Hi Andy,?
?
I have a FB-710, with the 7.5hp 3ph motor.?
?
Acknowledging that the 710, 610, and 510 may ultimately have slight differences, they all share the same basic design.?
?
Thus far, I don't have any complaints with the 710. I'm sure bandsaw aficionados will find nits to pick, but it has worked problem-free for me. Some notes:
-- This is primarily a ripping machine. I will occasionally use it for resawing, but primarily it is used for ripping soft- and hard- woods, from 15mm-200mm thickness.?
-- Saw sees (moderate) daily use in a one person professional shop.
-- I'm running a 1-1/4" Laguna Resaw King and it works great. I run the blade with the teeth hanging off the edge of the wheel, and have had zero issues with tracking.?
-- I have the X-Life ceramic guides, which I see are an option now on the 510. They work well, I can't say much more about them.?
-- The wheels have the newer green tires. Again, no issues.?
-- Dust collection is quite good. While there is inevitably some errant chips/dust at the end of the day, it has never been enough to prompt me to explore a better option.?
-- I've heard others post that the 710 may have greater strength when it comes to tensioning blades. I can't speak to this one way or the other on the 510 and 610, other than to say I haven't experienced any issues with applying what I perceive to be sufficient tension.?
?
?I opted for the 710 because I wanted a 3 phase motor, due to worries about blown capacitors in 1 phase motors. The 28" size is definitely overkill for my needs, if I could do it over again I'd probably look at the FB-640, or the SCM s 640p.?
?
As is often mentioned here, I'll make the obligatory suggestion of reconsidering a three phase machine. A bandsaw motor is pretty simple, so it shouldn't be too much trouble to program a VFD or a small phase converter to run it. It's more work on the front end, but you'll get a more robust motor and will never need to deal with replacing capacitors. Three phase also gets you into larger motors, which in turn should yield more power and better results.?
?
The F-bars on the 510/610/710 are handy, but the table key poses an issue with installing an in-feed table extension in line with the blade. With a FB-640 or s640p, Aigner sells an adapter for round bars for the in-feed, and you can always install bars (Aigner or Felder) on the side and out-feed.
?
All of that being said, any of the machines you've mentioned should be "fine". It's worth noting that the LT18 Resaw machine can't be fitted with a narrow blade, in case you were hoping to use the saw for anything other than ripping/resawing. There will always be someone out there to say there is something better, but, based on my experience, any of them should serve you reasonably well.?
--
Tom Gensmer
Heritage Home Renewals, LLC
Minneapolis, MN
?
?
