I probably wouldn't get a .025" kerf carbide blade for resawing. In theory, bending a thin kerf blade around 14" wheels increases the risk that it'll fatique and break before it wears it out. Likely true with 16" as well, but every little bit helps and I get a touch more throat capacity with the 16". How much difference 14" to 16 inches makes is probably debatable, but, let's see if Fryovani chimes in since he clearly re-saws a lot of wood. And honestly, I don't know how much price difference there is between the Laguna 14" and the Minimax 16" delivered. I personally would have bought the 18" steel city saw if I'd had 220V in my current home. (And that's despite the review in FWW magazine, where the guy measured the table surface with the pin out and didn't know how to align the saws special features, and therefore panned it. ) Regards, Todd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fryovanni Posted June 13, 2008 Report Share Posted June 13, 2008 (edited) Sorry I didn't chime in quicker, but I have been busy. Thanks for the message Todd The horsepower is good. The Laguna Guides are nice. The Size has a couple limitations, but will have capacity for most tasks. Laguna makes quality saws. The main drawback really applies to resawing, and blade selection. The 14" wheels will make it tuff on carbide blades. If your intent is to do a lot of resawing, you would do well to select an 18"+(although 16" wheels will provide some extra blade options). I use a Steel City 18". It runs about $1200.00 stock. I pressed off the regular bearing guides and replaced them with wider bearings(each bearing cost $20, plus a smaller spacer bearing($5ea), so this was a $125 upgrade and I did the pressing on and off myself). The horsepower is 2HP, (which seems to serve me well). Laguna's ceramic guides are slick and are fine as is. The added blade length will cost you a bit more, but it serves to keep the blade cooler and they seem to last longer, the larger wheels are better for the blade as they are not bent in as tight a radius. I know people that are very happy with their 16" heavy duty Laguna's, but have heard little about the 14". Either machine will require you to make your own resaw fence. The larger table on an 18" machine will help when you make a slider table for trueing up blacks. A larger table and better arm clearance is handy for cutting patterns and of course larger rips. Have a look at my topic on blades in this section. Your blade selection and care will be a large factor in choosing the proper machine for yourself. Good luck and have fun! Rich Edited June 14, 2008 by fryovanni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carousel182 Posted June 13, 2008 Report Share Posted June 13, 2008 I agree with rich. I have an 18" laguna and it resaws amazingly. No complaints at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodenspoke Posted June 14, 2008 Report Share Posted June 14, 2008 (edited) I agree with rich. I have an 18" Laguna and it resaws amazingly. No complaints at all. I have the LT18 Laguna, have not had the opportunity to fully test it yet even though its been 7 months. I decided to go with Laguna rather than Minimax because of a free shipping offer and the 18" size which is missing from the minimax line, they both are Italian made with american motors. The guides though super hip have not provided me with any additional feelings one way or the other (ceramic). The 4.5 HP baldor motor and pro features was what I was looking for. Some of the lower guide adjustments are hard to get at and the dust collection I wish was closer to the blade rather than down in the lower base. I sold an 18" grizzly to buy this one. The grizzly had 12" resaw capacity at 18"; the Laguna 18" at 18". If you can afford to look at the laguna line I would look at a 16" bandsaw and spend the extra $200 bucks and additional shipping charges. Edited June 14, 2008 by Woodenspoke Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToddW Posted June 14, 2008 Report Share Posted June 14, 2008 You guys sure have nice toys. By the way, Minimax does make an 18" bandsaw, only 12" resaw compared to Laguna's 18", but that would be plenty for me. It's one of their lighter duty saws. They both make 16" saws, in the lower priced ones I think the Laguna is a tiny bit nicer. a touch heavier while the Minimax 16" has a foot brake standard. Laguna charges extra for that, but I probaby wouldn't get a brake on a 16" saw since mine spins down fast enough. In their upper end 16" saws both companies seem very comparable, but I'd never buy a 16" saw that expensive. If I'd had 220V access, I'd have bought this: http://www.grizzly.com/products/17-Ultimate-Bandsaw/G0636X Kenny, I still think that 14" Laguna is a very nice saw unless you plan to do a lot of resawing of hardwoods. Hope you let us know what you decide on and good luck. Todd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick500 Posted June 14, 2008 Report Share Posted June 14, 2008 I'm jealous, plodding along with my 12" Jet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fryovanni Posted June 14, 2008 Report Share Posted June 14, 2008 So Kenny, Talk to us about your needs and wants from this machine. We have several very experienced members here with a variety of bandsaws in the size range your after. Give us an idea as to budget, are you locked in to a certain number? The reason I ask is because the bandsaw is the foundation, but you need to look at good blade selection for the machine. Depending on what you want to do. There are jigs and fixtures that need to be built for the machine(this is pretty much the only