Been saving and searching for the last year for the best bandsaw +/- $2K will buy. It will be my first and, hopefully, last. While the serious search narrowed to Laguna, Agazzani, Bridgewood, and Mini Max – I’m finally having trouble finding anything better than the Mini Max MM16. Any thoughts or info dissuading me from this over the other similarly featured brands are eagerly sought before I pull the trigger. And FYI – Laguna’s customer service has scared me away from considering them anymore.
Thoughts?
Mini Max MM16 Bandsaw<!—-><!—-> <!—->
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4.8 HP, 1-phase (230v) motor<!—-> <!—->
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STANDARD FATURES: <!—-><!—->
Triple-boxed-beam spine and neck, 5mm formed steel <!—-> <!—->
Magnetic starter with overload protection<!—-> <!—->
½”-thick cast-iron wheels, internally balanced <!—-><!—->
Quick-change tongue-and-groove tires<!—-> <!—->
Quick-tilting table with single-handle adjust feature<!—-> <!—->
Cast iron fence, fully adjustable for drift<!—-> <!—->
3/4” by 3/8” miter slot<!—-> <!—->
Upper and lower doors open independently<!—-> <!—->
“Soft-touch” foot brake with adjustable magnetic stop switch<!—-><!—->
Upper and lower European-style roller guides<!—-> <!—->
Universal guide post accepts most aftermarket guide systems <!—-><!—->
1-1/4” steel guidepost with chain-and-sprocket raising/lowering<!—-><!—->
Cast iron through-block knuckle for guidepost support<!—-> <!—->
Tool set & owner’s manual <!—-><!—->
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SPECIFICATIONS: <!—-><!—->
Table size 17.75” X 24.5”<!—-> <!—->
Table height 35”<!—-><!—->
Table tilting -10/ +45° <!—-> <!—->
Blade speed 3800 FPM<!—-><!—->
Maximum blade width 1/8″-1&1/4″ <!—-><!—->
Maximum cutting height 16″<!—-><!—->
Maximum cutting width 15″<!—-><!—->
Blade length 154″<!—-><!—->
Overall dimensions 76.5”H x 31”L x 30”W<!—-> <!—->
Shipping weight (lbs.) 651<!—-><!—->
Net weight (lbs.) 535<!—-><!—->
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ELECTRIC & DUST REQUIREMENTS:<!—-> <!—->
30 AMPS @ 230v, 10 AWG wire <!—-><!—->
Diameter of dust collection port 4″<!—-> <!—->
Dust collection requirement 500 CFM<!—-><!—->
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OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES: <!—-> <!—->
Miter gauge <!—-><!—->
Mobility kit <!—-><!—->
Cool-block replacement guides for blades <1/4” <!—-><!—->
Blade tuning stone<!—-><!—->
Replies
Sorry, no cons here. I researched and came to the same conclusion. The only other one I considered seriously was the Bridgewood, but I decided that it looked too much like a Laguna. I am still saving up for mine. I think that I have a little over $10.00, so I might have to borrow yours for a while.
Best,
John
A couple of cons, but BUY IT ANYWAY. It's a great saw.
The included miter gage is a POS.
You'll either love or hate the Johnson Bar mobility kit. I hated it and put mine on a regular mobile base which also means I don't have to pull the back wheel off to change wider blades.
There have been some fairly common electrical switch problems but MM has been good about resolving them pretty quickly. Haven't had any more problems with mine since they sent me a replacement switch.
The plastic table insert will probably need a fair amount of tweaking and filing on the TS opening to get it to sit flush. I thought maybe it was just mine, but I've read similar comments from other owners.
BUY IT - With the Lenox TriMaster blade. You'll love it.
If you build it he will come.
The MiniMax is an excellent saw. I had the pleasure of a "private" demo that lasted over an hour. I wasn't allowed to actually use it myself (liability issues) but I was as close as possible short of pushing wood through the machine myself. I won't list any "negatives, as there really were none. I would not try to talk anyone out of getting the machine who had decided in favor of it. Beautifully engineered, quiet, vibration-free, accurate, predictable, completely professional. That said, I decided against the MiniMax in favor of the Hammer 16" machine. It was purely a personal decision, probably influenced by the fact that I had already ordered a Hammer combo machine. (After all, who can live with the shame of machines that don't match cosmetically!?) But for me, the Hammer bandsaw has a higher quality appearance of fit and finish, in every regard. I think they are equivalent machines in terms of the work they do and their price. Take a look at the Hammer, if you can, before making a final choice. Either way, you'll have a great piece of equipment and unless you need a larger machine for some reason, it will be the last bandsaw you buy. Rich
Hello,
I own a first generation MM16, overall an really nice machine. But the cons..
But I would buy the machine again in a heartbeat. It's a resawing animal, especially when combined with the Lennox Tri-master.
But, I cannot believe that you really could go wrong with any of the Italian bandsaws
Edited 1/13/2007 9:53 pm ET by BOBABEUI
Buy a used 20" Delta or Powermatic. Even if you need to swap out the motor and upgrade the guides it will cost half of a new saw. Might get lucky and find a Powermatic with the 24" resaw capacity.
DJK
OT, but I'll echo DJK's endorsement of the Delta or PM 20" machines, with the following caveats:
- These machines are bigger and want more shop real estate, especially the PM.
- As older/used machines, they may want parts or bearings so your ability to repair is an important consideration.
- Some parts can be hard to find so make sure all the parts are included or are available/replaceable. For example, OEM guides for the Delta are unobtainable for some years, and the older Deltas use a pulleys with a nonstandard spacing and bore that can add cost to a motor swap.
I can tell you from experience that the older Delta 20" is an awesome machine. I haven't used an MM16 but I expect it's somewhat friendlier and more capable in some ways. Certainly not a slam dunk for either machine.
Pete
Edited 1/14/2007 10:56 pm ET by PeteBradley
Only con I see is proprietary tires, but you won't care about that for quite some time.
Pete
One major con on all 16" Bandsaws. A 16" wheel is less than ideal and in some cases not acceptable for larger resaw blades. If you are buying a BS for resawing I would look at 20" wheels minimum.
Dan
I am curious.
How much does that go for?
I am curious on price.
How much is your bid? That could be the only con.
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