Anyone Own A Laguna SS|14 Spindle Sander? Same As Jet BOS-5 & Delta 31-483? Any Good?

[Ben Rivel]

Thinking about getting an oscillating spindle sander for sanding curved edges and have been looking at a few models ranging from floor standing models to benchtops. For the benchtops I was considering the Jet BOS-5 but then I ran across the Laguna SS|14 (http://www.lagunatools.com/Laguna-24-x-24-Oscillating-Spindle-Sander_2) which looks to be exactly the same as the Jet BOS-5 (http://www.jettools.com/us/en/p/jbos-5-benchtop-oscillating-spindle-sander-1-2hp-1ph-115v/708404) and roughly the Delta 31-483 (https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiZqq_FydzLAhUD2GMKHQKrDU8QFgglMAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.deltamachinery.com%2Fproducts %2Fsanders%2Fitem%2F31-483&usg=AFQjCNHhRlSmcNbmil9T3SYY07-zrz63_A&sig2=xT1XkF0nIoL1KgKkrgQW-Q&bvm=bv.117868183,d.cGc) expect the Laguna comes with a better power switch, black paint job, a metal floor stand, and the 3" spindle. None of which the Jet or Delta come with. The Jet BOS-5 can be had for $489 (and for the rest of the day I can get $39 in eBay Bucks back on top of that), or until the end of the month the Laguna can be had for $525 both from Acme Tools (authorized reseller) and both free shipping no tax. FWIW to add the 3" spindle to the Jet its another $69, so price wise with additional included stand the Laguna is worth the extra money.

So do any of you out there own a Laguna SS|14? Anyone heard anything good or bad about it? Also, those who have the Jet BOS-5 how do you like it?

Id also like to add please no recommendations for the Ridgid combo benchtop unit or any of the other lower priced models. The Jet BOS-5 is about as low in price/quality as Im willing to consider and if I dont end up with one of the models mentioned here Ill probably be going for a larger floor standing unit.

[Ben Rivel]

Actually, looking more into it, this Laguna SS|14 might be a brand new unit that hasnt hit stores yet. I cant seem to find much of anything on it around the net. So I guess comments on the Jet BOS-5 in this thread are more welcome than before!

[John C Bush]

I have the Griz 1071. Has worked well for me. I like the large table and use the larger spindles the most, but the smaller ones come in handy occasionally. No complaints at all but I imagine the smaller units you mentioned would perform for you just as well.

[Ben Rivel]

I have the Griz 1071. Has worked well for me. I like the large table and use the larger spindles the most, but the smaller ones come in handy occasionally. No complaints at all but I imagine the smaller units you mentioned would perform for you just as well.

Yes regarding the floor units the G1071 and T26418 are both on the list of possibilities. Im not really a Grizzly fan but it really doesnt seem like any of the other big players besides the chinese import companies make OSSs.

How is dust collection with the G1071?

[Kevin McCluney]

I owned the JBOS-5 for many years and it's a well made tool. The only reason I sold it was in order to get a sander with a larger table and longer spindles (a Shop Fox). The JBOS-5 is too tall to set on a benchtop and use comfortably (unless you're 7' tall...), but I made a rolling stand using 2x4's that worked great. The 3" spindle is a "must" in my opinion. Keep in mind if you get the 3" spindle you need the table insert (sold separately when I got one) to go with it. The only experience I have with a Delta OSS is their BOSS model. I got the JBOS-5 when the BOSS I owned burned its motor out.

[Mike Heidrick]

The 1071 is a solid oss. If you were thinking of putting a benchtop on a stand anyway, go with the 1071. Buy some black paint if you need to. I have the dust collar for my 1071 and it is ok but a hose on the CI table using rare earth magnets works ok too.

[Ben Rivel]

Honestly the more I think about it almost seems silly not to go with the G1071. I can get it for $260 more than the Laguna and from the reviews and specs I've been reading on the G1071 it's starting to seem silly not to go with that.

[John C Bush]

Hi Ben,
The dust collection isn't perfect on the 1071 but is OK. The unit comes with three inserts and ten spindles. The stroke is ~1.5" and the lower portion of the sleeve wears out so I remove the sleeve and flip it 180 to get max use of the sleeves. I learned from the learn-ed here on SMC to put the spindle in the freezer to shrink the rubber, otherwise the sleeves or tough to remove. I also rub some talcum powder on the rubber to lube it a bit. the big sleeves are kind of spendy. I think you would be hapy with the Griz.

[Ben Rivel]

Not that I want to spend twice the price than the Grizzly, but does anyone out there own the Jet JOSS-S (LINK (http://www.jettools.com/us/en/p/joss-s-floor-model-oscillating-spindle-sander-1hp-1ph-115v/723950))? LOOKS like a very nice machine, but pictures Ive found are often deceiving.

