Agazzani or Felder Bandsaw? Anyone have one?

[Mahogany Man]

I am looking at an Agazzini B24 or a Felder FB600
Does anyone have any experience with either of these machines?
How is Felder service?
Aganazzi Service?
Thanks, any input would be most welcome.
John

 

[black flag]

I picked up a used B20 from mr Marino. Couldn't be more happy. Build quality is fantastic.

 

[junk731]

John

I have the FB600 and find it to be a good saw. Got the machine last summer and it needed typical bandsaw adjustment. So far have been running it with a 1" blade with no problems. I only live about 45 minutes from a dealer so for me service has been good. I have 4 Felder machines and only had minor problems that were resolved with a phone call. I personally think the bang for the buck factor on this machine is quite high. PM me if you have any specific questions.

John.

 

[stvrowe]

I purchased a B24 from Eagle Tools in late 2010 and have been very happy with it.  I gave the slight edge to the B24 since it had a little more resaw height and could handle a smaller blade than the FB600.  The FB600 was a very close runner up (almost a photo finish).  I think I would have been equally happy with the FB600.

 

[ccmviking]

    I have the Agazzani B20 and really like it.  It's from Eagle Tool and hasn't needed any service so I can't comment on that aspect of the machine.  I do like it better than the B18 Laguna I had prior to it.  I doubt you'll go wrong either way.  Call Jesse at Eagle and ask about parts availability for the Aggi's.  I know I've waited up to months for small parts for my Felder Machines. 

Chris... 

 

[Phred]

I recently bought a FB600 after looking at both the B20 and B24.  I'm still setting up the shop (just finished installing ducting for my cyclone) and have to do some electrical work before I can fire up the bandsaw.  Jesse at Eagle Tools is great but the Felder was a slightly better deal for a heavier machine with a larger table.  Joe Calhoun who has posted on FOG recently added a power feeder to his FB600 in a production environment and might be able to offer observations.  The West Coast Felder guys are responsive but not as technical as Jesse.  There is some additional information available at the other FOG (Felder Owner's Group on Yahoo Groups).  My impression from posts on that group is that Felder's East coast reps and Delaware personnel offer good support as well.  Parts can take a while from either company.  Either is a good choice and I don't think you can go wrong.  Feel free to PM if you have specific questions, need photos, etc.

Phred

 

[richard.selwyn]

I tried to buy the 600 Felder as I am an existing customer, but it wasn't available in single phase. I bought the euro equivalent of the 24 inch Agazzani direct from the factory. I will have no customer support and it was difficlut communicating with them as I only speak English and French, but the only other choice was an even more expensive Centauro. They are all very similar, all made in Italy (although I think Felder assemble or finish in Austria) so I don't think you'd go wrong with either. The single phase Aga was a fair bit dearer than the 3 phase Felder. If there is not much price difference I'd go with whichever has the better dealer/ reseller near you, I think you,ll be happy with either.
As an aside, I,d only ever had a small bandsaw with throwayay blades. I had trouble with the Aga at first cutting badly - my Swedish steel blades have to be run in an sharpened twice before they really work well apparently.
Richard

 

[Mahogany Man]

Thanks for the input guys,
My biggest concern is buying sight unseen, I have no dealer anywhere near me!
Agazzini has already told me they offer no warranty labor because I am to far away.
I'm not really concerned with warranty labor, I figure I can disassemble and reassemble whatever
I may need to.
I know I am looking to buy a high end machine, I am just a little nervous buying something
I have never touched or seen.
Felder is a little closer, east coast, but warranty labor is also out of the question.
Funny though, to ship from CA or DE to NY is the same cost, for darn near the same weight and dimensions?
Jesse is a really great guy to deal with at Eagle, he is basically telling me to get the 20 and not the 24.
I just want to buy once and not have to deal with a larger need down the road.
John

 

[MrToolJunkie]

I think that both would be great machines.  I have a Laguna that I really like too.  The Baldor motor and the ceramic guides to me are key differences between the Laguna and other offerings.  Of course you can upgrade the guides on any saw if/when you need/want to replace them.  I would hop on the train and head down to the Felder showroom in Delaware or contact both companies to see if there is someone in your area where you could see the machines in person.  I like Felder's integrated clamps that allow the easy on/off of extension tables (which you can also buy separately for the Aggazanni).  I like the table finish on the Aggy better.  The Felder has a really stout column and it is a 24 inch machine is a slightly shorter version than the Aggy (great if you are working in tight spots).  Is table tilting a big issue?  Not sure that the Felder tilts to 45 degrees, whereas the Aggy does.  May or may not be an issue for you, but this is one of those small things not really considered until you need it.  One thing I do not like about either the Aggy or the Felder is that it is not an easy process to adjust the fence for blade drift.  I know lots of guys who say that they have never had blade drift on one of these bigger saws, but in my experience I have never had a blade not drift and so I am constantly tweaking the fence for a perfectly parallel cut when I change blades.  I have a Driftmaster and the process takes minutes.  YMMV, but upgrading the fence to a Driftmaster on either saw might also be something yo consider.

