Help/advice on what vertical band saw to buy

[Brad_bb]

You guys helped me hone in on the right planer for me so hoping you can help with a bandsaw.  I want it to be a good one that I will use the rest of my life.

I'm thinking I might need to get 2 for my needs

Use 1 - sawing curves.  For that I think I'd need a narrow band.  This is for sawing curves in 2"- 8" thick stock like boards and timberframe braces.  Also for small precision woodworking. But what saw to do that on?  I'd want a good amount of vertical clearance- maybe 12"-14"?  When it says a 14" band saw is that referring to the maximum cut height?  Or is that the throat depth?  I'd like as much throat depth.

Use 2- resaw. Resawing boards into thinner boards or veneers.  I assume you'd need more power(bigger HP motor).  I'd also need a fence.

Are there any special features that are a must on a vertical bandsaw?  Adjustments of the band?  Guides?  Any special options to look at?  I'm looking on the Grizzly website and there are so many....

I'm not on the cheap as this will hopefully be one or two I'll use til I'm dead and love it.  

[Dan_Shade]

I have a grizzly 5013x2.  I like it.  I wish it was heavier, but it's a sheet metal machine with a small table. 

Doing a curve in a 8" thick timber is way beyond what most folks attempt, but is probably not a problem with a good blade.  I would think would want a bit more than 2 HP. 

[Brad_bb]

I'm not sure if one saw can do all I want.  Grizzly has a 17" 2hp with variable speed for doing both wood and metal.  Do you ever need to adjust speed for hard wood?

I'm surprised that there are so many sizes available.  I did learn that the size is the wheel diameter.  14", 17", 19", 21", 24"...so many sizes available, I wonder why so many choices?  Looks like I'd have to step up to a 19" to get 3hp.  The 17" has mostly 2hp motors except there is one 5hp version.  I am 220V single phase.

Most have a version with a foot brake. Why is that needed? Does anybody use that? For what?  
Other versions have a motor brake.  Is one better than another?

[firefighter ontheside]

As you learned, the 14" means the size of the wheels, which translates to width of cut or at least close.  You lose a little because of the blade guard.  To answer why so many sizes, its because of width of cut.  If you wanna cut something 23" wide, gotta have a saw with 24" wheels.  Gotta have more HP to turn bigger wheels.

I have the Grizzly G0513X2 and I definitely recommend it.  I can cut 12" tall.  I have blades from 1/8" to maybe an inch.  I routinely use a 3/8 blade, but can switch to smaller to cut tighter curves.  I wouldn't recommend anything smaller than a 14" saw.  I tried using a 9" saw once and the blades are so thin it would deflect with slightest pressure.

The foot brake is just to stop the blade.  It will spin and spin and spin without it.  Not a problem if you are gonna turn the saw off and walk away, but if you wanna make an adjustment to guides and such you have to wait a long time for the saw to stop.  Mine does not have a brake.  I do recommend a saw that has a lever to tension the blade quickly.  My old saw you had to turn the adjustment handle to de-tension the blade.  With the lever you always go back to the same tension.  Just like our mills, its best to take the tension off when not in use.  

[dougtrr2]

Personally, I am a fan of old woodworking equipment, but I am assuming you are looking for something to take home and start using without a complete teardown and rebuild. So there are some consideration. 

The wheel size determines the throat depth.  Saws with the same size wheels will have a different height under the guides.  The height under the guide will determine your resew width.  And yes, you will need more power for resewing.

What radius curves are you thinking about?  There are charts that tell you the minimum radius based on the blade width.  It looks like Grizzly put one out.  g0555_as.pdf  If you are sawing curves for timber framing I don't think you will need that skinny of a blade.

With the size of lumber you are considering, look for larger tables to help keep it stabilized.  Also, look at the trunnions holding up the table.  They will need to be pretty beefy.

The brake, foot or electric, is just to get the blade to slow down faster.  The big saws can coast for quite a while, presenting a slight safety issue.  

