Laguna 18bx ?

[John Sayen]

I was looking at buying the 14 SUV and stumbled across the 18bx.

Is the 18bx brand new? I can't seem to find a single review of it online.

https://lagunatools.com/laguna-machinery/bandsaws/18bx-bandsaw/

Has anyone seen or read about one?

Thank you.

[Victor Robinson]

Looks like it's brand-spanking new. Replacement for the Asian LT18 3000. The 14bx seems to be getting decent early reviews at its price point. This new 18bx adds those features (mainly the disc brake), cuts the HP from 4 to 3, and the price tag from the LT18. A decent option for those of us considering 16-18" saws in the 2k range, but that Grizzly that a few folks on here have been very pleased with (0636?) would be worth a hard look if shopping this saw. I suspect you won't be seeing too many reviews for a little while since it appears to be so new.

Personally I'm saving my pennies until I can afford an Italian Laguna or Minimax.

[Chris Hachet]

Looks like it's brand-spanking new. Replacement for the Asian LT18 3000. The 14bx seems to be getting decent early reviews at its price point. This new 18bx adds those features (mainly the disc brake), cuts the HP from 4 to 3, and the price tag from the LT18. A decent option for those of us considering 16-18" saws in the 2k range, but that Grizzly that a few folks on here have been very pleased with (0636?) would be worth a hard look if shopping this saw. I suspect you won't be seeing too many reviews for a little while since it appears to be so new.

Personally I'm saving my pennies until I can afford an Italian Laguna or Minimax.Probably going to go with a vintage American machine myself, but I absolutely love the Italian Laguna 18. I have a good friend who has one, it is enough to make you fall in love with woodworking all over again.

[Van Huskey]

It just popped up on their website last week. I suppose the closest direct competition would be the Rikon 10-346 which has a similar shipped price and has 4hp and 18" of vertical capacity. IN any event if the quality is similar to the 14BX it will be a solid saw but well into the used Laguna HD and Minimax MM territory.

[John Sayen]

Thanks all. If you weren't planning on resawing over 12" would you get the 14 SUV or the 18bx?

Or would you drop down to the 14bx or maybe the 1412?

[Art Mann]

I resaw hardwood up to 12 inches on my Laguna 14/12 and it works fine. More horsepower will obviously produce faster results but it won't do a better job. If I had it to do again, I would probably buy the 14 SUV or 18bx . The reason is extra horsepower. The 14bx doesn't have that and is, therefore, not much more desirable than the 14/12 to me. I would also take another look at Rikon. When I was shopping two years ago, the Rikon offerings were inferior in several ways.

[Victor Robinson]

Thanks all. If you weren't planning on resawing over 12" would you get the 14 SUV or the 18bx?

Or would you drop down to the 14bx or maybe the 1412?

It depends on how you like to use a bandsaw. Personally I have no need for >12" resaw height but find the small throat and table size the things I find limiting about my 14" bandsaw. If you don't intend to crosscut on your saw or work on larger pieces the throat may not matter as much to you. The 18bx has 4.5" more of throat and a significantly larger table than the 14 SUV. Those are two major considerations that would tip me towards the 18bx. Of course, if you are wanting a smaller height or less weight for whatever reason, then the SUV would be the better choice.

[John Sayen]

Which Rikion would you look at?

[Van Huskey]

I resaw hardwood up to 12 inches on my Laguna 14/12 and it works fine. More horsepower will obviously produce faster results but it won't do a better job. If I had it to do again, I would probably buy the 14 SUV or 18bx . The reason is extra horsepower. The 14bx doesn't have that and is, therefore, not much more desirable than the 14/12 to me. I would also take another look at Rikon. When I was shopping two years ago, the Rikon offerings were inferior in several ways.

That is only the case with the 120v 14BX the 240v 14BX has 2.5hp vs 1.75.

