What about this type of bandsaw?

Just spent two days in the shop working on a project that required extensive angle cuts to make multiple pieces at all different kinds of finished lengths. Started out with 10' long stock, and all cuts were angle cuts 45 degrees and others. I used my 4x6 harbor freight special for these cuts and it was quite the cluster... Spent more time in the set-up / tear down / set-up cycle than actually cutting it seems like. Making various angle cuts required moving all kinds of stuff in the shop to provided enough clearance for the stock when mounted in the saw, as it was sticking out at various angles. Of course you also have to pull the saw out away from the wall for more clearance.

Then there is the mucking around with vice angle each time, having to prop the saw stand up on 2x4's because all my standard work supports are taller than the saw bed etc.

Yeah, I know, the saw: only cost ~$200 has 101 mods available to make it better. has a large user base with info on the net. yes, I'm using a good blade. is a good value... etc, etc, etc. However, I need to be working on my projects, not on the bandsaw itself.

The really cool thing is I'm off to the steel supplier this morning to get three 20' sticks of material, all of which will be cut up at angles for this project... fun stuff.

Then the 2006 Grizzly catalog arrived in the mail... and I see this:

Max. capacity rectangular @ 0 degrees: 5" x 6" Max. capacity circular @ 0 degrees: 5" Max. capacity rectangular @ ±45 degrees: 3-5/8" x 3" Max. capacity circular @ ±45 degrees: 3-5/8" Max. capacity rectangular @ +60 degrees: 2-3/16" x 2-3/16" Max. capacity circular @ +60 degrees: 2-3/16" Blade speeds: 80, 120, 200 FPM Blade size: 64-1/2" x 1/2" Motor: 1/3 HP, 110V/220V, 60Hz, 1720 RPM Amps: 7/3.5 Drive: V-belt Transmission: sealed worm gear Overall height: horizontal 42-1/2"; vertical 54-3/4" Height floor-to-table: 28-1/2" Overall width: 15-3/16" Overall length: 38-5/8" Overall bed: 19-1/4" x 13-1/2" x 3" Foot print: 27-3/4" x 17" Angular cuts: -45 degrees to +60 degrees Blade size: 1/2" x .025" x 64-1/2" All ball bearing drive wheel and blade guides Shipping weight approx.: 176 lbs. $450

What a concept eh? Pivot the saw head about the material, vs pivot the material about the stationary saw... Under perfect shop conditions a person would leave the saw against the wall and have the material racks along the same wall for feeding to the saw with minimal material handling. In my case I store my material vertically and would still need to pull the saw away from the wall a bit. But at least with this thing I would not have to be flipping the material around and clearing a 15' circle around the saw to get the job done.

What am I missing here, besides being a bit more expensive than the 4x6? There must be some catch that I'm overlooking. Why are these not more popular? It seems like for a crowded home shop situation this would be a beneficial bandsaw design? Maybe the pivot does not hold fast resulting in inaccurate cuts?

It looks to me like this saw uses basically the same head unit as the 4x6 saw.

Capacity: 4-1/2" round, 4" x 6" rectangular Blade speeds: 80, 120, 220 FPM Blade size: 64-1/2" x 1/2" Motor 1/2 H.P., 110/220V , 60Hz, 1720 RPM Amps: 9/4.5 Drive: V-belt Transmission: sealed worm gear Overall height: horiz. 38"; vert. 55" Height floor-to-table: 32-1/2" Overall width: 15" Overall length: 38" Overall bed: 26" x 9-1/4" x 3-1/8" Floor space: 18-1/8" x 41-1/4" Angular cuts: 90 Degrees to 45 Degrees All ball bearing drive wheel and blade guides Shipping weight approx. 115 lbs. $250

Wayne