View Poll Results: Laguna 14/12 vs Vintage USA Bandsaw

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  • Laguna

    15 60.00%
  • Vintage American Model

    10 40.00%
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Thread: Advice: Laguna 14 twelve vs. old Delta band saw

  1. #1

    Advice: Laguna 14 twelve vs. old Delta band saw



    I'm trying to purchase the best possible 110 V saw I can, being that it is my current limitation. I've been keeping my eyes on a sale going on at my local woodcraft that has the laguna at 987.00 plus some tax. I have also been religiously checking craigslist to see what pops up used in the Minneapolis area. There is a 14 inch Band Saw (Delta, Cat. # 28-245) with an upgrade 1.5 H.P. motor for 400.00 and I'm curious what the experts around here would recommend.

    Craigslist Add: https://minneapolis.craigslist.org/r...176297757.html

    woodcraft Add: http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/854...2-Bandsaw.aspx

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2015
    Location
    Pinehurst, Texas
    Posts
    50
    I own a Rockwell Delta 14 inch saw with the older style hollow core arm casting. I bought it back in the mid 70's and it has always been a good saw - no complaints. I have never had any trouble resawing with it up to its 6 inch capacity using the original 1/2 hp motor and a 1/2 inch blade, but I mostly have always used it as just an all around, general purpose bandsaw. I used to think about upgrading it with a bigger motor and the height attachment, but I never got around to it. I can tell you that a larger motor is nice to have, as I have a 1-1/2 horse motor on an 18 inch saw that I built - makes a bunch of difference for ripping and resaw work.

    So the one you are looking at has the bigger motor in its favor, but it does not have a height attachment block to raise the capacity up to 12 inches. You could always get one, but you'll probably pay about $200 for it. Furthermore, if you install one on the saw, you'll find that you need more blade tension on all your blades, and you may find that it will no longer tension a 3/4 inch blade adequately. Or if it does, it will use up more of that horsepower just to idle the wheels over (due to the heavier load from the increased blade tension.) Of course, you should be able to resaw up to 8 or 9 inches with just a 1/2 inch blade on most any saw that has at least that much room under the blade guide. Also, if you never need more capacity than that, it is possible to achieve it without the height attachment by using a trick that Matthias Wandel came up with: http://woodgears.ca/bandsaw/resaw_guide.html

    The Laguna is a nice saw for its size and capacity. It comes designed for extensive resaw work right off the shipping pallet. And apparently it has no trouble adequately tensioning a 3/4 inch blade. Also, it is brand-spankety new, which is always nice, and don't forget that it comes with customer support from the company. On the other hand it will cost you more than twice as much, and the next day its resale value will not be what you paid for it.

    For me it would come down to how much resaw work I planned on doing and at what capacity. If I wanted to do extensive resawing at greater than 6 inches, I'd probably go for the Laguna. On the other hand, if I was going to pay a thousand bucks for a bandsaw, I'd try to find something larger than a 14 inch saw - even if I had to buy a used one and do a bit of restoration work on it. ymmv.

    Jim

    He who welds steel with flaming pine cones may accomplish anything!

  3. #3
    Get the old Delta. I've got one with a 3/4 hp motor and it gets by just fine. 1 1/2 hp on it definitely wouldn't hurt, though. How often do you realistically plan on resawing something bigger than 6 inches? Have you got a jointer big enough to flatten boards wider than this?

    Brand new is nice, but even brand new will require some setup and understanding of how this machine works, so don't think you're getting out of that process. Those delta saws are pretty simple to repair and tune. With either saw you get, buy Mark Duginske's book and you're good to go.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    East Rochester, NY
    Posts
    179
    I just sold my Delta/Milwaukee 14" and went with the 14 Twelve.. The Laguna is a sweet saw and so far no complaints. OTOH if I had the room in my shop the Delta would still be mine....I loved that saw. But it did not have a riser block....that tipped the scale for me. HTH

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Mandalay Shores, CA
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    Quote Originally Posted by Will Boulware View Post
    Get the old Delta. I've got one with a 3/4 hp motor and it gets by just fine. 1 1/2 hp on it definitely wouldn't hurt, though. How often do you realistically plan on resawing something bigger than 6 inches? Have you got a jointer big enough to flatten boards wider than this?

    Brand new is nice, but even brand new will require some setup and understanding of how this machine works, so don't think you're getting out of that process. Those delta saws are pretty simple to repair and tune. With either saw you get, buy Mark Duginske's book and you're good to go.

    Will's advice is good. If you want to resaw over 6" get the Laguna. If not, get the Delta. I routinely Resaw over 6" so I wouldn't get the Delta for my work (I have a Rikon 10-325). I don't use a jointer to flatten; I do it the old fashioned way with hand planes.
    Shawn

    "no trees were harmed in the creation of this message, however some electrons were temporarily inconvenienced."

    "I resent having to use my brain to do your thinking"

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Alpharetta, GA
    Posts
    193
    Having owned both a traditional 14" American-style bandsaw (Delta with riser) and a European-style (Laguna/Meber 16), I prefer the Euro... a lot. The Delta was a great machine and with a good blade, some Carter guides, and a bit of tuning, you can get it humming nicely, however, the small table and (in this case) resaw capacity makes the Euro version a no-brainer to me. You would have to spend the almost the same amount for "upgrades" to make the Delta in the same league as the Laguna if you wanted to make them equal in terms of power, resaw capacity, tunability, etc. I may be wrong, but I think you can use a good bit more blade tension on the Euro saws which would allow for larger blades (could be wrong on this one).

    Of course, this is all assuming both saws are delivered to your shop in perfect condition. No small feat unfortunately.

  7. #7
    If price difference is not too much of a factor, I would personally go with the Laguna. It will be a far more robust saw that will be able to handle both scroll and resaw work without any issues. The Delta model you are considering is still a decent American made saw, but it is not of the same quality as the ones that were made by Delta "back in the day". The boxed frame upper arms that were made in the old Philadelphia foundry are truly a thing of beauty, the open frame models of later years are just not as robust. Furthermore, at some point Delta actually had their castings made in Mexico for their American production. You can tell those saws by looking at the placement of the blade tensioner hard point on the frame, on the Mexican casting it is on the wrong side and is totally useless. The Laguna is a modern bandsaw that is built to a high standard. It also has a stronger motor and cast iron wheels that will greatly help with resawing. If you do want the stand that the saw is pictured on you will have to add an additional $150 to the price. As has been mentioned, at $1100 (saw + stand) you should be able to purchase a saw with a greater that 14" capacity from another maker. Laguna saws are very high quality and are priced accordingly.
    Last edited by Bradley Boyle; 08-27-2015 at 5:27 PM.

  8. #8
    I just purchased the laguna, thanks to all who shared there opinions.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Deep South
    Posts
    3,970
    Congratulations! If your experience with the 14/twelve is like mine, you will be a happy guy.

    Someone asked how often a person resaws a board wider than 6 inches. Well, I do it all the time. That is the reason i bought the saw. I have seldom needed to flattening afterward. If your setup is good and the wood is dried sufficiently, it won't bow or warp. Just run it through your thickness planer. You will need to do that anyway.

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