# Garage Sale Quality



## timbertailor (Jul 2, 2014)

Thanks for taking time to let us know what your experience has been. It is appreciated.

I see a trend building.


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## Ottacat (May 1, 2013)

Apart from the cosmetic issues and additional work for proper assembly, how does it operate? How long have you been using it? I agree the cosmetic problems shouldn't be there but how does it perform?


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## ScottKaye (Jan 19, 2013)

I guess the big Sweede isn't really running the show anymore. When he and his family were operating the company back in the late 90s to early 2000's they were a great outfit. I bought an X31 from them. They had first class customer service. Now.. not so much. At least from every article I have read in the past 6 months.


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## ward63 (Dec 12, 2009)

IMO, I would return it immediately…..or tell them you want 50% of the purchase price back.


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## todd628 (Sep 4, 2013)

I agree with Ward I would not except this tool and would return it for refund.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

Virgil
Welcome to LJs
This parallels the kind of experience I've had with Laguna over the years. Poor products with customer service to match.
If LJ members would only search "Laguna"on LJs they would see more folks that had bad experiences with Laguna before they the mistake of buying Laguna's inferior products .
I suggest you edit your title to this thread.

"Laguna, Garage Sale Quality" to help others from making the same mistake.
I'd return it.


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## August (Apr 27, 2014)

i totally agree with jim
and sorry for your wasted time
i bought two big item from them not including the drift fence and resaw king blade
anyway 
i purchase the sliding table saw from them and the 14hd bandsaw which booth wasnt made by them just change the name
the table saw i totally redid the entire set up.
for the bandsaw there drift fence dont even match the saw table.


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## PRGDesigns (Jan 25, 2012)

I researched Laguna when I was first interested in purchasing a CNC. They had some rather unique pricing, which got my attention, but when they sent me their sales brochure and it was full of spelling errors, technical errors, etc. I knew then I didn't want to deal with that level of incompetence, especially on a machine as potentially complicated as a CNC.


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## Wildwood (Jul 22, 2012)

If looking at correct model Laguna saw looks like it should be an outstanding band saw for hobbyist or small shop.

http://www.lagunatools.com/bandsaws/bandsaw-lt14suv#

After reading OP's post and looking at pictures really hits home about how many units fit into a shipping container and vendors here not worried about quality control for the products they sell.

Sadly today we have two types of tool vendors. You have the vendor that imports them and stores that charges you to order a unit. While some importers customer service little better than others. You still end up paying to ship a unit back to the importer or store plus restocking fees when things go south.

After reading Laguna's warranty in the manual and what customer service rep told the OP, makes me both mad & sad!

https://system.netsuite.com/core/media/media.nl?id=9533&c=860860&h=aff4c72748a5d8ea1417&_xt=.pdf%20&ck=uAMcF7HgAbpTJgs5&vid=uAMcF7HgAdZTJpNE&cktime=123058&gc=clear&ext=F


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## BenjaminNY (Jul 24, 2014)

The OP is a bit vague about the exchange between Laguna Tools and himself. Is Laguna refusing to replace the damaged bandsaw or not? What exactly did their CS say? (Post the e-mail exchange!)

-Ben


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## Dedvw (Jul 6, 2010)

It sucks when you purchase a great product (14twelve band saw) from a company that has such a bad reputation for customer service. I haven't had a problem with my band saw, but am nervous how they will handle it when/if I do. All I can say is I hope they deal with your issues appropriately.


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## Dreek (Oct 31, 2014)

It's a shame to hear this about Laguna - they had gotten some decent reviews of their equipment in recent months, from what I recall.

If I should strike it rich, I think that I shall start a company that makes quality power tools here in the USA. From what I have seen, you can't buy good American iron even if you're willing to pay top dollar - we just don't make anything. That's just wrong.


