# Laguna Tools LT 14 SUV Bandsaw Review - So very close!



## rustfever

When I recieved my Laguna LT16, I got everything, including all paper work. Set up and running went quickly, with only minor amount of time doing fine tuning. Purchased the Driftmaster fence a few months later. I, too, was put off by the instructions to drill new holes. I found different bolts and promptly got that tuned and running. I found, however, that I must move the Driftmaster Fence all the way to the left, to be able to open the lower door for saw changes. The latching proceedure for the Driftmaster Fence is a bit clumbersome, however.

I have never found it necessary to 're-tune' the saw. After 2 years, still runs great and accurate. And I do use it most every week, if not every day.

Now the Re-Saw King blade is a different story. I purchase it and the first three or four cuts were beautiful. But the blade dulled rather quickley. Did I do something wrong? I don't think I did. I returned it for sharpening, and the same thing happened. I seem to get 100's and 100's of feet of cutting from a plain blade with set. But litterely only 20' or 30' with the Resaw King. A lot of money, wasted, in my opinion.


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## pmf2000

I hope that's not the case with the Resaw King blade. I have ordered three of them.


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## reggiek

Great review and info. I was wondering if Laguna has fixed their horrible customer service? There has been multiple postings of horror stories regarding this. I have considered them a no buy due to this and will continue to avoid them until their service is up to par and shows that it will continue to be. Keep us posted as to any contact with them and the results.


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## WhittleMeThis

I was looking at buying a slot mortise machine from Laguna and passed based on the customer service reviews. I just don't have the time to waste dealing with unresponsive customer service. Band saws have been Laguna's bread and butter for years its good to hear their saws still perform well.


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## rustfever

Tom,
I wondered if the wood I was cutting was gummy or full of pitch. It seemed to not be. But those carbide teeth dulled out very fast. Way to fast. I checked my guides and wheel position, and it was dead on. Both times the blade dulled bad,fast. So I am no longer using that blade. It is wrapped up and in a box on the shelf, with a tag that says 'Dull Do Not Use'.
Everything else I love about the Laguna. And as many will recall, I have a very bad experience with a Grizley 18". The Luguna is just the oposite, it is great. of course, the old [ca 1960] Delta 10" just keeps running and running.

I have had two occasions to call consumer support. Both time, needs were handled promptly. Absolutely no complaint there.


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## bigike

wow i posted a question on this saw and got alot of bad news this changes alot.


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## asthesawturns

Great review, very thorough. It is appreciated.
Thanks


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## Beginningwoodworker

Congrats on your new bandsaw!


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## NBeener

My limited view on this is: Laguna seems to have a great reputation for the products they make, but a not-so-great rep for the service behind them.

Maybe Grizzly should buy them. Grizzly seems to do a really nice job of handling customer issues…..

Hope you get 'er all dialed in. Looks like quite a tool!


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## araldite

I bought a Laguna 14L, Driftmaster and Resaw King blade (plus other blades) about a year ago. It came with instructions and I had no trouble setting it up. The Driftmaster attached fine to the existing holes without drilling and taping and I had no problem getting it aligned and set up. I had the same problem as you with opening the door to change blades. It can be done, but it's a struggle. I complained to them, and I think they are well aware of it because they never responded. That, to me, is the biggest drawback.

Their resaw blade works great for me. I rip green red oak and cherry limbs regularly and cut 1/16" veneer from all sorts of straight grain and burl with no problem. I've cut 1/32" veneer off exotic burl with amazing accuracy.

The drift master has not only allowed me to cancel out drift, but also tune in exact repeatable cuts at 1/16' with no ruler.

It's a super accurate band saw once you get it tuned in. But, granted, blade changing is a pain with the Driftmaster attached.


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## Newton

All that trouble and still 4 stars? Makes me glad I bought a Grizzly.


