I’ve had my S600 (MM24) for about 10 years now. Awesome machine! I was surprised to see the criticisms of the dust collection. After putting a piece of tape over the big hole on top of the top cabinet the DC works fine. Even after extensive resawing sessions there is almost no dust in the bottom cabinet.
I have a s500p Bandsaw purchased in 2012. With a handful of easy minor mods and one major mod (cutting a 3” hole in the bottom the front doors) I get excellent dust collection. Even with Asthma I sometimes don’t put on a respirator for 5-10minutes of ripping or resawing. There is some dust on the table behind the blade, very little the floor and almost none in the air. I rarely vacuum inside the lower door and Never need to vacuum inside the upper wheel or on top where the 3 holes are. I’ve seen enough questions posted about this saw I think it’s time I make my first ever video and post to RU-vid.
I bought my MM20 back in 2005 at one of the Woodworking Shows. Absolutely an Incredible Machine. I still have my Old Jet Gold 14 with Carter everything. But that's only because the table is higher then the MM20's lower table that's necessary for larger woods... ie weight fantastic review, WAY better Machine compared to Jet or Laguna. thanks
Thanks. No comparison to the store brands for sure. I have worked in large and small production shops over the last 15 years, and this is by far the best band saw I have worked with... and it happens to be in my shop.
I have a mm20, and the dust collection was horrible on mine also. I modified mine using rare earth magnets epoxied into the ends of a cheap cut off paint brush to brush dust off the blade. I have one on each side of the blade. So far it has worked fine with a 1 1/2 hp dust collector.
I just ordered one of these machines and your video makes me excited to start making sawdust with it. Why did you not install a gasket to improve the dust collection system?
Couldn’t afford one right now..I had to compromise with a RIKON 10-353. It’s a great saw but I will get a MM16 after I sell a few guitars It will be AWSOME having 2 bandsaws .
Good review! Agrees totally when it comes to the issues regarding dustcollection and guidepost. How hard can it be for the designers/factory to make these details work? A real turn-off considering such an expensive promachine
The blade is a Lenox Carbide tipped blade called the "Woodmaster". Unless you are cutting exotics, you will almost never have to sharpen it. I know people who have had it on for 2 years and have yet to sharpen. I like it better than the Laguna resaw, and it costs less. Here is a link: www.bandsawbladesdirect.com/lenox-woodmaster-ct-band-saw-blades Thanks for watching!
RE the comments on dust collection. On the top of the saw there are 3 large holes. One is for the guide post to pass through when you raise it up, the other two are for lifting the saw. Have you covered up those two holes? I too was getting covered in dust until I climbed up on a ladder and put some magnetic masking over the holes. Problem solved.
You can go down to a 1/8" blade, but you will need to make a small guide block in order to accomplish a small blade. The largest blade you can put on it is 1 1/4 if you hang it off the front wheel and adjust your guides. Most of the time you will probably keep a larger blade on it and hopefully have a smaller bandsaw with a small blade to minimize the time of switching out blades. I typically keep the blade you saw in the video on the machine.
I got this saw in early 2014. Mine came with the horrible carter guides. I hate them. They are a major pain to adjust or change so a Woodmaster CT 1" stays on the saw. Would like to be able to use all the smaller blades that i got but it is just stupid the time it takes to get the guides readjusted for a new blade. Did those euro guides come with your saw? Dust Collection is miserable too. Have you made any mods to get better dust collection? When sawing it is like standing in a rain storm of sawdust....not cool.
As far as I know, they sell all the new machines with Euro guides on them. At the date your machine was purchased, you may have been at the tail end of the Carter guides. The dust collection is bad, which I highlighted in the video. I have not made the mods yet, but after a recent re-saw fest, I think I have been pushed to a point... I have to make the mods.