way to go as I see little on the market that suits my needs, and most people I know that run a lot of material build these parts themselves). There are other items that may even be something to consider, such as atomizers, dust collection, alignment tools, possibly tension guages... So fill us in on what you see this tool being used for. Peace,Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenny Posted June 14, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 14, 2008 wow, i appreciate all your help! so, as far as budget goes i could upwards of 2k, but ideally no moer than that. being as i still need to purchase a jointer, sometype of combination sander aswell as an air filtration system shipping from laguna doesnt appy since i can pick the products up (i live 45 mins away) my needs well, the most i could ever see myself doing is resawing veneers from maybe bubinga, figured maple, and maybe redwood aswell as cutting the shapes of 1 peice body blanks. i couldnt see myself doing any extreamly small radiused cuts on a band saw (i have patience with a rasp) so im not quite sure if i would need to go up to an 18" i guess tho as far as laguna goes, i could go upto the lt16 how would that stack up to the steel city 18? being as the lt16 is about 400 more thanks for all the help! and in addition, i think that PG is one of the friendliest most constructive (no pun intended) forums online, im only 17 and i guess i could be considered ambitious (not compared to daniel though :-p) towards guitar building, and this forum is full of knowladgable people who are more than willing to help begginers such as me (i only have 2 guitars under my belt so i can really use all the help i can get!) anyways thanks for your generosity and time! Kenny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToddW Posted June 15, 2008 Report Share Posted June 15, 2008 Hi Kenny, Blades are spec'd by depth, 1/16" to maybe 1.5", teeth per inch, tooth shape, material, and kerf. Kerf is how thick the metal is at the teeth, so it's how wide the cut is. With the 14 or 16" wheels, the blades that you probably couldn't use would be the those thin kerf blades over 1" deep with carbide teeth. Ie, the super thin and very durable veneer slicing blades. Honestly, I doubt you'll ever need one. The laguna guides will let you use a 1/8" blade comfortably for fairly tight turns and you can get a 3/4" silicone steel blade for when you resaw. That will probably span everything you want and then some. You don't "Need" a saw as fancy as the Lagunas, but if you're going to spend that much, I'd spring for the 16"er. Todd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fryovanni Posted June 15, 2008 Report Share Posted June 15, 2008 What you are saying you want to do is not very demanding. A 14" would handle the occasional resaw if the machine is used mainly for thinner cutting. The clearnace is a little limiting, but managable. I still use my 14" for tasks like you are saying you will be doing(and I have my choice of machines). Think seriously though about resawing. If down the road you want to pull off some runs of resawing, a larger saw is going to handle the tasks much better. You can squeak out a few resaws just fine, but you will be wrestling with the cuts. Peace,Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenny Posted June 20, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2008 well, what are alternative companies or saws that you would reccomend for less than 1500 im looking at a rikon 18 for 1400 thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fryovanni Posted June 20, 2008 Report Share Posted June 20, 2008 well, what are alternative companies or saws that you would reccomend for less than 1500 im looking at a rikon 18 for 1400 thoughts? Kenny, Go here and do a little comparison shopping. You will find plenty of options. -link I looked at the review they had for the steel city 18". Not very flattering. I can tell you I have used mine with very good results, and I work that machine harder than most people would(thousands of 8"+ resaws since purchasing it), so I think I have a good sense of how it performs. When I purchased mine, I looked at several brands in the local stores. I opted for the Steel city over others because of a few construction details(springs, guides, seal on lower cab, brake, added reinforcements where they seemed logical to reduce flex). I have had one issue with the fence(a part broke, under heavy abuse). I called steel city, they sent me a replacement part no questions asked(well I had to give them my shipping address), and the new part was on the machine less than a week. Can't complain about that. I have heard good things about the Rikon, as the lowest priced option. Grizzly offers a lot of bandsaws and they are cheap, but the people I know that own and use them(drive them moderately hard) have hit and miss reviews. If you are staying with the 14" format. The Laguna is a great machine. Peace,Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToddW Posted June 20, 2008 Report Share Posted June 20, 2008 (edited) That review of the steel city 18" was actually reviewed a lot on the woodworking boards. Entertaining, huh, a review of a review. The opinion was that it was the worst review FWW or Tauton or whoever, had done in years. Most people thought they would not have done such a bad job if it had been powermatic or delta who buy more advertising. The table being out of flat by .015 or something was a silly issue on a bandsaw, and measuring alignment with the pin out ? ? ? ? What kind of an idiot does that. The pin is there for a reason after