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## PixelPaul

Thanks for the in-depth review. Please report back as you get a chance to use it some more. I recently had a good look at this bandsaw, and came away very impressed. I hope it have it in my shop someday soon. It is in a completely different league than any Grizzly offering - at least those I saw in their showroom.


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## pmf2000

Keep in mind the bandsaw itself is well made. My troubles were mostly around the fact that I did not get any instructions. Relative to other bandsaws in its class I still think it's one of the better bandsaws. The fence that came with it is better than some of aftermarket fences I have used and still allows you to fairly easily adjust for drift. The 14" resaw capacity is better than some 18" saws. And how many 14" bandsaws come with a 3 hp motor? While the tone of the review is one of frustration (and rightly so), now that I have it setup it has been fairly enjoyable to use.


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## buffalosean

I hear a rumor that their customer service was terrible. Glad it worked out in the end.

BY the way. I would have been pretty pissed about drilling holes into a brand new machine. You shouldn't have to rework anyhting on a brand new machine. Especailly a high quaility machine that cost as much as yours.

good luck with the saw!


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## charlton

This is pretty unfortunate and rather alarming. I'm about to pull the trigger on the LT16 3000 which I gather is essentially the same saw as your LT14 3000 but just a bit bigger. Now I'm starting to wonder if I should defer or forget the purchase.  The problem is that Grizzly isn't here in Canada and getting them in is a fair drive for me. 

Thanks for the review. Sad to see such horrible service from Laguna. Did you buy from them directly or through a store? I would hold the store responsible for support.


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## pmf2000

I don't know if I'd get the LT16. Keep in mind that if you are resawing, the LT16 only goes to 12.5" the LT14 actually goes to 14 inches.

I bought my saw from Canadian Woodworker and I have always found their customer service to be great. I don't think it's their fault that none of my equipment shipped with the required instructions and if the vendor says they are going to so something, it's up to them to follow through.


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## rookie54

thanks for the review…
i buy all my blades from suffolk machinery…
http://www.suffolkmachinery.com/
i've never had a problem with any of their blades…


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## Karson

I have the Driftmaster Fence on my Tiwaneze bandsaw and it world beautifully. I've used the resawking bandsaw blades a lot and I've had great luck. However I had one blade that I used to cut some camphor and it was brand new and went to totally dull in less than 10 ft of camphor log. I was cutting pen blanks. There was no bark on the logs. I've posted a blog on putting on my Driftmaster here on LJ's

I had another sharp blade and I went to cut some Oak burl. When I hit the log I saw sparks and I knew It was toast. There was some sand on the end of the log.

I've since gone back to my Suffok Machinery blades because of the blade prices and the resarpening prices. It's cheaper to throw away a SUffolk balde that go get another Laguna blade.

I've still got 2 of them when I really need the great resaw capabality.


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## weinerdog

Got mine two weeks ago (w/driftmaster and resaw king). I had to drill the holes out. Didn't like it, but in the long run a minor inconvenience. So far the saw is great. My limited experience on the phone with Laguna has been positive.


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## woodywoodworker

The 14" machines have 1/4" holes in the table lip, just buy some 1/4" bolts for 25 cents and it mounts right up with no drilling. The driftmaster fence is an after market fence, not standard equipment. I went up to the Laguna show room with my buddy who bought the SUV and they said the fence is made to mount to every bandsaw with holes in the lip of the table with out drilling but every bandsaw if different as far as the holes that are pre drilled in the table.

I wonder if that is why my ford F350 tires dont fit on my ford mustang??? I thought I was buying a ford!!!!!

Lol, Sorry, that ******************** is funny to me!


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## Carpintonto

LT14 SUV Laguna bandsaw
Working in construction, Renovation, furniture making, design and art, had given to me a good idea of why smart people say when buying a tool" I CAN'T AFFORD CHEAP". This machine is an airplane, is well made and so accurate that does not require the buying of the book" Bandsaw for dummies".

Great deal !!!


