I’m looking at my options for 14" bandsaws but notice the 17" grizzly 40th anniversary edition seems like its worth considering. Aside from the obvious size increase how does it compare to the usual 14" saws? Is something like the Laguna 14|12 or Rikon 10-324TG 14" saws have any advantages?
I don’t have any insight into the different brands, but the ones you posted are all decent. I’m also interested in seeing what an expert has to say, but my gut wants to say “if you have the space, go bigger.” The biggest bandsaw in the world is still able to cut smaller pieces of wood.
The extra horsepower on the larger one will be nice to have. A lot of it depends on what you’ll be doing. A general woodworker making birdhouses has different needs than someone making furniture. If you’ll be changing blades a lot, getting something that is easy to make quick adjustments with would be worth the extra money. Every blade change requires changes in tension and adjustments to the upper and lower blade guides. That being said, blade guides can be upgraded in the future.
Portability is something else to consider. A larger machine is more difficult to move around the shop.