all. . . . . the issue of the upper arm not being alligned well wasn't flex, it was apparently a result of the saw having the ability to adjust that alignment and the reviewer not knowing it was adjustable. To be fair, Steel City's initial instructions didn't explain that issue, but most of the people who commented thought a magazine reviewer should have taken the time to call the mfgr before he assumed the saw was defective. Steel City was working on improving their manual at the time. It wasn't a defective saw, it just had a cool new feature the reviewer didn't know how to use. . . I don't think my 16" one has it, but either way, I also bought the saw after reading that review. Todd Edited June 20, 2008 by ToddW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fryovanni Posted June 20, 2008 Report Share Posted June 20, 2008 That review of the steel city 18" was actually reviewed a lot on the woodworking boards. Entertaining, huh, a review of a review. The opinion was that it was the worst review FWW or Tauton or whoever, had done in years. Most people thought they would not have done such a bad job if it had been powermatic or delta who buy more advertising. The table being out of flat by .005 or something was measured without the pin in place, duh, and even so the measurement was useless on a bandsaw. . . . the issue of the upper arm not being alligned well was a result of the saw having the ability to adjust that and the reviewer not knowing it was adjustable. To be fair, Steel City's initial instructions didn't explain that issue, but most of the people who commented thought a magazine reviewer should have taken the time to call the mfgr before he assumed the saw was defective. Steel City was working on improving their manual at the time. It wasn't a defective saw, it just had a cool new feature the reviewer didn't know how to use. . . I don't think my 16" one has it, but either way, I also bought the saw after reading that review. Todd I didn't read reviews before buying. I used what I knew to be true of bandsaws as my guide, and did a side by side comparison. The choice was clear to me, price was not a consideration, there is a pretty large group of saws in basically the same price range. I was looking for improvements that I knew as a user count. I am happy with my choice. The next step up for me will be a horizontal band. I tossed around the idea of power feed on a larger vertical, but fighting gravity doesn't make much sense. I recall looking at reviews on the performax 16/32. Many posted issue with belt tracking. That is another case of "I just can't relate", as I have never had the slightest hint of an issue with my 16/32, and man I drive a lot of material through it. Peace,Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenny Posted June 21, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 21, 2008 well, after some consideration i think im going to look for an 18" steel city pricewise and what i hear from you guys it seems to be the best bet (plus i trust all of you much more than tauton) ill let you know when i get it Kenny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fryovanni Posted June 21, 2008 Report Share Posted June 21, 2008 well, after some consideration i think im going to look for an 18" steel city pricewise and what i hear from you guys it seems to be the best bet (plus i trust all of you much more than tauton) ill let you know when i get it Kenny Kenny, If at all possible look the machines over in person. I have heard good things about the Rikon also. I will cover the items that made me lean twards the Steel city. Open the upper housing and look at the additional steel stiffiners welded to the frame, note the dual tensioning springs(this has proved to tension my larger carbide blades very smoothly) that is about all I noticed in that area. Next compair the guide bearings. I have Carter bearings on my 14" and hate dinking around with adjusting them. Note the steel city adjustment is done by rotating then setting the shaft(much easier to fine tune for me at least). Now open the lower housing. First thing that will jump at you is the nice tight seal on the steel city(you actually can't open it when you have your dust collector hooked up because it seals so well). Now the Rikon has dual 4" dust ports, and if you have a large enough dust collection system, this could be a plus for the rikon. Note the foot break on the steel city, I don't believe the Rikon is equiped with a brake, and I like this feature very much. In terms of power you will do well with either. Blade length is very close. As much as I don't think either has a wonderful fence(both absolutely require mods for resawing), I lean tward the Steel City, but you can use your own judgement on that one(I don't feel strongly either way). For about the price of the bandsaw you are looking at. Laguna makes a power feed and fence system that looks appealing(but that is not really something you need to look at). The Steel City has a five year warrenty, and they back it up from my experience. I am not sure if Rikon offers the same(may want to look into that). I paid $1299 for my Steel City, and they run specials so watch for rebates or special offers. Rikon's 18" was $1099 when I was looking, but again look for sales and special offers. See if you can negotiate a deal on your first blade purchase when you are picking up your bandsaw, often you can talk them into a 10-20% discount(after all your spending a fair amount of money, and they have plenty of margin to make you a deal on blades). Good luck, and enjoy! Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.