Laguna 14" SUV Bandsaw questions

[Sam Murdoch]

Final days on an offer from Woodcraft so I had better decide. Thought it best to get some info from you with experience with this particular bandsaw - please.

Here is the offer -
Laguna 14" Bandsaw, 3 HP Leeson Motor LT14 SUV
Item #848258
FREE 1" Resaw King Blade - $216 Value (848264) With Purchase of the Laguna 14" Bandsaw Now Through May 31, 2013

$1,595.00


I have researched my 14" bandsaw options pretty thoroughly and am back to spending the extra money and skip over the Rikon or the Grizzly. I really think I will get more satisfaction with this better powered saw among other things in its favor. No I cannot afford or wish to afford, or need more than the 14". Also, I am not a machine rebuilding kind of guy so don't want to risk a $ grand on a used saw. I'd rather be woodworking than fabricating or searching for replacement parts.

Having said all that here are some petty but important (to me) questions:

First off what is the verdict - can the 14" SUV handle the 1" Resaw King?

2) Am I likely to get the best deal on a new saw calling Laguna directly and asking for a package deal?

3) Is this thing shipped as one 6' tall crate or do they break it down into manageable boxes?

3a) Can it be off loaded without a tail gate lift or a forklift?

4) Is there a very good and less expensive mobile base option than the Laguna at $ 175.00?

5) Any words of encouragement? Cautionary tales?

Thanks very much for any feedback.

[BobW Robinson]

Hi Sam, I have just taken delivery of the LT 14 SUV and am yet to use the ResawKing blade. However, this is an entry I made on the local forum showing how the saw is delivered and what is involved in assembling it. You will need a tail gate lift or forklift. This unit is solid and heavy - 170Kg which would be over 300ib. Hope this helps some. http://www.woodworkforums.com/f27/just-received-laguna-lt-14-suv-bandsaw-171704/

[Bill Bukovec]

I've had my LT 14 SUV for a couple years and I love it.

I unloaded it by myself.

It was loaded on my truck upright in one box.

When I got it home, I tipped it on its side, bottom towards the tailgate.

Then I slide it off the truck tipping it back upright as it came off.

Next, I slide it into my shop. I didn't have any steps.

I haven't tried a Resaw king but I think the saw has plenty of power and can handle it.

I just finished sawing up some walnut logs my neighbor had.

I was using a 1/2" bimetal blade and went through the log like butter.

The widest board was 11".

I wish your deal was available when I bought my saw.

Good luck,

Bill

[BobW Robinson]

Since my previous post I have looked at the 3000 Series videos on the Laguna web site. Worth a visit.

[Sam Murdoch]

Thanks Bob, of course I can't see your photos as I am not a member of the Australian woodworkers forum but I appreciate your input. Bill, I'm thinking my brother and I will drive the 100 miles to pick one up at the nearest Woodcraft. Do you guys think I could load the saw into a pick up truck laying on its side for the trip home (good smooth, mostly highway driving) rather than standing it up in the bed? That much vertical weight seems like securing it could be a problem for such a long trip. Thanks again for your feedback.

[Bill Bukovec]

I think that since most of the weight is at the bottm. hauling it vertical wouldn't be a problem.

If you do lay it down, I would suggest laying it with the table side up.

You may have to cut a hole in the crate to see what side is what.

[Myk Rian]

Lay it on the spine, with the table removed.

[Bernie Kopfer]

I have a 6y/o 14SUV and have had no problems with it. Good Quality and plenty of power. I see that they have upgraded the ceramic guide adjustments and that is a much needed improvement. A brake is also needed!! Ask if you can substitute the mobility kit for the Blade. I have never used mine because a 1in blade on 14in wheels does not make good sense. The company claims you can get enough tension but search around about that size of blade on 14 wheels. But it might work ok. If you could see the mobility system you could make one if you are handy with a welder. I added the same system to my drill press and can use the "handle" for both. It is nice to be able to move the machines in a smaller shop. As for needing a forklift I unloaded and moved it around by myself but you should have a good back. It is a great saw.

[mreza Salav]

Not a bandsaw expert but a 1" blade for a 14" saw isn't such a good idea: HP isn't as important as having a very stiff spine to tenstion it properly, and with such a "small" wheel you'll get a shorter life on your blade due to metal fatigue (curves are too tight for the blade).

