DIYbanter - View Single Post - Bandsaw recomendation (once more around the block)

Leon[_7_]

On 7/5/2011 7:06 PM, zzzzzzzzzz wrote:
On Tue, 05 Jul 2011 08:07:02 -0500, Leonlcb11211@swbelldotnet wrote:

On 7/4/2011 5:54 PM, 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). 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?

Is this a first time BS or an upgrade?

First (and only)

I had a Rikon 18"er for an upgrade saw for about 2 weeks and returned
it. It was slightly better than my plastic covered Craftsman.

I had to go with a Laguna and considered the MiniMax to upgrade.

MiniMax is out. I could stretch to any of the Laguna 14s if I thought it was
the best choice ($$ included in the calculus).

When I bought, the MiniMax MM16 IIRC was about the same prioce as the
Laguna 16 HD. BUT I had an appointment to see the saw 150 miles away
and they even conformed the day before. They had no saw to show when I
got there the next day. The appointment was made a couple of weeks in
advance.

I simply hated roller bearing guides, especially noisy and they
introduce a lot of vibration when cutting wood that may be sticky.

Good information.

Laguna has the guide situation solved.

What do you think you would be missing with that model?

It's really hard to decode their site, but

Rack and Pinion Upper Guide: No-- seems useful
Foot brake: No-- seems useful but others say no
Rack& Pinion Table Tilt: No-- seems quite useful but it *looks*
like the SE and SEL models
don't look like they have it
either, though are more expensive
than the SUV model

I have rack and pinion and it is helpful to raise and lower the guide, I
guess. You still have to apply the clamp to hold the shaft steady. I am
not so sure that it is necessary unless the guides and shaft are too
heavy to lift.
Foot break is useful if you plan to walk away from the saw after turning
it off and there are others present that might get into trouble as the
saw spins down, it can take 10~15 seconds to do so. It certainly is not
a requirement as a function of the saw to get good cuts. I use mine
occasionally but mostly let it spin down naturally.
Rack and pinion table tilt again is useful if the table is heavy. The
table on my Laguna is quite heavy and that set up is handy to gracefully
tilt the table.

I think you should consider easy blade changes a must. I have often
heard with jig saws and band saws that blade changes are not important
because they don't change blades often. So either they don't saw much
or they deal with a dull blade. If you want the saw to perform as an
upgrade you want to be able to easily change the blade when it is dull
or is the wrong blade for the application..

I agree, I think. I expect to do quite a bit of curvy stuff, as well as
resawing.

Check out the Laguna video concerning their ceramic guides, pretty
interesting and educational.

Blade tension release IMHO is not important. Most tension releases do
not fully release the tension, they simply lessen the tension. What's
the point? The blade tension adjustment will accomplish the same thing.
Blade brake are cool bet not necessary. My Laguna HD 16 had a break, I
seldom use it.

I would think a tension release would be very helpful.

Actually it is useful "IF" the tension release will leave the blade
slack. The 18" Rikon tension release simply lessened the tension, to
take tension off the tires and blade you still had to unscrew the
tension wheel. My Laguna does not have a tension release however the
tension wheel is much more smooth to operate than mot other band saws
that I have used. The tension wheel is large enough that it gives you
quite a bit of leverage.

I would focus more on guides that don't introduce noise and vibration,
cast iron blade wheels, ease of changing blades.

Good information. Thanks!