First Bandsaw Resaw Capacity Compared: WEN, Used Delta, and Grizzly Cost Per Inch
First Bandsaw Resaw Capacity Compared: WEN, Used Delta, and Grizzly Cost Per Inch - A step into the workshop.
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We've all been there. You're scrolling listings late at night, kids are finally asleep, and you're trying to answer one deceptively simple question: what's my first "real" bandsaw going to cost me? Because here's the thing I wish someone had told me years ago — the sticker price is the smallest number in the equation. What you're really shopping for is resaw capacity, the depth of board the saw can slice. That's the number that decides whether you can mill your own thin stock for keepsake box lids and veneer, or whether you'll keep buying 1/4" boards at the lumberyard and paying for someone else's sawdust.
So let's run the math honestly, using manufacturer prices you can actually verify, and see what each inch of resaw really costs.
The Three Paths
There are three ways most of us go on a first bandsaw, and they map neatly onto three budget levels.
Path one: the budget benchtop. WEN's BA3959, a 9" benchtop saw, lists at $162.99 direct from WEN. It cuts only 3-1/2" deep, which is enough for coasters and small scrollwork but not much else. Its bigger sibling, the BA3962 — a 10" two-speed model with a stand and worklight — runs $399.25 and cuts up to 6" deep. Both use narrow, short blades (59-1/2" and 72" respectively), and the BA3962 maxes out at 1/2"-wide blades.
Path two: the used 14" iron. Older Delta and Craftsman 14" saws show up used all the time, and with a riser block — a spacer installed between the frame sections that lengthens the column and lets you run a longer blade — they go from 6" of resaw to 12". The catch, and I'll be straight with you: I can't quote you a fair used price, because the used market genuinely has no standard. Listings I've seen range wildly — I've watched a Delta sit listed at $549 — and condition varies from "grandpa's garage queen" to "worn out and regretful." What I can tell you is what the upgrade costs and how it performs, and we'll get to that.
Path three: the new 14" import. Grizzly's G0555 is currently $805.50 on sale (list $895). It resaws 6". Add Grizzly's H3051 riser block kit at $143.95 and you're at roughly $949.45 for 12" of resaw. Or skip the riser entirely: the G0555XH "Extreme" comes with factory 12" resaw and a bigger 1-3/4 HP motor for $1,525.50.
The Dollar-per-Inch Math
Here's where it gets interesting. Divide price by resaw capacity and the ranking flips in ways nobody expects.
| Saw | Price | Resaw | Cost per inch |
|---|---|---|---|
| WEN BA3959 (9") | $162.99 | 3-1/2" | ~$46.57/in |
| WEN BA3962 (10") | $399.25 | 6" | ~$66.54/in |
| Grizzly G0555 + riser | $949.45 | 12" | ~$79.12/in |
| Grizzly G0555 (14") | $805.50 | 6" | ~$134.25/in |
| Grizzly G0555XH | $1,525.50 | 12" | ~$127.13/in |
Two things jump out. First, the cheapest saw wins on pure dollars-per-inch, which tells you that number alone doesn't buy capability — a BA3959 at $46 an inch still only cuts 3-1/2". Second, and more practically: the G0555 at 6" of resaw is the worst value on the board. Either buy the benchtop and know its limits, or spend the extra $144 on the riser kit and double your capacity.
And look at the riser kit against the factory-tall saw: $143.95 buys you the same extra 6" of resaw that the upgrade to the XH costs roughly $720 more to get. Unless you need the XH's bigger motor and heft for production work, the riser kit is almost free capacity.
But Wait — the Blades Cost More Than You Think
Here's the line item that sneaks up on everyone. Every blade change, every dull blade, every specialty resaw blade is a recurring cost, and longer blades simply cost more.
Grizzly's own house-brand blades make the point: a 93-1/2" x 1/4" hook blade is $12.55, while a 105" x 3/4" resaw blade runs $43.15. Timber Wolf blades from Woodline USA in the 105" size range from $34.99 to $46.49, with their 3/4" 3-TPI resaw blade at $41.99. Premium resaw blades go much higher — forum chatter puts Laguna's Resaw King blades in the $150–200 range, though I couldn't verify that against a retail page, so take it as anecdote. Either way, over the life of the saw, blades will comfortably outspend a benchtop saw's entire purchase price. Budget for them from day one.
There's also a matching problem. The WEN BA3962 tops out at 1/2"-wide blades, which limits your resaw blade options compared to a 14" saw that can swing a 3/4" blade.
The Riser Block Reality Check
Before you rush off to buy a riser kit, a few honest caveats, because the forums are full of people who learned these lessons the expensive way.
First, the performance news is actually good. WOOD Magazine's group test of eight 14" bandsaws — including the Craftsman 22401, the Grizzly G0555, and the Jet JWBS-14OS — found that adding riser blocks did not increase blade deflection, and all the saws powered through 12"-wide oak at slower feed rates. They named the G0555 their "Top Tool." So the physics work.
Second, the blade-width trap. A Woodworking Talk user resawed an 8"-wide walnut board on a riser-equipped Delta with a 3/4" 3-TPI blade and got a clean, straight cut — but he warns that a 3/4" blade with a riser demands much more tension to stay stiff, and he recommends 1/2" instead. Woodline's own sizing advice agrees: for a 1 HP or smaller saw, they recommend a 1/2" x 3-TPI blade for resawing 5" to 12" wood, and note that a 3/4" blade really wants around 1.5 HP. Your stock motor is fine; just don't assume the widest blade is the best blade.
Third, fitment friction. Riser kits aren't always drop-in. An American Association of Woodturners forum member had to use a Jet riser kit on a Delta 14" because Delta kits were scarce, and the guide bar didn't fit — it needed replacing or machining. A Sawmill Creek member installing a Grizzly kit on an older Delta/Rockwell hex-post saw needed a longer guide post from Iturra Design. None of this is hard, but it's the difference between a Saturday afternoon and a three-weekends project, so check compatibility for your specific saw before you buy.
The Used Saw Question, Answered Honestly
So which path is right? Here's my honest take.
If your budget is genuinely tight and your projects are small — coasters, small boxes, gifts for the family — the WEN BA3962 at $399.25 is a legitimate saw, not a toy. Six inches of resaw handles most keepsake-box work. Just know its ceiling before you buy it, and know that you'll spend real money on blades regardless.
If you can stretch, the used Delta or Craftsman 14" plus a riser kit is classically the best value in woodworking — the forum wisdom that a riser kit alone can be worth more than the asking price of a tired old saw is common enough to be its own genre. But I can't responsibly quote you a "typical" used price, because there isn't one. Go look at your local listings, factor in $143.95-class for a riser (or whatever your saw's kit actually costs, since prices and availability vary), plus a $35–46 resaw blade, and judge each machine on its own condition. Bring a flashlight and check for worn guides and a wobbly wheel.
If you'd rather skip the used-market gamble entirely, the math says: don't buy the G0555 at 6". Buy it with the H3051 riser kit, run a 1/2" resaw blade, and you've got 12" of resaw for about $949 — less than two-thirds of the factory-tall alternative.
From My Workshop to Yours
Whatever you choose, budget for at least one good resaw blade on top of the saw, plan on the 1/2" width unless you've got serious horsepower, and verify riser compatibility for your exact model before it's in your trunk. The best first bandsaw isn't the biggest one you can afford — it's the one whose limits you understand on the day you bring it home. Mine taught me that lesson the slow way; you get to learn it for the price of ten minutes with a calculator.