On Tue, 05 Jul 2011 00:36:06 GMT, basilisk wrote:

On Mon, 04 Jul 2011 17:54:01 -0500, zzzzzzzzzz wrote:

I think I'm getting close to buying a 14" bandsaw (perhaps after it
cools down and I can get into the "shop" again).

Wuss, we haven't turned the AC on yet .

It's been in the 90s every day since Memorial day. The attic gets *hot*. ;-)

Searching the web for
reviews and comparisons, as usual, leaves more questions than answers.
I say 14", primarily because of the weight of larger saws. It has to go
in an attic over a garage and though the floor is pretty sturdy (2x8s
crossways on 2x12s) and has no bounce, much over 300 pounds worries me.

I've been considering a Rikon 10-325 for some time but some of the
reviews aren't very complimentary (blade change and adjustment). The
Jet 14DXPRO and Grizzly G0457 also have some detractors and some pretty
serious problem reports. The Laguna LT14 3000 is within range, too, but
being the low-end it's missing a lot, it seems. I've also looked at the
LT14x14SUV and LT14SE, out of interest (and still a possibility). The
SUV looks like a really sweet saw and in fact better (and heavier) than
the SE, which is a few hundred more. Discussion?

Not a direct answer for a 14" saw.

I purchased a grizzly 17" polar bear series back in the fall and have
been more than pleased with it.

I don't recall what it weighs but not anywhere near 300 lbs. All my
bandsaw experience was on 36" industrial size machines and I didn't
have my hopes set too high with the Grizzly machine, it really has
exceeded my expectations.

Interesting! I wasn't looking (much) at the 17" models. It's 266lbs (340lbs
shipping! - that's a lot of cardboard! . How easy is it to change the
blade?

I notice that most saw tables are around 35" high (the G0513P is 37"). The
Laguna LT14SE is the outlier at 44" (with the SEL back at 35"). Is there a
reason for this difference? Resaw vs. curvies? I would think higher is
better but perhaps not when resawing a 12" board.