One speed is fine for a bandsaw that just cuts wood.  A wood/metal bandsaw is not nearly as useful as you would think.  If you cut metal and then switch to wood you have contamination issues.  Those little bits of metal  can embed themselves in your wood project.  And it is virtually impossible to get them all cleaned out. 

Doug in SW IA

[Brad_bb]

Thanks @firefighter ontheside !  You're making me think about going bigger.  As you go up though, the minimum blade size goes up.  I do plan to use my bandsaw for small projects as well.  Do you use a 1/8" blade much for smaller stuff(curves)?  If the min is 1/4", is that more limiting for small stuff?

Points well taken @dougtrr2  especially the cross contamination, trunion and table size.


At this point I am sort of inclined to stay a little smaller like 19" 3hp.  Decent throat depth, can still use 1/8" blade if desired for small stuff/tighter curves, and still do some resawing.  If I go that route and then find a need for bigger, I can address that then.  The question is, is this one too big to do small stuff?  Will it seem like I'm using a sledge hammer for trim hammer work?

[btulloh]

Well, dougtrr2 saved me a lot of typing.  He covered a lot of points and is spot on.

There are a lot of good choices out there for bandsaws now, but your research will get you where you need to go.

Grizzly has so many that it's a little confusing to sort out.  You're already getting tuned in though.  You might want to look over the Jet offerings for wood cutting bandsaws to help narrow the field, even if you end up going with Grizzly.  Also look at Laguna - they make higher end saws for woodworking and it can help sort things out even if you don't end up buying their saw.  Fine Woodworking usually has a run-down and review of bandsaws every year that should be available on line.

I have three vertical saws - a 14" metal saw, a 14" Jet wood saw with 6" riser blocks (1hp, 12" vertical height with riser) and a 1970's Delta 16" saw with 2hp motor.  Most of my work is done on the 14" Jet and it sports a 1/2" blade 97% of the time.  A 1/2" blade will cut a fairly tight curve is a good all round blade to keep on there.  Like dougtrr2 said, check the chart for curve cutting info - very rarely do you need a skinny blade but it's easy to put one on when you need it.

FWIW, I've sawn a lot of very thin veneer mostly on the 14" Jet and the 1HP is ok even for wide stuff.  As always though more power is better.  I use the 16" saw mostly for re-sawing green stuff and it generally has a 1" bi-metal blade on it.

For what you're planning, I'd look into the 20" saws probably.  

I never knew a footbrake was available.  Must be a new thing.  Sounds handy, but not essential.

Good advice from dougtrr2 on the metal/wood saws.  Not a good mixture.  

Variable speed is important for metal but not needed in wood really.

There are a lot of good fences available for bandsaws.  Get one with micro adjust capability and angle adjust.  Pretty much all of them have both, so  . . .   Make sure it's easy to remove and install the fence.  It gets in the way of some operations.

Adjusting the lead is essential when using a fence.  Just part of the game.  General setup and alignment plays a big part in how much lead is required.  Well-adjusted saws will need very little or no lead.

If you're sawing curves on braces you'll probably want an oscillating spindle sander for cleaning up the saw marks.  Best tool for that.  Can also use a radius-sole hand plane, spoke shaves, even a drawknife.  You have pay close attention to grain direction when using the edge weapons, but not with the spindle sander.

If you're sawing veneer, you'll want a drum or flat belt sander to clean up the sawn face.  There are other ways to accomplish that that don't involve spending more money, but they can eat up a lot of time.

Big tables are important for big work, but generally these are shop-built and used when necessary.  Sometimes just using a roller stand will do, sometimes you need the big table.  Depends on the work.  Big tables can be a detriment for some work, so a removable table or two made from baltic birch or MDF or something is a good solution.  Sometimes you have to fab up a quick table to fit an odd job.  All part of the fun.

Hope that all is helpful.  I can't really say much about some of the choices out there now, but I know you will work through it and come up with a good solution and others will weigh in with some specifics on brands etc.

Good luck and keep us posted.

