Laguna 14bx or LT14SUV

[John Adank]

I'm looking to replace my current bandsaw and was looking at the Laguna 14bx and LT14SUV. I was leaning towards the SUV because it had some more power and weight but I spoke to Benny at Laguna and he told me the SUV was going to be discontinued in about 6-12 months and he felt the the bx would be a better saw. He said the bx is more refined and improved then the SUV. Anyone have any experience with these saws? I was also looking at the the Laguna LT 18 Italian made saw which is more than I need but I've read good things about it. I will be resawing 8-12" boards, ripping and cutting curves. I could buy the smaller one now but would have to keep saving for the larger 18."

[Andrew Hughes]

I think a 14 inch wheel is good for resawing 6/7 inches.So my vote is for the 18 HD.Thats a good saw.The 14 inch wheel limits the blades you can use.
Laguna Rk blade is a good blade Think is good on 14 inch the bigger saw with make that blade really shine.

[Tim Cooper Louisiana]

I have a friend that has the LT14SUV and he highly recommends it. He can resaw up to 14" on it. I recently ordered the 2.5 hp 14bx, and it seems very well put together. I have never even used a bandsaw before, but so far the installation has been pretty easy by following the videos. I need to run a new outlet for it, which I hope to get done tomorrow. I've seen videos online of the 2.5 hp version of the BX resawing 13" material.

[John Adank]

Thanks Andrew, I've viewed Paul Marsels YouTube video on the 18 several times. Very nice quality. I should probably keep saving some more money but I've almost completed my workshop and I have the itch to buy a new bandsaw and could buy the smaller one now but you bring up a good point on the blade size.

[John Adank]

One other thing I forgot to mention was that Benney of Laguna also told me they will be coming out with a redesigned Drift Master fence within the next year.

[Jon McElwain]

I've had a LT14SUV for about 5 years. I was initially disappointed with the fit and finish as there were some significant adjustments and downright modifications required to get it up and running. Instructions were not worth the paper they were printed on. I've never seen a machine ship with so much cosmoline as this bandsaw - I think they hired a 3 year old with a giant tub of the stuff and cut him loose before sending it out the door. The upper guide has a hand wheel with rack and pinion to run it up and down, but you better hang on to it because it wont stay in place when you loosen the clamp lever. The mobile wheel set came with the wrong length axle rod, so the wheels stick out an extra 4" from the base. Finally got tired of it and cut the axle rod and drilled a new cotter pin hole in the end. It's got an oddball blade length - not a problem unless you are running down to the hardware store to get a blade to replace the one that broke in the middle of a project.

That said, once I got all the bugs worked out, it has been a good saw. I can resaw to max capacity through hard wood easily. My heaviest use is cutting turning blanks - does this like a champ. Foot brake, 3 hp motor, 14" resaw capacity; those were the reasons I bought it and those are the reasons I like using it.

If I were to buy another, I would likely go with an Italian 16" HD or 18" model, but would have to shop around a lot first. the Italian saws start at double the LT14SUV. Lots of really great saws out there when you get over the $3000 price point.

edit: I looked at the website and it appears that they have made major strides in the manual.

[John Adank]

The salesman made it sound like they've made some improvements to the saw and refined it some more based on customer feedback. Do you think they took care of some of the issues that you've experienced Jon?

[John Adank]

I'm wondering if it's not a bad idea to maybe have one saw for just resawing and another for everything else

[Bryan Cramer]

I'm wondering if it's not a bad idea to maybe have one saw for just resawing and another for everything else

Now that is the way to go! A generic 14" and a bigger 18"+ one for resawing.

[ken carroll]

I'm wondering if it's not a bad idea to maybe have one saw for just resawing and another for everything else

Great idea. I ahve two 18" bandsaws, one set up with a 3/16" blade and one with a 3/4" blade for resawing. I HATE changing blades!

[John Adank]

Two 18" saws? That's quite a set up. What brand are they?

[ken carroll]

Two 18" saws? That's quite a set up. What brand are they?

Nothing special, especially by the standards of this site - two Jet JBSW18s, one stock and one specially reinforced for resawing - I posted my mods on another thread some time ago.

[Jon McElwain]

The salesman made it sound like they've made some improvements to the saw and refined it some more based on customer feedback. Do you think they took care of some of the issues that you've experienced Jon?

I've heard some talk about improvements, but I don't know first hand. Woodcraft carries them, and I have taken a brief look-see, but nothing like a test drive. And of course, if it is on the showroom floor, I'm sure they have worked out some of the bugs during assembly. You might talk with a local woodcraft to see if you can talk to the guy who assembled the floor model.