Hey All,
I have additional questions on Bandsaws. I have been reading your responses on this issue. You have been discussing Grizzley and Rikon. For $1,592 delivered I can get a MiniMax E16. 2Hp 12 inch resaw capacity. It is something I would not out grow for a long time if at all. How does this compare with the comparable model from Laguna. Is it worth the extra bucks to get this over the Grizzley?
Edited 6/2/2005 3:19 pm ET by Planecity
Replies
For $1,592 delivered I can get a MiniMax E16. 2Hp 12 inch resaw capacity. It is something I would not out grow for along time if at all.
Fer sure... I would make sure delivery is in the place of Initialization!
I'm not sure what you mean by initialization. I gave them my zip code and they said it would be $200 to deliver it to that local. $1,392 for the machine.
Does Laguna have something comparable?
Edited 6/2/2005 3:18 pm ET by Planecity
what he meant by initialization is that as heavy as that thing will be - will they bring it the spot in your shop where it will live? or is just delivered to the driveway with YOU required to get of fthe truck and into the shop and setup?1 - measure the board twice, 2 - cut it once, 3 - measure the space where it is supposed to go 4 - get a new board and go back to step 1
Hmmm I am certain it will just be delivered to my shop. I guess I get to man handle it into it's location. I guess it won't be hard to move once I get it unpacked inside the shop. It comes with wheels on it.
Rick THANKS... what I tried to spells..
I'm not sure what you mean by initialization....
NO WONDER! Stupid me meant Installation! Gee I'm gettin' to old for this...
Will George,
Did I read that you have a Rikon 18 inch. If so how long have you had it? How much did it cost and have you done any large resawing with it. I imagine it will resaw at least 12 inch. Would you recommend it over the Grizzley?
Would you recommend it over the Grizzley?..
Can't say because I do not have a Grizz. or ever used one.. Bandsaw that is..
All I can say is my saw cuts MORE THAN OK!..
However I found using my LEXOX blades worked the best for me...
As a test I once sawed some ASH.. 5.5 Inches wide.. ( I hardly ever resaw a stick wider than 8 Inches because I never use wood wider than that if I can help it.. )
I got a stack of wood you can see light through.. Well, depending on the internal structure of the wood.. (Some parts you can see through some places NOT)..
Some folks will think I'm nuts.... but I always use a 1 inch LENOX Classic Bandsaw Blade it is about 0.035 inch thick.. 3 Tooth per inch as I remember...
I can slice off 0.035 inch slabs using it.. Lets put it this way.. Nice flat stick to start with.. Using the flat fence that came with the saw.. My slabs were ..
I just got one to measure..... Four courners of a slab.. 0.036/0.033/0.033/0.040.. Clockwise around the slab at each corner.. They vary a bit but geee.. For me... MORE than good! Never tried to plane them.. Just a test.. I would normally cut thicker and run them through my planner.. But this was just a 'look see'...
I did not use any special fences.. Just my way of doing things.... I backed off all the blade guides.. (Well, at least none of the ball bearings were not in contact with the blade).. Cut.. run board through my planner to flatten.. Cut again and so on.. I NEVER RUSH THE CUT!
However, there are some tooth marks on the slabs on one side.... It is my incosistent feed rate I think... I can get areas without tooth marks and then I get some.. I'm sure it is me.. Not the saw or blade.. Yes! The blade is sharp!.. I think a power feed would eliminate most of the tooth marks but to expensive for as often as I resaw...
I like a 1 inch blade because it tracks by itself and no wiggle! I find thinner blades tend to wander a bit..
EDIT: Bt the way.. Look for old posts on RIKON .. I got some old posts out there with Pictures and stuff... Well, I did have... never know in here...
Edited 6/3/2005 5:32 pm ET by Will George
I got my Grizzly 17" (12" resaw) hd 2hp BS for $795 + 78 shipping. Its good and does everything I need it to. I have some pics in another thread. I looked at the Rikon in person at Wood craft. If you have a store go by and take a look. It is almost identical to Grizzly. I have been happy with the Griz, but you sure cant go wrong with the MM either. As they say when I visit my local Harley dealership "All it takes is a trip to the hip!" so true so true. Good luck on the decision.
http://forums.taunton.com/tp-knots/messages?msg=23896.6
Did you notice the price on the Rikon? I am wondering if they are comparable. I do have a Woodcraft Store within driving range (40 miles) so I can check it out. But the end result is that you are sold on the quality and ease of use of the Grizzley?
Due to the price I am starting to lean towards a Grizzley or a Rikon. For the difference I can get a good start on a good lathe. However, I do like quality equipment. I would rather hold off on the lathe if it meant getting a better bandsaw.
Anyone out there able to compare the Laguna with the Minimax? Dollar for dollar?
Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. I was traveling on business and did not get back till today. I forget the Rikon price, but I will drop by and check it out today at lunch. I need an excuse to go there anyway. The bandsaw was my first Grizzly purchase. I researched the web, and received some input from the folks here. In the end, it was the customer service reputation and the price point. I needed a lot of tools not just the Band Saw. I took the chance and it has paid off. The bandsaw is good quality, and I love the 1023SLX table saw. I also purchased the horizontal boring machine for slot morticing. I have not had much chance to put that one to the test yet. The customer service is excellent at Grizzly which would be critical for buying from a vendor without a local store front (for me). At the time I bought, I could only view pictures of the Rikon and could not find a lot about it on the web. Now that Woodcraft is carrying them, that is probably not as big a concern. If you can go by and look at it in person it would help you make the decision. As to the quality of Rikon, I cannot speak because I have not used it. If you want pictures of parts of my grizz that is not in the other thread let me know and I can get them to you. They are a lot a like. Good luck on the decision
I went by woodcraft and the 18" Rikon is $999.99. It is a good looking saw. The fence is different from the Grizzly, but other than that they are very similar.