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## Vessels (Nov 14, 2014)

LT 14 SUV I have had the saw since June and have not used it. Why? We are in the busy season where I work currently 70 hours a week sometimes more. And honestly feel a little beat up over this issue. So much so that at one point I thought of taking the saw back to the retailers franchise store and pushing it off the back of the truck and leaving. The saw was on its way back I took it apart and crated it for shipping and have not bothered to reassemble. I bought the saw threw a retailer not Laguna. The original response from both retailer and Laguna were great, but quickly turned sour. The issues are complicated I researched as best I could before buying this saw. I then called the retailer at there distribution center and the local franchise. I told them what I was and was not looking for. The SUV 14 was at the bottom of the list. then the Powermatic 15" and last the SUV 16"was the upper side of my budget set. I was clear that I did not want a saw made from country of origin were this saw was manufactured. I was told I was good to go with the SUV 14. Problem is the retailer told me that there reps don't necessarily know this information. They proudly boast made in USA or other countries but for some its like pulling teeth. You inquire and their response is that its not required to be posted. Why? So customer service saw this issue only in my opinion and not the numerous flaws. The retailer customer service became quite agitated with me over thees issues and I got the feeling from them, they thought I was trying to shake them down for a even trade for a saw twice the value This was said to me over the phone in a loud agitated voice. Laguna's saw manager was brought into this issue early on by the retailer bypassing Laguna customer service. Laguna agreed to take back the saw for credit and I would purchase the SUV 16" made in Italy. He said I would have to wait till they received imports. I heard nothing for some time, now I was passed the 30 return portion of the warranty. I finally contacted Laguna again the terms offered changed to me taking 1/3 $$ loss on the saw, and Laguna would make it up to me with a good price on the SUV 16". Turns out the good price was $200. more then I could buy it on sale at the original retailer I bought from. This is where Laguna told me good luck finding a saw made in the USA. Strange when I was trying to buy one made in Italy? Then the comment from Laguna to dump it on line. I don't now why they expected me to agree to take a loss on a saw delivered in such condition. I am starting to ramble but hope I have answered some of the questions. The main issues to me are Retailer refusal to give me the choice of what I purchase from what country. MANUFACTURERS in a rush to move there operations of manufacturing to other countries have a history of Exceptionally poor QUALITY control as well as use of lower grade material. Of course it has been pointed out this is just my opinion. But is my money.


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## BigAl98 (Jan 29, 2010)

I suggest you put this behind you as quickly as possible..unless you want to spend many hours working the legal and email side..this may take months to resolve, and you still won't have a band saw..dump it and buy one on cl. identify what went wrong..learn from the mistakes( theirs and yours)..and avoid/insure against it in the future..this is a learning op for buying almost any big ticket item.

I know this burns you, but don't let it ruin your enjoyment of your family and upcoming holidays.

My 2 cents…good luck!


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## Tennessee (Jul 8, 2011)

+1 for Jim's comments.
This site is why I ended up with a Grizzly instead of a Laguna. 
I know the country of origin is Taiwan on my Grizzly, but I'm not sure that the Italians are currently putting out a much better product, what with their economy in the shambles it is in over the last few years.

And my Grizzly has been just about perfect in every way, including cosmetics. I even take extra time to clean it, it looks so nice to me. Only problem? Got some sawdust in the guide bearings and they started to bind. A cleaning with WD-40, and light oiling afterwards and they run like new. Mine is about 18 months old now.


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## Manitario (Jul 4, 2010)

reviews like this (and many other horror stories about Laguna) is why I'll never buy from Laguna no matter how pretty their tools look online.


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## Big_Bob (Mar 30, 2008)

Virgil:
I also had problems with Laguna's lack of customer service. So when I had a chance to buy a 18" Agazzani Bandsaw in like new condition from a local stair manufacture that was going out of business, I jumped on it. I absolutely love the Agazzani Bandsaw. It is made in Italy but it is like comparing a Ferrari to a broken-down Fiat.