Scot 

 

[Mac]

I think Joraft has an Agazzani, from memory, hopefully he'll spot this and give some feedback? I think he really rates it though, he has expensive and good taste!

Cheers,
Rick

 

[PaulMarcel]

I think Joraft has an Agazzani, from memory, hopefully he'll spot this and give some feedback? I think he really rates it though, he has expensive and good taste!

Cheers,
Rick

Has it been powered on yet?  [tongue]

Just remember to go big like Jeremy Grubb... here he's using "The Bandsaw from Hell" (no photo from the other side; the front was sanded rough with a skull n crossbones added to the top):

 

[joraft]

I think Joraft has an Agazzani, from memory, hopefully he'll spot this and give some feedback? I think he really rates it though, he has expensive and good taste!

Has it been powered on yet?  [tongue]

Thanks for the kind words, Rick.

I do have an Agazzani B24, but as Paul-Marcel mentioned it is not hooked up yet. However, I've spent quite a bit of time on the Agazzanis at the William Ng School, and I think they are very impressive saws.

I bought my B24 from Jesse Barragan at Eagle Tools in Los Angeles. He's a great guy who knows more about bandsaws than just about anybody. I've bought several machines from him, and his service is top notch.

On the other hand, I've had a chance to get a close look at the Felder FB600 (and get a demo) and it is also very impressive. It is one of the first bandsaws manufactured entirely by Felder in Austria, and I think they've done a great job on the design.

I have several Felders, and their service is top notch. We're lucky here in SoCal to have a great sales rep named Carl Knapp. Felder USA headquarters is in Wilmington, Delaware, where president, Ruan du Toit, has his office. Ruan is extremely customer service oriented, and a phone call to him about any service problems is sure to get quick action. In fact, he reminds me a lot of Christian Oltzscher of Festool USA.

If I were in the market for a bandsaw right now, it would be a very difficult choice between the Agazzani B24 and the Felder FB600. Although I don't think you could go wrong with either machine.

 

[Mahogany Man]

Thanks for the input guys,
I went with the Agazzani from Jesse, at Eagle tools.

It is presently on it's way to Chicago, according to ABF Freight, I hopefully will get it Friday.

 

[joraft]

I went with the Agazzani from Jesse, at Eagle tools.

Good choice!

I've been there several times when Jesse and his crew were setting up the newly arrived machines. Every detail gets checked out, everything is carefully calibrated before any machine gets shipped. Barring any rough treatment during shipping to you, your machine should be good to go right out of the crate. 

 

[Mahogany Man]

I can't believe I didn't do this sooner!!!
Saw arrived in 5 days fro CA to NY at only $300.00 freight!
Incredible fit and finish on this machine! I couldn't be happier, cuts like a dream out of the box!!
It was in a 1/2" plywood full coverage crate, no damage whatsoever.
I put the Footmaster Ratcheting casters on, it glides around like it is riding on air.
A few people pm'd me asking why the Agazzani?
I did not feel comfortable with the Felder rep at all. He did not not answer some of my questions, and danced around other ones, and flat out lied about others!
Kinda concerns me though, because I am interested  in a Hammer jointer/planer.
Too many bad reports on the Laguna machines/service, and the latest post on Minimax quality on another forum.
Jesse at Eagle Tools answered every question I could possibly come up with, and even offered more info!
Thanks to everyone who encouraged me!
John

 

[joraft]

I did not feel comfortable with the Felder rep at all. He did not not answer some of my questions, and danced around other ones, and flat out lied about others!
Kinda concerns me though, because I am interested  in a Hammer jointer/planer.

That's very disturbing, John. I think you should call Felder headquarters and ask to speak to CEO, Ruan du Toit. Tell him exactly what happened. Felder makes top notch stuff and I'm sure they don't want damage done to their reputation from that kind of sales rep. As I said before, the Felder rep in my area is one of the best there is.

Congratulations on the Agazzani, I'm sure you'll never regret your choice!

 

[MrToolJunkie]

I did not feel comfortable with the Felder rep at all. He did not not answer some of my questions, and danced around other ones, and flat out lied about others!
Kinda concerns me though, because I am interested  in a Hammer jointer/planer.

That's very disturbing, John. I think you should call Felder headquarters and ask to speak to CEO, Ruan du Toit. Tell him exactly what happened. Felder makes top notch stuff and I'm sure they don't want damage done to their reputation from that kind of sales rep. As I said before, the Felder rep in my area is one of the best there is.

Congatulations on the Agazzani, I'm sure you'll never regret your choice!

I agree with Joraft -- I too am in So Cal and the Felder rep here is top notch.  I would not hesitate to buy a Hammer J/P -- that is what I have and it is a great machine.  Congrats on the Bandsaw -- looks sweet!  Jesse and the folks at eagle Tools are also first rate.

Scot