Grizzly G0555 Ultimate 14″ Bandsaw Review
Product Review: Grizzly G0555 The Ultimate 14” Bandsaw
If you stay with Woodworking long enough, sooner or later you're going to want a good quality bandsaw. If you're like me, you started out with a little cheapo 9 or 10" benchtop bandsaw. While there are some good benchtop bandsaws on the market, most of use got our start with the cheaper ones because that's all we could afford.
But there comes a time when you get sick and tired of being held back due to the limits of your bandsaw. That's when serious woodworkers start looking at full size 14" and up bandsaws. Sure, most of us would love to have a 3 phase 220v 20 or 24" bandsaw, but to be honest, most of us are limited by our budgets and by the space in our Garages. We just don't have the funds or space for those big saws. That's why most woodworkers will buy a 14" bandsaw. After being a part of online woodworking forums, I'd have to say that the 14" is probably the most popular size among serious DIY'ers and woodworkers alike.
The Grizzly G0555 is one of the most popular bandsaws on the market today...here's why
The Grizzly G0555 Bandsaw has features that are typically optional or lacking in other bandsaws, which makes it a valuable tool for any woodworker for at home, or in the shop. This is the perfect saw for any scrolling or resawing project. Bandsaws are used to cut through thick wood much quicker than a scroll saw is capable of doing, saving the user time and effort.
Accurate Cuts - It's all about the Fence
Some bandsaw manufacturers seem to give the fence on a bandsaw hardly a second thought. In fact, a good fence can determine how easy you saw and the quality of the finished product. The Grizzly comes with a nice fence with a magnifier along with a fence lock to keep you cutting where you're suppose to be.
What other features does the Grizzly G0555 come with?
The G0555 features a hinged wheel covers that allows wheels and pulleys to be easily accessed, blade guide assemblies, table trunnion adjustment knobs, table tilt scale, quick blade tension lever, blade tension adjustment knob, blade tracking adjustment knob, guide post lock knob and a blade tension scale. 
Another important feature that many manufacturers overlook is an instruction manual that comes with a “Hardware Recognition Chart” which contributes to the ease of setting the bandsaw up for accelerated assembly. Although assembly without this manual is actually easy, with this manual it becomes super easy!
The Grizzly G0555 also comes with a 4" dust port. Not the normal 2.5" port that a lot of makers throw on their bandsaws. In fact, there's a few that cost hundreds more than the Grizzly that only have a 2x5" port.
The Grizzly comes with a beefy stand. In fact, it's suggest that you have a friend or two to help you unload the bandsaw and set it up. It weighs alot! But then again, that's just what you need in a floor stand bandsaw!
One of the biggest features that I was impressed with are the rollers that comes standard on this bandsaw. Let's face it, most of us plan on putting some high quality Carter ball bearing bandsaw rollers on our machines when we buy them. But it's not necessary for optimum performance from the Grizzly. The supplied rollers are ball bearing and all are very high quality!
Here's a quick rundown of other specs you'll want to know about the G0555. Go ahead and compare them to other bandsaws in this same price range.
- 2 speed, 1 HP TEFC (totally enclosed, fan cooled) motor (1500 & 3200 fpm). 110v/220v, 1725 rpm
- Amps: 10@110v - 5@220v
- All ball bearing construction
- Miter Gauge
- Cutting Capacity/Throat: 13 1/2 inches
- Blade Size: 92 1/2" - 93 1/2
- Blade Width Range: 3/8" - 3/4"
- Table Size: 14"x14"
- Fence: Deluxe Extruded Aluminum
- Table Material: Precision Ground Cast Iron (Heavy Duty!!)
- Table Height Above Floor: 43 1/2"
- Overall Size: 66-1/2"H x 26-3/8"W x 30-1/4"D
- Table Tilt: 45 degrees Right and 10 degrees to the Left
- Wheels: Fully balanced cast aluminum wheels with rubber tires
- Approximate Shipping Weight: 210 lbs
- Optional Riser Block Available (and highly recommended by owners!)
What are other Woodworkers saying about the Grizzly G0555 Ultimate 14" Bandsaw?
The Grizzly G0555 has overwhelming positive reviews mainly because of its power, outstanding features and the price that eliminates the competition. The blade tensioning and release exceeds the performance of other bandsaws and the dust collection on this machine is 4” instead of the standard 2 ½” found in other models. You won’t find a better working table tilt mechanism on any other saw this size. Users are able to mount the fence in front of the blade because the rails are long enough to be able to do this, which is a real help. The fence is also easy to move and adjust for drift. While in operation the saw is fairly quiet and vibration free. It is also easy to center the blade when the blade needs adjusting. After tuning, the saw has a good quality cut.
Here's a few comments found on the Internet from owners of the Grizzly bandsaw. I think they sum it up well.
"My Grizzly has run up to four hours a day, 5 days a week for nearly 13 months with no problem"
"Resawing is a breeze even if the material is at max height"
"I heartily recommend this to anyone who needs a 14" bandsaw"
"You absolutely get great value with this saw"
Things I thought could be improved on the G0555 Ultimate 14" Bandsaw
One negative aspect to this bandsaw is that it was not constructed with a light in which to illuminate the blade and cutting area. This can be easily rectified by purchasing a work light for the bandsaw. I prefer an articulating magnetic based worklight, but in reality, anything that gives you enough work like will work!.
Another negative mentioned by other reviewers is that the blade that comes with the bandsaw from Grizzly becomes dull quickly and will need to be replaced. I prefer either Olson, Timberwolf or Woodslicer blades. Still, you'd think that with a quality unit like this, it would come with decent blades. Again, this is easily rectified but it's just annoying.
Final thoughts on the Grizzly 14" Bandsaw
The Grizzly G0555 Bandsaw is a definite good buy for performance, ease of setting it up and because of the features that for the price cannot be matched by similar bandsaws. This is a highly recommended 14” bandsaw because it is a good value and gets the job done quietly and effortlessly and after all that is the purpose of buying a saw, you want to get the job done right the first time.
The 115 people who left reviews on Amazon.com (as of this writing) have left an overall average score of 4 1/2 stars out of a possible 5! That's just downright impressive. It speaks volumes for this bandsaw and the folks at Grizzly!
Also, the Grizzly G0555P is about $30 less and comes in all white rather than the traditional Grizzly Green. This bandsaw is better known as the Polar Bear bandsaw.
Where Can I find the best price on a Grizzly G0555 Ultimate 14" Bandsaw?
There are only two places I found with the best deals on the Grizzly bandsaw. The Grizzly website and at Amazon.com. I prefer working with Amazon.com as I have nothing but good to say for their Customer Service. I haven't dealt with Grizzly, but those that have say they have good Customer Service as well. Go with who you want, I just know that Amazon.Com