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## iminmyshop (Dec 9, 2012)

The same saw is in my shop and so far it has performed very well. It is unfortunate about their lousy customer service and so I hope I never need it. In looking for a band saw I was torn between the excellent review of the machine in Fine Woodworking magazine and the complaints about their fit and finish on delivery and lack of customer service in response. To avoid problems like this reviewer and others report I paid the local dealer an extra $125 to both deliver and fully set up the saw in my shop. He did it in a fraction of the time it would have taken me and if there were any dents, broken parts, difficulties with cutting or whatever (there weren't) I would have had him put the machine back on his truck and taken it back. So far I'm happy with the purchase. It has been easy to adjust and is used a lot.


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## Vessels (Nov 14, 2014)

I am moving on I am not sure of the best way. I have been online looking for saws both new and used, I have thought of dumping my saw on line, I have even asked myself can I work with this saw (yes) with out the memory of the ordeal tainting my enjoyment. Maybe I would owe the retailer thanks instead? I do not intend to persist in returning the saw. But if Laguna wishes to repair our relationship that would be OK. But I think I fall into that group that is not worth their time or effort $$. And as long as that group is not to large you can stay in business.


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## Diwayne (Jan 13, 2011)

Upset to hear. I am a general contractor in Texas and a passionate wood worker. Have been for years. 2 years ago I researched vendors for my wood shop. I wanted all new wood working machines and all to match. What can I say, I a perfectionist at heart. Well, la guna had the most wonderful website. I was hooked. However the more research I did the worse they sounded. No mater who I talked to or read up on, they got terrible reviews.
I went with Jet. Good tools, middle line I know but have served me well. Out of 10 large machines, only one had an issue, the drill table cracked but I think it was my bad. Anyway, to this day I look at la guna Web site, I love the look but this post just verifies not all that glitters is gold.


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## Troutdreams (Aug 9, 2013)

Would like to throw my two cents in to offer a little balance. 
After much thought and consideration I purchased the Laguna LT 18 3000. I was never under the impression the saw was made in the USA. Didn't ask and didn't need to. I read the posts of a number of dissatisfied buyers but they were all 4-5 years old. Nearly ever current post I could find was positive. To me it seemed like things had changed and I wanted to give them a try.

I purchased the BS through a retailer from a neighboring state but the saw shipped direct from Laguna. Like the original poster, it was maybe even a month before I had time to assemble and run.

It was very well packaged and arrived in fine shape. Not long after it was in production the resawing started to suffer. Terribly. Something was definitely wrong so I contacted the manufacturer directly in writing through their site. I was contacted immediately by phone (went to my vm as I was running equipment). I got two emails and a follow up phone all within 30 minutes if I remember correctly.

Once I returned the call, the gentleman (can't recall his name at this moment) was very helpful and we spent an hour or more on the phone diagnosing the problem. It turned out it was a defective Lenox Resaw blade. He encouraged me to order a Resaw King and discounted the band for my inconvenience, which of course Laguna had nothing to do with. The band arrived and the saw works incredibly well, is finished superbly and everything has been well aligned since I opened the cargo container.

I also like Grizzly and have a nice GO490x. I had problems with the motor mount (shaft was loose and tore up the belt) and Grizzly was happy to help out and i don't recall a long wait. It still rattles when starting up but I can live with this given the price.

There is a noticble difference between the two machines (and two brands) on the fit and finish. In each case I knew this and purchased what I wanted for the intended job of the tool. I'll buy both brands again.

Btw, Laguna followed up with a call to make sure the issue was resolved once I received the band. i also had numerous emails, a call or two from a supervisor. They only thing they didn't do was fly into Louisville to diagnosis that I had in fact purchased POS band for their saw


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

I would be delighted if Laguna has really done a complete turn around of it's products and customer service.but I'm always a little suspicious of glowing reviews after I received an e-mail after my comments about the negitive things about my experiance with Laguna, this e-mail was from someone who claimed they had been an employee of Laguna. This e-mail said that it was their job to join forums and add positive reviews about Laguna and counter negative reviews with out being obvious as to what they were up to.
I'm not claiming that this is the case with this thread but it's possible.

