Different names... Same Band Saw?

[CGCINC]

I am needing a new band saw and I wanted to go with a Grizzly G9742.
After a short search, I've found several band saws that look basically identical to the Grizzly.

Bolton Tools
Baileigh
Chizhou Machine
Northern Industrial

I have a band saw that cuts, it just doesn't cut exactly straight so I want a new one.
I just need a basic band saw but I liked that this model had an easy swivel base to it so I figured I would spend a little more.

So if this is a chinese band saw that many people slap there name on, am I just paying for "the company name" like Grizzly so I know they will stand behind it?

[fdcmiami]

I am needing a new band saw and I wanted to go with a Grizzly G9742.
After a short search, I've found several band saws that look basically identical to the Grizzly.

Bolton Tools
Baileigh
Chizhou Machine
Northern Industrial

I have a band saw that cuts, it just doesn't cut exactly straight so I want a new one.
I just need a basic band saw but I liked that this model had an easy swivel base to it so I figured I would spend a little more.

So if this is a chinese band saw that many people slap there name on, am I just paying for "the company name" like Grizzly so I know they will stand behind it?

there have been a number of posts on WW about grizzly; the ones i read were positive. the one thing i would advise anyone who is thinking of buying a horizontal bandsaw, is to get a swivel head; you will be happy you did. the second thing would be to assess your immediate needs and then step it up a notch if you are able to.

there are even some reviews for that particular machine on amazon, as i'm sure you know; they date to 2004. that is a good indicator.

[Slartybartfa]

The one nice thing about Grizzly is that they have a very good reputation for taking care of their customers. You'll pay more for the equivalent machine from them, but they don't let quality problems slide and are right there when you call. Chinese made tools being more or less a commodity, customer service is what importers live and die by. Everlast seems to know that, too. I bought a mill from them earlier this year after researching it for about 3 months. Several importers bring in the same machine, but I punched the button for Grizzly and have no complaints.

[zoama]

The one nice thing about Grizzly is that they have a very good reputation for taking care of their customers. You'll pay more for the equivalent machine from them, but they don't let quality problems slide and are right there when you call. Chinese made tools being more or less a commodity, customer service is what importers live and die by. Everlast seems to know that, too. I bought a mill from them earlier this year after researching it for about 3 months. Several importers bring in the same machine, but I punched the button for Grizzly and have no complaints.

Tell us about your mill one day when you have the time.

[DaveO]

Grizzly does tent sales (the one in Springfield MO was June 9). I'd like to take off with sons for a weekend and see what one looks like.

http://www.grizzly.com/tentsale/tentsales.aspx

[Slartybartfa]

Tell us about your mill one day when you have the time.

Well, you see, that's just the problem. You get one tool and you find you really need another. Been doing woodworking since I was a kid. But wanted to work more in aluminum. So I started looking around and found there's a family of mills imported from China that are called X3 mills. Harbor Fright used to import one, but they stopped. A number of other companies still do. They're all around $1200 and can handle tools up to about 1" collet size, have a pretty decent X-Y table and weigh around 350-400 lbs. Just benchtop machines, though. More than a good drill press, less than a real mill. But for my purposes, working aluminum, it's just what I wanted. Grizzly's version is the G0619 (I see the price went up about $400 since I bought mine in December. The machine came dialed in ready to run right out of the box. I checked spindle plumb and runouts and it was clear someone had spent some time dialing it in at the factory before it was boxed up. Didn't have to tram the head, and just tightened up the gibs a little. Backlash on the X and Y leadscrews was only 0.008" Having a square column, the mill's pretty rigid. Clamp the Y and Z gibs down and you can facemill using a 3/4" endmill to almost a mirror finish.

Get a heavy Kurt-knockoff vise (G7154) and a handfull of cutters and you're good to go.

