Looking to buy a bandsaw, any recommendations? I'm willing to go up to 700...

[toomanyknots]

I think the 14" Grizzly takes up to a 3/4" blade. If you plan to do a bunch of resawing you might go a bit bigger so you can use a resaw blade.
  My 14" x 1hp does all I need it to do.

I just don't wanna buy a bandsaw and then end up struggling to get threw a 6 foot 1 1/2" tall maple resaw cut when my blade gets a tiny bit dull. And shoot, while we are talking about blades, what resaw blade would you recommend? I have used the wood slicer from highland wood working, which is great while new, but man it goes dull fast. I would rather have a blade that leaves a rougher finish, but lasts threw more than 10 or so cuts!

[seabass]

Daniel,i have a 3/4 inch resaw blade on my grizz 550.i think it is made by olsen.the guy at woodcraft  said if you do alot of resaws you should get a timberwolf carbide blade.they are pricey though.

[blackhawk]

Like pat said..any 14" saw with a 1 HP motor will suit you just fine...I've used most of the major brands that make 14" 1 HP saws......jet,delta,grizzly,rigid,n craftsman's....n all work just fine for what we do if tuned n running correctly...I've also heard timberwolf s being some of the best blades out there

[toomanyknots]

Daniel,i have a 3/4 inch resaw blade on my grizz 550.i think it is made by olsen.the guy at woodcraft  said if you do alot of resaws you should get a timberwolf carbide blade.they are pricey though.

Steve, I am sending you a pm to see what you think about that grizz you got, as I might order me one of the same...

[BowEd]

A second,third,and fourth for the timberwolf blades on my grizzly.But they don't last forever either.27$ for a 93and1/2" blade I think.

[Elktracker]

Ordered the 14" 1 hp grizzly deluxe model a couple days ago cant wait for it to get here! Aniversery addition was like 3 months out but 100 dollars cheaper.

[bcbull]

I wont touch the grizzly tool plastic sprokets n parts dont do it for me id go with jet any day BROCK

[toomanyknots]

A second,third,and fourth for the timberwolf blades on my grizzly.But they don't last forever either.27$ for a 93and1/2" blade I think.

Oh, I thought yall were talking about those 200 dollar bandsaw blades I saw recently on the internet. I was thinking like "Man, they better last forever for 200 dollars! Prices like that and I will just go pay the bandsaw man at the local mill to rip me some laminates and screw doing it myself!  ". 27 ain't bad, that is what wood slicers go for. I'll give a wood slicer another try, and if it dulls so fast again I will try me a timberwolf. How is the saw marks when resawing with a timberwolf resaw blade? With the wood slicer, the marks are barely visible. I just had to sand the tiniest bit to get it ready for glue up.

Ordered the 14" 1 hp grizzly deluxe model a couple days ago cant wait for it to get here! Aniversery addition was like 3 months out but 100 dollars cheaper.

By 3 months out, you mean 3 months out of stock?

[Elktracker]

Yea 3 months till they start shipping again, they are on back order the aniversary addition that is.

Josh

[randman]

Bought a 14" Jet (Basically delta with different guides) 1 HP with a riser block (so I could resaw 12" wide planks for guitar tops). Been beatin the hell outa it for 25 years. Saw blade does as much as the HP of the motor. finer teeth for finer work. Coarser teeth for hoggin through logs. Got a 3/8" wide - 4 teeth per inch blade on it most of the time and it hogs through any of the bow wood I feed it (although I can completely jam it if I feed too fast). Haven't had to but one for a while but I just get blades from the local saw sharpening shop. They got rolls of blade on a big spool (just like wire) and just roll it out to the length I need and solder it up on the spot. Any width or tooth config I want.

[hedgeapple]

DON"T get the Porter/Cable  14" bandsaw, unless you plan to have your local tool and die guy rebuild the blade tightening lever.  Mine has the power but that lever system is made of the worse pot metal aluminum alloy ever made.  I had to have it rebuilt.  Since then no problems, knock on wood.

[iowabow]

My delta works great but never ever lift with the table top...you will break the trunnions. It will take a few months to get them replaced

[autologus]

I wont touch the grizzly tool plastic sprokets n parts dont do it for me id go with jet any day BROCK

I don't know about yours, but my Grizzly is cast iron and steel.  The only plastic parts on mine is the handle knobs and the switch box.  My 14" Grizzly weighs 247# and goes through wood like an angry beaver.

Grady

[toomanyknots]

Yea 3 months till they start shipping again, they are on back order the aniversary addition that is.

Josh

DARNIT! 

[Prarie Bowyer]

What I'd say is tha for the most part a band saw is a band saw.  Delta is good but they want too much for features that aren't that important. 
When I was shopping foro mine is was doig alot of wood carving and resawing of logs that I self harvested. 

I wanted Belt driven to extend the morot life.  1hp motor because I cut alot of thick stuff.  Blade guide blocks BTW I cut from wood and they last 20X longer than the plastic ones they come with.

the rest is up to the blade.  I like the Olson blades from Woodcraft but there are better brands.  Those have been fine for me.  I don't go for a clean smooth finish cut so I use a 4-5 tpi hook or skip tooth resaw blade in the 1/2" width range (maybee 5/8").  That will let you cut some gentle raidus but straight cuts go quite nicely. 

Make your own fence and save $40.00+

An actual resawing fence works way differently from a table saw fence.  It's just a point that backs the wood at the blade bo nowhere else so you can pivot it to keep it on track.

I also made a resaw sled that clamps the small logs or log sections and slides through the track. 

Most of my resawing of big stuff is done with a chain saw and milling guide kit.  Ebay $20.00.  clamps onto the blade and follows a 2X4 that is clamped or screwed to the log.