A Hands On review of the Laguna Revo 1836

[John Keeton]

I recently upgraded lathes and thought this review might be of interest to creekers. I apologize for the black and white pics, wide margins and the poor pic resolution, but the original PDF file with color pics could not be reduced sufficiently to permit upload to SMC.

I hope this is helpful to those with some interest in this lathe.

[Roger Chandler]

Congrats on the new pony, counselor! Hope you put a saddle on that thing and ride away into the vortex even more. Nice review you posted. Glad it is a better fit for you ergonomically..........that is always a plus.

[Jack Lilley]

Great review John.

[carl mesaros]

Congratulations John on your new lathe. I looked at the Laguna 1836 at the Tennessee woodturning symposium this year and was very impressed with the fit and finish of this lathe.
About a year ago I purchased the Laguna 2436 (also selling my Jet 1642). I turn virtually 6 days a week and am very very satisfied with my new lathe. I wish the fit and finish were a bit better but for the most part do not regret the decision. The added power and mass makes it a joy to turn on.
Again congratulations and the best of luck with your new lathe.

[Allan Ferguson]

I was really wanting the same lathe, just could not afford to buy one. Did up grade the power system of my Nova 162444. Really has changed it's personality. Now variable speed. I am sure that you will just fall deeper in love with you new lathe. Enjoy and good health to you. Allan

[John M. Smith]

Congrats on the new lathe. Looks like a winner. Also great review.

[William C Rogers]

John, congrats on your new lathe. I really like your ballast. Nice review and nice lathe.

[Thomas Canfield]

Nice review. Your comments match what a member of club here say also, and he it taller and not needing the lower height. I did not turn on his, but did do a good look last year when he got his early delivery. The size and price make for a good deal if I did not have my 3520B. Now we are looking for the large platters you mentioned. I still have to turn my 32"D piece once to say I did.

[Bob Bergstrom]

Nice to read your review. The stance and low center of gravity have to be a real plus. Enjoy.

[Glen Cowan]

Just purchased the same lathe 2 weeks ago, very pleased so far. Good height for me, controls are very convenient, plenty of power.

[bob starkey]

Nice lathe.

Who knew I needed a new lathe. Hard not to find fault with my old one.

[Jon Nuckles]

I love my 3520B and have no intention to ever get a different lathe unless I win a lottery. That being said, it sounds like the cone behind the spindle of the Laguna would be nice. I often find that it is tricky to get a bevel riding cut started on the bottom of a piece held in a chuck because of the big block of the Powermatic headstock.

Thanks for the review and I hope you post pictures of your big platters, John!

[David Delo]

Nice looking lathe John Keeton and +1 on Jon's comments. Looks like there's a lot of specification & cosmetic adjustments being made in the bigger dog lathe segments lately with this model, the new Grizzly's & Jet's. Back in 2013 when I bought my 3520B, I looked at the big Laguna at the AWFS in Vegas. It looked good on paper........ but in person, was sort of over in the corner of the booth and wasn't under power and only about 3/4 put together, so the machine and company didn't impress. Glad to see they have finally got it together because that can only be good news for us consumers.




I love my 3520B and have no intention to ever get a different lathe unless I win a lottery. That being said, it sounds like the cone behind the spindle of the Laguna would be nice. I often find that it is tricky to get a bevel riding cut started on the bottom of a piece held in a chuck because of the big block of the Powermatic headstock.

Thanks for the review and I hope you post pictures of your big platters, John!

[Doug McKnight]

Thanks for the review. I came close to buying one of that where they were recently discounted by 10% at woodcraft. The only thing that prevented me was my in-built difficulty in spending money...

I liked the headstock taper, the tool rest clamp, the indexing system (though I'm not sure I'd use that much), and the price. The general quality, judging by eye and feel, seemed rather good.
I would like a couple more inches of swing but, perhaps not enough to splurge on the Powermatic. I'm also interested in the G0677, but am a bit concerned about some reported quality issues.

Doug

[Curtis Myers]

Excellent review. Happy turning on those BIG platters.

