# Mixed Opinion About This Bandsaw...



## Jim Jakosh

WOW, Edward, that is a disaster on a saw that gets great reviews. I bought one years ago and I love it.
I don't quite understand what you mean by " blade lead" was horrible? Will it not follow a straight line?
With you having two other band saws, this must be a blatant problem.

Jim


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## bobkas

Edward, I have had mine for over ten years and for the most part love it. I added a riser block several years ago and have never been happy when raising or lowering the upper blade guide as it changes the angle of the blade in relation to the table. I suppose if I were not so lazy and it was not so easy to correct with the table I could shim it to correct. Other then this and a little bit of maintenance once in a while it has worked flawlessly.


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## ArtMann

I have bought several band saws and currently own two. The only one that did not require substantial tuning before it became operational was the Laguna and I consider that a happy accident. Manufacturers don't have time to cut with each saw and adjust it until it is perfect. There are many possible adjustments that can render the saw unusable.I suggest you buy a good band saw setup and maintenance book and follow it carefully if you aren't familiar with tuning. Have you tried a new blade? There may be hope yet.


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## paulnwa

Hi Edward,
Sorry to hear you are having such difficulty with the bandsaw. I like mine very much. 
When I read your post, the first thought that came to mind was a problem with the blade. Characteristically, it seems that many of the stock blades provided with a new saw have very questionable performance. I would suggest that you purchase a brand name blade, Olson, Lennox, etc. and adjust your saw to accommodate the new blade in accordance with the manufacturer's instruction manual. Hopefully, that might solve your problem. 
If you do this, please update your post to show us the results.


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## playingwithmywood

> Hi Edward,
> Sorry to hear you are having such difficulty with the bandsaw. I like mine very much.
> When I read your post, the first thought that came to mind was a problem with the blade.
> - Paul Stoops


yea did you ever change blades….


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## Grumpymike

Hi Edward,
Sorry that you are having a problem with your saw … I interpret "Blade lead" as 'blade drift', as we say out west.

Two things that I have learned about band saws is first,: Don't read the tension scale. Instead raise the blade guide about 6 inches and deflect the blade to the side. If the tension is right there will be about 1/4" deflection Max with about 5 lbs. pressure. Too loose and it will drift.

Second,: You may have to many teeth in the wood, and by that statement I mean if you are ripping or re-sawing 1-1/2" of wood or more and you have more than 3TPI (teeth per inch) you have to many teeth in the wood and that will cause drift. I have a 5/8" 6TPI blade that works well on general cutting, but if I try to rip or re-saw 2 or 3" wood it pulls away from the fence and wanders or drifts all over the place. When I install a good 3TPI blade all the problems go away.

Now with all that said, if you are cutting out some bandsaw boxes all the rules change …

Oh Yeah, check the back of the blade, some times cheap blades won't be hardened on the back, just the tooth side.
Should you find a burr on the back, use a small stone to grind it off and round the back edge while on the saw. But please do this very carefully as your fingers are dangerously close to the teeth. (I have a pocket stone glued to a stick like a spatula )...

If you are using the blade that came with your Grizz, ok for general cutting, but buy a good blade like a Timberwolf or similar, a good blade will cost you around $30.00 but a good investment. A cheesy blade will cost half of that, but they know what their blades are worth.

I hope that these tips do the trick for you …


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## Wildwood

Before buying same saw bought a copy of "Band Saw Hand Book, by Mark Dunginske." You might find a copy of the updated version at public library. I have own and abused that saw for over ten years. Manual that came with saw made set up a breeze. Have replaced some components along the way (guide bearings, tire, screws, and tension spring) all long after warranty period.

Have learned bade saw blades will give fits, thanks to Dunginske know what blade works best for type of sawing.


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## OSU55

Edward, please explain " blade lead". Does the cut drift or what?


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## ohtimberwolf

All of the above plus see this if you haven't. larry


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## Grumpymike

*ohtimberwolf* Thanks for that link Larry, (I didn't know how to attach it). Snodgrass has taught a bunch of us old guys a thing or two … All my blade drift went away after attending his class some years ago.
So, I would suggest everyone replay this video a couple of times.


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## ohtimberwolf

Grumpy, it sure helped me and a lot of others. Glad you now have it. Just copy the address and and then paste it in your post. larry


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## Ken90712

I have had this saw for yrs and after spending a few hours tuning it up and throwing the stock blade away it works like a dream. Great saw for the money unless you upgrade to the bigger ones like Laguna.
Keep at it and you'll have her dialed in soon.


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## Dwain

Sounds like something that can be corrected. It also sounds as if Grizzly really went above and beyond to do what they could to help out. I too believe it is an adjustment issue. I believe this to be a combination of many issues. Ideally the saw should have been sent back if it were possible, it wasn't. Grizzly did everything possible to resolve this issue.


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## Edwardnorton

Lots of comments & suggestions here so far, they'er MUCH appreciated guys! I watched 2 video's concerning this, one with Alex Snodgrass - Carter Products ( 



 ) & then one with Kent - Grizzly Products ( 



 ).