To the OP resawing on the bandsaw side (blade is at least 50% of the equation) is basically down to horsepower, frame rigidity and tension ability. In the past the Laguna Asian saws had increasing rigidity and tensioning ability with increasing wheel size, I have no way to know this is the case with the new 18BX but chances are good this is the case.

Table size and height are also considerations, the 18BX has a significant increase in table size, all the BX saws are around 38" table height which is a little tall for heavy resawing (the SUV is more of a resaw height at 35"). I am a big fan of foot brakes on bandsaws which allows me to handsfree stop the saw from the side which I often work on and the off switch is all the way on the other side of the saw.

Having not touched one I can't really recommend the 18BX but based on paper specs and past saws I would say it will be a better saw for resawing than the others if one's budget permits. Once you are at this price point the Rikon 10-346 18" saw (19" of resaw and 4hp) and the Hammer N4400 are also to be considered, though the Hammer is a little pricey when not on sale.

[Art Mann]

Right now, Highland Woodworking in Atlanta has the Rikon 10-353 on sale for $1400. It has all the upgrades I would be looking for in a 14 inch full featured saw. I live close enough to the store that I can go inspect the machine. I prefer a smaller footprint than the 18 inch or bigger saws. I don't resaw long heavy pieces so that is big enough.


Which Rikion would you look at?

[Patrick Curry]

I've owned my LT18 3000 few a few years now and have been very happy with it. It was intended to be used mostly for roughing reclaimed hardwood to size but now that I'm temporarily without a table saw I turn to it or my track saw for near everything.

It's a nice size saw, the finish is a step above my other machines, has plenty of power, and tracks wonderfully. There's really nothing I don't like about it. I've never used the 18" Rikon but would definitely compare the two. And as for Italian band saws, I don't know what the differences are other than a higher resale value.

[Van Huskey]

And as for Italian band saws, I don't know what the differences are other than a higher resale value.

Outside of generally better build quality it mainly comes down to being built more substantially. The ACM built Laguna saws are about 25% heavier than their Chinese cousins, the Centauro built Minimax saws are about 20-25% heavier than the Laguna HD saws. There are lots of other details like more substantial guide posts, better brakes etc.

[Edwin Santos]

Once you are at this price point the Rikon 10-346 18" saw (19" of resaw and 4hp) and the Hammer N4400 are also to be considered, though the Hammer is a little pricey when not on sale.

Does Hammer/Felder build their own saws or does another manufacturer build them for Hammer?

[Van Huskey]

Does Hammer/Felder build their own saws or does another manufacturer build them for Hammer?


Sticky issue. Hammer bandsaw are built by Felder in Austria from "global" components.

[Victor Robinson]

Outside of generally better build quality it mainly comes down to being built more substantially. The ACM built Laguna saws are about 25% heavier than their Chinese cousins, the Centauro built Minimax saws are about 20-25% heavier than the Laguna HD saws. There are lots of other details like more substantial guide posts, better brakes etc.

Those factors are certainly not debatable, but what does merit at least some discussion is whether that robustness of build is really necessary or even detectable at the hobbyist level. I think there's a certain fit and finish to the Italian saws that is noticeable when one touches and uses the saws, but at what point does it become subject to the laws of diminishing returns? I ask myself this nearly everyday as I lead up to the eventual purchase of a ~18" saw -- still probably a year away. The Asian Lagunas certainly ain't bad, and neither is the Grizzly 0636.

Are the Italian saws smoother running? Less prone to vibration? I know in theory this should be true on the basis of the gross weights, but does it really translate into real world differences? I'd be curious to hear from folks that have extensively used a machine like the LT18 3000 as well as an Italian HD or MM.

[Jonathan Biccum]

I was wondering the same thing. I was getting ready to pull the trigger on the 14BX-220v and all of a sudden the 18BX popped up on their page. Of course that made me pause and began several days (still going) of back and forth, justifying, rethinking, re-justifying, etc.. I ended up talking to one of their CS reps yesterday since there's a dearth of info about this shiny new saw. To paraphrase, it's everything the 14BX is, just bigger. There aren't any significant innovations like a new kind of guide or fence or anything, so take everything there is to like about 14BX in an approximately 20-28% bigger form factor.

