Another bandsaw question. Laguna 14/12 or Grizzly 0513X2?

[Justin Pfenning]

I'm considering a bandsaw purchase before the end of the year. I've narrowed it down to these 2 machines (I think). The Grizzly is has 2 blade speeds, I can't figure out what the blade speed is on the Laguna. The Laguna has ceramic guides, the Grizzly has bearing guides. The Grizzly has a rack and pinion on the table tilt, again, I can't figure out if the Laguna has a rack and pinion on the table tilt. Which would you buy and why? Price is close, shipping cost is close, saw capacity is close, what seperates these machines from each other? I plan to build some guitars, so resaw is important for book matched tops, and shape cutting is important for bodies and necks.

Justin Pfenning

[Curtis Myers]

I'm considering a bandsaw purchase before the end of the year. I've narrowed it down to these 2 machines (I think). The Grizzly is has 2 blade speeds, I can't figure out what the blade speed is on the Laguna. The Laguna has ceramic guides, the Grizzly has bearing guides. The Grizzly has a rack and pinion on the table tilt, again, I can't figure out if the Laguna has a rack and pinion on the table tilt. Which would you buy and why? Price is close, shipping cost is close, saw capacity is close, what seperates these machines from each other? I plan to build some guitars, so resaw is important for book matched tops, and shape cutting is important for bodies and necks.

Justin Pfenning

I had a Laguna 14 Suv a couple years ago and really like it. Fit and finish was the best I have seen from a Twaneese built machine. The Laguna 14/12 has several awards listed on their web site. Taunton best overall and best value. Also Woodworker Journals Best Bet award. My vote goes to Laguna.

[Lewis Ehrhardt]

Justin, I'm watching your replies too. These are the two I've narrowed down my purchase for. If Grizzly had a free shipping, I'd order the 513 tomorrow. I like the Laguna b/c its footprint is smaller. I have a small shop. I like the Grizzly b/c of the size capabilities--it can take a wider blade, which I'm sure the wheels are heftier meaning better cutting. At least that's what I've read so far. I like the ceramic guides too. My powermatic as the rollers on it and I just don't like them. Also, the Laguna motor is 120 volt ready. We'll see what others say. Thanks for posting. Lewis

[Scott Reed]

I bought the 14 12 a couple weeks ago. I was considering the two saws listed. I had a Grizzly 555LX that was a fine saw but I needed better resaw capacity and I didn't like the bearing guides. I went to a local dealer and was able to purchase the Laguna with an OK blade for $950 including tax. I absolutely love this saw. The ceramic guides are the best I've used. The whole saw went together very easily and is flawless. I've resawed 8" wide maple, poplar, purpleheart, and wenge without any issue. It's a great saw that I would choose over the Grizzly every time.

[Dan Clark]

I bought a 14-12 about three weeks ago. It's a great saw with a lot of features.

However, the tires were bad, which produced a lot of vibration. Laguna sent me a new tire to see if that would fix the problem, but it did little to reduce the problem. So I bought and installed two Carter urethane tires. After installation, vrtually all of the vibration was gone. Here's a video of the before and after: http://vimeo.com/113821519

With one exception, I have to give Laguna Support kudos for the time and effort they put into solving this problem. They sent me a new tire and they offered to send me two new wheels. The exception is that they did not know the torque setting for the wheel nuts and initially told me to just lock down the nuts. So I did. And then discovered the the wheel nuts and shaft become very hot after running it for a few minutes. Unfortunately, buried deep in the manual is a notice that the wheel nuts should not be touched. Given how tight the OEM tires are, it's virtually impossible for us normal human beings to replace the tires without removing the wheels. That still bothers me. So I give their support an A- for effort and C for knowledge about the 14-12.

Right now, I'm fairly satisified with the saw. It cuts well and resaws are excellent wth the 3/4" Laguna Pro Kig resaw blade. Would I buy one again? I'm not sure. For the price of the 14-12, I'd look long and at other options like the Rikon 351. I'm still bothered that I paid top dollar for a 14" bandsaw and had these kind of problems.

If you buy one, the first thing you need to do is check it out for vibration and noise. If don't mind spending $50, get the Carter urethane tires.

Regards,

Dan.

[Scott Reed]

Dan, sorry to hear you had some trouble. Thankfully, I have no issues, no vibration or noise.

[Cary Falk]

I am surprised that nobody has piped up for Grizzly. I know there are a lot of owners out there and I have never heard a bad thing about it. I have the G0513X2 and love it. The fit and finish was fantastic. Grizzly customer service was top notch the coup[le of times I had to contact them in the last 7 years. . I tried contacting Laguna when I was buying a different tool. Their lack of interest in selling me something turned me off. They couldn't answer my questions. When they did finally send me some information, it was for the wrong tool. I looked over a 16" Laguna bandsaw in Rockler once and don't remember being overly impressed. The only thing I didn't like about the Grizzly is the plastic knobs and handwheels. I have been slowly replacing them with Metal ones.

[Mike Null]

I recently purchased the Laguna 14-12 to replace a 3 wheel Emco that I've had for a while. I haven't had much of a chance to use it yet but so far I am delighted. I have the 3/4" Resaw King blade. It is a smooth running, smooth sawing machine.

I considered other brands and consulted with a couple of my fellow moderators before making my decision.

[glenn bradley]

I am surprised that nobody has piped up for Grizzly. I know there are a lot of owners out there and I have never heard a bad thing about it. I have the G0513X2 and love it.

Unfortunately there is a rabid crowd here who often start to froth when Grizzly's are discussed . Seriously, I have the G0513X which was replaced in the line-up by the G0513X2 (which my dad has) and we both love them. After setup they are smooth as silk, super quiet and the only thing I have ever done is replace normal wear parts like blades and guide-bearings. I probably use it at least every other day and have done so since I got it in 2007.