[firefighter ontheside]

I have yet to use the 1/8 blade that I have.  It will probably not work well, unless I get carter guides, which you may want to get if you intend to use an 1/8 blade.  The 1/4 blade can cut pretty tight turns.  I used to make bandsaw boxes when I had time and the 1/4 blade did well.  If you're thinking about getting a 19" saw, I'm thinking 2 saws would be best for you.  14" for small stuff and 19" for bigger stuff.

[btulloh]

If you're thinking about getting a 19" saw, I'm thinking 2 saws would be best for you.  14" for small stuff and 19" for bigger stuff.

Good point.  Plus we all love to help spend your money.  Two bandsaws, spindle sander, wide belt sander - 

It seems like the 14" saw usually ends up getting most of the work for some reason.  

One trick that can be very useful is used a lot these days comes from the guys in the wooden ship restoration craft.  They will put four swivel casters on a 14" saw and use it to cut curves on big ship timbers.  Move the tool and not the timber.  This technique also comes in for cutting ornamental curves on the ends of timbers used in purgolas etc.  

(These references to 19" and odd-numbered sizes are new to me.  Must be something that's fairly new.  I'm used to even-numbers like 14", 20" etc.  Looks like I need to update my brain.)

[Brad_bb]

Getting a lot of good stuff to think about.  I want to order one quickly.

[Larry]

My random thoughts on bandsaws.

You won't be able to tell the difference between a board cut on bandsaw A compared to bandsaw B if both saws are similar.  

Lots of incorrect notions about bandsaws from guys that like to sell wood working books and gadgets.  Drift, you tilt the log on your sawmill to correct for drift?  Saws cut accurate and straight if they are set up correctly.

Small saws in the 14" range run the blade in the speed range of 3,000 to 3,800 feet per minute.  Saws in the 20" and up range run the blade at 4,500 feet per minute and higher. I like speed for re-sawing.

Brakes on big saws are nice.  I run a couple of my saws with a VFD programed with deceleration so I don't use the brake.

I have used and assembled three different Grizzly saws for a wood working school.  While they cut wood just fine, the quality isn't close to some other saws.  

Big tables are nice.

Full disclosure.  I have two Delta 20" saws and a 14" Delta.  One 20" Delta normally has a Laguna carbide Resaw-King band for re-sawing while the other has a 3/8" band for curvy stuff.  I think the made in USA 20" Delta and Powermatic's are about the best, until getting into the high end saws like Tannewitz.

[tule peak timber]

MiniMax has some price point Italian saws (SCMI ) that you might want to look at. There is a good article by "Solowoodworker" on MininMax saws you might want to seek out and read. Rob

[scsmith42]

Brad,

Laguna and Minimax both make great band saws.

But for the money, for your needs my top two choices would be either a Grizzly G0514XB2 19" saw, or the G0513XB2 17" saw (or equivalent).  The electric brake is fantastic, but a foot brake is acceptable.

I have the latter and love it, but the former is one of the favorites of the president of Grizzly.

[boonesyard]

Brad,

I have been researching this same decision for months. I have similar needs and also expect to make this last. I've narrowed my decision down to 2 saws, both of which are expensive, but have the features that make them what I need. 

Saw #1 - Laguna 18BX - 3HP 220vlt 1ph motor
              18" throat 
              16" resaw capacity
              1/8" to 1-1/4" blade sizes
              table height from floor - 38"
              tool less ceramic guides
              $1,999

Saw #2 - Powermatic PM1500 - 3HP 220vlt 1ph motor
               14" resaw capacity
               14.5" throat 
               1/8" to 1" blade sizes
               table height from floor - 40"
               tool less roller guides
               $2,999

The ceramic guides seem to be very well received on the Laguna. They both have the brake pedal with a micro switch that also shuts the machine off. This was an important feature for me as I usually have my hands full when working with the bandsaw. They both have robust tables and fences, although I would give the nod to the Powermatic as it has a rack and pinion that tilts the table. The Powermatic also has a microswitch that will not allow the machine to turn on unless the blade tensioner is fully extended (nice safety feature). The table height is important to me in that I tend to be right in there watching the cut, and so many of the other tables seemed very low to me. They're expensive machines, but I'll buy once, cry once.