[John C Bush]

Nice loking machine. The griz spindles all have their own shaft and thread into the base collet? with morse taper. seems to be the only mechanical difference without checking the guts. The storage door is nice as well. Griz table tilts easly as well.

[Ben Rivel]

Nice loking machine. The griz spindles all have their own shaft and thread into the base collet? with morse taper. seems to be the only mechanical difference without checking the guts. The storage door is nice as well. Griz table tilts easly as well.
Also looks like the dust collection area beneath the table on the Jet encompasses the front part whereas I believe the Grizzly only covers the back half. Im kinda leaning back toward the Jet JOSS-S now. Wish I hadnt missed the Jet 15% sale that ended a couple weeks ago. Now Ill have to wait for another one or perhaps AcmeTools to do a 15% off coupon.

[Ben Rivel]

For anyone considering the Jet JOSS-S, I just saw this review on Amazon that doesnt sound good, especially for the price they are trying to get for this thing. Im glad someone has finally posted a more detailed review:

LINK (https://www.amazon.com/Jet-JOSS-S-Joss-S-Oscillating-Spindle/dp/B00XRNBYNO)


We've wanted an O.S.S. in the shop for some years.
This year we had a windfall from the University and I was given 30 days to spend the money. (this is sort of a thing at Universities!)

For new machines in the $1,500.00 price range, I had settled on the Jet JOVS-10 some time ago based partly on my experience with the bench-top JBOSS-5. (which I have reviewed favorably in the past, and own at home)

Low and behold, Jet has replace the JOVS-10 with a newer model that sports many improved features.
All the online review sights seem to rank these improvements and the model highly.

Now normally I will not make a purchase of such an investment without getting my hands on it in a showroom etc, but two things made that impossible.

1- Short turn around, must get 3 bids, purchase orders, shipping etc, it all had to be delivered in a matter of weeks.

2 - Here in Rhode Island, there is not a single place that one can find one of these (or any woodworking machines) on display, In fact even over the borders in neighboring states I could not find one in a showroom.

The Sander arrived late last week, making our deadline of June 30 with room to spare.

THE UGLY:

As seen in the first image above, there was a problem right from the get go. The table which is designed to tilt front to back, has a decidedly noticeable lean to the right. Hmm.
As we moved it into location, one of us lifted from the table, and the right side managed to "pop" back up into place!

The next images I hope show what is happening, the "Trunnion" (as the JET parts list calls it, I use air quotes as to me a trunnion is a much heavier cast assembly with grooves and ways machines into it) is really nothing of the sort. It is a piece of stamped light gauge sheet-metal as opposed to a casting, and has absolutely nothing holding it onto the very small casting JET refers to as the "guide block".

The guide block in fact is also nothing of the sort, having absolutely nothing on it or near it to actually guide the compass aspect of the "Trunnion" it is a mere fraction of an inch surface onto which the 1/16th or so steel compass is expected to sit, with nothing on the side to prevent it from slipping off.

Well it so happens that in the case of my unit, that's exactly what it is prone to do any time you touch the table.

My temporary fix is seen above, where I removed the red angle needle and replaced it using the same screw and threaded hole to mount a washer which will prevent the trunnion from sliding off again.

The table on the JOSS-S is massive cast iron, (one of it's selling points) and it is suspended above the base and spindle on these two half moon "ears" of light gauge stamped steel that has no lateral strength what so ever, and no guides to prevent it simply bending out, and dropping down.

The rest of the sheet metal seen below the arc cut out, the more substantial part with the degree numbers stamped into it, rests on NOTHING! It is simply floating in space, and is clamped from side to side when the tilt lock knobs are tightened.

I suspect that given the shipping method (fully assembled in a crate) that a VERY large percentage of units will receive a knock that will cause the inertia of the table to push the trunnions "ears" off side enough to bend them and drop the table, just as mine did.

Further, with such a massive heavy cast iron table on the spindly house of cards, even when the trunnions are not slipping, the table just does not give the impression of being stable.

THE BAD:
With the largest 3" diameter spindle installed, the machine does not appear to have enough strength to hold it straight while running. I do not feel too much deflection with it switched off, and with the bare spindle, or a smaller one, this is not noticeable, but with the 3" spindle it wobbles far off center as it strokes up and down. For this I will call JET and see what they suggest. I'll update with results later.

Despite ease of access to handily stored accessories, table inserts, spindles, the actual task of swapping spindles is a chore. Access to the spindle lock and the nuts that hold the spindles on is very difficult. The oversized table is hard to get around, one feels a lot like a plumber working under a cramped bathroom sink cabinet.