This most pertinent piece of info he shared was that, although the 18BX isn't showing up at online retailers yet, you can place an order for one now (through Laguna) but we're looking at a 60 day wait for them at this point. He also projected this wait time to increase as the wait list grows like it did when the 14BX was first released. That has definitely steered me back to the 14BX at this point because I don't think I want to wait that long for it. Also, the mobility kit is not currently available for it, but the rep did say he expects it to be out soon.

I've done a side by side comparison of the 14BX 220v, 18BX, and 14 SUV to try to help me figure out which one to get. Perhaps this will be useful to others as well:




14BX-220v
18BX
14SUV


Horsepower
2.5
3
3


Amperage
9.8
12 (rec. 20A breaker)
amperage not listed but rec. 30A breaker


Resaw Height
12"
16"
14"


Throat Clearance
13.625"
18"
13.25"


Min/Max Blade Width
1/8" - 3/4"
1/8" - 1.25"
1/8" - 1"


Blade Length
115"
145"
125"


Table Size
21.5" x 16"
26" x 20"
19.75" x 15.75"


Table Height
38"
38"
35.5"


Height
70.25"
77.75"
70"


Footprint
22.5" x 17.5"
27" x 20"
24" x 16"


Weight in lbs(net/ship)
270 / 330
410 / 460
340 / 375


Price (bare tool)
$1,499
$1,999
$1,799



Based on my research it's down to the 14BX and 18BX for me. I'm 6'4" so the lower table on the SUV is a deal breaker. Not to mention for only $200 more you get the bigger 18" saw. I'm just not sure I want to wait 60 days to get it.

I should also mention that Laguna tools are 10% off from 1-15 March. I'm not sure if that sale is valid if you order directly from Laguna. I haven't gotten far enough down the decision road to address that. The prices reflected in the table do not take the sale into consideration.

[Matthew Springer]

Hmm, the obvious solution seems to buy both a 14BX and a 18bx. one for curves, one for straightline resawing.

[Jonathan Biccum]

Hmm, the obvious solution seems to buy both a 14BX and a 18bx. one for curves, one for straightline resawing.

^^^ THIS.

That is...if I had $4K to drop on the setup and more importantly the space in my small shop. :p

[Van Huskey]

Those factors are certainly not debatable, but what does merit at least some discussion is whether that robustness of build is really necessary or even detectable at the hobbyist level. I think there's a certain fit and finish to the Italian saws that is noticeable when one touches and uses the saws, but at what point does it become subject to the laws of diminishing returns? I ask myself this nearly everyday as I lead up to the eventual purchase of a ~18" saw -- still probably a year away. The Asian Lagunas certainly ain't bad, and neither is the Grizzly 0636.

Are the Italian saws smoother running? Less prone to vibration? I know in theory this should be true on the basis of the gross weights, but does it really translate into real world differences? I'd be curious to hear from folks that have extensively used a machine like the LT18 3000 as well as an Italian HD or MM.


In the end most of this is want not need...

The more robust saws will have more tension ability which some people actually use and in general the quality of the engineering and the quality each of the individual pieces is better. I have been in hobbyist's shops with Martin shapers and Altendorf sliders just like there are people that commute in Porsche 911 GT3s. People have different tastes, desires and budgets and for many the Euro saws don't makes sense for one or more reasons. Most of us know a good tool/machine just by looking and touching it and the MM/Felder/Laguna Euro saws fit that bill.

[Patrick Lesher]

Thank you VERY much for the table comparing those.

I am in the exact same boat and was looking at the 14BX. I saw Laguna had a "demo" 14BX for $1119 but when I called it would be $302 shipping to IL. I asked about shipping times on the 18BX and the guy said they have 608 arriving around 3/15 in a shipping contain and they only have 58 back ordered. Now I really can't decide.