I decided to go with the Laguna, but soon found out that everyone was completely out of stock. Sounds like if you order one, it would be well after the first of the year before you might see it. I need one very soon, but still have not made a decision. I know the Powermatic is very well made, but it's pricey  :.

Sorry for the long response, but thought my research might have some value. Good luck   

[21incher]

I will tell you which saw I would not buy again and why. The Laguna 18 BX
I bought one when they first came out. It is a good looking saw and that is about it. Mine came with a mis- machined trunnion and a warped out of balance lower wheel. Trying to get support was a nightmare. Finally the guy running their Facebook site felt sorry for me and found a contact to help. Turns out the trunnion casting was the same lightweight one from the 14 bx so they were able to replace that. The lower wheel was not available till the next shipment came from Taiwan in several months. While removing the wheel I noticed the retaining nut was only finger tight with no backup washer and it loosened the same direction the wheel turns. Turned out a company in Taiwan owned the design and engineering on the machine (not USA as claimed) that I was in on emails with. They cut cost and didn't put a spacer between the center races so if the nut is tightened the bearings will be overloaded and fail. Next it was determined the whole wheel brake and drive pulley had to be replaced as an assembly because it is all mounted with large clearance holes and needs to be sent to Taiwan to put in a special alignment fixture for assembly and then rebalanced. Finally the tech support guy pulled a good wheel off their demo saw and shipped it to me to shut me up. I am afraid to use the brake for fear of the disc shifting screwing up the wheel balance again. Got everything fixed adjusted and put a new Laguna blade on to try it. Turned it on heard a funny noise and saw a piece of the ceramic guide on the table. Turned out the weld was not perfectly ground on the new blade and the mismatch damaged the guide. Another thing is the big table has no support when tilting and slams down as the trunnions are loosened that is really a pain. About 3 months after I got it the motor would not turn on so I opened it up looking for a motor starter and there is none. They just used a contactor with no overload protection and the wire to the coil was corroded with no terminal. Compared to my old saw I will say this saw has no more then 1 1/2 horsepower and not the 3hp it is sold as. I have videos about it all and was contacted by a couple other buyers with similar problems and no support so I gave them my contact info. As you can see I am not happy with the saw and would not recommend it to anyone. These offshore tools can really be hit and miss.

[Tom King]

I have four bandsaws.  One old Delta/Milwaukee that I upgraded the motor to a 1-1/2 hp Baldor, riser block, and all sorts of other hot rodding bandsaw stuff.  Soon after I did all that to that saw, Rikon came out with the 10-326.  I wish I hadn't put all that time, and money in the old Delta, but it's not bad for a 14" saw.

The new steel framed 14" saws are stiffer than the old cast iron ones.

I have an old Centauro 24" that keeps a 1" Lenox Woodmaster CT 1/3 TPI blade on it for resawing.  Nothing beats size, and blade for resawing.  You can't run a blade that wide on a much smaller saw.  I also use it for making shingles, and can push a 28" board through on the sled about as fast as I can push it.  We can make a stack of boards into a pickup truck load of shingles in about an hour-that's with two helpers.  Even as fast as that carbide tipped blade will cut, the surface quality is about as good as anyone needs for resawing anything, including veneer.

The larger the saw, the more tension it can put on the blade, and typically they run at progressively higher blade speeds as you go up in size.

Also, I have a 10" Craftsman/Rikon that I keep a 1/4" blade on.  It's great for small stuff.  I liked it so much that I bought a second one off CL, and keep a 1/8" blade, and Carter stabilizer on that one.

Don't believe what size blade the sales pitch says you can run on the machine.  Some 14"er's will tell you they can run a 3/4" blade, but 1/2" is about the limit for a 14" saw, for best surface quality.  More tension means smoother cut.

I think for cutting curves in timber framing parts, that portable one like Tule Peak has would be the best.

[tule peak timber]

I have limited experience with Laguna Tools and most definitely will never go near them again. Rob

[Southside]

I have the Grizzly G0513X2 with 17" wheels, got it back around '08 and have been very happy with it. 