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## GeoffWC

These saws are on sale now (3/1/10): free shipping + free mobility kit + free blades (5!). Delivered to your door for about $1500. That's about 20% off the normal cost. Have one on order. 
Geoff


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## pmf2000

I have gotten a lot of personal messages regarding my review of this bandsaw. I want to emphasis that the saw is well made and once it is tuned up cuts amazingly well. There are more good things going on than negative.


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## aubie55

I'm also seriously considering buying the Laguna LT14 SUV with the deal going on this month.

For those of you who already have one, thanks for the information you've posted on it. I was wondering if you've had any issues with the table size (15"x15") seems a little small, but maybe not. Also, does the fence system that comes with the saw have a scale? I know it must, but I can't tell from the website.

Thanks!


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## pmf2000

The table size is a little small. The original fence does indeed have a scale but do you honestly use one? I think I mentioned that the original fence is quite good but the Driftmaster makes things that much easier.


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## aubie55

Okay, thanks for the information Tim.

Happy Woodworking!


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## Royalwoodworker

we have 3 Laguana BS at our school and 1 TS table saw. THe machines are top notch but customer support and DIRECTIONS suck!!!!!!!!!! Also, the atable height is way low on teh band saw, so we pretty much cut while sitting. Other then that, these machines are beast.


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## rustfever

Simple solution. Everyone is of a different build/height. The manufacturer builds tools for a 'typical' consumer.

If the saw is to low for you, why not just lift it upon a platform. I have a bad back and cannot stoop for more than just a minute. So I have built a 'lift' kit for a number of tools. Now I don't stoop, don't get stiff back, don't spend time going to the chiropractor, and generally enjoy my woodworking experience.

For my 36" bandsaw, the table is to high. I build a platform for me!


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## MedullaryRay

Any insight on the following? Today I asked a salesman at Laguna Tools in Irvine why the LT14 SUV was $250 cheaper than the SE even though the SUV had more features and a bigger motor. He said it was because the SUV is made in Taiwan, but the SE is made in Europe. He said the quality is the same, and the SUV is in all respects better than the SE because of the features.

Is his claim of equal quality to be believed?

Anyone know if the Laguna Cool Block guides are mandatory for narrow blades?

By the way, they have a bit of package deal sale on the saw through 1/31/11. http://www.lagunatools.com/bandsaws


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## elrond3737

NBeener: A new company. The perfect company. 
Grizzly Prices (Harbor freight isn't realistic), Locally sold(so no worries about shipping and service… because you know the guys who sold you the machine), Laguna quality band Saws, Felder/Mini max quality Combos, Festool quality power tools, and American Made. *Sniff*


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## Birddog

Why do you need to open the door all the way to change blades on a Laguna LT 14 SUV with a Driftmaster fence?. On mine the door lifts off the hinges and only needs to open about 1" to be removed completely.

I don't see how the Driftmaster would stop you from just popping the door off in about 2 seconds to change a blade?


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## dbreeze

I just assembled my new LT14 SUV. Observations so far:
Great quality.
Heavy - had to rig a come-along to a timber over the ceiling joists to lift it off the pallet.
Missing the clamp at the end of the table slot (item 173 in parts drawing).
No setup DVD.
Made in China - this should be stated somewhere in the online literature.
Instructions state that a 30 amp circuit is required, but the label on the saw states a 12.8 amp rating, which should allow it to run fine on a 20 amp circuit.
Manual states that it comes without a plug, but mine has a standard 220 volt 20 amp plug with one vertical and one horizontal prong.
Blade length is 125". Guess how many suppliers besides Laguna stock a 125" blade. None that I can find.


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## pmf2000

Actually, I never have any problem finding 125" blades.

I should probably do an update to this since I've had it in use now for awhile.


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## dbreeze

Can you give a source or two for 125" blades? I've checked the local Klingspor and Woodcraft stores plus a couple of online places to no avail.

On Monday I filed an online support case for my missing parts. Tuesday I got a call from a Laguna rep who said they would be sihipped immediately. So far so good.