[John Keeton]

Thanks for the comments and congrats. Although I have 32" capacity on the Laguna, finding wood that size will be the challenge. I am investigating the possibilities of having a local mill saw some larger maple slabs for me, though I suspect somewhere around 20-22" may be more probable. I am also involved in making a proposal for some commissioned art in NC with wood from there that is going to be milled to spec and that might include larger stock. I am looking forward to experimenting!

[Robert Henrickson]

Definitely a comprehensive review, with useful detail. The local Woodcraft (where John bought his) has sold a number of these in the last 6(?) months.

[Dale Miner]

I recently upgraded lathes and thought this review might be of interest to creekers. I apologize for the black and white pics, wide margins and the poor pic resolution, but the original PDF file with color pics could not be reduced sufficiently to permit upload to SMC.

I hope this is helpful to those with some interest in this lathe.

Congrats on a newer bigger better.

I will keep an eye out for you for you for some 36" blanks. I might have a 32" chunk out in the back lot if you are in a hurry. :-)

[Dok Yager]

Congrats John. Nice review with great comments and pic`s. Hope you enjoy your new monster and go even deeper into the rabbit hole.

[Alan Heffernan]

Thanks for the review John and congratulations on acquiring a very nice lathe.

[kip allen]

John, excellant report. I have been trying to decide which lathe to by next and you have given me some very good information. I went to my local (Eugene, OR) store today and looked at there floor model. Very impressive in all respects. It was interesting that they had a PM right next to the Laguna and I have to say the Laguna takes a back seat to anyone. The thing I like the most is all the options that can come with it. The lights are a great add on. Again John, Thanks for such an excellent report, good job.

[John Keeton]

Kip, glad you enjoyed the review. I remain very pleased with the Laguna and absolutely do not regret the upgrade. The Lexington Woodcraft has sold record numbers of the Laguna, but sales of the PM and the Jet 1642 have dropped considerably. Interestingly, it is eating into both markets.

[Russell Neyman]

I have two fellow club members with this lathe so I get a chance to play with it. Great, well-made lathe, in my opinion.

I have a only one minor feature that Laguna might consider changing when they re-issue it: the control panel. Three or four times, when i have been working near the base of the bowl, I've rubbed against the variable speed knob sending the rpm's flying. The other thing I wonder about is why is the emergency shutoff right there, two inches from the "regular" on/off switch? I'd think you'd want that someplace lower on the machine, where you would hit it without standing near a spinning bowl.

[Edward Weingarden]

Nice review John; thank you. I have a question concerning any "unusual" motor sound it may make. I was watching someone demonstrating their new Grizzly G0800 on a YouTube presentation. When the lathe was plugged in, although not turned on (not spinning), there was a "whirring" (piercing) sound that was quite noticeable; something that I would find very annoying. Is there any such sound made by the Laguna? Thanks.

[carl mesaros]

The sound you heard is a small box fan located under the vfd drive enclosure. I believe it is to add additional cooling for the drive since it is enclosed. I don't find it noticeable at all while turning. What I don't care for is the fan runs even while the lathe is turned off. So after finishing for the day I unplug my lathe.
I have the Laguna 2436 which is identical to the Grizzly GO800.

[Reed Gray]

John, interesting comment about the handles on the banjo getting in the way of each other. I have run into that on a number of lathes. I have never understood, since I got my old PM3520A years ago why no one seems to use a T type handle that slides back and forth like the handles on a bench vise. Cast soft pot metal onto a hardened bolt is destined to fail. I want to test drive a lot of different lathes, though not looking to buy another one unless I get a 10,000 sq. ft. shop, then I might have room...

robo hippy

[John Keeton]

Nice review John; thank you. I have a question concerning any "unusual" motor sound it may make. I was watching someone demonstrating their new Grizzly G0800 on a YouTube presentation. When the lathe was plugged in, although not turned on (not spinning), there was a "whirring" (piercing) sound that was quite noticeable; something that I would find very annoying. Is there any such sound made by the Laguna? Thanks.No unusual noises from my Laguna 1836. Only the motor fan as noted in the review. The motor itself is very quiet, but the fan pushes noticeably more air than did my Jet 1642. The sound is not sharp, just the neutral sound of moving air. I honestly no longer notice it.

