Laguna Platinum Series 10" 5 Function Combination Machine

[Mark Buchanan]

Does any one here have one of the Laguna combination machines. http://www.lagunatools.com/combo/combo-platinum5f-sch I am in the market for a table saw with scoring blade and am considering this for space savings. I could sell my planer, jointer and mortise machine and gain the scoring saw.

Mark

[Chris Fournier]

Consider Felder, Hammer and SCM as well!

[David Kumm]

Minimax makes a small unit as well. Depends on if you prefer Italian to Bulgarian. The benefit is the really small footprint, the negative is that each function is pretty limited. 3/4 shaper, 10" jointer planer,2-3 HP. Really depends on the type of work you intend to do. More suitable for furniture and smaller joinery work than cabinet or door work. Research all the models and don't forget used. The small machines sometimes come on the market in pretty new condition. Dave

[John Lanciani]

If it matters to you, I'm pretty sure that the Laguna platinum line is made in Taiwan or China. They were pretty dodgy about country of origin when I asked at a show but the tag on the 12" J/P didn't say Bulgaria. You may want to take a look at Rojek, they're solid machines at decent prices, made in Czech Republic.

[David Kumm]

It's hard to keep track of where things are made now. Keep in mind that the small machines are made more to a price point than the larger versions. If you intend to move the machine around a lot I would find the stoutest as moving combos can cause all kinds of settings to go off and a little is a lot. Dave

[Peter Aeschliman]

I have the 10" jointer/planer/slot mortiser machine, which is most of that machine... I had some problems with it initially, but Laguna made the situation right (search under my name and you'll find it). The CS was good.

Even after getting a replacement machine, the motor runs super super hot... the first motor burned out on me after pretty light use and I had some adjustment problems with the planer.. I won't be surprised if the motor on the replacement machine burns out as well. I have sent private messages with another SMC user over the last few days who has the same machine and is experiencing the same heat issues. He even went to the length of opening up the back cover of the machine and running a box fan on the motor, and it still got hot. My motor gets too hot to touch after about 30 minutes of use. I'm actually tempted to pre-emptively buy a baldor replacement motor and put it on the machine, and move the 2hp leeson motor on the J/P over to my bandsaw (which doesn't get the same kind of continuous use).

The slot mortiser was the major reason I bought the machine over the larger Grizzly and Jet j/p combos... but in hindsight I wish I had bought one of those instead. The slot mortiser is finicky to get it aligned properly and it has a fair amount of slop in the travel. For the price I paid for it, I don't think I got comparable quality.

I like the machine overall and the spiral cutterhead is a definite bonus. Overall, the machine does the job. But would I buy it over again knowing what I know now? probably not unfortunately. Like I said, it's not a complete mess of a machine... but I wish I had spent the extra money went with a higher quality machine.

For a full combo machine like that, I would definitely go with something higher end. Multi-use machines really need to be engineered and made well... otherwise you'll spend a lot of time tweaking things.

The dust collection on the jointer is pretty poor. After an hour of jointing, I end up with a big pile (1 cubic foot or so) of sawdust piled up on the planer bed underneath.

It's one of those "pay to play" situations. To get a good quality 5-function combo machine, I would expect to pay about 50% more.

[David Kumm]

Peter, That was a great objective report. I have a Knapp, SCMI, Felder, and old Olivers etc. Each machine has good and bad and I really appreciate honest fair appraisals. Too often we all tend to rationalize our choices and overlook the flaws. Dave

[Mark Buchanan]

Thanks Peter and everyone. That is what I was afraid I might hear. I know that combination machines are just that and have some limitations but the quality issues are what I want to avoid. I am checking other options and really like the design of the slider on the Rojek.

Mark

[Mark Denovich]

Mark,

I have an older grey-market MiniMax combo. I love it. The jointer/planer is a beast, (accidentally took a 1/4" cut off a 12" wide 4" thick laminated oak slab. It groaned a bit, but powered through 4' feet of it before I realized what was up.) I lucked into mine ($600 on craigslist.) I haven't turned on my then brand new 1023RL cabinet saw since I got it. (The grizzly is sweet, but it's hard to beat a slider.)

My shop is 13' by 23' and it fits, making the most of the space I have available.

[Mike Wilkins]

Like many other manufacturers these days, I suspect the Platinum machine is a Made in China item. I have the Laguna 6' sliding tablesaw, and the tag plainly states it is made in China. But this is a single function machine, and other than a few small complaints, it has been a fine machine. If you are set on a combo machine, consider one of the Laguna machines made in Bulgaria, or one of the Italian offerings from Minimax or the Austrian Felder. These guys are a big step up in cash outlay, but better quality.

[David Kumm]

If you have the space there has been a used Knapp with a 78" slider combo for sale for some time. I can find the info if needed. the Knapp was far and away the best built combo. Dave