IMHO you might want to add the Jet 17" to your list. On sale it will
probably fit your price criteria. I have owned one for about 3 years an
love it. Mine has the old "European" friction guides that I planned to
replace after purchase. I got comfortable with them and they are still on
the machine. I believe the new Jets use rollers. The lower blade guides
are a little tricky to adjust but it becomes an acquired skill. The list on
my saw was around $1,099, but I picked it up during a combined store
sale/Jet promotion for around $920 including a mobile base.

As far as which provides the best utility (14" or 17"), it probably boils
down to your intended use. I personally bandsaw a lot of large curved
hardwood pieces. The bigger table helps considerably with balance and
control. However you can add an auxiliary top to a smaller table.

RonB