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Thread: New Bandsaw

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Mosby's Confederacy
    Posts
    657

    New Bandsaw

    Pulled the trigger a couple of weeks ago on a Laguna LT14SUV. Why that particular saw? Since you asked, I'll tell you. For the price I could have had a 16" or even 18" Jet/Rikon/Grizz, but that really would have crowded up my already over-stuffed basement shop. I was considering continuing to tweak my 14" Craftsman Delta clone, or possibly going with a Jet/Powermatic, but I just saw that as a lateral move. I also considered the LT14 3000, but for an extra $200 here is what I gained:
    One more horsepower(2vs3hp).
    Gas assisted table angle adjustment. Very nice to have, as this table is far more substantial than the ones on the Delta and clones.
    Footbrake. Not a big deal when I was weighing options, but now that I have it, I'm glad I do.

    Sooo... it took a week before it actually shipped, and then another week traveling coast-to-coast. It arrived at the terminal last Tue. evening, and I picked it up Wed. afternoon. Got home with it, and got to 'rassel it out of the van, solo. And then the only precipitation we have had in over a week started. So onto the hand truck and I'll uncrate the damn thing when I get it to the bottom of the flight of stairs. Three hours later, the saw and myself arrived in my shop in two pieces. Here are my initial impressions.

    Positive:
    Laguna sent a DVD with unpacking and setup instruction in advance of the saw. Nice touch. I knew exactly what to expect.
    Fit and finish are mostly what I would expect in a machine of this class.
    Rock solid.
    Setup was straightforward with no glitches at all. Written instructions were very clear.
    Seems to have plenty of power and capacity. I haven't had the chance to really put it through it's paces yet, but guide setup was easy, resulting in no wander and minimal drift. The fence is basic, but adequate. Sometime in the future, I'll spring for a Driftmaster.
    14" resaw capacity. Something I'll probably never max out, but it's there if I want it. And 3 ponys to do it with.
    Looks a lot nicer than the old one.
    Got free shipping.
    Full of grease.

    Cons:
    Short cord. 6' and it almost made it to the box that I set earlier in the week. And in the process of replacing it I discovered that it's prolly a good idea to check the tightness of all electrical connections.
    The mobility kit. Heh, what can I say? I didn't pay for it, must have jumped into the crate when nobody was watching. It works fine, but if I had dropped $175 for two sticks and four plastic wheels, I'd be seriously hurt. There are far more economical options.
    Chinese. Not that I have a problem with China's manufacturing capabilities, this machine is a testament to the fact that they can do a fine job at a fair price. It's political, and I'll say no more on that subject.
    I bought a small assortment of blades with it. On the maiden run, I turned my back to scribble a curvy line on a board, and heard that "POP". Broke at the weld, and shattered my l'il observation window. Minor inconvenience. Took some scrap plexiglas and made a new window.
    The elevation adjustment for the guidepost is a star knob, that is very awkward to handle. The post operates very smoothly, and losing your grip on the knob results in the post crashing at the bottom of it's travel. I replaced it with a high-quality cast zinc handwheel that I had kicking about. I may order a high-quality black plastic one, to match the rest of the saw.
    It came with a holder for the allen wrenches needed for adjustments, that bolts onto the back of the column. The holder works fine. I broke one of the allen wrenches while loosening the guides for adjustment though. Must go buy allen wrench.
    No light, but those are typically cheesy anyway. I took a page out of Art Bianconi's book and installed some "puck" lights on it.
    Full of grease.

    So to conclude:
    It seems to be a well thought out design. Full of features that I would expect to pay far more for. The negative aspects are, for me, mostly minor. For someone that may be looking at $1200 for a Powermatic,or similar, they may want to give some consideration to this machine, or one of it's siblings. I think that for a few $$ more, you can get a significantly more substantial saw, with a footprint that only requires a couple more inches.

    And don't give me any of that "no pics-didn't happen" bidness. I'm tired, maybe later.

  2. #2
    Good writeup. Should be fun to get to know.
    Bob S.
    http://www.lancasterfm104.com/history.html

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Prunedale, CA
    Posts
    61
    Gosh darn, Jeff you just made my wish list even more expensive. Thanks for the wright up it helps a lot.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Northern Colorado
    Posts
    1,884
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    Drool.

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