Grizzly G0555 The Ultimate 14" Bandsaw

Product Description

,bosch 4310 10 inch dual bevel slide miter saw,hitachi cc12y 15 amp 12 inch handheld abrasive cutoff machine,bare tool hitachi cj18dlp4 18 volt lithium ion jigsaw,milwaukee 2682 20 m18 5 38 inch metal saw tool only,northern industrial horizontalvertical metal cutting band saw We have redefined what a 14" Bandsaw should be like and have incorporated features into this saw that normally are either optional or unavailable on other Bandsaws on the market. CHECK IT OUT! There is absolutely no other company in the world that has a larger selection of Bandsaws than Grizzly. We know Bandsaws inside-out and our numerous years of selling Bandsaws has culminated in this incredible 14" saw shown above. You will not be disappointed! Made in ISO 9001 Factory Features: ? Deluxe heavy-duty stand ? 1 HP motor ? Upper and lower ball bearing blade guides are standard ? All ball bearing construction ? 4" dust port ? Includes one 3/8" blade, fence and miter gauge ? 2 speeds ? Fence scale with magnifying window ? Optional Riser block kit (H3051) available. Specifications: ? Cutting capacity/throat: 13-1/2" ? Maximum cutting height: 6" ? Overall size: 66-1/2"H x 26-3/8"W x 30-1/4"D ? Table height above floor: 43-5/16" ? Table tilt: 45? right, 10? left ? Frame construction: Cast iron ? Table construction: Precision ground cast iron ? Fence construction: Deluxe extruded aluminum ? Wheels: Fully balanced cast aluminum with rubber tires ? Motor: 1 HP, TEFC, 110V / 220V single phase, 1725 RPM ? Amps: 10@110V / 5@220V ? Blade speeds: 1500 & 3200 FPM ? Blade size: 92 1/2 - 93-1/2" (1/8" to 3/4" wide) ? Table size: 14" x 14" ? Approximate shipping weight. 210 lbs.
This review is from: Grizzly G0555 The Ultimate 14" Bandsaw (Misc.)
I spent weeks trying to decide which bandsaw to pick. I'm outfitting a garage shop, nearly from scratch. I have a cheap router table and a decent Delta tablesaw along with the usual hand/power tools. Now I'm adding a bandsaw, planer, sanding station and eventually a drill press and jointer. I'd set an immediate budget of $2K for additions. I like nice stuff, I was seriously considering a Laguna 14, but it would eat over 1/2 my budget. I did a comparo on: Harbor Freight, RIKON 10-320, JET JWBS-14, DELTA 28-206, Bridgewood, Grizzly G0555, several other Grizzlies and Woodtek. The Rikon looked interesting, but the company lacks presence, history and a strong network (so far as I could discover). The Jet and Delta could be built in the same factory as the Grizzly for all the immediate differences I can see now that I've had a chance to compare them (there is a store in town that carries the Delta and Jet). Besides, the Delta, Jet, Bridgewood and Woodtek cost nearly as much as the Laguna. It was sort of like this; if I wanted the BEST 14-inch saw I could afford, it was the Laguna. If I wanted the best VALUE in a 14-inch saw, it looked like it was probably the Grizzly G0555. Everything else was below the line on a scatter plot with those two at the nexus points.I like being able to look at and try out a tool if I can before buying, but the Grizzly spooked me, since there wasn't anywhere local I could walk in and 'kick the tires' of one. But I took a chance, partially based on reviews, partially based on the fact that if it sucked, I'd ship it back No Worries. For the price (for twice the price, probably) it is a good machine. Nicely outfitted with sealed bearings, roller guides, blade quick release, fence, miter gauge and a flat table. Decent horsepower, good fit and finish, all the parts were there, and everything appears straight and true, right out of the box. I was afraid that it would be a sister to the Harbor Fright machine. Not the case, much better, not even cousins. Probably related to the Jet Family.Are there better machines out there? Certainly. For the price, uh-uh.
Weaknesses.
Blade: Buy a couple of good blades (once you figure out what you'll REALLY be using the saw for). The one that comes with the saw is very plain Jane. Save it for when you let that moron of a brother-in-law use the saw, since he'll gink it anyways. Actually, the starter blade is fine, since everyone will probably have a different preference, why spend extra to equip the saw with something than nearly everyone will want to change. Still, a new carbide tipped blade will speed things up a little.
Packaging: Just barely adequate. I'm very lucky that my saw wasn't damaged in transit. Oh, it's packed well enough for getting here in a shipping container from Asia and to the Grizzly warehouse, but its that last few hundred miles, with the Neanderthals kicking the box around, and playing forklift soccer with it that will punch a hole through the package and ruin your day. It's not that Grizzly wont' make it right, they probably will, but who needs the aggravation. I'd have paid ten more bucks if you had wrapped it in two more inches of Styrofoam with a PVC rail down the sides.
Blade guides: The roller guides are pretty good, not quite `state of the art', but much better than no guides or poorly executed and engineered blocks. I'm not sure that the additional cost of ceramics would be justified unless you were doing the most precise of work, and really needed the control. If you need that level of precision, a bandsaw probably isn't the right choice, consider a scrollsaw instead.
Table and Miter gauge: I think it would have been nice if the slot in the table accepted a `T' gauge. Small thing, but really, for consistencies sake. (Note: the miter gauge that came with my JET sander looks suspiciously like the miter gauge that came with the Grizzly bandsaw (like nearly IDENTICAL!))
Trunnions: Probably all right, cast aluminum. They seem like they should be beefier, but maybe I'm being fussy. They had to cut corners somewhere to make that price, and aluminum trunnions and blade wheels are a sensible place to `lighten' up the product without really hurting performance.
No chip brush: I'll be cutting the head off a `soft' toothbrush and making a widget to hold it in place. So, in closing. Don't be afraid. I was a little, since I hadn't bought anything from Grizzly, and hadn't seen any of their gear. But I'm pleased; I've done a bunch of curves, some re-sawing and such. The saw is virtually vibration free, quiet and reasonably easy to assemble, set up and adjust. The only question that leaves is overall durability, and only time will tell regarding that issue.