Laguna 14BX 14" or Startrite 403, and chip extractor advic

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Murton, Seaham, County Durham
I’m looking to buy a first bandsaw in the future and decided to ask you lot for your experience.

I want to buy a forever machine and will budget around £1500

I like the look of the Laguna 14BX 14" and looks aren’t everything but I like the look of it. The reviews seen good to.

Startrite 403 400mm Is also around the budget and it looks great as well.

I know the looks don’t matter but what would you pick out of the two, or could you give me some other suggestions. Ease of setup and part change advice would be good.

Basically I am not going to buy a table saw due to small workshop yet to be built.

If I have to buy a table saw it will be a site one at best.

Also I am probably going to get a Axminster Trade AT260SPT as this is hopefully going to be a once only buy.
What would you recommend for chip extraction for this as I’d like overpowered rather than underpowered. Haven’t thought of budget for this as yet.

Kind regards

Gary
 
Having been down the bandsaw track, with a couple of cul-de-sacs are you sure that a 14" saw is big enough for your long term future needs? I found out the hard way that when manufacturers tell you about the maximum capacity and tensioning capability of their saws, they use a fair amount of artistic licence!

If you plan to deal with larger wood, or cut wide veneers for example, I would think seriously about at least 16" and preferably 18". Larger saws will usually tension wider blades. I would also get quick tension release. My Jet saw annoyingly does not have that and it takes ages to swap blades.

A bandsaw is not very demanding of extraction. However, if you are hooking up other tools such as belt or disk sanders, and typically P/T then you will shift a lot of material. I bought one of the large Jet cyclone extractors that Axminster sold at the time, but the Axminster ones are just as good. What matters a lot is the ability to when the waste bin out easily for emptying, and easy cleaning of the fine dust filter (rotary handle type on mine). The fine dust filter bag takes a long time to fill up.

Remote cyclone control is very useful. Depending on your power supply, you probably don't want to start the machines simultaneously. I let the bandsaw (which I think is on a 16amp supply) run up to speed then switch the cyclone on.
 
If you are after a forever machine then think about saving a bit longer to get more capacity. I am doing that to try and get a powermatic 18 or 20"
 
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