[Chris Hachet]

Thank you VERY much for the table comparing those.

I am in the exact same boat and was looking at the 14BX. I saw Laguna had a "demo" 14BX for $1119 but when I called it would be $302 shipping to IL. I asked about shipping times on the 18BX and the guy said they have 608 arriving around 3/15 in a shipping contain and they only have 58 back ordered. Now I really can't decide.

Keep us informed of what you choose and how much you like it, please. Would value your feedback on the tools in question.

[Van Huskey]

Thank you VERY much for the table comparing those.

I am in the exact same boat and was looking at the 14BX. I saw Laguna had a "demo" 14BX for $1119 but when I called it would be $302 shipping to IL. I asked about shipping times on the 18BX and the guy said they have 608 arriving around 3/15 in a shipping contain and they only have 58 back ordered. Now I really can't decide.


To add extra mud to the water, at the ~$2K price point the Rikon 10-346 is worth a look, 4hp, 19" resaw and 5 year warranty.

[Chris Hachet]

To add extra mud to the water, at the ~$2K price point the Rikon 10-346 is worth a look, 4hp, 19" resaw and 5 year warranty.it is an excellent and lustworthy tool. I see a third bandsaw in my future, and this may well be it.

[Patrick Lesher]

I ended up calling Woodcraft in WI and ordering the 18BX. Chris, the owner, is fantastic to work with.
It is back ordered till the end of April which contradicts what Laguna told me about 608 of them coming in.

The 14BX's are only back ordered till the end of March.

Hopefully it comes in earlier but it gives me time to run another 220v line.

[Jonathan Biccum]

NICE Patrick! Congrats!!! End of April jives with what the guy I talked to said about wait time. Hopefully they're overestimating the wait time. Can't wait to hear what you think about it. I'm pretty set the 14Bx (220v) due to price...the 18Bx will end up being too much for me right now once you figure in the mobility kit and extra cost of the 145" blades.

[Chris Hachet]

Congrats Patrick! Looking forward to seeing this in your wood shop.

[Patrick Lesher]

NICE Patrick! Congrats!!! End of April jives with what the guy I talked to said about wait time. Hopefully they're overestimating the wait time. Can't wait to hear what you think about it. I'm pretty set the 14Bx (220v) due to price...the 18Bx will end up being too much for me right now once you figure in the mobility kit and extra cost of the 145" blades.

I debated the cost a lot and in the end the "Better Half" said just get the 18 since you probably won't outgrow it for a lot longer ( Love that woman! ). I just couldn't get over the 12" resaw of the 14bx since I have a 14" cutting board waiting to be resawn right now. The woodcraft store has 2 jet 14 steel frames for 20% off that I debated as well.

They don't have the mobility kit for the 18BX listed yet so I'm just going to throw it on an extra mobile base I have.

April/May gives me time to sell my Grizzly 14" too.

[Chris Hachet]

I debated the cost a lot and in the end the "Better Half" said just get the 18 since you probably won't outgrow it for a lot longer ( Love that woman! ). I just couldn't get over the 12" resaw of the 14bx since I have a 14" cutting board waiting to be resawn right now. The woodcraft store has 2 jet 14 steel frames for 20% off that I debated as well.

They don't have the mobility kit for the 18BX listed yet so I'm just going to throw it on an extra mobile base I have.

April/May gives me time to sell my Grizzly 14" too.


There is a lot of wisdom is buying tools you will not outgrow.

[Keith Hankins]

I ended up calling Woodcraft in WI and ordering the 18BX. Chris, the owner, is fantastic to work with.
It is back ordered till the end of April which contradicts what Laguna told me about 608 of them coming in.

The 14BX's are only back ordered till the end of March.

Hopefully it comes in earlier but it gives me time to run another 220v line.

Please do a review and post a lot of pics.

[Patrick Lesher]

Please do a review and post a lot of pics.

I definitely will do.

