Anyone shopping for this size and class of cast frame band saw has discovered all these come from Asia and are essentially clones of one original design and are made and assembled to numerous specifications for House Branding and various price points.

I see Grizzly as obviously setting a high quality spec for their globally sourced tools in terms of build quality, fit and finish, and functional features. Their catalog can be a little numbing at first in terms of all their numerous offerings of very similar tools but it prompts you to think about what kind of work you will likely do and how much of it you'll likely do in order to make the best choice. I shopped for several weeks before selecting Grizzlies 'Deluxe Band Saw' since I liked the cast iron wheels, the vertical cam operated blade tensioner, the rack and pinion blade guide adjustment, the ball bearing blade guides, and the very excellent guide fence and miter gauge.



The Deluxe Saw is an interesting offering since it is a different saw, made in a different factory, and with few interchangeable parts with their other 14" saws. It makes you wonder which is their premier saw... the Ultimate or the Deluxe since they are priced the same. The Deluxe seems to be a progression on the original 14" format with further developed features but the same functionality. I sense there is no difference in quality and you just pick the one that connects with you. I might question which one will they ultimately support for inventory control... but it's likely a moot point since any service parts you will likely need will be minor and likely universal to both.



So, I checked 'Lift Gate Service' since attempting to pick it up yourself won't be free either and you will need a stout helper... it's heavy. My lift gate deliverer actually wheeled it into my garage although they aren't supposed to. I was grateful... it's heavy. If you're a bit on the senior side like me... check the 'Lift Gate' box.



Packaging is Excellent. the boxes are heavy double wall corrugated board and the components are plastic wrapped and cradled in custom molded styro foam shells. That's about as good as it gets and unless your saw is dropped from five or more feet or is pierced by a fork lift it should arrive unscathed. My boxes are in excellent shape and we're trying to figure how to repurpose them. This packing wasn't cheap.



You're gonna enjoy unpacking this saw... it's nice stuff... it's nicely made, it's nicely painted, nicely packed. Even the brass tone Grizzly Emblem is a nice die casting... saw candy. The base is substantial heavy gauge steel, Nicely painted and decaled. The holes line up and it assembles easily. You should have a helper assist in mounting the saw on the base, it's not that heavy but it is heavy-awkward and you don't want to scratch up the base landing it and aligning the holes.



I've written several instruction manuals and I see a nice effort in the Grizzly manual, some pictures could be better, and you might find a revision sheet in yours as required but its a nice booklet. I had no problem assembling and setting up the saw. The wheel alignment was spot on and most the effort was in setting up the blade guides. I like nice stuff and I was able to get the required precision during the set up. Sure, it has it's price point, but I think Grizzly did an excellent job of meeting it with a quality product. If you want even more precision, spend twice as much. Plan to relax, read the manual, take your time and enjoy handling the parts and getting it aligned spot on. You'll likely align the saw, cut a couple boards, tweek the alignment, make some more cuts, and play with it just for the experience.



The blade that comes with the saw is good for something... maybe thin plywood or straight cuts in soft metal... not sure. Research the available blades and order what you need when you order the saw. The saw runs vibration free and with the iron wheels and thin multi-V drive belt, takes it's time coasting down after being switched off... it's Very well balanced and smooth running.



The cam operated blade tensioner operates very well... it just seems a nicer machined device than the linkage mechanism on the other saws although it does the same thing... just a preference thing.



The rack and pinion vertical blade guide adjust is rather extraneous, but it's machined, has gears, a hand wheel, and the Engineer in me likes it. I did notice the frame mounted threaded pin that intersects the keyway in the round vertical post that holds the blade guides was drilled a bit off center in the frame. This tended to rotate the gear rack relative to the hand wheel pinion gear. I don't know if this is on purpose since it removes the gear lash from the mechanism and gives it a solid feel... or it's a production variable. If it was centered, the hand wheel would have some gear slop... It could be done just to make Engineers wonder. I made an eccentric pin for mine, got it square and centered, and now I have a bit of gear slop... There, I aligned my universe... my planets just wiggle a bit.



The rip fence, miter gauge and machined table are all first rate. The tilt table and trunions are functional, the tilt action works adequate although the Grizzly folks might see if it presents in the way they desire.



Overall I am very pleased with this saw and would highly recommend it as an excellent choice in this price range for build quality and functional features. If you are considering a saw with lesser power and/or features, do look at the cost to upgrade to a better drive, bearing blade guides, a precision rip fence and miter gauge if you think you will grow into those needs. I found it's better to ante up at the initial purchase.



Good hunting.