Ridgid BS1400 or HF 32206 14" Bandsaw?

[dbhost]

I am needing a bandsaw that I can use with a riser block, that will fit my budget (think cheap please.) Honestly the Ridgid is on the high end of my price range. I have been painstakingly watching the local Craigslist and finding no deals, and the need for the hardware is frequent...

I have narrowed down what I can afford into two saws that seem to have the specs to do what I want, and both are rumored to accept the same riser block kit as the Grizzly GO555. And no the Grizz is NOT an option due to their shipping & handling fees.

So if you had your choice, would you get the Ridgid BS1400, HF 32206, or is there another saw that I can get to my door for under $400.00 total?

[jonmulzer]

Neither one of those are going to be particularly good at resawing. I believe it was drumpriest that has had one before and said it was underpowered for resaw duty, so the riser block may be out. Out of those two though, I would go with the Ridgid every time. It is built a thousand times better and comes with a lifetime warranty.

What are your uses going to be for it? How much resawing do you wish to do?

[poolhound]

Unless you absolutley MUST have one right now I would be patient and keep watching CL and try to get a good used saw with a higher power motor. if I had to choose it would probably be the Ridgid although many folks have reported issues trying to resaw on both of these saws. If you makes sure setup is perfect and buy some good quality blades and dont try and feed too fast you will probably do OK.

If you wish to do lots of resawing to get lots of consistently thick veneers then I would wait it out and get a better saw.

[sweensdv]

With a good quality resaw blade you can resaw with both of those bandsaws. However, even though you can resaw with them, you will need to go very slowly and that can be a frustrating experience. I'm guessing but because of the lack of power, I doubt if you could resaw much over 8" though.

[Knottscott]

Are you familiar with Microsoft's Cashback promotion? The current discount is 20%. Right now, you can get a Grizzly G0555 from "Grizauctions" shipped for < $393. Go to Live.com and type "Grizzly" in the search line....Ebay should be the first listing on the page of search hits, and it should look like this with the Live Cashback symbol :


Enter Ebay through that link and search Ebay for any item that's being sold with a "Buy It Now" feature and that allows payment using PayPal. The session and discount are valid for up to 60 minutes. If it expires, you just restart the process. You'll see the "Cashback" symbol throughout the checkout process as verification that it's an eligible item, and you can go one or two steps before it obligates you to buy. You'll need to follow it up by registering a Cashback account with Microsoft/Live.com where you can check what your discount totals are up to. They'll reimburse your PayPal count within 60 days.

We're up to ~ $510. It allows up to $250 per transaction, and up to 3 transactions per Ebay account....we now have 3 accounts!

Pending cashback:

Purchase date Amount Available date Details Jul 20, 2008 $250.00 Sep 18, 2008
(53 days left) eBay Unit price:$1253.00 Store:eBay Quantity:1
Jul 18, 2008 $139.60 Sep 16, 2008
(51 days left) eBay Unit price:$698.00 Store:eBay Quantity:1
Jul 09, 2008 $118.00 Sep 07, 2008
(42 days left) eBay Unit price:$647.75 Store:eBay Quantity:1
Jun 27, 2008 $3.05 Aug 26, 2008
(30 days left) eBay

[dbhost]

I've heard about the Microsoft Live Cashback program. The S&H from Grizz still worries the heck out of me, particularly their bit about FOB, and end destination charges extra blah blah blah... Which is a BIG reason I have steered clear of Grizz. The $100.00 extra is not a huge deal, but if that baloons into 2 or 3 hundred extra, which some vendors tend to do with S&H, then it goes from a decent deal, to a lousy deal really quickly.

Bluntly put. The Ridgid, and the HF are able to be sourced locally. That has an enormous amount of appeal for me.

I am honestly leaning strongest toward the Ridgid due to the lifetime warranty, and the fact that within 5 miles of my house, I have 3 different Home Depot Stores. I know there were / are some production runs of the BS1400 that were junk, while others beat the snot out of the competing saws from Jet and Delta. The main problems I read about are...

#1. Low power. 3/4 HP. With the right blade, and feed rate, MANY users claim that resaw of 12" is feaseable, and common with this saw, just slow... I can live with that. I would LOVE 1hp, which is why I was considering the HF saw...
#2. Poor blade. (Was not planning on keeping the O.E. blade anyway, but rather going with a small selection of Timberwolf blades sized for the saw with the riser block).
#3. Vibration. This seems to be a BIG issue with 2007 production models. I read a LOT of 2006 and older, and 2008 reviews that love the saw, but from about March to October 2007, folks that bought and started using the saw then had a LOT of vibration problems. Mostly out of balance wheels. My home depot tool manager is on top of this sort of stuff, and will gladly exchange one and return it to Ridgid as defective if it gets the vibration. So no worries there.
#4. Dust collection port size. The Ridgid is sized for a 2.5" shop vac setup. Which just happens to be what I have, and plan on keeping for quite a while. I know in many ways bigger is better. But this works well for me...