I guess should get off my butt and do some for the ones I've gotten recently. I guess I figured most everything I've picked up was already so well talked about I didn't have much to add.

[Patrick Lesher]

Well, it looks like the 18BX won't get here till the beginning of May depending on shipping IF the date doesn't slip. ( I've had bad luck with Laguna slipping dates. ) . I sold my bandsaw last week and of course I have 4 or 5 things that I could use the new one for.

Anyone have any thoughts on the Powermatic PM1500? I've read everything from fantastic to not worth the extra money. It would be about $1000 more than the 18BX out the door.
On paper the 18BX seems like a no brainer but I'm wondering about all the little differences that might add up to a much better experience. I had an older jet jointer and when I got my new
powermatic it was like night and day with fit, finish, and tolerances.

18BX PM1500
motor: 3HP 3HP
blade: 1/8" - 1.25" 1/8" - 1"
blade: 145" 153"
resaw: 16" 14"
Throat: 18" 14.5"
Guides: ceramic roller
Table H: 38" 40"
Table: 20"x26" 21.5"x16"
Dim: 36"x30" 27.5"x29.75" ( not sure if these are the same L/W )
Weight: 410lbs 394lbs

[Van Huskey]

The PM 1500/1800b/2013b/2415b are absolutely my favorite Asian built saws. They are well designed, feature rich, well built and carry a 5 year warranty. That said they are priced too close to Minimax MM series saws in most cases they are MORE expensive. The 1500 is a great saw but too close to the MM16 price wise for me to get excited about.

[Patrick Lesher]

Quick Update.
I just heard the 18BX is delay until late June due a design improvement with the fence. At least some of the 14BX's should be shipping in a week or so.

[Jim Coffey]

I am interested in a new resaw bandsaw soon and wanted to revive this thread. The Laguna 18bx looks good on paper but customer service gets mixed reviews. I am also thinking of the Rikon 10-346 which comes with a five year warranty. Any user reviews on the Laguna?

[Victor Robinson]

Quick Update.
I just heard the 18BX is delay until late June due a design improvement with the fence. At least some of the 14BX's should be shipping in a week or so.

Bummer. These dates always seem to slip. Hope you get it soon - I'm looking forward to your review!

[Levi Lunde]

Hi folks, I can contribute this bit of info to this thread- I ordered my 18bx at the beginning of may from beavertools. After a few conversations with them and the laguna site chat, I have been told my saw won't be ready until July 28th, which means I won't see it until the beginning of august. I wait with baited breath.

[Levi Lunde]

Well, the day has come. I called the outfit that I bought the 18BX from this morning, and they tell me that my saw is in fact being shipped today but couldn't get me any tracking info yet, I'd almost forgotten that I bought it in the first place. I'll post again later as news develops.

[Levi Lunde]

Email from a laguna rep this morning says" sorry, your saw didn't make the cut. And will now not be shipped until 8/23". Didn't make the cut? Real cute laguna. The wait continues and my patience grows thin. This saw had better be amazing.

[Chris Parks]

The only thing I would question on this saw would be the ability to tension a 11/4" blade, that is a seriously big blade for really big saws. Why would they spec a saw meant for a hobbyist to tension a blade that big, it is for 99.9% of people something they would not use on cost alone even if the saw could tension it.

[Victor Robinson]

Anyone get theirs? Levi? Patrick?

[Patrick Lesher]

Anyone get theirs? Levi? Patrick?

Nope, I gave up on getting mine and got the Powermatic PM15. Love it.

[Victor Robinson]

Nope, I gave up on getting mine and got the Powermatic PM15. Love it.

Bah, you're no help then. :D Glad you're enjoying that PM15 though.

[Chris Hachet]

Bah, you're no help then. :D Glad you're enjoying that PM15 though.PM 15 is amazingly nice also.