But, you see, once you have a mill, then to join aluminum you find yourself needing an AC TIG welder. So here I am. . . and once you have a mill you REALLY need a lathe. Without one it's like working on a car without having a set of socket wrenches. Some things you just GOTTA have! So the lathe is next . . .

[CGCINC]

The one nice thing about Grizzly is that they have a very good reputation for taking care of their customers. You'll pay more for the equivalent machine from them, but they don't let quality problems slide and are right there when you call. Chinese made tools being more or less a commodity, customer service is what importers live and die by. Everlast seems to know that, too. I bought a mill from them earlier this year after researching it for about 3 months. Several importers bring in the same machine, but I punched the button for Grizzly and have no complaints.

Well Grizzly is what I have wanted for awhile and really, the price is real close with all of them so Grizzly it is I guess.
I hate that just about everything is made in one factory, then everyone slaps their label on it and calls it theirs.

[Slartybartfa]

The problem with machine tools is that the investment it takes to make iron casting is so great, only a few players have the capability to get in that game. And Sieg is one of the few companies in China that makes these smaller mills, so most of the mills in a certain size range look alike. However Grizz is supposed to have a man in the plant, just like Everlast clearly does, overseeing quality and making sure they get what they are paying for, and heading off problems before the machines go into the crates, and the crates into containers, and the containers onto ships, etc. A couple bad containers of expensive finished product (mills, lathes, or welders) can sink an importer, or damage their reputation beyond their ability to recover. Having oversight on the production end is something you've just gotta have. That's what you're paying for with companies like Grizzly and Everlast that make that investment.

[Rambozo]

The problem with machine tools is that the investment it takes to make iron casting is so great, only a few players have the capability to get in that game. And Sieg is one of the few companies in China that makes these smaller mills, so most of the mills in a certain size range look alike. However Grizz is supposed to have a man in the plant, just like Everlast clearly does, overseeing quality and making sure they get what they are paying for, and heading off problems before the machines go into the crates, and the crates into containers, and the containers onto ships, etc. A couple bad containers of expensive finished product (mills, lathes, or welders) can sink an importer, or damage their reputation beyond their ability to recover. Having oversight on the production end is something you've just gotta have. That's what you're paying for with companies like Grizzly and Everlast that make that investment.

Very true, and like Everlast, Grizzly does do some unique design changes for their versions. For example on some mills, they have a standard 56C face motor installed where the other brands have some non standard bolt pattern that makes it tough to swap motors.

[SeanMurphy265]

Hoss Machine is a good resource for benchtop mills. One day I am going to get a benchtop mill and learn. Just about everything I have read refers to them as kits to make them better or add cnc function.

I have the HF 4x8 & I have been happy with it, but it is small and slow. All I did was square my vice and make sure my blade was properly aligned.

When I moved last summer the saw fell over and messed up the alignment. It was a pain but I got it properly aligned and cutting square.


4x8 is not a bad saw, but its slow so I don't use it very much. I would go with the next size up if you can. Something with a cooler pump and a better feed so it can cut faster.

Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk 2

[MigPlazArc]

I am needing a new band saw and I wanted to go with a Grizzly G9742.
After a short search, I've found several band saws that look basically identical to the Grizzly.

Bolton Tools
Baileigh
Chizhou Machine
Northern Industrial

I have a band saw that cuts, it just doesn't cut exactly straight so I want a new one.
I just need a basic band saw but I liked that this model had an easy swivel base to it so I figured I would spend a little more.

So if this is a chinese band saw that many people slap there name on, am I just paying for "the company name" like Grizzly so I know they will stand behind it?

We have a Grizzly band saw, although it's a wood cutting one. We have had it for a long time and it still works good.
I believe that Grizzly actually has pretty cheap prices for the machine, compared to the other more expensive brands. I would say if you bought something much less expensive than Grizzly, you may not get the best product. Can't say for sure though.

I would also get it straight from Grizzly because it's the same price, and you know you're getting the right thing; with the right stuff.

Northern Industrial is the only one I have really heard much about.