Shopping for a Bandsaw.......

[mcgyver]

I'm thinking of a 14" plus.. possibly able to get a riser bar in the future, maybe will do some resawing... so.... what's the min HP/amps I should look for? Roller bearings or the cool block setup? Anything else that I'm not thinking of? I've used a small old 12" for some "light" stuff but need to upgrade. Models? I'm thinking around $5-600 range. thanks

[Ben A Gozar]

I am sure everyone has their own preferences, but here is what I did....

I google this group for bandsaws and read everything that was band saw related to my purposes. Keeping a list on models, what people thought about their bandsaw, what they don't like, and what they wished they had. Also a plus/minus for the different brands.

One of the interesting things I came across was Delta. Many many complaints about the product, but most would buy Delta again...go figure. lol

Good luck, hope this post wasn't a time waster.

[Walt Novinger]

One of the primary advantages of the Delta 14" line (there are at least two versions...one made in US [~$900] the other offshore [~$500], both excellent saws) is that the Delta lower guides are within 1" of the table top. No other saw comes this close, including Jet, Powermatic and Grizzley. This is very important when making curved cuts (e.g., bandsaw boxes), as there is less blade between the guides to flex. I sell all these saws (except Grizzley), and the guide placement and adjustment ease is one of the major "tipping points" in buyers' decision-making.

WRT guides, roller guides are generally unsuitable for blades narrower than 1/4". For narrow blades (I use 3/16" when making bandsaw boxes), Cool Blocks are the best. For 1/4" or wider blades, roller guides can provide better performance, particularly when resawing. If you buy a Delta saw, you can buy a set of Cool Blocks for narrow blades, and a set of Carter Band Rollers for wider blades and simply change the guides when you change the blade.

HTH, Walt