Laguna LT24 Owners - Your Impressions?

[Matt Przybylski]

Hello,
I have the opportunity to go take a look at a Laguna LT24x24 band saw. It is used and about 9 years old but in a hobby setting. It comes with the Driftmaster fence, 5 blades (not sure which ones), is made in Italy, and has a 5hp motor. He is asking $2,300 for it. My questions:

1) What should I look for when I go take a look at it? Is there any known issues I should be aware of when looking at this one?
2) How are the guides on this saw? I've read both positive and negative thus far.
3) Is there anything else I need to know? Any other general info about saws of this size to be aware of?
4) What's the best way to load/transport this sucker? Seems it weighs 755lbs.

I'm stepping up from a Grizzly G0555 14" band saw so this is a huge jump for me. It's a different class of saw so I want to make sure I do things right this time around as I'm hoping this will be the last band saw I purchase.

Appreciate any help given.

[Bob Bouis]

For transport, you'd probably do best just to tip it over so it's resting on the "arm" side instead of trying to keep it standing. Maybe take the table off first. That's how my MM24 came on the pallet.

You might consider getting some casters for it, but I wouldn't recommend putting them on until you have it standing up in your shop.

[Andrew Hughes]

The only thing I can help you foresee is to make sure you have enough electrical service to start that saw.
Thats where I almost fell short of when I made the jump.From a 2hp motor to a 5.
It's quite a surge to get those big wheels turning.
Good luck with your choice sounds like a nice saw.
Aj

[Matt Przybylski]

Thank you gentleman, appreciate the heads up on those items.

Is there any owners of this saw out there who can comment a bit on its usage and how it runs, etc?

[Earl McLain]

The only thing I can help you foresee is to make sure you have enough electrical service to start that saw.
Thats where I almost fell short of when I made the jump.From a 2hp motor to a 5.
It's quite a surge to get those big wheels turning.
Good luck with your choice sounds like a nice saw.
Aj

Great--now i'm stuck with Proud Mary for the rest of the night!!

I'm good for 240 v at 20 amps--but that 30 amp circuit for 5 HP would be a problem. Good thinking AJ.
earl

[Van Huskey]

All the OP needs to know is at that price if it runs buy it. If it is in good shape that is underpriced.

Laguna guides seem to be a love hate relationship though I notice the hate more often than not comes from people that have not owned/used them. I am particularly fond of the but prefer the tooless version which I doubt that saw has, assuming the age is correct. It is a very good saw, are there better saws, yes but that price is outstanding and it is in the upper range of 24" steel saws.

[lee cox]

Sounds like a good deal to me. If you aren't going to buy it pass it on. What part of the country are you in?

[Bill ThompsonNM]

I have a Laguna Italian 18 inch - buy the 24. Great saws and thats a great price.

[Jeff Bartley]

Matt,
For electric service to a saw of that size I've been advised to use a 40 amp circuit.
But I'd love it if any owners of 24" 5hp saws could tell me otherwise.......even better if someone could measure the start up amp draw!
Good luck! Go buy it before someone else beats ya to it!

[Matt Przybylski]

I am going to buy it indeed if all checks out. I was thinking about what some have said about laying it on its arm for transport. How do you suppose I tilt this beast to do that and then how to get it back standing? At 750lbs it's not exactly easy :)

As for power, looking at the manual on their site they suggest a 50amp breaker for single phase it would seem.

[Tom Trees]

Hello Matt I have a 3 phase 3hp dual voltage motor on my ACM star 600/Griggio SNA 600...which I believe is the same saw . I'm currently running it with a Chinese VFD from 13a plug . There's a 30a MCB to the workshop . I have not put it through its paces yet as I'm truing the tires on it and testing . Doesn't seem to be bothered when extra pressure is needed if your trying to rough cut large stuff with too much TPI ... Its only when adjustments are carried out and turning the pot up from 20hz to 50hz that the lights flicker briefly http://www.sawmillcreek.org/images/smilies/wink.gif I have this small 1/2" very fine blade for testing and its proved indispensable . Not sure as my saw is a 1997 machine but mine had a broken trunnion and was held with a clamp http://www.sawmillcreek.org/images/smilies/eek.gif as its only a single bolt attaching the two cast pieces ..you could look for any sign of damage there... aswell as looking at the slot in the table ...are both the same plane ...I had to shim a bit of wood to lift the right side up a tad . Defiantly take the table off if moving ....Its heavy .. and moving the machine a two man job ..bring a dolly / trolley I found I lacked the height for tipping the saw onto its spine I found i lacked the weight for tipping when it was on its spine shifting it off the trailer and when you get the saw lifted above your waist you need to re-position yourself if lifting doors side down . If your lifting from the spine you need to make sure the saw cant tip on its face or motor side down... as you've got no control once you tip it to standing position ! I foreseen this as i transported it spine sided down and lifted it into a mobile base ,whilst avoiding hitting the ceiling joists . and when i tipped it upright it could have tipped over door side down ...well .......I think that's which way it tipped http://www.sawmillcreek.org/images/smilies/redface.gif I'll know better for again and lift it upright against a wall GO GET THE SAW !!!

[Bob Bouis]

Leverage. Not saying it's easy but with most of the weight below waist height it isn't that difficult to tip the machine over gently say, into a trailer.

[Van Huskey]

I have always moved bandsaws in this size range strapped to an appliance truck, I find it far easier than laying them down on the spine (never heard it called an arm). If you have to tip it farther down to get through doorways I like to have three people BUT two reasonably strong men can accomplish it with no issues. If you will be moving it on a trailer just strap the heck out of it.

I would prefer it on a 40 amp circuit (50 amp is overkill) but people get away with 30 amps on similar saws, if you don;t have a 40 amp circuit I would use a 30 amp circuit unless or until I detremined it was too light.

I will say that lighter 16/17 inch saws (in the 250-400 lb range) are often easier to tip and slide into the bed of a pickup (long bed) and ride on the spine just to be tipped out at the end, I find once you hit 600-700 pounds the appliance truck is a better option, but any way will work as long as you give it plenty of thought ahead of time. Planning is the key to a machine move.

[Kelby Van Patten]

Rent a moving truck with sturdy side hooks and a lift gate. Strap the bejeebers out of it to the side, standing up.

I have a Laguna 18LT with the Drift Master, and it's a great saw. I have the old-style ceramic guides. I like them. At this price, buy it fast.

[Tom Trees]

345796
I thought I'd show this trunnion bolt that i was on about ...
I think it would be foolish to not take the table off .
I find that it would be handy to have someone there to tell if the table is in the correct position before reassembling ..
This would prove difficult anyway if you had to screw that bolt in aswell as holding the table too ...
When I was making a trunnion bracket I found I had a pair of right lengths of timber wedged underneath each side of the table .
I should mention I am smallish stout and unreasonable though.
Yeah ... the last new saw I had was a 20" 200kg Chinese that I found out I had to bring back in a hurry ....that's when I figured out you can
lift a saw by its spine ...I could do that ...flip the saw over no problem ..
On this machine I nearly need a bit of help
Once you tilt it past the point of standing ....say when you could get a shoebox on end under the machine
It will balance if you hold it and you've got enough time to tell somebody to find the thing ...
When its lying down i can lift it and move sideways for enough time to tell somebody to find the thing ...
Its when the spine is being lowered down that it gets heavy ,and did i mention the tables heavy ???
Good luck

[Matt Przybylski]

I think a truck with a lift gate is the best bet here as I won't have any real help unloading it at my destination.