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## pmf2000

I usually get them from The Canadian Woodworker - https://www.canadianwoodworker.com/wood/ locally and they are made by Viking Bandsaw Blades. I would call bandsaw manufacturers if you can't find something locally.

In the end, I think you'll be happy with your purchase. After working out the kinks, it's been an absolute joy to use.


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## RR43

I want to respond to Tim's initial posting about the Laguna 14 SUV bandsaw. I have "downsized" my shop (if you can imagine that) so every square inch of space counts. I found that I am using my Table Saw very little, so my old friend of 20 years, my Delta Unisaw, found a new home last week. My new acquisition: the Laguna Bandsaw.

Since this saw is going to replace many of the tasks my table saw performed, it needs to be a solid, reliable machine. (By the way, I still have a bench table saw if I really need one for the few things that only a Table Saw can do). So, after reading post after post on this site, reviewing the reports and tests, looking at users talking about bandsaws on YOU TUBE, I was still undecided. My last post on this site got a bashing from another member because I am "inexperienced and making judgements about at tool I know nothing about." Well, he's right. So I decided to not to give in to my resolve and go strictly on price and features, I went to a local Woodcraft store, where they had the 14 SUV on display. The manager went over the machine with me and even fired it up and we cut some lumber. Previously, I had had some negative experiences with the Laguna folks on the phone when I inquired about their machine, and had pretty much written them off. Matt at Woodcraft, however, assured me he would stand behind the machine and deal with Laguna if I was not satisfied with their service. That put me over the top. My wife really wanted me to have the saw of my hearts desire (yes, she's special) and so I decided to go with the Laguna.

Let me say first off, that I have no axe to grind with Luguna or any other company. People are people and mistakes can be made. As I understand the purpose of this site, it's to share our experiences, and that's all I'm doing. I received a rather rude comment from a member in an earlier post telling me that I am not experienced enough to have the right to "bash" a company with a reputation like Laguna Tools. Well, I am not bashing Laguna Tools, and I certainly don't want to ruffle any feathers. I realize that the LT3000 is the "lower line" of bandsaws that Laguna offers, and I know there are many good brands to choose from, and I know that I'm no expert on bandsaws. Any advice or help that you can offer is greatly appreciated. So, with that said, here's the experience I have had with my new saw.

The manager delivered it for me. It came crated in a cardboard box standing on a couple of 2×6 boards so a fork lift can get under it. My nephew and I un-crated it and carried it down to my shop in my walk out basement. Here's where the fun begins.

When I opened everything up, there were instructions - but look like they were an after thought typed up by someone not qualified to explain the set up of the machine. Like Tim, I went ahead and started putting putting everything together. Most things make sense and I'm pretty mechanically inclined, so it wasn't too bad. There are some hiccups, however, and they are fairly critical.

First of all, my likes:

I like the size. For a small saw, it packs a lot of punch. It has a lot of power, and it runs pretty quiet. It's easy to mount the motor and the dust collection tubes. The table also had to be mounted and although their instructions suggest it's a two person job, I did it by myself without too much trouble.

Dislikes:

First off, the table will not stay put when you pitch it to the left or right with the rack and pinion gear driven adjustment nob. The table is held by a bold with a lock nut on one side and a hand knob on the other. I have tried everything and either the bolt with the lock nut has to be tightened too much so that the table will not adjust at all, or if loosened slightly so that the hand tightening of the locking knob releases the tension to allow turning the pinion knob the table will not stay put, i.e., the table with get knocked out of it's position when you begin using it. I think they should have put a lever type handle instead of a knob, like they have done elsewhere on the machine. This is a show stopper. If I can't keep the table square to the blade, it's going back to California.

