In my situation what Bandsaw would you buy?

[jteneyck]

I continue to look for a new to me used bandsaw but I'm not very optimistic one will turn up that meets my set of circumstances.

My circumstances: Basement shop with the only access a single set of stairs through the house. I'm fine taking off the table and motor, but anything much more than 400 lbs after that is going to present a serious problem. 12" minimum resaw height. My J/P is 14" wide so 14" would be even better. (Cutting width is of no concern.) Because of that, anything less than 3 HP seems like too little power. I have a 14" Delta that I would keep. I want this saw to be able to put 25K psi on the blade so it can resaw w/o issue. I would use it to resaw and cut veneer, and use the Delta for most everything else.

Budget is always an issue. The MM16 would likely fit the bill if I could get the heavy beast down there, but I can't justify $3500. Moving down scale the Hammer N4400 (17") looks pretty good but only has 12" resaw height. The Laguna LT18 3000 might fit my needs very well, but it's getting large and heavy. The Laguna 14SUV is just a 14" saw, I don't see it as a serious resaw. The Grizzly G0514X 19" BS's have 3 HP motors but are just too big. The G0513X 17" saws are more the right size but only have a 2 HP saw, and I'm not confident they can put adequate tension on a full width blade.

How do you see my options?

John

[JGrout]

If it were me I would lose even more weight removing the wheels at least as well

After that you get what you get. in the main body but hey that is 100 # more than you had.

I think a simple shop built wood channel down the middle of the stairs to carry the saw on it spine and two more people to help guide /support the saw and either a rope and pulley to let it down or if it loses enough weight someone below to brake it.

As for saws used if you can find one, if not make the majors quote theirs. I think as long as it is a euro import you get what you need and IMO prices can be reasonable if you are serious

Joe

[EdL]

Old 'arn....16" WT.....from c-list.


Ed

[frigator]

You can get the minimax 16 now for 2995. But you have to add in two hundred dollar shipping. i've had the minimax before and that's what I'm going to get again.

If you cant afford a new one keep an eye out for a used one. I would rather wait and get the minimax than anything else. I'm sure there are other good saws out there but in my view this is the best. It's a sad fact that you have to spend a lot of money to get a really good resaw machine..it's really nice to have those movable Guides down below that you can tuck uptight under the table. I don't know if there's any other saws that have those adjustable lower guides..if so that's a great feature.

[Wild Turkey]

Expand your CL search area. I've seen some nice saws at good prices there

[jteneyck]

Thanks for the responses so far. Yeah, I'd take the wheels off, too, Joe, good idea. On a big machine they probably do add 100 lbs. Getting down the stairs will be an issue no matter what if the saw is tall. I have a pocket door wall 3 ft opposite the door way to the basement. Tipping a tall machine backwards enough to start it down the stairs won't be easy and I can't use that wall as an anchor either. I have thought about building a platform on the stairs that I could slide the machine out onto, as long as it's less than 80 inches high, then pick it up with a hoist, which I would have to anchor to the joists above, pull out the platform, and then lower it down onto skids to slide it down the stairs. That's doable I think but a lot of work.

Frigator, the MiniMax sure is an awesome saw and I didn't know it was down around $3000. Last I knew they were quite a bit higher.

My Craigslist search extends 500 miles. Even that is a couple hundred miles more than reasonable. I went 250 miles one way to get my MiniMax FS35. A MM16 was on C-list in Erie, PA (100 miles) for $2400 recently but I was too late to the game. Other than that, I've seen nada in several months. Lots of old cast iron saws, but most are 14" and the larger ones are huge. In any case, I'm looking for a steel framed saw.

Anyone have a Hammer or Laguna?

Thanks.

John

[Admiral]

jteneyck said:

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Getting down the stairs will be an issue no matter what if the saw is tall. I have a pocket door wall 3 ft opposite the door way to the basement. Tipping a tall machine backwards enough to start it down the stairs won't be easy and I can't use that wall as an anchor either.

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I had that same access problem in my second house; solved it by eventually moving to one with a walkout! But I did consider putting in an exterior entrance, Biltco door type of thing, and almost did it but got relocated for my work. Don't know if that is practical for you. Another thing I considered because I had an attached garage, was to put in a trap door in the garage with steps down to the basement through the foundation. I know these are long term solutions you might have already thought of but I thought I'd mention them.

[Arlin Eastman]

John

Ah so long ago I moved a Mini Grand Piano and used a Piano moving thing to move it down stairs. It made it o so easy to move.

[David G]

John, you are a pretty high end woodworker. I have a Grizzly 0514X2 and, as my skills improve, wish I had paid a little more.

[JGrout]

I have a fellow WW here that has an Agazzani bandsaw that meets your criteria. But in mid-2012 (with the death of the last of the founding family) Agazzani was sold to Panhans, a reputable German manufacturing company, who is closing the Italian facility and moving the bandsaw manufacturing to their facility in Germany.



As I recall Centauro and Agazzani were the two primary manufacturers supplying saws for the NA market.

I would expect that if you can find a Euro saw one of these two (or now Panhans) likely built it.