You can find tales of woe regarding defects and service issues with both brands but, you can find at least one such tale about almost anything. I resaw 10"-plus material in my work but, also slip on a 1/4" blade for curves and arcs in thick material. The saw has never required re-adjustment since it was setup. Power is adequate and blade drift is a myth. Although the 2HP motor has taken on anything I have thrown at it, bandsaws (like stereo systems) are just more fun with "too much power" IMHO. Either saw should serve you well. The G0513 platform has been a winner for years but, Laguna didn't just fall off the turnip truck either.

[Justin Pfenning]

First off, thanks for all the replies. It seems like I'll be fine no matter which one I pick. Just a couple more questions.

Are the ceramic guides on the Laguna a big deal? Are they that much better than bearings?

Can anyone tell me if the table tilt on the Laguna is gear driven, or do you loosen it up, and bump it around to find the angle?

Is the Laguna 2 speed or single speed? What speed does the blade run?

Thanks again for all the replies.

[Scott Reed]

Though I bought the Laguna, I've owned several Grizzly machines in the past and still own an 8" jointer and agree that their custom service is great. The very few issues I had with any of my equipment were taken care of promptly.

As for the ceramin vs bearings. I can only compare the 14/12 ceramics to the 555LX bearings, I ran cool blocks in the past on my bandsaws. I found the bearings to be very fussy and difficult to lock in. When I thought I had them set and tried to lock it in, they'd move do to the tightening. It was very frustrating. I think the bearing system on the 513x2 is a little different so may not have any issues. I was able to set the ceramics quickly and they held their setting. The Laguna is single speed, I believe. I'm not sure why you'd need a 2 speed on a bandsaw unless maybe you were planning to cut metal, as well. Anyway, I agree that you'd be happy with either saw. I do kind of wish the Laguna had a brake. It's not a big deal because I'm not running a production shop and don't really need the time saving feature of a brake.

[David C. Roseman]

Justin, don't have any experience with the new Laguna 14/12, but I have the G0513X2 and would buy it again in a heartbeat. Comparing the specs of those two models, including motor, weight and blade and material capacity, the G0513X2 seems to be a much beefier saw. I guess I'd ask why you would not prefer a 17" swing capability at the throat to a 14" if you conclude that the saws are comparable values in other respects.

David

[Justin Pfenning]

Justin, don't have any experience with the new Laguna 14/12, but I have the G0513X2 and would buy it again in a heartbeat. Comparing the specs of those two models, including motor, weight and blade and material capacity, the G0513X2 seems to be a much beefier saw. I guess I'd ask why you would not prefer a 17" swing capability at the throat to a 14" if you conclude that the saws are comparable values in other respects.

David

That's the question I'm asking myself. The ceramic guide is really the only place the Laguna wins in theory. It's a little cheaper, but not enough to matter. I thought the 2 speed of the Grizzly would be nice for cutting aluminum tubing. User experiance seems to be pretty equal too. Maybe the Grizzly is best for me with the additional swing, and the 2 speed option.

[Cary Falk]

That's the question I'm asking myself. The ceramic guide is really the only place the Laguna wins in theory. It's a little cheaper, but not enough to matter. I thought the 2 speed of the Grizzly would be nice for cutting aluminum tubing. User experiance seems to be pretty equal too. Maybe the Grizzly is best for me with the additional swing, and the 2 speed option.

I sometimes ask the question " Can I add it in the future if I feel I need it?". In the case of the 17" throat vs 14" no you can't. In the case of the ceramic guides, maybe. I have seen the Laguna guides. They look easy enough to build. I thought about trying to make them if I get some free time. They may even be able to be retrofitted to the Grizzly with a little engineering.

[Dan Clark]

I bought a 14-12 about three weeks ago. It's a great saw with a lot of features.

However, the tires were bad, which produced a lot of vibration. Laguna sent me a new tire to see if that would fix the problem, but it did little to reduce the problem. So I bought and installed two Carter urethane tires. After installation, vrtually all of the vibration was gone. Here's a video of the before and after: http://vimeo.com/113821519

With one exception, I have to give Laguna Support kudos for the time and effort they put into solving this problem. They sent me a new tire and they offered to send me two new wheels. The exception is that they did not know the torque setting for the wheel nuts and initially told me to just lock down the nuts. So I did. And then discovered the the wheel nuts and shaft become very hot after running it for a few minutes. Unfortunately, buried deep in the manual is a notice that the wheel nuts should not be touched. Given how tight the OEM tires are, it's virtually impossible for us normal human beings to replace the tires without removing the wheels. That still bothers me. So I give their support an A- for effort and C for knowledge about the 14-12.

Right now, I'm fairly satisified with the saw. It cuts well and resaws are excellent wth the 3/4" Laguna Pro Kig resaw blade. Would I buy one again? I'm not sure. For the price of the 14-12, I'd look long and at other options like the Rikon 351. I'm still bothered that I paid top dollar for a 14" bandsaw and had these kind of problems.

If you buy one, the first thing you need to do is check it out for vibration and noise. If don't mind spending $50, get the Carter urethane tires.

Regards,

Dan.

I've had more discussions with Laguna Support, with the last few calls initiated by Laguna - specifically with Brian Diaz at Laguna USA. With a few minor adjustment, now my 14-12 is running extremely smoothly. Now I'm very happy with the saw.

Brian researched how much to tighten the wheel nut. The wheel nuts are should be tightened finger tight. If you need to remove the wheel for some reason (like replacing the tire), twist the nut counter-clockwise using your fingers only. Do NOT use a wrench tighten the nut.

To the OP, good luck with your decision.

Regards,

Dan.