Am I delusional or what?

[Chris Barton]

Hi Everyone,

So, I have come to highly value the opinions and experiences of my fellow creekers so here I am again seeking advice. Despite the fact that Laguna tools has a rather "colorful" reputation based upon what I see online I am actually entertaining putting in a rather significant order. They have their X31 combo machine on sale for $4,995.00


http://lagunatools.com/images/big_X31.jpg (http://lagunatools.com/info.htm)
I have seriously considered this as a new option in my shop. It was evaluated by one of the woodworking mags and received a "fair" rating and I have read other posts that suggest that while it is not perfect, it is a very good option and at its special price. Does anyone have experience with this machine? Should I even consider this or am I delusional?

[Russell Svenningsen]

While I do not own one, I have had the chance to use/"go over" one, and they are pretty darn good.

The attraction for me is the footprint. The claims that it is the ultimate small-shop tool are correct, IMHO. It does save space and function nicely.

The only drawback for me is the price tag. Too steep for me. Otherwise, I'd already have one.

[Michael Perata]

Chris

Most WWers who are willing to pay the price of a Robland opt for a MiniMax or Felder. You NEED to do a side by side comparison of the three. Don't buy simply because you get the same functions for less. You don't get the same functionality for less.

[Philip Glover]

Chris,
When I first decided that I wanted a combo machine the first one that I considered was Robland/Laguna. Then I looked at MiniMax and Felder. From that point on I never again considered Robland and I changed my mind immediately about how much money that I would spend. The value is far greater with MiniMax or Felder. I ended up with a MiniMax 300 Smart and a MM16 bandsaw.
When it comes to MM vs. Felder the decision becomes much more complicated. Both are very good machines.
There are endless posts on this forum and the MiniMax and Felder owners group websites on the pro's and con's of each. I have a few simple recomendations to anyone considering combo machines 1) get the longest slider that will fit in your shop; you will use it once you have it. 2) seperate the saw/shaper and jointer/planer; the difference in footprint is minor and the benifits are many. 3) You must look at all the machines before you commit lots of money.

Regards,
Phil

[Michael Perata]

Chris,
I have a few simple recomendations to anyone considering combo machines 1) get the longest slider that will fit in your shop; you will use it once you have it. 2) seperate the saw/shaper and jointer/planer; the difference in footprint is minor and the benifits are many. 3) You must look at all the machines before you commit lots of money.
Chris

I have the same setup Phil has except I have 5.5' slider. I would second his recommendations on slider length and also splitting the machines if you have the space.

Let me reiterate his suggestion #3.

[Bill Grumbine]

Hi Chris

I would add my vote to taking a long hard look at the MM CU 300 Smart. I bought one last year, and while the learning curve was a little on the steep side, I am happy with it. I have a small shop to start, and it is fairly stuffed with lathes for all the turning I do, so the five machine combo worked out well for me. I have not had any time issues with going from one machine to another, although the shaper can cause my language to get somewhat colorful from time to time. :eek:

Bill

[Paul B. Cresti]

Chris,

I have to agree with the others, in do not shop on price alone. Neither the cheapest may suffice nor the most expensive is worth it. You need to decide for yourself what is worth it. The Robelands are not of the same quality as the MiniMax or Felder or Knapp lines. People seem to have lots of problems with them holding their settings and they just simply do not have the engineering or build quality of the others. If you are ok with this then fine. If you want to use machines where you set up once and they remain that way, are built with high quailty components and are engineered to perform then you are at the next level I mentioned. From there, there are many options from the very "simply" designed MM machines to the Felders with just about every thing "but the kitchen sink" principals in add ons. That is where you need to decide what is important to you spending money on a machine that performs or spend lots of money on a machine that performs and has lots of "neat features".

[Jamie Buxton]

If the price jump up to the Felder/Minimax/Knapp level is too much for you, you might check out Hammer. Hammer is built by Felder, but aimed at a lower price point -- kinda like Chevy and Cadillac.

[John Hart]

Chris...I'll leave the expertise to the experts and just say I'm jealous that you have this decision to make. Good luck in your quest!

[Chris Barton]

I want to thank everyone that posted. And, I belive Paul and Bill are right. I am going to have to look at the MM and Felder units which by the way, were also reviewed in this article and did receive better ratings. Also, I wrote an email to the folks at Laguna aking them to convince me to consider this unit along with a LT16 as a package purchase despite the considerable negative press they seem to enjoy at multiple websites including their own. Interestingly, I have never received a reply to that email nor any of the information I requested on several of their machines over 6 weeks ago. I wonder how they stay in business?


Thanks Again!

[Dale Rodabaugh]

Good luck,its way outta my price range.Looks like a nice piece of equiupment.Hope ya make the right decision,and enjoy it.If ya get it in your shop send us some pix.:confused: ;) :cool:

[Dan Larson]

Interestingly, I have never received a reply to that email nor any of the information I requested on several of their machines over 6 weeks ago. I wonder how they stay in business?

Hi Chris,

I have done business with Laguna frequently in the past year. Overall, I'm happy with their customer service. But a word of advice when dealing with Laguna-- pick up the phone and give them a call. For whatever reason, e-mails sent to Laguna tend to fall between the cracks. I've always had good service from them over the phone.

Dan