Anyone have experience with the South Bend 16″ bandsaw?
This saw (SB1080 by South Bend, 16″) looks very interesting to me and I am curious to hear if anyone has any experience with it. Some key features that make it stand out to me:
-Table height is 41″. Very important to me as I am 6’1″
-Lots of mass @ 476 lbs
-Rack & Pinion table adjustment
-Large table @ 25-5/8 x 20-7/8
-3hp motor
Besides those specifications, I find it interesting that South Bend has been around since 1906 and played a prominent role in supplying lathes to the US military during WWII. South Bend was acquired by Grizzly in 2009.
Rollie Johnson gave a big thumbs up to this saw in 2021 when he reviewed it in Fine Woodworking #294. Not much else I can find online in terms of user experience or other reviews. Besides this saw, I am also considering the Laguna 18BX and the Grizzly G0513X2BF. Thank you for any insights or shared experiences with this saw.
Replies
I've no experience with the South Bend. But I've had a Laguna 14/12 for several years, and recently added a Laguna 18 BX. I probably only have a dozen hours on the 18BX, all resawing with a 1-1/4" blade. It's a great saw.
Hi John. Thank you for your reply and good to hear you've had a good experience with a couple Laguna saws.