Rikon 10-345 18" bandsaw

[justin waldron]

I ordered this 18" Rikon through Highland Woodworking about 3 weeks ago.  Highland had it on sale for $999, shipping was $125 and I ordered a mobile base at the same time, so all in all $1200 delivered to my door.  I will start with the only 2 low points that I have and granted I have only used it a few times playing more than anything.  1. the fence is not tall enough by any means for resawing (has capability of 12 inch resaw) and there is no way to attach a fixture to it as you can with most fences.  2. The blade that came with it.  I know we all throw them away anyway, I was just trying to find something bad to say about this saw, but I can't really.  The saw is 220v with a 2.5 hp motor, I have done some resawing of Cherry at about 8" tall and comfortably cut veneers at 3/16'.  I know folks have cut veneers much thinner than that, but I need to make a fence.  I did order an aftermarket woodslicer blade through Highland.  At no time did it bog down at all during anything I have done to it.  The dust collection works great!  There are 2 ports, both 4", one towards the base of the saw and the other right at the bottom wheel.  It took me longer to get the mobile base together than it did this saw.  Everything was put together except for the table and fence, which took no time and I did it by myself.  The hardest part was walking it onto the mobile base, since it weighs in at almost 400 lbs, also at 6'3" inches tall, it's massive.

The biggest mistake I have ever made with machine purchases is not buying enough of a tool the first time, hence why I have owned 4 table saws already.  I looked at the jet, Powermatic etc. all in the same price range, but at 1 HP and to get 12 resaw capability you need a riser block.  I wanted something that I didn't have to do anything to and would have plenty of power should I ever need it.  I have never cut veneers, but in cabinetry I do need a bandsaw at times for cutting corbels etc.  Now that I can cut veneers or even just resaw lumber it opens up things that I can do.  Overall this saw is great and I can't be more pleased.  I will post some photos in the next few weeks of veneers etc.

[Mark Felton]

Thanks Hugh! Those were kind of my thoughts, too. Later yesterday I got the Woodcraft circular in the mail and saw that they had a Laguna on sale and my initial thought was to question whether I had made the right decision. Typical buyer's remorse, I think. My rationality then kicked back in and I realized there's always going to be another one that does something slightly better than the one I have and I just have to concentrate on mastering the tool I have and not waste time continuously chasing the "better one"!

[Hugh Clare]

Mark,

I think the only "wrong" decision you could have made would have been to go through life without a band saw. LOL Your arsenal of capabilities is now huge. Enjoy learning what you can do, my friend.

[Mark Felton]

Well, right, wrong, or indifferent, I ordered the 10-350 this morning. Since I currently have no band saw, I am looking forward to getting this and hope that it will perform well for me. I also have the electrician coming on Thursday to wire my garage with a sub-panel and a 220V outlet to support it.  I appreciate the input received on this thread.

[Hugh Clare]

Mark, I was trying caution you to not be mesmerized by the additional 2" of resaw capacity. Yes, technically, it has that capacity. That being said, the deeper you cut, the heavier the blade needs to be. I'm not certain that a 1" blade (the saw's capacity) is big enough for a 14" cut. Additionally, it is wrapping the blade around a 14" wheel, which translates into a tighter turn radius, so to speak. The additional stress on the blade to make the tighter turn will work harden the blade faster, which will result in a broken blade. In that regard, the 10-345 is a better saw. I set out to get a 14" saw when I started shopping, but as I learned more about band saws, I realized I would likely outgrow it. I also caught the 10-345 on sale at Woodcraft for $1000, which sealed the deal for me.

The additional features on the 10-350 are cool. My 10-345 takes about 7 or 8 seconds to spool down when I shut it off. Do you need it to stop in less time? If so, get the foot brake. 

My hope is to give you unbiased opinions. I really like my saw, but you may not be looking for the same things out of it than I am. I get annoyed when people say that their particular make/model is the best thing since sliced bread. 

[Jason Watkins]

Mark,

Check this video out for some great info on setting up your bandsaw. He uses JET and Powermatic saws in the demo I believe, but his methods are applicable to any bandsaw. http://youtu.be/wGbZqWac0jU

[Mark Felton]

Hugh, I'm not sure I understand your point on the resaw capacity. As I do not own a band saw and I am a relatively inexperienced woodworker, I'm trying to gather as much info as possible before pulling the trigger. The 10-345 is an 18" saw with a 12" re-saw capacity (at least according to the specs). The 10-350 is a 14" saw with a 14"re-saw capacity (again, according to the specs). The 10-350 also includes a foot brake. Having never used one of these beasts, I don't know how much of an advantage that would be. Woodcraft has the 10-345 for $1050 and the 10-350 for $1400. Is the 2" add'l re-saw capacity and the foot brake worth the extra $350???

[justin waldron]

The 10-350 is a great looking saw Mark.  I was looking at that one too, but like I said earlier in my post, the 10-345 was on sale at HighlandWoodworking for $999, so the saw, delivery and mobile base was $1200.  I just couldn't pass it up. 

[Hugh Clare]

The 10-350 has some really cool features not found on the 10-345. I especially like the blade tension lockout. The drawback I see to it is I think the wheel diameter is too small for the resaw capacity. Bigger blades require more "turning radius" to avoid work hardening. If you don't plan on using all that resaw capacity, it looks like a great saw.

[Mark Felton]

Hey guys,

Sorry for the tardy reply. I was in St Louis for the weekend for a soccer tournament with my son. I did have an electrician come by on Friday and give me a bid to put a sub-panel in the garage and an outlet compatible with the Rikon saw. I'm going to have that done this week. While I was in St Louis, I was able to go the Rockler store and the Woodcraft store. It was helpful to see some of the saws in person and talk to the salesperson about them. I'm strongly considering the Rikon 10-350 (http://www.rikontools.com/productpage_10-350.htm). Any thoughts/ opinions?

Thanks!

Mark

[justin waldron]

Hey Mark, a subpanel is the way to go for sure, that's how I wired mine.  I got my Rikon on sale through Highland woodworking and couldn't pass up the deal.  I have gotten to the point that with any new tool purchase I buy the best or biggest I can.  You can always do less with a quality tool, but it's hard to do more with a tool that can't handle it.