[Alex Gauthier]

I had occasion to use the 18bx recently and really liked it. I like the 14bx and it's basically just a higher capacity 14bx in terms of fit, finish and how it is to use. I like the non-bearing guides that both saws use, the disc brake is nice but not very exciting imo. I also like the table on the 18bx quite a bit. I liked it well enough that I'll picking one up myself pretty soon.

[Victor Robinson]

I had occasion to use the 18bx recently and really liked it. I like the 14bx and it's basically just a higher capacity 14bx in terms of fit, finish and how it is to use. I like the non-bearing guides that both saws use, the disc brake is nice but not very exciting imo. I also like the table on the 18bx quite a bit. I liked it well enough that I'll picking one up myself pretty soon.

I need to try to get my hands on one, or at least the 14bx to get an idea of fit&finish and whether I'll be left wanting. I'm basically down to the 18bx if I stay budget-conscious vs. the FB510/MM16 if I decide to blow it all on the bandsaw. Might be my last bandsaw purchase for many, many years though.
On paper, aside from the 3HP motor (probably sufficient for me since I'm more of an all-around user than resawer), the 18bx is impressive with a good table size and throat (also why I'd opt for it over the PM15). But then a lot of the difference between the Asian saws and the Euro ones is less about the specs on paper...

[Alex Gauthier]

I did a just a little resawing with it and it seemed to be powerful enough. I believe I cut slices off a 10 or 12' high chunk of maple if memory serves. I'll be in the all around user category as well. I don't have the benefit of having used a 5HP saw but though not "speedy" it seemed just fine in terms of how it ate up the resawing work. I can't recall which blade was on it but we used a dedicated resaw blade (not the Laguna one though).


I need to try to get my hands on one, or at least the 14bx to get an idea of fit&finish and whether I'll be left wanting. I'm basically down to the 18bx if I stay budget-conscious vs. the FB510/MM16 if I decide to blow it all on the bandsaw. Might be my last bandsaw purchase for many, many years though.
On paper, aside from the 3HP motor (probably sufficient for me since I'm more of an all-around user than resawer), the 18bx is impressive with a good table size and throat (also why I'd opt for it over the PM15). But then a lot of the difference between the Asian saws and the Euro ones is less about the specs on paper...

[James Maccubbin]

New member to the forums. My 18bx is being delivered to the house tomorrow. Super excited - I also bought the Resaw King blade (not sure why it's SO expensive) but looking forward to resewing some 8/4 walnut lumber that I purchased from a local mill two weekends ago. Also, the 18bx apparently uses the same mobile base as the 14bx, so I'll need to order that as well.

[Victor Robinson]

New member to the forums. My 18bx is being delivered to the house tomorrow. Super excited - I also bought the Resaw King blade (not sure why it's SO expensive) but looking forward to resewing some 8/4 walnut lumber that I purchased from a local mill two weekends ago. Also, the 18bx apparently uses the same mobile base as the 14bx, so I'll need to order that as well.

Welcome James! Really looking forward to your impressions of the machine.

[Chris Hachet]

I did a just a little resawing with it and it seemed to be powerful enough. I believe I cut slices off a 10 or 12' high chunk of maple if memory serves. I'll be in the all around user category as well. I don't have the benefit of having used a 5HP saw but though not "speedy" it seemed just fine in terms of how it ate up the resawing work. I can't recall which blade was on it but we used a dedicated resaw blade (not the Laguna one though).
5 Horse wouild be better with a bigger saw if you were going to do any sort of production re sawing I think. As it is, it should give satisfactory eprformance with a 3 Horse.

[Dominik Dudkiewicz]

Also look forward to hearing your opinions. The resaw king is expensive (about $320usd in australia) but it is awesome IMO and if the saw is set up well it leaves an extremely smooth finish (for a bandsaw).

Have you had a bandsaw before this one? Did you get the 1" or 1 1/4" resaw king?

I had a cheap 14" before I got the lt18 3000 series that I guess the 18bx is a replacement for and it was such a huge upgrade. Night and day. I'm excited for you. Take your time to set it up properly. Enjoy!