Second, the fence does not rest on the table. The bar that the fence rides on was attached when the saw arrived. When I installed the fence on the rail, the rail is too low in relationship to the top surface of the table and it causes the fence to be cocked about 1/4" off the table on the out-feed end. I've tried everything and, in the final analysis, this is a quality issue. The fence rail is simply mounted too low on the leading edge of the table and there's no way to adjust it. I also notice that the rail is scratched and has jaw marks in it from a pair of pliers. Looks like someone picked up the guide rail from a scrap pile and installed it. Now, I know that I'll most likely purchase a fancy fence at some point, but come on . . . . . REALLY? This is the most expensive saw in its class and is touted by Laguna as the "real" band saw in the manual that comes with it, i.e., the Rolls Royce, or whatever. It seems like the fence was thrown in without much design work and is very poor design. So now I will HAVE to get another fence . . . . hmmm, could this be a marketing tactic to sell me a $400 driftmaster?

Third, the guide blocks were much harder to adjust than what it appears on the video on their web site. They are very finicky and after about an hour of fiddling around with them, I'm still not sure I have them right. When I run a simple piece of 3/4" oak through the saw, I get sparks where the blade meets the thrust bearing, despite the fact that I used a feeler gauge to adjust the distance between the blade and the ceramic thrust bearing. I had hoped that blade changes would be easy, but I don't think so.

Fourthly the tension adjustment gauge was loosely attached to it's mounting plate and flopping around inside the upper compartment, i.e., rattling, when the saw was turned on. I had to disassemble the mounting plate, figure out how to re-mount it so that the indicator arm will show the up and down motion of the tension system, and get it all back in place. I'm still not sure if I have it right. When you tighten the upper wheel, the tension indicator will move to show it's getting tighter, but when you loosen the tension, the indicator does not go back down. I have to reach in and move it down manually. There's nothing about it in the manual. There is an exploded view of the machine's parts, with each part numbered, but no cross reference to the name of the parts (by number) or close up views of sub assemblies. So, for the most part, the gauge is useless, and I found that out after fiddling around with it for about two hours.

And finally, and it's a small thing but an aggravation non-the-less, they provide all but three tools that you need to assemble and adjust the machine. They are missing two allen wrenches and a box-end wrench for some of the nuts. They provide a little hanger that mounts to the back of the machine, but if I add the missing tools, the hanger will be short two holes. . . . I guess I could take a little walk over to the drill press, but c'mon . . . . really?

It's all together now, to the best of my ability with the limited instructions provided, and I have made some cuts. I bought two blades: a Resaw King and a fairly good quality Timberwolf, 1/2" x 6TPI, .025" blade. I mounted the 1/2" blade up and made some cuts. They are very rough. Nothing like the smooth cuts they show on their videos on their web site. And since I can't get the table to stay square, my resaw attempts come out with different thicknesses at the top and bottom of the cut.

I haven't called customer service yet. I want to make sure I know what all the bugs are so I can make one call. I also wanted to see if anyone on here can give me some direction on how to work the bugs out so I don't bother customer service needlessly. So far, this saw has lived up to the complaints that I have read from others. Next, I will see if the reports about Laguna Customer Service are true.

As Tim said in his post . . . . "Clearly nothing is going to be easy." I just spent close to $2k so I could do resawing and get smooth cross cut and rip cuts. According to the owner of Laguna, Torben Helshoj (in the video's on his web site: http://www.lagunatools.com/bandsaws/bandsaw-lt14suv#) "a band saw should cut as smooth and as good as a table saw." So far . . . . not so much.

On the surface, the Laguna LT 14 SUV appears to be a well made band saw. I realize these are little aggravations and I'm sure that the 6+ hours I've spent trying to figure everything out will be a good investment, at some point. I have to agree with Tim that it has some nice features, such as a quick release lever, windows that allow you see bandsaw tension and blade centering on the tire. The rack and pinion upper guide works reasonably well but you still have to watch that the whole thing doesn't come crashing down. But let me ask you something: if you drove home a brand new American Made car and had these kind of troubles, would you just blow it off? Of course not. I worked for an American auto maker for years and am now retired. In our new quality focused industry, there's no way this saw would have made it off the manufacturing line without some re-work. So should I expect any less of this "mother of all band saws?"

