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Anyone have any insights about that brand? I’ve heard it was rebranded General, but I’d never seen it before visiting KMS toy store I the new town. Looks pretty well built. 24” bandsaw with a 5hp motor seems like a reasonable price and at a glance it seems to be of good build quality…






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Ed, who can't be interested in a new tool brand?

I think we are in an age of tool cloning or re-branding. Sometimes slight changes, and sometimes not.

Out of curiosity I did a quick comparison with one of the big stationary tool vendors looking for a machine similar to your first picture.

Here is what Grizzly had to offer, and it looks pretty much identical right down to the fence. I'd guess they come off the same assembly line but I didn't go to Magnum's web site.

https://www.grizzly.com/products/grizzly-24-5-hp-industrial-bandsaw/g0568

My experience with Grizzly has been their stationary woodworking tools all seem to need a lot of setup beyond what I would say is acceptable. But price is OK if you are prepared for that. My 3 Grizzly tools have been OK since I put the initial work into them.

I worry with some of these tool manufacturers that have hundreds of models whether parts will be available in 10 yrs. But not a lot of options these days.

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Brian R, Wood Mechanic
N8ZED

This makes me wonder, why?? How many billets do you plan on cutting into backs and sides in your lifetime? I probably question this because I'm 70 and I just converted a 14" BS into a resaw machine that is way more than adequate for my modest needs as a hobbyist. My saw cost me ~$400 with the riser kit. I aint knocking it, probably if i had a real high income I wouldn't think twice.

What are your plans for all this power? Selling back and side sets comes to mind. Otherwise, why?

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Hutch

Get the heck off the couch and go build a guitar!!!!

I have 20+ building years left in me. While I have a Laguna 3hp SUV which resaws adequately, with patience, I was introduced to a 20” bandsaw and the difference is remarkable. I’m tired of futzing with ‘adequate’ machinery, I have space for upgrades so upgrades I want. This is my living not a hobby, and selling some wood out the side door is definitely something on my mind, as well as having a destination shop for other under equipped builders to get some processing done…

At the risk of sounding snottty, I would stay away from any Grizz bandsaw or any brand that looks like it came from the same factory, at least if your objective is doing good resawing. My first "big" bandsaw was a Grizz, 18" or 19", I don't recall exactly. Despite using new, good quality blades and trying every set-up step and remedy suggested by my prior experience or in books and on line, that thing just couldn't slice decent plates off of any species of wood remotely close to hardwood without making a mess of it. I suspect that the fault lay in the fact that it was too lightly built. When it comes to stiffening up a bandsaw, there's no substitute for lots of steel in the right places. I sold it for a reasonably low price to a guy who had less demanding needs, after full disclosure. It was replaced with an Italian 16" Minimax that weighs something close to 500 lbs and does the job just fine.

Have done my complaining, I will say that I have other Grizz tools that have done their jobs well enough over time. But I agree with the observation by rbuddy that they take some work. In fact, a wise person once said that Far East machines of all kinds should generally be thought of as kits that you have to work on until they work correctly.

I’m not afraid of investing work into making tools work good. Maybe a better question is what else is out there for 5k that I should be looking at…

Yeah, sure looks like a rebadged Grizzly…

My bandsaw that I bought almost 20 years ago is a 17" 2 HP Canwood Brand from House of Tools in Canada before they switched to Pioneer brand and then subsequently went under a year or two later. Made in Taiwan and more or less identical to the General International brand that they also sold. Colours, blue and white (colors for you Merican folks ha) are the same as Rikon so suspect they came off the same line. It's been a solid saw and easily resaws anything I've thrown at it with more than acceptable results using Timberwolf blades. I've looked at some of the Magnum and Stallion stuff that has come out since in Canada and made in China. Doesn't seem as well spec'ed out as the Taiwan stuff from a decade or two ago but haven't ever tried them.