I thought Alex with carter products was very well done but he mentions that you should never have to do any of the most mentioned adjustments on the net but then goes on to say follow the manufacturers directions. Then watching Kent from Grizzly's video he mentions doing the ones you see most on the internet. So I guess it just comes down to doing what one thinks is best. Kind of like politics & religion, you just cannot ever get a unified answer.

Of course I have all of grizzlys suggestions from the emails exchanges over the past several months so I may just watch the video from carter products again and try it his way.

To answer a question to me about blade lead, yes I meant blade wondering and or drift. It never stays true to the line I try to follow. My intention for using the Grizzly was for making square cuts and or re-sawing while using my Hitachi for making curved cuts on small projects.

Grizzly sent me 2 different 1/2 blades as well as 2 different 3/4" blades to try all with the same results. I'm not exaggerating one bit when I say IF I had the saw body I could assemble another complete saw! The only thing I was not told to do was to adjust the set screw behind the upper wheel as indicated in the video I posted herein from Grizzly. I may remove the top wheel and try that before doing as Carter suggests. It's odd that those set screws are not in the manual nor that the techs from Grizzly did not mention.

Anyway, *I appreciate ALL of the input here fella's*. I have learned some from the comments AND hopefully in the near future I'll be able to use the saw as intended. I'll post how it's going as my health allows me to make changes.

BTW Dwain, yes indeed they went above and beyond. Not sure if it is was their intent to go so far or a disgruntled employee sending out so many new parts but I can't complain. It does seem odd to me that they did not just send a box with a pre-paid label on it rather than to send me hundreds of dollars in parts (shipping costs included).


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## Redoak49

I followed the Snodgrass suggestions for a Jet, Rikon, and a 60 year old Delta with excellent results.

My guess is that you now have tried so many things that you need to go back to square one and realign everything.

I can only guess how frustrating this must be. You want a shiny new tool to be great and now this.


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## Edwardnorton

I just looked 1 of the blades (out of 4) they sent me and it alone was $33.00!

http://www.grizzly.com/products/93-1-2-x-3-4-x-025-x-2-3-TPI-Pos-Claw-Bandsaw-Blade/T25041?utm_campaign=zPage

I have no idea the total cost to them as I can't find the majority of the parts on their website…


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## Edwardnorton

Redoak49 .. you're probably right by starting over. We'll see how it goes.


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## CharlesA

one thing that I have experienced on my bandsaw is that timberwolf blades require a different setup. I tried a Timberwolf blade and got a ton of drift. I'm not trashing their blades, just saying that a setup where olson and woodslicer blades both tracked well, the TW blade drifted out of control. Other folks swear by them.


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## Edwardnorton

CharlesA, I've heard a lot of good things about Olson. Not sure what blades I am using for my older saws since I get them from Lowes, they are ok but don't last very long. I'll have to check out some Olson's. Thanks!


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## BRef

You are not the only one with this problem. Out of all the power tools in my arsenal this Grizzly was the worst buy of all. Because of my frustrations I will not own another of their products. New blades helped a bit, but the saw gets very little use because of the frustration. After receiving the saw I had to deal with some personal issues that delayed using it for 2 months. And the box got thrown out.

After many times on the phone with support I thought it was my own stupidity causing this drift problem. I hired a local woodworking pro who owns a successful woodworking business to come to my place and dial in this saw. He spent 2 hours adjusting, shimming, etc and said he gave up and left, glad he had not bought into the grizzly hype and had purchased any of their products. Had I been smart I would have sent it back right away, but alas that ship already sailed. The saw is over a year old now and is collecting dust in the corner, I thought about selling it but would not feel right selling it to someone knowing how bad it is, so I just chalked it up to paying my stupid tax.


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## rbm328

i've got the same band saw and mine works fine. i've had no problem with drift.

on occasion, we purchase a lemon and no matter what you
try, it just doesn't work. with your history, i'd go back to grizzly and tell them you want to replace your machine. this way, you'll get a new machine and a box to send your old one back. you'll probably have to pay for a new one up front, but get reimbursed.


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## OSU55

I've watched and used Carter Products instructions with great success. I just watched the Grizzly video, and was surprised by the difference between what is stated between the 2 videos. Based on my experiences and the various threads on blade drift I've read, my vote goes to Alex Snodgrass.


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## MontanaBob

I have one of these saws, and am very happy with it. Use it almost every day. I have tried different blades - brands and sizes, and have found that it cuts best with the Timber Wolf blade - length 931/2, width 1/4, tpi 10, thick .025.
I've replaced all the bearings. I haven't had any issues with the new bearings. I just check the blade for square to the table before each use. Hope you can get this saw up and running….


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## Jim Jakosh

Hi Edward. I buy all my blades locally from Tubergen saw sharpening service. They are industrial blades and they ship everywhere. A 1/4-10×105" which is what I use as standard is $18.. Great blades!