I believe the Laguna 1836 is a different lathe than the larger Laguna and Grizzly lathes. Its stance and configuration appear to be different, though I have not seen the larger Laguna nor the larger Grizzly in person.

[Edward Weingarden]

Thanks. Maybe someone with the larger Laguna or Grizzly will chime in.

[Joe Frank Porter]

John,

I just bought the Laguna Revo 18/36. I started with the HF mini lathe a year ago to test my interest and became addicted. Desiring to move up, I began looking at every thing from the Grizzly up thru the Powermatic. Grizzly offers a great deal on large lathes, but seems to put their new lathes on the market before field testing, and lets the initial buyers do that for them. They do give the new buyers great service during the initial shake down.

I almost bought the Grizzly 0733, but then I saw the Laguna REVO 18/36 at a Wood Craft store. They were using it in their shop and taking it to shows - they loved it. All the video reviews were great. It just looks like a new lathe from the ground up and not some new adaptation of existing models. The other larger REVO lathes are nothing like this lathe and are made in different factories with a DC motor. So readers should not apply the 18/36 reviews to the other new larger REVO lathes.

This machine is so quiet and smooth and has a great stance and height. After I have put in a few days of turning I'll report back.

[Edward Weingarden]

Your mention of the larger Revo lathes having DC motors led me to do a search on DC motors and noise. Apparently, a high pitched whinning sound is common with DC motors. That would be a detractor for me in having a lathe with a DC motor. However, I've only heard it via the YouTube presentation I mentioned in my original post. I'd have to find one see and hear in person.

[carl mesaros]

I bought the Laguna Revo 2436 last year and must add that the motor on my machine is an AC not DC. The early large Revos along with the Harvey variant were DC.
The machine is very quiet. There is the sound of the small box fan that runs at all times as long as the machine is plugged in.

[Joe Frank Porter]

Carl.

The reason I said a DC motor is because the current manual specifications list the motors as "DC Brushless", and the parts list in the manual states that the motors for both large lathes are DC motors. The motors on the Laguna web site pictures shows a rectangular shaped motor like DC motors I've seen. However I must admit that I have no experience with those lathes. As an owner, you certainly know the facts far better than me.

The REVO 18/36 never emits any kind of whine when the motor is running or stopped(with lathe still turned on). The only noise is the motor fan blowing air from the cowling as RPMs increase. You can feel the air coming out of the motor.

[Justin Stephen]

First time I have paid much attention to this lathe, but this is a very impressive feature set for the price. I am most impressed with the available tailstock riser block, something that is not (to my knowledge) available on the PM 3520B, although you can get one for the 4224. I bought my 3530B long before this lathe was on the market but if I was making the decision today, I probably would have purchased the Laguna and saved myself $1500. The baked in mount points for lights is also very nice.

I think Powermatic is going to need to rush a new, longer bed extension to the market that includes a tailstock riser block *and* lower their price a bit if they want to maintain a sizable chunk of their market share. The extra weight and 2" of swing is not going to be enough for many buyers to justify the extra $1500, most especially with the impressive feature/add-on set that the Laguna offers that, in many ways, is superior to Powermatic.

[George Conklin]

How are you new owners liking the solid steel bed? Are you noticing any increased vibration over a cast iron bed?
Thanks

[John Keeton]

George, I guess in order to answer that question one would need to have two identical lathes, with the only exception the difference in the bed. It would also seem that a source for vibration would need to be present. I can say that I find the lathe exceptionally smooth and stable and without any noticeable vibration. However, I rarely turn wood that is significantly out of balance. The steel is softer, of course, and does seem to scratch a little easier.