Doesn't have the brake but has the quick tension lever and has worked well for me. 

[Larry]

I'm not sure about Laguna.  A few years ago you could get a Laguna badged bandsaw from China or Italy.  There was a big difference in quality along with price.

I'm not sure if Laguna is actually making machines now.  I have a Laguna jointer that was made by Griggio.

[tule peak timber]

Torbin , who owns Laguna doesn't build anything to my knowledge......

[21incher]

King Saw Machinery Ltd in Taiwan engineered and built my Laguna 18BX. Definitely  cheap Chinese engineering. 

[Brad_bb]

Wow, I always had the impression that Laguna was a higher end/quality brand.  Shows what I know.

[btulloh]

At one time they had a good reputation. Sounds like that's changed. Good to know. 

[Brad_bb]

Are any made in USA?  Are Grizzly Taiwan too?

[btulloh]

AFAIK they're all made in taiwan. Even the powermatics are made in Taiwan. The fit and finish are better on brands like PM. Don't know if that happens when they get here or specified in the contract.  

Some good saws come from Italy. Maybe they originate in Taiwan too.  

Globalization. 

[Southside]

I am quite against buying from China, which can really make things difficult at times - like the 42" fan I am trying to find right now to help pre-dry lumber stacks - but I will say my Grizzly is well made, of course it's older and who knows what is going on these days, but I can't think of a complaint I ever had with it.  

[Walnut Beast]

I am quite against buying from China, which can really make things difficult at times - like the 42" fan I am trying to find right now to help pre-dry lumber stacks - but I will say my Grizzly is well made, of course it's older and who knows what is going on these days, but I can't think of a complaint I ever had with it.  

That's stuff I like to hear

[tule peak timber]

AFAIK they're all made in taiwan. Even the powermatics are made in Taiwan. The fit and finish are better on brands like PM. Don't know if that happens when they get here or specified in the contract.  

Some good saws come from Italy. Maybe they originate in Taiwan too.  

Globalization.

In the case of SCMI , they are a vertically integrated company starting with their foundry's in  Rimini Italy. Agazani was bought out by a German company .

[Brad_bb]

I've been back and forth on different brands now.  I was thinking Grizzly until I remembered @firefighter ontheside 's comment recommending a lever cam to tension the band like on our mills.  Grizzly doesn't seem to have that.  Powermatic and Jet appear to have a lever tension.

Am I wrong about the Grizzly?  How important is the tension lever.  Seems very convenient to me.  I'm assuming you NEED to take the tension off when not in use?

[btulloh]

The lever is nice.  There are after-market levers that can be added to most of the 14" models.  Don't know about bigger models .  The lever is not a deal killer but better to have one than not.  

Grizzly stuff has a pretty good reputation in general.  Don't know if that's changed.  May depend on the particular model.  

Sounds like the SCMI saws are really nice, but a lot of money for some of us.

No easy answer available I guess, but you're getting closer to one.

[btulloh]

Some people just add a nut on top of the tension knob/crank and use their drill motor and socket to speed things up. Not as convenient, but if your favorite choice of saws doesn't have the lever, you've got options. 

[Larry]

I  take the tension off my 20" Delta every time.....I change the band.  I've only had it 25 years, so it may not last with this kind of abuse. ;D

High quality USA and European saws are common on the used industrial market.

[firefighter ontheside]

I've been back and forth on different brands now.  I was thinking Grizzly until I remembered @firefighter ontheside 's comment recommending a lever cam to tension the band like on our mills.  Grizzly doesn't seem to have that.  Powermatic and Jet appear to have a lever tension.

Am I wrong about the Grizzly?  How important is the tension lever.  Seems very convenient to me.  I'm assuming you NEED to take the tension off when not in use?

My Grizzly 513 does have the lever.

[btulloh]

I  take the tension off my 20" Delta every time.....I change the band.  I've only had it 25 years, so it may not last with this kind of abuse. ;D

High quality USA and European saws are common on the used industrial market.

