I used to have a Grizzly 15 in bandsaw. I later upgraded to the Grizzly
G0513 model which is 17in. I did have my eye on the jet 16in, but after
using the G0513 for over a year, I can saw I would purchase this again.

The Grizzly 15 in was not bad, but the mounting of the table to the saw
frame was not as sturdy as I would like. I also wanted a greater width of
cut. The fence system on the old saw was a pain to remove and resulted in
reducing the width of cut by a couple of inches.

The G0513 is configured for 220V operations, rated at 10A but can be changed
to 110V operation rated at 20A.

The G0513 comes with carter style bearings, a rack and pinion upper blade
support adjustment, a lever and spring based blade tension mechanism to
easily untension when not used, and a decent fence system with one hand
operation and instant removal for maximum cut width.

Other brands may be better quality, but this one does the job for my needs.

If I were having to decide between 15in and 17in and could afford the wider
depth of cut, I would get the wider depth.

Dave Paine.

"David" wrote in message
news
Yet another "what to buy question". I've read the bandsaw posts, and
appreciate all I've learned. Rather than asking "what's the best 14 inch
BS" or "What's the best 17 inch BS", I'd rather ask "what's the best saw I
can get with a $1000 budget.

I'm a novice, do mostly thin stuff now, but hope that my skills and needs
grow. I'd hope to anticipate resawing in the future, and hope not to need
another tool. I'll be replacing a 12" Craftsman. The thing I dislike the
most about it is the vibration (even after tuning it up), but I also hope
for more capacity and power. I've been watching for a while, and haven't
seen anything used come up close to home.

Here's a few that all come in about the same price:
Delta X5 with a riser - an old standby, but some have raised questions
about vibration.
Powermatic 14 with a riser - always favorably reviewed on the NG
Bridgewood 17WBS - looks nice, but have never seen one turned on.
Trunnions look a little weak, but otherwise seems well made. What about
parts in the future given only one supplier?
Shopfox 17 - looks the sturdiest and most heavy duty, but frame welding
looked a little sloppier than the others, making me question the overall
quality. Cast iron wheels are spoked rather than solid like the
Bridgewood.

Any advice or personal experience with these saws (especially the last 2)?

Thanks in advance
David