If you can afford the MiniMax, I'd suggest going for it. Most people here know I'm a big Grizzly fan, but that's for getting the best bang for the buck when the budget is quite limited. I've seen a MiniMax and "a Grizzly, son, is no MiniMax!" ROFL!
Maybe Tom (tms) will pitch in here. It was his MM I had the pleasure of sharing floor space with awhile back.
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
I know it might be difficult to explain, but what would make the Minimax worth paying double for the comparable machine compared to the Grizzly? Is it all whistles and Bells? Or would I be able to cut things on the Minimax that I couldn't on the Grizzly?
I didn't realize there was a 100% price difference, so maybe not. Probably depends on how often you want to replace the saw over a 30-year period, and how much "the little stuff" might bug you.
I'm not even finding an "E16" MiniMax saw, so other than looking at the MM16 and comparing part-by-part, I'm left only with my gut reaction to Tom's saw. Find me a link to the mysterious E16, and I'll give you some specifics. Based on what I've seen of the MM16, the cast iron wheels, telescoping blade guard/guide assembly, dinner-plate-sized (kidding) blade guides, heavy duty spring, were enough to make me go "wow" and envision resawing stuff without having to readjust things constantly, a quiet smooth ride, with lots of power and very acceptable tensioning ability for a large blade.
Given a winning lottery ticket, I'd go for the MM for sure. Some people can afford to go for the best. The rest of us have to make choices, LOL! I'm sure I'd "survive" with a 17" Grizz.
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
I received the info on the E16 from a Mini-Max rep. He said it is a new model that I could get at the end of July or possibly the end of August depending on their next shipment. I will try and send a picture. But I work with wood not computers. So good luck getting it.
It's OK if the picture thing doesn't work. More important are the specs: type of wheels, guides, guide assembly and guard, motor size, that kinda stuff.
Glad Tom chipped in here. forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
Yes he makes a good case for the Mini-Max.
I am new here and am curious where everyone is from. I am in Utah. So I get to work with Chris Gochnour from time to time.
Where are you writing from?
I live in the Great Northwest, Bainbridge Island, 9 miles west of Seattle. Have you put your location in "My Profile." I really encourage people to do this. Click on My Forums button above, then go to My Profile. Many/most of us don't fill it out completely, they ask for weird stuff, but a location is great.
How's the lumber supply out your way??forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
PC, I'm sorry I got interrupted about 8 times while trying to write that last response.
re: the choice between Laguna and MiniMax -- MiniMax owners consistently report and rave about the great customer service they receive. The company seems to be very dedicated to long-term customer satisfaction. Laguna, on the other hand, gives an appearance of (a) being pretty resentful of MiniMax and (b) being more interested in selling you their product than going out of their way to support it afterward. I've seen enough first-hand reports to lean way over to the MM side.
re: the choice between Grizzly and Rikon. I'm not finding much info on Rikon, and Grizzly's been around a long time. Not sure the cast iron wheels would outweigh (so-to-speak) the lack of history for me.
Whether to forgo (postpone) the lathe purchase to get a higher quality bandsaw is really a personal call. How heavily will you use the band saw? How desperately do you want a lathe? (I hear turning is a fever, LOL) I went for a cheap band saw (1019Z) because I needed so many other tools, and I use the band saw so sporadically, I couldn't see being picky. No regrets, except I wish the G0555 had been around at the time. I pay for it mainly by way of having to adjust things more than I'd like, but it has cut everything I've asked it to true and straight (including resawing hardwoods) and only cost me about $300 IIRC.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
I have been able to do without a bandsaw for many years. But as a result everything I make is straight. I don't do curves. I want to expand my abilities hence the bandsaw. So do I need the best? No just one to add new styles to my work. So maybe the Grizzly will do. At least you have convinced me against the Laguna. Plus I have read many complaints about their service.
But the lathe would be pure fun. I don't sell bowls. And all the tables I make have square legs. But once again if I had a lathe or bandsaw then that would be different.
Thanks for the advice.
Hey PC,
As Jamie pointed out I have a MM16, so I won't claim to be unbiased. I have used Deltas, Grizzlys, Jets, Davis-Wells, and grew up wth an old Walker-Turner. The only time I have used a Laguna is at a WW show.
I can honestly say that the MM16 is the only bandsaw that I have ever used that workes the way I think a bandsaw is supposed to work. I can cut as straight as with a table saw, but I've also done it on 6" thick stock. I've also made some intricately designed bandsaw boxes. No other bandsaw that I've used could do both those things.
The fit and finish of the Laguna saws that I examined were comparable to the MM16, so what finally swayed me was the MiniMax reputation for customer service and satisfaction.
I guess my advice would be to examine the nature of your purchase. If you are buying the last bandsaw you expect to buy in your life, by all means buy the MM16, and you will never regret it.
If on the other hand, you are just building your shop, and are trying to get the essentials together, I can see wanting to spread the cash amongst a few more machines. Just remember that you may someday be limited by what those machines can do for you, and consider will you then have the cash to upgrade?
Good luck,
Tom
Thanks for the advice. It is well taken.
For $1,592 delivered I can get a MiniMax E16
NOTHIN" wrong with a MINMAX fer sure!!
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