Same here. Never had any issues from leaving tensioned. 
Thought maybe I was being a bad bandsaw guardian, but . . . Maybe I'm ok.  :D

[Dan_Shade]

Mine has a lever too.  I'm also guilty of keeping it tensioned most of the time. 

[Tom King]

I un-tension my larger ones, when I think about it, which is not that often.  None have a lever, and it's no big deal.

Check CL for used ones.  I bought my Centauro 24" for $600, and $75 for one of the little ones.  I put some money in the 24", but not enough to make me remember how much.  I did buy a VFD for it, because I don't have 3-phase.

I never change sizes of blades on any of them-just walk up to it, and use it.  It's especially nice having one set up to resaw, but the little ones end up getting used the most times for oddball stuff.

[Brad_bb]

@firefighter ontheside , I was wrong.  It looks like it does have the lever.  I'm looking at this one as a starter bandsaw.  If I find I need bigger, I'll get a bigger one.  



 

[Dan_Shade]

That's the same one I have, but mine doesn't have the brake. 

You'll like it. 

[firefighter ontheside]

Its a good saw.  Same as mine, but I don't have the brake either.  I guess I remember to take the tension off about half of the time.

[Southside]

Well that makes 3 of us that have the same saw, and I do use the lever, got in the habit of it sometime after I got my sawmill.  

On mine you set the tension with a knob and have an indicator dial to know where it's at then the lever is a cam that simply releases the tension but keeps a memory of where you set it so when you re-tension the band it's right where you had it.  Very simple.  

[Brad_bb]

Next question is going to be what width/TPI bands do I need and how many to start with?  Are there different hook angles like on our sawmills?  
Thanks, Brad

[WDH]

 Find that I only use 1/4" blades as I only cut curves, but I do not re-saw on the bandsaw which would require a larger blade. 

[ron barnes]

I am not a sawyer so I probably shouldn't respond to this thread but---I have the Grizzly G0514X2B, 19", 3HP band saw.  I use it to cut relatively large green bowl blanks.  Will resaw up to 12" so plenty of height.   It also has the lever for tightening the blade which I seem to leave tensioned most of the time.  It has a brake but not a footbrake.  Brake is built into the off switch.  Much more accessible and convenient.

[firefighter ontheside]

As a rule, you want to have at least 3 teeth in the wood at any time, so if you're cutting thin material you need a blade with high tooth count per inch, but if cutting thick material you can have fewer tpi.  You can tell when you don't have enough teeth.  The cut starts to get loud and you can feel the bumpiness of the piece as each tooth is taking too big of a bite.  This kind of goes hand in hand with the width of the blade.  A 1/4 blade is gonna have something like 6 tpi, but a 1/2 blade will be more like 3 tpi.  Blade tension will need to be different for different width blades.

This is a great video to watch about bandsaws and how to set them up.
Band Saw Clinic with Alex Snodgrass - YouTube

[Brad_bb]

FYI, Tonight I bought a used Rockwell/Delta 14" bandsaw that was a barn find.  They guy put a new motor, new tires, carter guides, and he made a fence system for it.  I figured this might be a good first saw and once I get comfortable with this one, and find I need more capacity, I can get the Grizzly 17" or whichever is appropriate.

Great Alex Snodgrass video.  I also came across and updated version of the video with a few slightly different things.
The Best Way to Set Up a Bandsaw! - YouTube

[Dan_Shade]

Nice find!

[btulloh]

Excellent.  Nice find.  Sounds like it's got some desirable upgrades like the Carter guides.  If it doesn't already have the riser kit you can easily add that to get the 12" vertical capacity.  Having a 14" is a good thing whether you add the bigger one later or not.  Pictures?

[Brad_bb]

And here's another one where he adds the lever tensioning device while doing a full saw rehab.

30-Minute Bandsaw Rehab with Alex Snodgrass - YouTube

[21incher]

That is a great saw to start with.  Blades are available everywhere and not very expensive so it doesn't  cost a fortune to buy a good assortment.  It also is easy to align and change  tires. I have one of the old ones from the 50s that was my first saw and it never gave me problems.  I recently changed  out pulleys and put a metal blade on it for my metal working shop. Have fun with it. 