The included wrench is terrible. Using it to get enough leverage to nut down a spindle, while also gripping the spindle lock is difficult. The stamped steel wrench is easily replaced with a more durable and easier to use wrench, but then we are faced with the spindle lock, also stamped steel, doing the other half of the job, and it is not so easily replaced.

The magnet provided to make the wrench easily accessible is not strong enough to hold the very flimsy light stamped steel wrench's minimal weight, and the self adhesive that was intended to hold the magnet strips on to the wrench is too weak to do that!

The power switch though seemingly prominent, is placed too low on such a tall machine. The green switch is very odd to turn on, and the oversized red paddle to turn it off does not behave as one would expect, ie: not a paddle at all, but in fact just an oddly shaped button. Again, the oversized table helps to make getting at the power switches awkward at best.

THE GOOD:

A lot of the lay out of the machine is quite good. The table, when it isn't flopping over to the side, is at a good working height of just over 39", which is similar to most Bandsaw tables.

It's cabinet has storage for everything! The cabinet door lock required reading of the instructions to figure out how to open it, but from then on it's great to have access to the accessories.

The large protruding knobs that are used to control the tilt lock of the table are about the only thing near the top of the unit that are actually easy to get at. One can see from the stock photo how long the shafts are, which contributes to the ease of access here.

For anyone that does not need a production tool of this size, I would urge you to consider the smaller 1/3 price JBOSS-5. It is overall a more robust design for the class tool it is, and would compare very well to some of the floor models.

If a floor model is required, I'd suggest you look elsewhere. This tool is as whimpy as a do it yourselfer home owners tool under the hood, and simply not up to the task of a full on production tool. Perhaps the older JET JOVS-10 would be a better investment, sacrificing some convenience for a more durable design?

I admit that I am used to far more robust tools of an earlier era.
That said, I am have some modern machinery in my shop as well, such as an Original Saw Company 12" Radial Arm Saw, and a SawStop ICS, and even a "Chinese" Rikon 18" band saw. These heavy duty production tools in no way disappointed me. The Rikon cost me about $600.00 less than this sander and is SUBSTANTIALLY a more robust tool that I expect will last decades longer than the decade it has already served us well.

[Bernie Kopfer]

I have the Jet-5 unit and it works as expected. Except that all the spindles have a slight off center oscillation that translates into a annoying chatter at times. The 3" is a must and you can easily make the table insert out of wood and save considerably. But I would try to buy a unit at a store and test it for spindle centeredness before taking it home.

[Joe Beaulieu]

I owned the JBOS-5 for many years and it's a well made tool. The only reason I sold it was in order to get a sander with a larger table and longer spindles (a Shop Fox). The JBOS-5 is too tall to set on a benchtop and use comfortably (unless you're 7' tall...), but I made a rolling stand using 2x4's that worked great. The 3" spindle is a "must" in my opinion. Keep in mind if you get the 3" spindle you need the table insert (sold separately when I got one) to go with it. The only experience I have with a Delta OSS is their BOSS model. I got the JBOS-5 when the BOSS I owned burned its motor out.

Ironically, I own the JBOS-5 and I use it on my bench top all the time. And yes, I am 7 ' tall, or damn close (6' 10"). I really like the machine, I find it well built, and easy to manage. The motor and spindle action are quite good. The only thing lacking is the dust collection is poor. I have had the machine for more than 10 years and I am happy with it.

Joe

[Martin Wasner]

What about something like this?

http://360degreemachinery.com/?p=11236

[Ben Rivel]

FWIW to finish up this thread, I ended up placing an order today for the Shop Fox W1686 (https://www.woodstockint.com/products/W1686). It ended up costing me about $134 more than the Grizzly G1071, but has a larger table, twice the warranty period, isnt that hideous green color, still has the cast iron table mounts and as Ive read in the past about Shop Fox hopefully a little better build quality, but we'll see.

[Matt Stack]

Hey Ben, how do you like the Shop Fox W1686? I in the market for a floor model OSS. I've looked at Jet, Oliver, Laguna, Grizzly, Baileigh, etc.

Are you pleased with the unit? Anything you are disappointed about?

[Ben Rivel]

Hey Ben, how do you like the Shop Fox W1686? I in the market for a floor model OSS. I've looked at Jet, Oliver, Laguna, Grizzly, Baileigh, etc.

Are you pleased with the unit? Anything you are disappointed about?Very actually. The table inserts that surround the spindles needed some metal work around the leveling set screws, and the wrenches that came with it were garbage, but I knew about these issues before I ordered the unit and they were easy to fix/replace/repair. Other than that Id note that the dust collection was much better than I expected when hooked up to my Oneida V-3000 3HP cyclone. Im glad I went with this one as the 28" table is nice and I still only read issues with the new Jet JOSS-S so Im glad I didnt spend the $1500 on that one!