SHOP FOX W1707 2 HP 17-Inch Bandsaw

I recently got a Shop Fox W1707 bandsaw. I ordered it with some trepidation because of the sparse reviews. My experience has been very good with other Shop Fox machines though, so I hoped this saw would be similar. So far, I have to say that I'm more than impressed with the quality of this machine for the money.

Why the Shop Fox instead of Grizzly? After all, isn't this essentially the same saw as the Grizzly 0513x2, only with different paint? You would think so, but it is not the case. I called Woodstock Int'l (owners of both Grizzly and Shop Fox) to get some details about the differences between the machines. It turns out that Grizzly and Shop Fox bandsaws are made at different factories and don't even have interchangeable parts. I looked carefully at the specs and decided that I liked the Shop Fox better for similar money. In my opinion, the Shop Fox has fewer bells and whistles and more solid, functional features. Here's a list of what I liked better about...Read more

I own a Delta 14" bandsaw. It works fine, but I wanted something
to resaw boards, and cut thick hardwood that tends to bind in the
smaller Delta. So I started shopping around. Looked at the Rikon, Jet,
Grizzly, et all.. They are all pretty much the same in that size/price range (in fact I suspect they are all made in the same factory, and aside from finish and add on features are pretty much the same saw)
I finally setteled on the Shop Fox..Have had it for a year now.
This is not a $2,000 saw. However it does what I want it to do very well
I cut hardwoods. Oak, Maple, Cherry, Walnut, Purple Heart, Chessnut, and several other varieties of wood have gone through this saw without
a problem. I cut a 12" x 12" x 48" hunk of white oak into 12" x 3" by 48"
boards..smooth as butter.
Suggestions. Use good blades. The Grizzly 17" saw is almost exactly the
same as the Shop Fox, and the Grizzly blades work great. In fact I tried...Read more

I've wanted and needed a band saw for some long time, so when the right project came up I began researching. In all the different brands offered with the parameters I needed for the job and future projects, for the price and the features the Shop Fox won hands down, Jet came in real close.

Delivery, I've never seen such shoddy crating in my life, orange crates provide better protection. Half the "LATH" strips were shattered, the only 2X4 was bolted to the saw base, there were many scratches on the saw body , including a good sized hole in the cardboard box holding the fence, (which also has a good sized dig in it. The saw was on its side in the trailer and there were other boxes, (like a Delta mortiser) and I don't know what the other things were on top of it, several had to be moved off and away to get the dolly under it.

Once I got it in the shop, (the delivery service leaves it at the edge of the property which is the road) the saw was preassembled, but as...Read more