[Texas Ranger]

My only advise is:  Biggest with the most whistles you can afford.  As to brand?  Don't know, last couple of items I bought were from Grizzly.

[Brad_bb]

I suspect with the kinds of things I do, I will probably need a bigger one.  I'll play with this small one for a bit and determine how big I'll need to go.

[firefighter ontheside]

Great deal.  14" saws can do a lot.  I'll have to watch the new videos.

[Downstream]

Just saw this thread today so obviously not able to help with decision already made.  sounds like you have found a nice unit to start with.  I have a Laguna 1412 bought about 5/6 yrs ago.  It has worked pretty well since I bought it new.  It quickly became one of my go to machines in the woodshop.  I have done resaw heights of at least 10 in with pretty good results.  Just like with the sawmill the blades make a big difference.  For resaw I used laguna resaw king carbide blade which works very well but crazy expensive at $150 ea.  I originally had problems breaking 2 of them but laguna replaced under warranty without much argument.  They seemed to think it was improper blade tension so I was continually trying to improve my ability to get proper tension.  Still not sure I have figured it out totally but have not broken one since. The other resaw blade I had luck with one called wood slicer which is more normal pricing in $30's.   thin and small teeth with higher tip it is completely different concept than resaw king style.  The biggest thing I did to improve performance and quality of cut was to replace band wheel tires to Carter urethane.  Instantly quieter and less vibration for smoother cut.  Also have not broken blade since.  I would immediately do this on any bandsaw in the future.  My standard curve cut blade is 3/16 but 1/4 would be good also. 

[Tom King]

I have that same saw, with riser, 1-1/2hp Baldor motor, and other upgrades.  I had a Resaw King for resawing on it.  After I bought the Centauro 24", and put the Lenox 1" Woodmaster 1.3 tpi blade on it, I did some comparisons.  The quality of cut was about the same.  

Cutting the same piece of 6" wide wood, that took 25 seconds on the 14" saw, took 2 seconds on the big one, or about as fast as I could push it through. I was using a sled on both of them, so no fingers were in danger.

I sold that Resaw King quickly.  I don't expect I'll ever put anything but a 3/8" blade on that 14" saw now.  Narrower blades go on the little 10" saws.

The larger the wheels, the more tension you can put on the blade, the wider the blade it can tension, and generally the faster the blade speed.

1/2" is the limit of blade for the 14" Delta, regardless of what blade manufacturers, or anyone claims.  You can put a 3/4" blade on it, but the 1/2" will give a better quality cut at about the same speed.

[DR Buck]

Late to this party, but I'll add my 1.5¢ .    I need a wide cut for slicing thick foam insulation board for house insulating.   I need 18" max so I splurged in the Grizzly 19" saw.    Cost drove my decision and the fact that nobody had a Laguna in stock and I neede3d it quickly.    The Grizzly was here 5 days after ordering.    ;D  

Since doing the insulation I haven't done a lot of wide cuts but its worked perfect for everything I've needed.    The quality is pretty good and I'm happy with it.     This past week I put on a 10 TPI blade and for the first time cut 1/4"  thick aluminum plate.   I was happy and completely surprised how easy and well it cut.   Its the only Grizzly tool I own, but I would go back to them if I need something else.      . . . . . .   I am thinking about a new drill press.  ;D





  

[Larry]

I have a couple of the Laguna Resaw Kings.  They give the smoothest cut of any blade.  The downside is the wide kerf.  I hate wasting expensive wood, so only run them when absolutely necessary.

In production mode on epoxy/resin coasters.  Slice a large block of resin/wood into coasters most quick.  The problem is epoxy sands differently than wood so wanting to minimize sanding I put on the Resaw King.  When sawing epoxy it looks like I'm in a snowstorm as the stuff flies everywhere and I do have dust collection.

[tule peak timber]

I did not have good luck with ANYTHING Laguna and switched to Lennox Woodmaster CT's for resaw. I put a blade lube attachment on the resaw last year and now measure by the mile the amount of resaws per blade.