Official Luthiers Forum!

Finally after 3 weeks I got a call from the local woodcraft, to view a rikon18 in on their showroom floor. I decided not to buy it, as long term it will not fill my needs. What I liked , the machine was well built, for the price 1045 $ plus tax 100$ ,plus abt $50 for shipping to my home, and 130 $ for a carbide blade, For $1325 you get a lot of saw for the money. What I didn/t like, the bearings on either side of the blade and the adjustments to it including the thrust bearing did not seem user friendly. I also didn/t care for the adjustment tensioning wheel , it seemed to me in an awkward spot. Was also not impressed with the 2.5hp chinese motor i.e. how long will it run before dying, a baldor motor would inspire more confidence. I found the cast iron top was smaller than my old scmi s-45 minimax. Also found the fence kinda mickey mouse for resawing. The laguna 14 had more of the features I was looking for minus the 4.5hp baldor motor. I liked the ceramic guides, and thrust bearing, on the 16 hd and 18 in models , you can also get an 8 in fence for the larger models , It/s back to the drawing board, to figure out which bandsaw laguna or scmi will best suit my needs. The bigger lagunas can only be special ordered from our local woodcraft. So now its gonna be a toss up between the laguna 16hd or 18, and the scmi 16hd or 20???

If you are patient, you can get a bigger Laguna from Tim Lory (floor model).

BTW, most fences with most bandsaws are "mickey mouse" as you say. I would not use that as comparison item. If you want to do quality resaw work, you will need to buy or make your own fence system

As for motors and bearings, you get what you pay for. A good baldor motor could end up being 1/3 to 1/2 the price of the saw you described.

Mike

Hi mike, is tim lory a sales rep for laguna ?? or ?? thanks

I'll agree with O'Melia on the fence. The best resaw fences are almost always custom made in the shop. I knew from the outset that the fence on my Rikon would not be sufficient for the intended purpose, and having made that determination for just about any saw I looked at, I took it off the table as a determinant in the decision.

I think most would agree that you can't go wrong with an SCMI product or the Italian made Laguna's...but your wallet will certainly know it. If you are buying a saw for an intended use that falls outside of the "high production for retail" purposes arena, you might be spending more than you need to with those saws. Just an opinion though.

_________________
There is no difference between the man that thinks he can....and the man that thinks he cannot.

I'm not exactly sure of his job title, but he does maintain customer relations and promote Laguna products. You can find him at Sawmillcreek.org under the handle Laguna Tools.

Mike

After reading the Laguna advertising, I was convinced their ceramic guides were the best in the biz.
Now, when I change blades I mutter mean things under my breath. I find them to be very fiddly to set up properly. Every time you think you have the clearances just right, you go to tighten the screws & the guides slip & you have to start all over again. Grrrr.
I don't know what the bearing system on the Rikon looks like, but it may not be as bad as you think.....
Otherwise, I'm really pleased with the Laguna 16 I have.
I just helped a buddy run new wiring for his brand new Laguna 18. It's a whole lot more saw than the 16". Nice unit, but still no fun setting the guides.

Just be careful with your comparisons.... If these were cars - you would be comparing a fully loaded BMW 3 series against a more or less standard model Ford F150.... The 14" Laguna looks really good features wise... It's got an upsized motor, a bigger table, can run a wider band, better guides, and maybe a stiffer frame... but it's still a 14" saw - and it will be limited by the same limitations that 14" wheels bring to every saw - namely the bands you can run without fatiguing the band material....

If you compare the Rikon 14" or Grizzly 14" welded frame model vs the Laguna 14" - the Laguna starts at over 2x the price....

If it were me - I would determine the limitations of my shop... Do you have the room for an 18" saw - or is it going to be a major squeeze? If you just don't have the room - then the upgraded 14" makes total sense.... but if you can easily fit an 18" saw - you will probably be missing out on a whole lot of capability....

Now - I totally do see the argument for looking at a Laguna or a MM... There are a whole lot more accessories available than for a Rikon.... Say you want a better fence or a bigger table or an upgraded motor - you can probably get them...

Thanks

Not interested in a 14 in, need an upgrade to my s-45 18 in BS .It, 14 in was the only laguna on the display. floor.Thanks for the warning abt the ceramic guides . I would love to hear from mm16/SCMI owners and how their guide system works in terms of resawing ??

I agree with Daniel. I like my Laguna 16 but the guides aren't really something I would espouse. I find them fiddly as well. Seeing how a Hammer N4400 sets up its guide seems so much easier than "make sure you hold it steady while you tighten things down" ceramic guides on the Laguna. You'd think that by now they would have made things micro-adjustable.

I have similiar guides on minimax s-45 and they stiffen with use, just like the hammer BS

What does SCMI stand for? I see stuff on the web, and I see SCM used interchangably with SCM.

Mike

SCMI is another name for mini-max woodworking tools from italy. Based in either austin or atlanta ??