[Peter Aeschliman]

At the risk of hijacking...

Regarding the effect of the tight wheel radius on blade life, isn't it more about blade thickness than blade width? A thinner blade bends more easily than a thicker one. So wouldn't there be a cross-over point where a thinner/wider blade would last longer on a 14" saw than a thicker/narrower blade?

Assume for the sake of argument that the spine of the saw is plenty strong enough to tension anything, as are the wheel bearings/etc. Because a wider blade would stress those aspects of the saw. That's more a question about the ability to tension the blade, not the blade life.

Curious what everyone thinks.

[Bruce Mack]

Sam, you can join on line. Good forums too.

[Sam Murdoch]

Well, at long last (18 months or more) I made a decision and just bought this bandsaw minutes ago directly from Laguna with the mobility base and the 1" Resaw King. Finally woke up to the idea that I could have this delivered just down the street from my house to my friends boat yard where it can be forklifted off the common carrier and I can drive it home in 3 minutes- duh :rolleyes:.

As for the 1" blade - the salesman repeated with great assurance what I had asked earlier - that the SUV 14" will absolutely tension properly and run this blade. He was unequivocal about it. "We have "thousands of the blades out there running on the 14" SUV with no problem - in fact that is what we use here". I guess I will no soon enough. Next Friday is delivery day :D.

Thank you guys for your feedback.

[Myk Rian]

After a couple suggestions to not get a 1" blade, why did you?
A 14" saw will not tension one, no matter how many say it will.
1/2" is a good size.

[Peter Aeschliman]

I had the same experience with a Laguna salesman. I don't have the 14" SUV, but he emphatically insisted that the 1" blade is best for that saw.

Myk, I wonder what you think about my previous post. Doesn't the ability to tension a blade have more to do with the strength of the frame, the wheel bearings, and the tensioning spring? And if so, isn't it possible for a 14" bandsaw to tension the blade if it's designed to withstand the forces required to do so?

I can understand the argument that smaller wheels will over-stress the blade's metal and wear it out faster, but that's a different topic than blade tension.

[Mike Tekin]

Congrats - it's a great saw and the best 14" out there.

Ignore people who state that it won't tension the specific "1" resaw king" simply not true- this is a custom made blade designed by Laguna - it has .024 backing vs typical .032/.035 backing of your average 1" blade allowing it to bend around a 14" wheel

In this specific setup- the typical 1/2" blade is the limit just doesn't apply, however yes, any other 14" c-arm cast iron bandsaw won't work right with this blade

No offense to anyone but you need to have hands on experience with this specific blade and saw- it is in a league of its own

[Bill ThompsonNM]

The Laguna 14SUV is not the average 14 inch saw. I considered one before I got a fantastic deal on an LT 18. For those of you stuck with the idea that you can't tension a 1 inch resaw king on an LT18SUV, this is the blade it was designed for. It has a significantly stiffer spine than the average 14 inch saw and the blade was designed much thinner than average to conform to a 14 inch wheel. So yes it can tension a 1 inch RK and no, your Delta clone can not !

[Sam Murdoch]

After a couple suggestions to not get a 1" blade, why did you?
A 14" saw will not tension one, no matter how many say it will.
1/2" is a good size.

I might find out soon that Myk is right but I have to say, based on lots of reading and re-reading of various post (archived from this forum and others) on the subject of the 1" Resaw King being run on the Laguna14" SUV, the naysayers have been theorizing. Whereas those who own this bandsaw and have used the 1" have been enthusiastic and as Mike Tekin writes: "No offense to anyone but you need to have hands on experience with this specific blade and saw..." Admittedly my choice was based in part on the "free" aspect of getting this blade with the machine and also after a couple of specific Q&As with the Laguna salesman as well as my own research - I could have afterall, for the same deal, bought a 3/4" Resaw King.

After 35 + years in this woodworking trade I'm not one to fold over from a tool/machine salesperson's pitch but his explanation combined with plenty of reported hands on experience from owner's describing excellent results with this combo and woodworking magazine reviews also supporting this combo I was not too concerned with taking a chance. By the end of the summer I will have a real world idea as to whether or not I was taken in by the sales hype. I could not have afforded the cost or the space for a bigger saw so I did what I hope is the best I could do and I thank you Mike for your support :).