So was it worth the money? I'm still not sure. I didn't expect the saw to come home and cook me dinner, or clean my clothes, but I do think its reasonable to expect better quality than what I have seen so far. Since this is to be my main saw, I plan to work out these issues and get it to live up to it's claims. As I work this issue through, I'll keep you posted. I'm anxious to hear how others feel about their Laguna after the first few days of ownership.


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## VillageBoy

What king of wood were you cutting that dulled the blades so fast?

-- VillageBoy


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## webnash

I received a 14" SUV this week. I replaced an 18" Jet that was about 10 years old. The Jet cut pretty well with big stuff, but I couldn't get blades narrower than 3/4 to stay on. The SUV arrived pretty well crated and came off of the truck easily. It took about a week from time of ordering to get to western MA.

The laguna people obviously put alot of time into their written and video instruction for assembly, but I didn't find them all that useful. Better quality photos on the instructions would have helped. Even without good instructions, I found the saw quite easy to assemble and tune up and I think that most anyone who has tinkered with bandsaws before probably would do OK. Some folks have commented that an expensive machine should work perfectly without any tinkering, I have never found that to be the case, no matter how much I spend. All of the woodworking machines that I've ever owned need tinkering and have a learning curve.

My machine had 1 injury. It looks like the knob and shaft that rotate to move the upper guide blocks up and down was struck forcefully, breaking the pin that attaches the shaft to the bevel gear and deforming the sheet metal on the opposite side of the knob. It took a bit of work to get the guide block shaft out of the upper housing, after which I drove out the broken pin and re-attached the shaft and bevel gear with a cotter pin. Even though the metal frame is still deformed, it seems to be totally functional now.

I completed putting the saw together, including the driftmaster fence. The stock fence looks pretty good, and to do again I might have stayed with that and not bought the driftmaster, because the stock fence is better than any that I've seen on a saw of this size. I drilled out the stock holes to 1/2" to accomodate the driftmaster - I'm not sure why anyone minded doing this, it only took 30 seconds. The driftmaster went on pretty easily after I figured out which direction to put the brackets and which nut to use - 1 good color picture in the directions would have saved me 20 minutes fiddling. I couldn't find an adjustment to adjust the fence to be vertically parallel to the blade. As mine was a bit off, I shimmed it with a business card, which worked fine. There is one bolt sticking up from the part that holds the fence in front of the drift lock screw that has no nut on it, I'm not sure what it does. All in all, the fence is pretty impressive, though increases the footprint of the saw a bit which matters to me in a small shop.

So far I've only used the resaw king blade. It makes very impressive cuts. I found blade and guide adjustment to be extremely easy, mostly due to the large access panel around the blade. I would be interested in a zero clearance option, anybody know of one? I bolted the saw on a couple of 4" timbers to make it easier to slide and a bit higher. When I first turned on the saw, it wouldn't shut off with the main switch, only the foot switch. I took the main switch apart and tinkered with it and it seems to work now. My biggest complaint so far is vibration. With such a seemingly well built machine, and massive wheels and stiff frame, I was hoping for no vibration. It vibrates enough to know it's vibrating, though if you sit a wrench of the table it won't vibrate off. I was able to get rid of some vibration by playing with pulley and band tensions. I'm hoping that smaller blades will vibrate less. I haven't checked wheel balance yet.

My overall impression so far: 1- The saw is an amazingly compact package of power and versatility. 2- It's the best saw that I've used in its size range. 3- If I can get some small bugs worked out, it will suit my needs very well. 4- The extremely easy and fast blade changes are a huge plus for me, as I don't have room for both a resaw and a bandsaw with a narrow blade and must go back and forth. 5- The saw not having a blade tension gauge is a mixed issue for me, since most of the blade tension gauges on saws that I've used weren't accurate anyway, it might be better to just not have one and rely on your sensitivity and experimentation.