I hope nobody takes offense at my opinions. I know they don't align with many here. I have spent a good amount on tools, my 19x38 drum sander and SM buffer. Come to mind. For me, those were the most important high-end tools.

Bandsaws like you guys are discussing, i couldn't get into my basement. Plus, like i said, im only a hobbyist with no dream of being anything more at this point. That doesn't mean i won't voice my opinions or feelings about all things luthery.

In my next life. I will be a professional with a giant shop with $100000 in machinery.

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Hutch

Get the heck off the couch and go build a guitar!!!!

No offense here Hutch. It's fun to try to figure out what the very best tool is for any given job even though many of us don't have the $$, space or, really, the need for such a tool. Since I've retired I have been able to buy some pretty decent tools. I made my living with tools but for many years I made do with what I had or could afford. I've had quite a few Grizzly tools and they got the job done with a bit of cussin and tweaking. I took jobs in the past building prototypes where I needed a specific tool and went down to Harbor Freight and got something that I could make work and then got rid of them after the job was done. I say just get the best tool you can and then add in whatever extra time and effort is needed to get the job done.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Being able to express your opinion without worry of rancor is of primary importance. Please express your opinion always.

Personally, I am at a new phase in my work. I bought a Laguna 14SUV because it was the best saw that I could fit in my shop. It paid for itself and the companion 5hp dust collector in the first year. In a 120ft2 workshop, lol.

That said, while being a decent saw, that cut well with a Laguna Resaw King blade, when I had some precious cargo to cut, I rented time from a lad with a 20” grizzly saw, and it was night and day. The bigger wheels and longer blade made a huge difference.

Now that I have space for any and every tool I could conceivably want, I want to upgrade from hobbyist level tools to full on industrial style tooling because why not make work life better if you can?

I regret saying no the the 36” bandsaw that was in the shop when I bought it, but, the central motor/canvas belt/pulley system was a bit much for me…

One important aspect of bandsaws for me was wheel diameter, width and capability to accept a 1" wide blade with carbide cutters. (Lenox Woodmaster CT) That's what nudged me into a 19" saw with 3HP motor.

I remember well the days working in a custom furniture shop in the 70s and having to get handy at touching up carbon steel table saw blades a couple times a day during heavy use. Then carbide blades became affordable for small shops and it was a game changer.

Carbide makes such a difference they basically replaced circular saw blades, router bits, etc.

With the Woodmaster CT, I know I cut 50 sets and am still getting time out of the band even after cutting a 3/8" lag bolt embedded in some curly maple from my woodlot.

Though I did buy a replacement blade when I next need to cut exotic B&S sets.

Now my planer and jointer even sport heads with carbide inserts. There is just no comparison to the lifespan and quality of cut.

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Brian R, Wood Mechanic
N8ZED

Whatever saw I land on will be sporting a Lauguna Resaw King…

I bought the Rikon 18” a long time ago. At the time, it was a lot of money for me. It has been adequate. I usually use the Woodmaster CT blade. If I were buying today, I would look for something with a blade brake and with more easily adjusted bearing guides. The Woodmaster CT has a very aggressive hook that will sometimes grab and slam very hard wood. I suspect that wouldn’t happen with a stiffer saw frame, but I don’t know that for sure. Anyway, if I were buying again, I would be willing to pay a lot more for a better saw. (When I have to cut a lot of very hard wood, I use the Lenox Tri-Master blade. It has a wider kerf, but the hook is less aggressive and it doesn’t grab and slam the wood.)

Interesting. I had that happen when I first got my Laguna and was cutting bubinga, bam bam bam bam bam! It destroyed the throat plate on the first day, lol. They were kind enough to send me a replacement.

I’m hoping to buy my last saw first, if you know what I mean…

Did you figure out a remedy for the bam, bam?

Nope, it just stopped happening. Which was somewhat less than ideal cause I like for my problems to be solved by actually doing a thing that I understand rather than having them disappear by forces mysterious…