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Hey good people.

I have an opportunity to buy what looks to be a virtually new Grizzly 17", G0513x2 bandsaw. Or so it looks in pictures. I will be looking at it today.

I am not familiar with Grizzley bandsaws. I am about to begin my first guitar build after tax season ends so I would like your thoughts on quality and value. Asking price is a bit high at $1,095 I think.

Comments appreciated.

Gary

I have the 3HP 19" Grizzly and its pretty nice- it does everything I've ever asked it to do. 2HP should be fine if you dont plan on doing a lot of heavy re-sawing. The price is a little high for a used machine but if it's got an aftermarket blade on it like a Woodmaster CT then it may be a good deal. The blade that came on mine was a POS.


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It does seem a little high. If it has some blades that come with it and one of them has carbide tips then maybe. If not I would try to get it for less than $1000.

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Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust

For that money, the saw should be next to new and come with a nice selection of blades. If you have some patience and look hard enough, I suspect you could find an equivalent or better saw for 1/2 to 1/3 of the price. Older 14 inch bandsaw with 2 horse motors are pretty common and you can often snag them for $400 or less. Add a $90 riser block and the resaw capabilities are very similar and blades will be cheaper. If you are really serious about resawing, look for something in the 3-5 horse range. If you’re not, forget the riser block because the 14 inch is sufficient for pre-thicknessed (even roughly) guitar parts. If you move towards resawing later, get a separate saw and keep it set up for resawing. Just my two cents.


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Aaron Craig

You can always find a low cost craftsman 12in BS they are ubiquitous and a great start out tool for luthiers on a budget I/ve gotten them for 35$ and 65$ off craiglist. The key to using a BS is proper set up and maintenance and there are so many youtube videos to show you this . Once youve gained experience and feel confident you can upgrade to a higher quality of Bs and relegate the craftsman for many grunt related tasks IMHO a much maligned and under appreciated BS .Good Luck .you can pocket the savings and invest in further tools . education etc.

The specifications on the saw don't sound that bad for most lutherie work and occasional resawing (I've done some resawing with a 1/2 hp motor). But I agree, the price is close to that of a new saw. If the saw is virtually new and runs well and you can get it for a little less than a grand the 25% savings might be worth considering. Grizzly tools seem to have somewhat of an uneven quality - some people love them and some people hate them. A friend of mine bought a 10" Grizzly cabinet saw. The first one he sent back, the second one they brought he is happy with.
You might ask why the person is selling the saw.

Several of the luthiers that spend time here have the 17" GO-513X2B or X2F models. Both handle resaw of 10" cocobolo without issue. The advantage to a larger saw is the ability to tension a wider blade such as the Woodmaster CT series blades we use on our 19" GO-514X2B. I would agree that the price is a bit high for used machinery, and without a foot or motor brake, coast-down will be an annoyance is anyone else is working in the shop (the rule here is blade stationary before leaving a machine, so the sub-3 second coast-down time for the motor brake is welcome). Also note that this model does not have the highly rated Grizzly cast iron/aluminum fence that comes standard on the upper end 513 and 514 models.

If $1000 is already in the range of financial viability, you might consider putting a few more dollars aside and going to a 17" with motor brake and upgraded fence, or the 19" with brake and iron fence. If resaw is not important, a 14" cast iron saw will handle just about anything luthiers need done, and a few hundred dollars will put an older US-made Delta in the shop, leaving some money for upgrades.

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For the times they are a changin'

- Bob Dylan

Thanks for the input guys.

I bought it for $800, and it came with a nice selection of blades. It is virtually like new.

I'm sure it will last a long time. I look forward to getting to know it.

Well done Garmo
Good luck with your new machine

Tomas

If you have any problems with grizz bs you can contact their tech dept for help