I'd love to hear any ways that folks have conquered vibration with this saw. One last thing, when I saw the 2 dust ports, I thought that this saw would be cleaner than others that I've had. With a 3 hp powermatic dust collecter 10' away, it's still as dusty as most other bandsaws.


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## webnash

Following up with laguna bandsaw; I've used it for a couple of weeks now and am having excellent results. Vibration is still a bit of an issue, but decreases with smaller blades. Resawing is amazingly accurate, powerful, and easy. Perhaps most important for me, blade changes take under 5 minutes, including resetting guide blocks (my jet 18 took about 45 minutes). Driftmaster fence is great, though it hangs out quite a ways and in retrospect I would have fine with been fine with the stock fence.


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## pmf2000

Webnash - Thanks for your update.

For the record, I still have my Laguna LT 14 SUV and for the most part it continues to be a joy to use. Last year I met Torben Helshoj at the Calgary Woodworking Show and he showed me a few things to dial it in even more. He was quite a pleasure to talk to. I occasionally still get grief about the four star rating but I stand by it. The bandsaw is well made and easy to use. On the other hand it's the second most expensive tool in my shop (behind my lathe) and so it should be. It still loses a point from a setup and customer service perspective. Considering the Driftmaster and the LT 14 are made by the same company, the integration should be easier. Again at this price point, I should not have to tinker (much), drill, shim, or "figure it out" myself. If I want to do that, I can spend half the price for roughly the same performance. It's sort of like getting a Lie Nielsen Plane and then having to flatten the sole. If I have to do that, why spend the money in the first place?

Webnash - I will do some tests this week but I don't remember much vibration on my saw. Also I agree that the stock fence is really good. However, the Driftmaster takes a 5 or 10 minute operation and turns it into a 3 or 4 minute one. Personally it's been money well spent.

In the end, I'm quibbling. Once it's setup, it's a great bandsaw that is a real pleasure to use. Regardless of how many stars I give it (or don't), I do not regret my purchase and I have not spoken to anyone that actually owes one that disagrees.


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## dbreeze

I agree with the above. This is a well designed, well made piece of equipment, and once you get the kinks ironed out it is a joy to use. Sure, some things could have been done better, but I have never seen a machine or a vendor where this wasn't true.

One note on dust collection: You might as well take the metal grills off the dust ports before plumbing the saw into your dust collection system. Ripping fibrous wood generates stringy fluff that will hang up on them and block the ports. Even with unobstructed air flow, dust accumulates around the lower wheel and on the table. To keep the saw and surroundings clean I plumbed in a blast gate next to the saw with a hose that hangs on the wall and loops down to a floor sweep. I can pull the hose off the floor sweep and vacuum out the saw or clean up around my lathe.


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## T2P

My search for a bandsaw narrowed down to two : a rikon and the Laguna LT14 SUV.
I was leaning towards the Rikon mainly for its lower price and good reviews. But I finally settled for the Laguna 14SUV when they put up a "shop model" with a good discount in Ebay.

I have been reading about some disappointments w the Laguna bandsaw along with comments w many satisfied customers. I think I may have an idea why some laguna bandsaws have some issues while the rest just work pretty well. I picked up my bandsaw from the laguna warehous in Irvine, CA.

Here is my story:
Driving up to the rear warehouse, I noticed there were several bandsaw units lined up by their service/repair/or assembly area where my bandsaw is awaiting for my pick up. I figure the other bandsaws will also be put up for sale (at ebay too?). I asked about the issues surrounding these bandsaws. One of the warehouse guys told me they were messed up in shipment and they were putting together usuable parts for the messed up units they have. There were some empty bandsaw frames w all the parts taken out.

As they were wheeling out my bandsaw, I specifically asked the warehouse guy to check everything for completeness. The sales person assured be on the phone that they have tested the unit and is working okay. Remember, this was supposed to a "showroom model" and practically "hadn't seen any wood" but they are selling it for a discount because of cosmetic issues like a ding, some paint scratches . The salesman later added the unit came from a woodworking exhibit in Canada.

