vertical wood bandsaw recommendation

[vpd66]

I'm looking for a used vertical wood bandsaw. It needs to have at least a 6" throat and the table has to tilt 45 degrees. It seems like a standard 14" vertical bandsaw would fit the bill. Is they any certain ones that are the standard or "one to have"? I see Craftsmen, Delta, Ridgid, and a couple other popular ones. What are some of the common issues they have and what should I be looking at when I go to buy one. There seems to be plenty of them out there in the used world so that is why I'm seeking a used one.

 

[Aaron_W]

The old Delta / Rockwell 14" from the 1930-70s are popular. The 80s / 90s are similar but they started to cut corners.

Craftsman might have some good options but with all the different suppliers could be hit or miss.

There are other good options, but often not very common.

I was looking for a Delta but ended up buying a 14" Davis and Wells from the 1930s or 40s. Parts and accessories are harder to get than Delta, but it is built like a tank.

 

[PCustoms]

The old Delta / Rockwell 14" from the 1930-70s are popular.

This is the good standard of 14" saws IMHO.

I've restored one and keep an eye out. Right now I have a reliant knockoff that was basically free, but it got tipped over and needs some work.

If I was buying new I'd look at grizzly or rikon.

 

[drmarkr]

I had an older Delta that I used for a couple of decades and it worked pretty good. When I started doing more woodworking I dropped the money for a nice Laguna so I could get more accurate re-sawing. Yes, it's very nice, and was pricey. You should be able to find a nice used one (any of the brands mentioned above) if you're patient.

Whatever you find, knowing how to set up the guides is the key to good function. Lots of good youtube vids if needed.

 

[neophyte]

In my experience, the bandsaws available nowadays with the welded steel frames are usually preferable to the older smaller cast iron framed bandsaws.

 

[Dagny]

I bought a new delta about 25 years ago. The parts where the table tilts , I think they are called trunions are made out of dog squeeze. I believe I came on here and someone told me jet still made them so I ordered from them.

 

[RTM]

Before I bought my Laguna 14", the vintage Delta with the riser kit was recommended often as the best choice for resawing. If you aren't resawing, you can skip the riser. I bought mine in 2011, and never looked at them again, so can't tell you if anything new is better than Delta was

 

[dnschmidt]

I've got a Laguna 16 and have had it for many years, probably 20, I highly recommend it but I don't know anything about buying used anything so I don't know the market for these where you live. Back when I bought it it was made my Miber in Italy. Don't know where Laguna gets their stuff from now but this tool was a winner.

 

[aquinob]

Delta 14" saws have been around since the 30's. Any cast iron frame 14" saw you see these days is a clone of that design. They have been around so long and so many were made it's not hard to find them or parts if you need them. For most people its all the bandsaw you will probably ever need. I routinely see them listed for less than 200, sometimes less than 100. Condition is key, something up and running vs. a project is going to cost but knowing how to fix them and tune they so they work well is a skill you need to develop.

That's not to say there arent plenty of other options as well. Steel framed saws are fine too. I'd probably avoid some of the 80s and 90s vintage crapsman saws, esp the ones where the table was stationary and the whole saw tilted. They tended to use lots of plastic parts and plastic doesnt age as well as metal.

 

[MushCreek]

There's not much to fixing up an old Delta. New bearings, tires, and guides, and you have a rebuilt saw, unless something's obviously damaged. Not much to go wrong with a bandsaw. As others have said- learn how to adjust and tune your saw. Also- horsepower helps, especially if you plan on cutting 6" material. Most Deltas originally came with 1/2 hp. 3/4, or even 1 hp is better. Dedicated resaws are more like 2 or 3 hp for a 14" saw.

 

[OccupantRJ]

I have two Delta Rockwell 20” bandsaws and once had a 10” Homecraft many years back that I wish I had never sold. It established the length of all the wood blocks and wedges that I have accumulated for shop use over the last 40 years due to the throat depth. I have them stacked in a wood shelf tucked behind the shop entrance door along with jack stands. I think about that little saw every time I get blocks to block up something. After the saw went through the hands of the buyer I actually found it in the saw blade sharpening shop of a town 30 miles away. The owner was able to verify that it was my old saw, but was not willing to turn it loose.

 

[cherrybomb]

I have a 14 inch,20 year old JET ,that I really like.I make bandsaw jewelry boxes,so no matter what one you find,I have upgraded mine.Thru mainly Carter Bandsaw,I did new tires, blades,guides,but the lever quick release,saves your blade set and all the parts under tension.Lots of good video out there.Enjoy! I'm also thinking someone with young family starting out,it's a pretty safe power tool.So parts,Service and upgrade potential is my advice

 

[aquinob]

I have two Delta Rockwell 20” bandsaws and once had a 10” Homecraft many years back that I wish I had never sold. It established the length of all the wood blocks and wedges that I have accumulated for shop use over the last 40 years due to the throat depth. I have them stacked in a wood shelf tucked behind the shop entrance door along with jack stands. I think about that little saw every time I get blocks to block up something. After the saw went through the hands of the buyer I actually found it in the saw blade sharpening shop of a town 30 miles away. The owner was able to verify that it was my old saw, but was not willing to turn it loose.

I still have a Delta 20 and along the way had one of the 10" homecraft saws. It was a nice little saw but I cant say I miss it as much as you do. It was replaced by an Inca 10" that I would be hard pressed to ever want to give up. I run a bimetal blade on it and use it for aluminum and plastics as well as wood. And since you can never have too many bandsaws, I picked up a 12" Minimax about a year ago. That was a bit of a project but I keep a 1/4" blade for wood only in that machine.

 

[MushCreek]

My 14" Delta has the hi-low option for cutting metal. I rarely do so, though, because of having to clean all of the metal bits out of it when I go back to wood.

 

[Nutria]

Hard to beat the old Deltas, particularly in terms of parts availability. And you might be able to find a Delta variable speed, metal-wood version, if that would have any interest. Two less common, but still steadily available options to consider as well: the Walker-Turner 14"; it's an indestructible tank with a good reputation. And the 12" Atlas/Power King would meet your needs as well, and would save a bit of space. It punches way above its weight.

 

[Renegade1LI]

I bought a new Grizzly 18", I wanted something new with a warranty & Grizzly I feel has great customer service. With an 18" saw it gives you alot of ability & for a home shop you will probably never out grow it.

 

[Jim_No_Garage]

I have a 2000 era Grizzly 14" with a riser and a Delta 14" from 1946 that I picked up at the curb. The 1946 needed the usual stuff - tires, bearings, 2 trunnions and a compression spring but it was simple enough "restore".

I think the Grizzly is a little undersized/flexible for SERIOUS resawing.

Jim

 

[GeoBruin]

Powermatic 141.