[Roger Chandler]

Your mention of the larger Revo lathes having DC motors led me to do a search on DC motors and noise. Apparently, a high pitched whinning sound is common with DC motors. That would be a detractor for me in having a lathe with a DC motor. However, I've only heard it via the YouTube presentation I mentioned in my original post. I'd have to find one see and hear in person.
Just something to consider....if you saw the same youtube video that I saw, then the owner of that G0800 has it located down in a small basement area, where the sound resonance from the small area, concrete walls and floors and the close proximity of the camera microphone all make it sound much amplified....I would say that if you heard that lathe in a more open environment, you would not notice that sound nearly as much. The setup for that video was a poor one for giving a true picture of the lathe as far as sound, and then I also think that technically, just listening to the person giving his review, he did not come across as really experienced.......he mentioned he had turned on the Stubby that belonged to a friend before, but his familiarity with Asian makes and features may not be extensive.

[carl mesaros]

Carl.

The reason I said a DC motor is because the current manual specifications list the motors as "DC Brushless", and the parts list in the manual states that the motors for both large lathes are DC motors. The motors on the Laguna web site pictures shows a rectangular shaped motor like DC motors I've seen. However I must admit that I have no experience with those lathes. As an owner, you certainly know the facts far better than me.

The REVO 18/36 never emits any kind of whine when the motor is running or stopped(with lathe still turned on). The only noise is the motor fan blowing air from the cowling as RPMs increase. You can feel the air coming out of the motor.

You are absolutely correct. The motor shown in the owners manual is rectangular shaped and listed as brushless DC.
Mine came with the identical 3hp AC motor that is on the new Grizzly GO800. Somewhere along the line they made a change.
Good or bad I love the low end power of my lathe.

[Edward Weingarden]

Yes, that may have been the same YouTube, and I agree with your impression of the shop and the presentation.

[Russell Neyman]

George, I guess in order to answer that question one would need to have two identical lathes, with the only exception the difference in the bed. It would also seem that a source for vibration would need to be present.....

By happenstance, I turned a large piece of walnut on two different lathes -- a friend's Revo 18-36 and my Jet 14-42. The Revo is straight out of the box with no ballast, while the Jet has 600 pounds of sand mounted near the base. The piece was a freshly-cut hunk of walnut, and we had just created about two dozen rounds at the friend's shop. Since it was handy, I rough-turned several pieces in preparation for air-drying, and was surprised at the amount of vibration on the Revo. I thought, "must be in the wood..." and lowered the speed.

I didn't quite rough turn the last one evenly, so I re-mounted it on my Jet the next day, expecting the vibration to continue. But it didn't. In fact, I was able to dial the speed up.

I'm no physicist or metallurgist, but reading the previous comment about the "softer" steel bed I'm thinking this makes sense. I also advocate adding a ton of ballast to the Revo's stand. This is in no way a criticism of Laguna's wonderful new machine. The steel ways are remarkably true and precise and the tailstock and banjo work extremely smoothly.

[George Conklin]

Interesting, Russell,

Thanks for taking the time to respond:)

[Gordon Prill]

Thanks for your review John. I have been saving for a new lathe, with my eye on a Powermatic 3520B. I currently have a Powermatic 90. Your review helped me decide on a Revo 1836. I ordered one last week. I cant wait for delivery. I liked the lower bed height and cone shaped nose on the 1836. I have have really liked my PM90 and kind of hard giving it up, but I wanted a larger swing, sliding headstock and smoother running than the reeves drive. How long did it take you 1836 owners to take delivery of your lathes? I ordered mine from Woodcraft last week. Where do they ship from? Thanks

[Jay Mullins]

Looks like a great lathe. Your well crafted review was informative and a pleasure to read.

Jay

[Prashun Patel]

Hi John. I am considering upgrading to this lathe. 18 months in, do the conclusions from your original review (thank you for that) still hold?
My Delta 46-450 just bounces around a little too much with heavier blanks.

[John Keeton]

Prashun, in short, I enjoy the Laguna even more now that when purchased. I sent you an email earlier this morning via SMC. If you didn’t receive it, please email me. SMC was really slow on data transfer and the mail may not have gone thru. Also, make sure your email in your profile is current.