To make the long story short, when i unpacked the unit and the other stuff that came with it, there were several missing items : the blade guard, the gas strut, user's manual (i specifically asked for these after reading the sad experiences of some folks in this forum..

After inspecting everything, it is apparent that this was not just a showroon model w some dings and scratches but a unit that has apparently seen significant operation. The worn ceramic guides, the wear on the frame (like the bolts have been moved quite a lot already). I found the four spot welds inside the frame under the sheet metal covering the bottom of the upper wheel housing are all broken. It looks like this unit toppled over and crashed. the deformation of the metal near the tracking adjustment could be explain by this apparent incident. I am worried that this might have caused a misalignment with the blade pulleys. However, the tracking seems to be okay and the blade remains centered and on track. I hven't run the machine though to check for vibrations the broken spot welds might have introduced.

The warehouse guy said they had units damaged during shipment from the manufacturer in China. I have the impression they might be doing a chop-chop job of salvaging usable parts from the damaged units. This may explain why some folks experience problems w their units while others are happy with theirs.

A severe crash can cause the frame to twist and cause the blade wheels to be out of line.

As for the assurance that my "showroom model" had been tested and runs perfectly is put into question. I finally set up my 240 volts power source and fired the the unit. Nothing happened. The switch is defective and would not turn on the motor.

Opening the box, I found out that the STOP button is continually pressing on the latching relay button and is preventing the START button from doing its job. The magnetic switch assembly is not firmly bolted to the switch housing; it does not seat flat inside the box such that the contactor button is hitting the STOP button when the cover is screwed on.

I finally got the unit to run. Setting up the saw was a breeze even without the manual. Adjusting the blade guides was easy and fast. Putting on the table and squaring it is easy. The stop screw behing and under the table must be in place and propping the table up after the tilt mechanism is in place. Tighten the bolt/nut beside the tilt wheel/gear until the gears are engaged firmly but not tight. loosen the hand knob. roughly square the table to the blade by propping it up w the stop screw. finalize the squareness by turning the stop screw up or down. Tighten. Tighten the tilt adjustment knob as well. Adjust the meter to zero. This proceedure keeps the table from moving when squaring the blade.

As for the tension gauge, try loosening the allen bolt hold the gauge arm. this will allow it to drop freely when tension is reduced. I noticed that the gauge arm was instally upside down so it was not giving the right indication (it went way too high the first time). There is a pointed end at the short part of the gauge. it should point upwards and is caught by some sort of a trapezoidal centering washer inside the tensioning screw housing.

The fence has a nylon guide at the other end. I guess this guide has to go over the opposite edge and not sit on the table less the fence will not lie flat on the table. Looking at it, this nylon guide keeps the opposite end of the fence from dragging behind.

The switch box/magnetic contactor they used looks cheap, feels cheap, and of shoddy workmanship. I can tell cheap China-made switches a mile away. i miss those quality General Electric made-in-USA magnetic contactors of many years ago as well as those finely made Japanese Matshusitas in some control equipments I used to design. The magnetic switch they use the only item i give a thumbs down; make that a double thumbs down.

At first look, the bandsaw is nicely built and easy to set up. the first resaws I made from scrap oak boards were consistent and straight.

The problem with bad Laguna bandsaws, it seems , can be traced to poor shop work, lack of effective supervision, inadequate quality control proceedures and checks. The way they processed my purchase, it seems they do not even have a final checklist to make sure everything is ok and all parts are accounted for.
I cannot say if the salespersons was truthful or not regarding the "showroom model" they sold me.

Post script: Customer service was quick enough to respond regarding the missing parts. I am expecting them to be delivered any day this week.

If only the folks at Laguna will wake up to the realities of their apparently poor workshop/assembly/handling proceedures, they can have a winner in a great bandsaw and great service. It is doable, really; if only they would put their minds into it.

T2P


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