There are still no shortage of bad reviews out there.

http://www.ripoffreport.com/r/Laguna-Tools/internet/Laguna-Tools-Catherine-Helshoj-Torben-Helshoj-Rick-Kerrigan-Steve-Alvarez-Jerry-Goodm-723296

http://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/Laguna-Tools-Reviews-E734937.htm

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?193856-Initial-Laguna-IQ-HHC-Review

http://laguna-tools.pissedconsumer.com/

http://reviews.birdeye.com/laguna-tools-535314464


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## Troutdreams (Aug 9, 2013)

Nope, I'm not connected to Laguna or Grizzly for that matter. I'm self employed in the health care industry, living in Louisville Ky. 
I'm not trying to persuade anyone to purchase a Laguna. As long as they stay open and I can buy from them again little else matters to me. Just felt I'd offer up my own experience considering the efforts they made. (they even tossed in a black Laguna tools t-shirt with my resaw king order so yeah, I have an opinion about their customer service)

So for anyone looking for a Bandsaw and considering Laguna, check the forums you're familiar with and find credible. Consider Virgil's experience, my experience and anyone else who's purchased a Laguna in the past 3 years or so. Everybody has an opinion, but not the tool they opine


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## Vessels (Nov 14, 2014)

I do not understand the comment to my post about Made in the USA. I had no such idea. I went to Lagunas web site, looked at their history, and read how they moved some of there operations overseas in order to compete. I also read how the SUV line was still made in Itali. That is all but the 14SUV but they do not say that. I even told the retailer what I was and was not looking for. I am glad some people did get what they paid for. I did not and Laguna does not care. I was willing to pay return freight and except credit for this saw toward an Italian saw like the LT 18 3000, But I guess I was asking to much for Laguna. What do you think? Your two cents is valued. Mine was not. Like I said Laguna can call me anytime and repair our relationship. Want my phone number be glad to give it out.


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## Vessels (Nov 14, 2014)

Submitting a review takes time and effort and most people feel beat up after fighting for whats right. Most people just want to move on. Show me wear I am being unfair to Laguna and I will move on?


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## Troutdreams (Aug 9, 2013)

Hi Virgil,
As a follow up, I misread your post concerning the origin of manufacturing. I now understand you believed/lead to believe it was in their Italian lineup. Based on what I recall, the Laguna website points out their saws that are made in Italy. I think you were mislead at the retail level.

Your photos, which may not be the complete compilation of the defects and delivery damages, show a damaged plastic handle on the bolt which locks in the split to the table. It also shows a red streak on the side of the table and a paint run on the motor.

The images are not very clear on my PC. I do believe that's a red streak, right? It looks like another machine, painted red, rubbed against the side of your top. Do you think this happened in their factory? What did Laguna say? Did they make a compensatory offer?

You can purchase those white sponges (don't recall the name at the moment) that will take that streak off, but I'm not downplaying the fact that you paid good money for the BS and shouldn't have to clean it up like this. Yet still it would take more time to disassemble the bandsaw, package it back up and meet the carrier than it will to run to the store and purchase the sponge. Either way, it's an inconvenience but I'd buy the sponge and just move forward.

As for the paint streak down the side of the motor, that's a non-issue with me personally. My 4 hp Leason has a nice coating of shop dust on it at the moment. .

If it were my BS, I would contact Laguna again and ask them for a replacement bolt first of all. Second, I'd bring up the red streak on the side of the table and ask for discount on a band.

I'm extremely happy with the performance of my 18. Perhaps if you put yours into production these issues will pass and you'll start to appreciate the saw. I sensed some buyers remorse in your post, perhaps you would have rather have purchased one of their larger saws made in Italy. Mine, the LT 18 3000 is not. And frankly, now that I've had it for six months I'm glad I didn't pay the Italian heritage surcharge.

