# Driftmaster Fence on Grizzly 17" Bandsaw



## Bertha

I've had my own run-ins with Laguna, and I won't bore you with the tragedy. Suffice it to say that you sprung for a monster saw and I'm sad that you're unhappy with your fence. I've aborted this fence "in cart" several times, and having read this, I think I'm aborted for good. Thank you for this;


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## bill4123

I am revising my review and glad you decided to not purchase this fence. I have used it a little more and although I'm happy with how sturdy it is when the movements are locked…I am unhappy with everything else on this fence. The only good pieces are the chrome rod, the extrusion, and the drift adjustments.


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## AttainableApex

sad to hear.
i have been saving up for that bandsaw for a almost a year and i contacted laguna and almost bought he fence before the saw because they drooped like 200 off the fence.
well im still saving up for the saw.


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## bill4123

@ deke: I got this fence for a few reasons. I liked the idea of having the indexed crank for when I cut veneer. If it worked it sure would beat tapping the fence every time I cut another thin slice from the same chunk of wood. Second, it takes about 2 seconds to adjust for drift angle. With frequent blade changes this just seemed much easier. I'm still very happy with the size and stiffness of the extrusion (much larger than the Grizzly fence) so I'm going to continue using it. 3rd, I had enough spare change to not be content with a "good enough" fence so I decided to try the new one. I have a welder so reverting back to the old Grizzly fence is as simple as filling the 1/2" holes and redrilling.


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## reggiek

I wouldn't buy anything from Laguna until they get their house in order. I've read and heard too many horror stories…..One or two stories occassionaly about problems with a manufacturer…that is reasonable….there are always some customers you just can't satisfy…..but Laguna is rife with horror stories…I have seen several customers who had to go so far as to file a claim against Laguna in superior court to get a refund their purchase after months of problems….so I would say this is not just a fluke. What is the benefit of a low price…if the tool is junk….and you waste alot of valuable shop time trying to make it right?

You don't have to blow your budget on every machine you purchase….All manufactures even the high end ones have a lemon or two….and the good ones fix their problems with customer and tech support - I've seen if from Jet, Powermatic (although they seem to be falling short these days?), Grizzly, Bosch, Dewalt…and so on. Most of these are a bit more pricey then Laguna….but they are worlds away as far as customer support.

I've seen way too many lemons coming out of Laguna….I hate to say it…but if you order from them…better have a good lemon juicer….you may be settling for lemonade.


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## knotscott

Thanks for the review Bill. It amazes me the number of seemingly deserved negative comments that Laguna gets…especially when you consider the volume of complaints vs their volume of sales. They're not exactly selling large volumes of stuff like Craftsman, Grizzly, Ridgid, or Delta, plus they're selling almost exclusively to a well seasoned market who tend to know their way around tools. The complaints have been going on for a good long time now (maybe years)... I'll occasionally read that Laguna has taken steps to turn things around, then I'll read several more complaints from disappointed customers. Stuff happens to equipment from every tool supplier, but there's got to be something wrong for Laguna to have earned such a notoriously poor reputation. It's disappointing, but I'm grateful that you've taken the time to document your findings.


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## 280305

*knotscott* -

I do not want to "drift" the conversation from the topic, but your tag line almost made me spew my coffee on my keyboard.


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## Bertha

^Thanks for pointing me toward Knott's sig line!  It's a sad day when you have to tap a table from the same manufacturer (lol). The crank was the selling point for me, too. 10 years ago when I got very interested in woodworking, nothing bad was EVER said about Laguna. Either we've become more critical, or they've become more criticize-able. I worked for a brewery once that was circling the drain; we hired a new PR guy and shot up in sales almost 1000%; the management was too difficult to work with, and he quit; we started circling the drain again and I quit. I guess these things can be cyclical.


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## vicrider

I have the Grizzly 17" Band saw and use it to re-saw veneers. I have found that drift is minimal when using a WoodMizer blade, a tall and accurate fence, and, like Deke above, carefully adjusting the blade tracking and guides.

I resaw expensive hardwoods and (as an actual old timer [not like Deke  ]) can't afford to throw much wood away.

Thanks for the review tho, as I am a true Grizzly fan; wouldn't buy Laguna, too much bad press.

Vic


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## vicrider

Sorry, I meant a Wood Slicer blade…...

mea culpa

Vic


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## jbertelson

*Vic*
I am interested in getting a larger Grizzly bandsaw, although it would dwarf the rest of my tools. Every once in awhile I see a Grizzly sob story, but overwhelmingly, the service seems good. Being up here in Alaska, I am concerned about shipping and service, although I do have a vacation house down in northern Washington. Apparently they have a showroom in Everett, Washington, and guess I will stop there on the way from the airport on one of my trips. Have to talk to you about your saw…...........


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## bill4123

I see everyone is paying very close attention to my comments  . The 2 seconds was more relative than exact. The knob right at the front is very conveniently located and making a 1" test cut doesn't take long. Getting everything dialed in was pretty quick.


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## VillageCarver

It is very disapointing to hear stories like this. When some one spends good money and a lot of time only to end up frustrated in the end. Has anyone tried the Carter magnetic fences. They look and hold extremley well with allmost no moving parts and can be adjusted with the tap of a mallet.


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## Bertha

Dan, it's hard to find something negative about Carter. You'll have to look pretty hard. I got such a deal on my bandsaw that I'm giving it the full Carter treatment. Carter everything and tons of cash, of course. I also replaced my tires with some uppity crowned ones. With a 3/4" Lenox in my stock 20" Rockwell, drift is zero. Zero. I can push 1/16 blindly through it. You'll find the equipment that makes you happy, my friend. Whether is makes your significant other equally as happy, that's an entirely different story. If you go Carter, go to Iturra Designs. Good luck!


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## rawdawgs50

I have the same bandsaw and I use the stock Grizzly fence…which I have found to be very good. I have never even considered buying another fence to replace it.

The best and easiest solution is another bandsaw. Yes thats right …two. It does not have to be as big, but it needs to be a quality bandsaw with quality blades. Use this one for cutting curves and the Grizzly mostly for resawing or stright line rips. If you bandsaw a lot it will be the smartest move you can make.


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## pitchnsplinters

Love my DriftMaster.


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## ButchWeathers

I've had the Drift Master on my Jet 14" for about a year now. My experience with their customer service was not consistent with what I see in this thread. As soon as I installed it I was adjusting the fence and one of the pot metal handles broke off in my hand. I called them and they sent me 2 replacements immediately. It's not perfect but it's a damn good fence. I use the drift capability to cut wedges for wedged tenons. as well as adjusting the drift on the blade. the locking handle below is a bit finicky since it doesn't have much clearance but it's not terrible. Its weight makes it finicky to square the table to the blade. I agree with one of the comments above about a second saw. I have a MUCH older jet 14" with a 3/16 blade and a Carter Stabilizer for anything curved and keep a 1/2" resaw blade on the newer jet with the Laguna fence.


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