Jim


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## tnwood

A number of years ago I purchased a 18" Rikon BS and had similar problems. To make it even worse, the problem arose because the frame had been mis-drilled where the lower blade guides were bolted to the frame. After many hours of filing and redrilling I got the unit to function reasonably well although each time I used it required realignment before trying anything precise. A year ago I had to downsize and sold the unit and recently purchased a Laguna 1412 primarily because it is a 120v unit. I set it up and started to align it and found absolutely no blade drift in it. Plus the ceramic blade guides are so much easier to adjust properly. I'm sure the Rikon was just a unit made on a Monday morning in Taiwan that suffered from major quality problems but I'll think twice about ever buying a Rikon product again.


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## Tennessee

Edward, I just got rid of a Porter Cable that had the same problem.
I realized after I sold it that I had moved it up to the higher speed. After that, it seemed to make the blades run much hotter, which caused all kinds of problems.

I too was running the Lowe's blades, and they dull in minutes. If you are buying the Bosch blue container blades, do yourself a favor and stop. Those blades essentially ruined my Porter Cable, that and the high speed setting.

I could not get it to stop drifting, but realized after I sold it that the problem was blades dulling in minutes, running too hot since I had the speed at the top setting of the two offered, (which also put some set into the tires since the blades were so hot), and the degradation of the lower cool blocks, which were getting hot and glazing back, allowing the blade to drift even further.

Slow down your saw to the lowest setting, get a good, sharp blade of a high quality, make sure your tires don't have any grooves in them from hot blades, (if they do then they have to be replaced), and I'd give it one more go.


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## RUINTUIT

I also have the saw, and am overall happy with it. I do still have issues with trying to get a nice clean non-drift cut in some woods, but I attribute that to me being in a hurry. I'd absolutely buy it again. I bought mine 12 years ago and use it at least once a month. Need to put new bearings in the guides, but haven't found a cheaper replacement option than what grizzly charges. A little expensive in my opinion.


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## runswithscissors

E.N.: You mentioned wanting to use the saw for resawing. Please don't try that with a blade with 10 tpi. Better to use a blade with only 3 or 4 tpi for resawing. The finer teeth can't clear the sawdust fast enough, and blade drift will result. Also, a narrow blade (like 1/4") will be much more inclined to drift than a wider one-3/8" or better yet, 1/2".


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## Edwardnorton

*Runwithscissors*, I did mention using it for resawing but I would also use it for straight cuts on thick wood as well. I only use the smaller, narrower blades with more teeth for tight or intricate cutting. I do a lot of craft type things and use wood that is a bit to thick for the scrollsaw so I cut them on my Hitachi 14" bandsaw with the thinner blades. Appreciate your suggestions about this!


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## Edwardnorton

*Scott Oldre* I do tend at times to push to fast because of time and or I suddenly feel the need to lay down (chronically ill here) but I don't get in a rush 99.9% of the time. I may have gotten a "lemon" but if not for the rare tech support I received I wouldn't go with grizzly again. I am one of those once burned type of guys. As mentioned because of the service I would try them again, just not on the bandsaw or at least this model. Thanks!


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## Edwardnorton

*Tennessee* I do buy the Lowe's Bosch blue container blades for my Hitachi 14" bandsaw for making tight cuts. I use the 1/8th inch blades with 15 teeth per inch. I have had very good success with them staying sharp and actually on average I would guess to get 6 or 7 months of use out of them. It could be because of the Hitachi saw, the slow speed in which I push the wood into the blade or the fact that I am not cutting hard woods for the type crafts I build. It's probably more because I am not using hard wood since Pine is about all I use on those crafts. Appreciate the advice!


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## Edwardnorton

*tnwood *It could be a manufacture defect on this particular bandsaw. I remember the tech saying something about this but he more or less dismissed it. I may, just may try one more time talking with them even though it is out of warranty now. Perhaps with all the emails, calls & parts mailed to me that they will bite the bullet and just ship me another one. (someone else mentioned that here but I forget who). I looked up the Laguna 1412 saw you have, looks real nice but I don't have the room for yet another bandsaw right now. Of course it costs double what I have in the grizzly. Thanks!


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## Edwardnorton

*NOTE:* If I missed responding to anyone, PLEASE forgive me. It's not that I ignored your comment, it is just because I failed to respond. I am chronically ill and at times I just forget to answer your comment and or many other things a healthy individual would normally do.

As mentioned in my last comment .. I may, just may try one more time talking with them even though it is out of warranty now. Perhaps with all the emails, calls & parts mailed to me that they will bite the bullet and just ship me another one.

Thank you *ALL* for your comments & attempts to help me out with this "ongoing" problem.


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## kelvancra

I have a Powermatic fourteen inch and note a few things running it, regarding drift and such:

1) The co-planer ramblings are hog wash (decades of manufacturing and nearly every manufacturer wouldn't have figured this out?);

2) Different blades require different set ups (similar to the nonsense about reading the door label on your car/truck for tire pressure (tires have different plys, run different loads (including the car weight and people) and so on);

3) I run the gullet on the crown, rather than centering the blade;

4) Factory blades are poor quality (why, on a thousand dollar saw, you wouldn't include a couple good blades that cost you only ten bucks each?);

5) Run the least number of teeth possible, so the wood clears;

6) Run sharp blades (if one side is dull, that's the way it's going to pull); and,

7) Tension is determined at the cutting point of the blade, not the [so called] gauge.


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