One of my other hobby's is road cycling (bicycles). There's an Italian contingency in that market too. But the reality is the up charge is supported by heritage, and demanded by the labor rates in Europe. Asian workers can adhere to the same engineering specs. It's up to the owners of the brand to decide on how tight they want to control their quality (Powermatic, Jet, Laguna, Grizzly, etc)

Put the saw into production and I bet you'll find that it's fully capable of meeting your needs.


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## Vessels (Nov 14, 2014)

The only offer from Laguna that was made by the manager of the band saw division was for me to take the saw to the local retailer with the $350 of blades I bought agree to take a 10% loss on the saw and give the retailer the blades to sweeten the deal as he put it for the retailer to get rid of my saw for me. I wold have lost over $450 on his idea of a deal. No other terms were offered. The plastic piece goes on the handle that makes the blade tension on top of the saw. But lets be honest I not concerned with the cosmetics of the saw that I am going to beat up in the shop, My concern is the quality of craftsmanship you know "the quality goes in before the name goes on" If you cant take the time to make your product look good when it comes out of the box, That it looks used before you ever touch the switch. Sorry Patric I am rambling.


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## Vessels (Nov 14, 2014)

As far as contacting Laguna again they will not talk to me. And without getting into a debate on quality of items made in Asian countries on this saw review page. I am a production supervisor, I have a family member and avid hobbyist that is a metal engineer.


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## Vessels (Nov 14, 2014)

And the Red steak on the table is not a paint rub that's the base coat primmer under the outer layer of paint that has been chipped off. But thanks for the Magic sponge idea don't think it will help in this case. And their are many chips in the table not just the one. Lastly you said some thing about time to break down the saw to return it? The saw was broken down and crated for shipping months ago when they said they would take care of me, and is still in the crate. And the comment on buyers remorse maybe people don't do reviews because of comments from others who think they just have an axe to grind and should just let others walk into the same situation? I am glad you are happy with the saws you purchased as you should be.


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## Fired_Yo_Momma (Jul 14, 2014)

I live in orange county, so cal and Laguna is based out from here as well. Anyways long story short they were selling their cosmetics blemished items on CL. When I went to inquire about a table saw I thought man I should be able to get a decent saw for 5 to 6 hundred, nope try 8-9 hundred depending on what the flaw was. I am new to woodworking but it seems as Laguna was one of the best, and now they kind of have dropped a few notches. When I called the rep at Laguna really did not seem interested in giving me a price he just threw a ball park figur for the saw. It seemed like I was bothering him. Anyways the more negative threads on here these companies will find it that they need us and not the other way around.


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## Dedvw (Jul 6, 2010)

Damn Laguna, you should be paying attention to what people are saying here. Your "Dealer Exclusive Products" could take a big hit here if not.

I planed on adding a new jointer to my shop and have moved on to other manufactures because of the thousands of complaints. Sometimes its not worth the risk with all the data compiled.


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## Garbanzolasvegas (Jan 15, 2015)

Why can NOT the customers in this country get at LEAST usable power tools? MY GOD! Is every thing made by Chinese political prisoners?


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

The Laguna poor service and misleading statements is not a new one,this goes back as long as I've been aware of Laguna tools ,I was caught by the hype of their 18" bandsaw years ago and took the bait ,I was told the blade had a quick release by the salesperson I talked to and when I received it, it didn't have one, plus the table looked like a harbor freight band saw table of the 60s ,if you were to compare it to sandpaper it was 60 grit, after contacting them they said I could ship it back at my expense after that they told me the salesperson was no longer with them because Laguna didn't even make a band saw with a quick release back then. After many calls, they would say they were going to transfer me but just left me on hold with no one ever answering, This is why I always try to make people aware of Laguna's MO and poor customer service. BUYER BEWARE


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