Grizzly G0555 The Ultimate 14" Bandsaw
by Grizzly
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Our Price: $525.00 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Tools See more product details |
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Grizzly G0555 The Ultimate 14" Bandsaw
Customer Review: Great tool, minor quality control issues
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought mine last fall. It arrived promptly, and was easy to assemble...with one exception. The holes in the table, to support the front fence support were drilled, but not threaded. Someone at the factory didn't tap the threads. It was easy to do myself, and after a few minutes I was able to complete the assembly. That's why only 4 stars. Otherwise it would get 5.
Assembly was a piece of cake. The upper part was very heavy for one person to lift onto the base, and I didn't have anyone to help. So I came up with an alternative. I assembled it on the floor...laying horizontal. Then, I was able to tilt it up from the floor by myself.
Alignment was perfect out of the box. I did, of course, have to adjust the guide bearings, and tension the blade.
The stand is indeed very stable. But I needed mobility, so installed wheels instead the normal feet. The saw is very top heavy, and even with good quality wheels, it can be pretty scary when when rolling across the shop floor. The best way is the push or pull it from the lowest part of the base that is comfortable...not from any part of the saw itself.
The only change I would like to see in the saw is a paddle type off switch. The push buttons are fine, and are high quality, but I would prefer a paddle that I could hit easily.
I too ordered a riser block at a later date. While not a standard part of this bandsaw, it is a very common add-on, and well worth the money.
I am very pleased with mine. It is one of the most popular bandsaws out there for a number of very good reasons...including price and quality.
Customer Review: Grizzly Believer
Summary: 5 Stars
I recently purchased the G0555 after reading a number of reviews and comparing other brands. The order arrived in one week by Federal Express ground transportation. I had been led to believe that I had to unload the saw from the truck. Not only did I not have to worry about this, the driver used a lift to take the box into my garage. Everything came in one box. I live in Southern California and the driver said that it is their policy to unload for the customer. I can tell you without hesitation that for the money this band saw is first rate. The quality control is outstanding. Fit and finish is every bit as good and even better than Delta and Jet. The saw is very heavy. I took another reviewers advise and bought a mobile base. I put the base together first, and then put the stand together and fitted it to the mobile base. I took my time. The next problem was how to get the band saw itself mounted on the stand. Since I had no help, I bought a simple and cheap rope hoist. I strung it over a beam in my garage and lifted the saw into the air. I then moved the stand on the mobile base under the saw and let it down exactly over the mounting holes and bolted it down. I then fitted the trunnon and the cast iron table and finished bolting it. The aluminum extruded fence and rails fitted prefectly to the table. Doors fit well and the castings smooth. How they can sell such a well built and thought out band saw for $375 is beyond me. When they say it is built to ISO 9001 standards, trust me it is good. It has a quick release tension control on the saw that you would have to pay extra for on a Jet, or pay up to $800 for the Delta.Customer Review: The Grizzly GO555 -- A Fine 14" Bandsaw
Summary: 4 Stars
I have delayed writing this review because I wanted several months and board feet under my belt before making comment. As my title suggests, it is a fine band saw for the money -- certainly a lot better than my old Craftsman 14"er that it replaced.
I'll get my complaints out of the way first:
1. The blade it comes with, and the other Grizzly blades I bought, are poor, poor blades. They go dull very, very quickly. I ended up buying a 3/4" 3tpi Lennox 92.5" Classic bi-metal and things improved dramatically.
2. The saw does not have a light to illuminate the blade and cutting area. Even my old Craftsman had a decent light to help see the work in progress.
3. Dust collection is barely adequate - even with the 4" chute and my 4" collection hoses. It leaves a lot of dust on the table and around the saw.
Now to what I like about it, in no particular order:
1. I love the table and fence system. The fence is easy to move and remove and accurate enough for my needs.
2. It is fairly quite and vibration free.
3. It handles re-sawing (with the Lennox blade) with ease. I re-saw 3" maple and walnut, and 4" Western Red Cedar, and the saw/saw blade handles it well.
4. Centering the blade is very easy with a handy knob that can be turned to adjust the blade and then locked in place.
5. Set-up was straight-forward and fairly easy.
6. Access to the blade and wheels is easy via the pop-open doors.
Overall, I am very satisfied with this band saw. I would buy it again, and would recommend it to my friends.
Customer Review: Great Price / Performance Combo
Summary: 5 Stars
First, I don't personally own this saw, but my brother does. I own several other Grizzly machines, including a tablesaw and a jointer.My brother lives in rural Wyoming, and the saw was delivered to him via truck, backing right up to his shop. No damage was noted and assembly went smoothly.
I didn't get my hands on the saw til it was already set up, but I can say that it performs on par with every 1hp Delta or Jet bandsaw out there. Combine the included fence and upgraded rollers etc., and you are closer to the Delta X5 bandsaw, which is nearly twice the price. If I had the room, I would purchase this saw for myself.
As for the reviewer who complains about expensive parts: I recently bought my G1182Z 6" jointer used. It was missing several parts for the fence. Before making the deal, I downloaded both the manual and the exploded parts diagram from Grizzly's website, and called customer service to check on parts prices. The missing parts were not overly cosmic, but they were specialized for that jointer. I got the half dozen or so parts I needed for around $15, and received them less than a week later. If I had to guess, I'd say the previous poster had trouble with his bandsaw parts because it's a brand-new model. I'd be willing to bet that in a few months, the parts chain will be smoothed out. Over the years, I have been very satisfied with Grizzly's customer service. If I had to change anything, I would make customer service a toll-free call, but perhaps this discourages people from calling unless they really need customer service.
Customer Review: Still a great saw, 13 months later
Summary: 5 Stars
After many months of agonized research, the decision was made to purchase this saw. I figured that because it was less expensive, it must be inferior. That is simply wrong. This saw has now been in service for over a year. It has run two-to-four hours a day, 5 days a week, for 13 months. The saw has never had a mechanical problem. The fence is still dead on. The motor has NEVER stalled, even when ripping 8/4 oak. I saved enough money buying this saw a year ago, and am so incredibly impressed, that now I am buying a second one. The second saw will have cool-blocks and keep a 1/8 inch blade permanently mounted. Both saws will cost less than ONE Delta. And the delta does not even have a fence.Also, the blade tensioning and release is much superior, and the dust collection is a a 4 inch port instead of 2 1/2 inch plastic piece that gets in the way.
The saws arrived with one 3/8's inch blade that is 92 1/2 inches long. The only vendor that I have found for that lengh blade is Grizzly and it now seems that they are discontinuing their stock.
The table tilt mechanism works well for a saw of this size. The rails for the fence are long enough to be able to mount the fence in FRONT of the blade when the saw is tilted. This was a very pleasant surprise.
The handle broke off of the miter in the first months after my purchase. Customer service was fast, and accurate, and professional. The replacement part arrived in less than 72 hours.
All-in-All... This is the best saw at this size on the market today.