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I have been looking a Laguna bandsaws for years. Are they all their cracked up to be? Customer service problems? Any other recommendations for similar saws in that price range? Thanks Greenman

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Mistakes are mandatory-learning from them is optional. http://www.opensourceluthiersupply.com

They are great saws !
But the Rikon 14" deluxe is a great deal.
Mike

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Mike Collins

They are great saws !
But the Rikon 14" deluxe is a great deal.
Mike

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Mike Collins

The Laguna saws are excellent and their customer service is absolutely abysmal.

If you want to buy one or talk to someone about an application, they'll have someone on the phone in a second and they'll even call you! If, say, the tire on one of your wheels chunked off because of a manufacturing defect...then they'll wait -FIVE WEEKS- (and the same number of phone calls) before they ship you a replacement tire (...it took over a week to get here in the mail, too, after the ship date).

I think the saws are beautifully made (occasional tire gluing screwups aside) but I'd be really hesitant about buying from them again. I also had to pull off the wheel (which required buying a bearing puller), strip the old tire off (cut with a saw, then scraping the old epoxy off, etc), reglue the new tire (which wasn't a tire...they just send you a 30" strip of rubber and you make your own), and recrown the tire (the wheels aren't crowned, the tires are!). So about $80 in expense (bearing puller, epoxy, strap clamps, supplies to recrown tire) and a strip of rubber (which I could have bought locally if I'd know that's all I'd get) and shrug from Laguna. The saw was less than a year old when this happened.

If you buy one, think of it as a really nice, used, out of warranty piece of machinery when considering the cost as you can expect nothing from Laguna. I'm sure they'd just give you Baldor's support number if the motor blew, too.

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Bob Garrish
Former Canonized Purveyor of Fine CNC Luthier Services

I have a Minimax 16 and it is a beast of a saw, their customer service is OK.....I have had to replace the switch which seemed a little odd, and the capacitor blew on the motor, other than that it has been a great saw.

Cheers,
Greg

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Gwaltney Guitars

I have the Laguna 16" and it is a great saw. As Bob stated above customer service sucks unless you want to purchase something. The Baldor motor and the guides make the saw worth buying IMHO. As with most power tools you need to be a part time millwright. On Sat. my Grizzly 18" wide belt sander went down.
I had a feeling it was the start capacitor as it wouldn't come up to speed and then kick the breaker out. In order to check the capacitors you have to take the motor out because it sits on the bottom of the enclosed cabinet. Sure enough the run capacitor was leaking oil. I had to have one shipped out overnite and will have it tomorrow. I know a bit off the subject on hand. The bottom line is that I would buy both of these tools again.

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Beautiful and unusual tone woods at a reasonable price.
http://www.rctonewoods.com/RCT_Store
The Zootman
1109 Military Rd.
Kenmore, NY 14217
(716) 874-1498

Where are you located, Greenman? I will likely be selling one of my 16" Laguna saws in a few months.

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Howard Klepper
http://www.klepperguitars.com

When all else fails, clean the shop.

I have a Grizzly 19 inch band saw. It is descreet and set up in my shop for resaw only. I use a lennox carbide blade 1.3 tooth per inch and ceramic bearings. The resaw set up for the rip fence works perfect. I have cut about 100 sets and just set in my 2nd blade. It cuts through 10 inches like a dream.
Laguna saws are pretty good but for me this one was going to be just a resaw and I couldn't see that investment. Customer service from Grizz is not bad and I had heard too many horror stories about laguna.
john hall

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John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

I am located in New York State on the Hudson River 80 miles North of NY City. Used would be good. I sold machinery for several years so I am pretty good with machines. I found that if a machine ran ok for a year they were usually no problem after that. Thanks Bill the Greenman

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Mistakes are mandatory-learning from them is optional. http://www.opensourceluthiersupply.com

I have a Laguna 14" I bought about 4 years ago and I love it. Right after I bought it one of the ceramic guides fell off. I called Laguna and talked to a guy that told me how to clean up the surfaces and glue it back on with CA glue. A few days later I got 4 new guides in the mail.
That is the only problem I have ever had.

Lefty

I will echo the comments about how great the Laguna bandsaw is. Th saw really is good and when using their carbide tip blade it cuts like butter. I have been using the 20 inch model for years and that is my first choice when going to resaw something.
However, their customer service is the worst in the business!!!!!!!!! I have several stories about that. I really don't know how they can stay in business. It really is that bad!

One more for the "great saws, horrible customer service" category.

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Mike

"The Dude abides. I don't know about you but I take comfort in that. It's good knowin' he's out there. The Dude. Takin' 'er easy for all us sinners. Shoosh." The Stranger

Ditto on the Laguna, the saw is wonderful.
I got mine prior to them developing the ceramic guides.
My Euroguides were good except at the backup position.
I had a machinist make bearing holders with Eclips and that was solved.
My Italian motor is holding out now six years.
I too use the Lenox Woodmaster carbide on tough hardwoods.
On lighter hardwoods, walnut especially I can use Lenox steel bands, way cheap compared to carbide.
You may wince at the cost of the saw, but you only pay it once.
Mine was a gift, which makes it extra-special.
Now Laguna's customer service, hell those boys should never have a phone in their hands. They need to hire a young lady with a sweet disposition and give her the power to make customers happy.
And if these guys weren't so grumpy they would surely have more repeat business than they could handle. They should spend their advertising money in the Customer Rep department..... or they'll be wanting bailout money too!

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http://www.dickeyguitars.com