Am I missing anything? Is there something about either of these saws that makes them inaccurate? What is that? What can I do to get the most bandsaw bang for my buck here?

Now if Grizzly would actually do something silly like open a shop in the 4th largest city in the United States, then I would gladly give them serious consideration as I would be able to drive up there, and pick up a GO555 with no fuss, no muss, no hassle... and no additional shipping charges...

[dbhost]

I should ask, because that Live.com cashback thing is VERY intriguing to me. I really WANT a GO555, but the after shipping issues scare the snot out of me...

Anyone here have this saw? How is the shipping? I don't mind volunteering a friend or two to go grab it from the shipping depot as long as it isn't too far away.

How are your experiences doing buisiness with Grizzly? I know the equipment itself has a great reputation, and I can certainly use the 4" to 2.5" adapter to get the DC adapted to my system. (Not ideal, but functional)... With the 20% cash back it comes into my price range, just barely...

[eddy merckx]

I have the HF saw with riser block, modified with a bigger motor for resawing. It works OK but does require quite a bit of modification to get good results. You can barely scrape by with the original motor. Mine constantly overheated and stalled. I put a used, American made 1.5 hp motor on mine, along with a bigger spring, a link belt and better blade guides. That added another $150 at least, so beware of additional costs on budget saws. Also make sure to save a few bucks for decent blades. New saws don't arrive with useable blades.

Eddy

[Knottscott]

I've got a Griz DC and 6" jointer with nary a problem. Delivery was fast and flawless both times. Griz CS is typically pretty good IME. My new Shop Fox saw is the same as a Griz 1023SL, and shipped without a glitch...both companies are owned by the same guy. I opted for the lift gate service for the 500# saw, but two guys should be able to handle the BS off the truck. My understanding is that they're obligated to get it to the back of the truck, but most drivers don't mind helping you get it down if it's reasonable. Many of the trucks come with a lift gate anyway, and many of the drivers will use it for you two...$5-$20 tip is appreciated in those cases. They'll also deliver to a nearby loading dock if you've got access to one.

I'm thinking the G0555 is the best of those three 14" BS, which is why I posted the Live.com link for you. I'm not sure about tax in your area, but the G0555 is $392 including shipping with the Live.com discounts.

[LarryG]

There are many G0555 owners here, myself among them. You won't find much bad said about this model. Further, while any large vendor will have its share of horror stories, Grizzly has proven itself to be a first-rate vendor. I have never heard of them charging more than advertised for shipping.

I had mine delivered to my office. The total charges were exactly as advertised. The fine print said that it would be a "tailgate" delivery, meaning that in theory the (union) driver parks his truck, opens the rear door, and says, "There it is." because his union contract doesn't require him to unload your shipment. In my case, the driver was more like, "I got this, get outa my way before I drop this thing on your foot." He wrestled the box down onto the ground by himself, I signed the ticket, and that was that. Most people have reported similar experiences. Some advise slipping the driver a tenner, especially if you want him to help you get the box into the garage or wherever. I didn't with mine and he didn't seem to expect it.

Two people can handle the G0555 box; three would be better. If it's not a big deal for you to recruit some helpers and pick it up at the terminal, that's what I'd advise if you can't have it shipped to your workplace, and/or you can't have it sent to your house without incurring the additional lift-gate fee that some shippers charge.

[poolhound]

When I got my PM 14" I picked it up at the wood craft store. When I got home two of us managed to get it unloaded without too much trouble. I cant imagine that the Griz is any heavier.

[drumpriest]

I have not had either of those saws. I had a 1hp 14" euro-craftsman (the current model), and it was underpowered for the amount of resawing that I do. I make my own veneer, and resaw quite a lot in spurts. Anyway, I found the 1hp motor to be on the agonizingly slow side when going through 7+ inches of curly maple, even with a wood slicer. It can be done, there's no doubt, but if you want to do a lot of resawing, these saws just are not built for it.

[dbhost]

Well, I can't imagine ever coming across Walnut here in Coastal Texas. Most of the wood I have access to is Red Oak, Live Oak, Pecan, and Mesquite.

My intention is for taking limbs and trunks and trying to turn them into usable lumber, as well as cutting curves in less than 3" thick lumber.

I know a lot of folks swear by the GO555, with that 20% discount, I might just have to jump on that... Descisions descisions...

[Hoover]

http://www.woodstockint.com/Products/W1706/

This is the dealer network for Grzzly, ShopFox brand. There is probably a dealer close by.

Dustmight also has a great link for the Grizzly brand.

[poolhound]

I know a lot of folks swear by the GO555, with that 20% discount, I might just have to jump on that... Descisions descisions...

I know its always tough when ready cash is involved but for a purchase like this, spending even an extra couple of hundred on what you want and need is better than saving a few bucks and regretting it. A cheaper tool that you have to upgrade later always ends up costing MORE! I have made this mistake more than once - I hope I have now learned

I was looking at the 555x or the rikon earlier in the year but when a deal came up on the PM I jumped on it. I did squirm a bit on the price tag but figured I would never be buying another bandsaw and over the years that extra money will be well worth it.