[Steve Kang]

New member to the forums. My 18bx is being delivered to the house tomorrow. Super excited - I also bought the Resaw King blade (not sure why it's SO expensive) but looking forward to resewing some 8/4 walnut lumber that I purchased from a local mill two weekends ago. Also, the 18bx apparently uses the same mobile base as the 14bx, so I'll need to order that as well.

Hi James, have you had a chance to try out your new saw? Any initial impressions you'd like to share?

[Chris Hachet]

Hi James, have you had a chance to try out your new saw? Any initial impressions you'd like to share?

Yes, curious of your impressions.

[Greg J. Anderson]

Hi - I just joined this community. I recently got my 18BX and if you are curious, check out my review at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psD_ayGS05o . I hope you find this useful. Happy to answer questions you may have.
Greg

[Mike Kees]

Greg started to watch your review. I was wondering does the saw work well. I know the table sucks for now but is the rest of it a good machine or would you buy different if you had to do it again ?

[Victor Robinson]

Hi - I just joined this community. I recently got my 18BX and if you are curious, check out my review at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psD_ayGS05o . I hope you find this useful. Happy to answer questions you may have.
Greg

Greg, welcome to the forum and thanks for the video review. Watched it with my morning coffee. I'm glad Laguna finally got you squared away with the table and fence.

I'm curious which other saws you considered and a little bit about your decision-making process? This saw compares to the others I'm considering very, very favorably on paper with a substantial savings to boot, though it could be argued you paid for that with your time and frustration getting Laguna to make it right. Did you consider going with the higher-end Euro saws (either Laguna's own or other brands?)?

PS. Sweet shop space!

[Greg J. Anderson]

Greg started to watch your review. I was wondering does the saw work well. I know the table sucks for now but is the rest of it a good machine or would you buy different if you had to do it again ?
Yes I would buy it again. I am happy with the way it performes ,I have resawn a fresh log {ash} with no problems. If you have a chance to watch the video, I go through all the neat features. (I'm still learning the video part, it will get better.)

[Greg J. Anderson]

Greg, welcome to the forum and thanks for the video review. Watched it with my morning coffee. I'm glad Laguna finally got you squared away with the table and fence.

I'm curious which other saws you considered and a little bit about your decision-making process? This saw compares to the others I'm considering very, very favorably on paper with a substantial savings to boot, though it could be argued you paid for that with your time and frustration getting Laguna to make it right. Did you consider going with the higher-end Euro saws (either Laguna's own or other brands?)?

PS. Sweet shop space!

Victor, thank you for the warm welcome and kind words, and your patience watching the video, I'm new to all this.

I always wanted a laguna and the other Euro saws were out of my price range. I was told that the table on the Italian saw would be thicker and therefore less chance of warping, which drives up the cost of the saw. I was just hoping that the quality control would be as good with the bx series. After all, the bx line has a good track record coming out of that factory (non-italian).

I did look at the Rikon but kept coming back to Laguna. I still believe it to be a good saw, the saw is heavy in every way, the ceramic blocks are legendary, in my opinion. There aren't too many parts to a bandsaw. What you want is weight, well balanced heavy wheels, properly machined table and fence. The Shanghai motor was a dealbreaker on the 14SUV for me: you want to trust the manufacturer of the motor. The bx line has a good history of the motor.

I did know/expect that issues could come up with the table and fence, but those are easy to replace. The rest you cannot replace (unless you replace the whole saw). However, fit and finish of the rest of the bandsaw is top-notch, and now I have a good fence and table.

Hope this helps.

Let me know how you decide or if you have more questions.
Greg

[Victor Robinson]

Victor, thank you for the warm welcome and kind words, and your patience watching the video, I'm new to all this.

I always wanted a laguna and the other Euro saws were out of my price range. I was told that the table on the Italian saw would be thicker and therefore less chance of warping, which drives up the cost of the saw. I was just hoping that the quality control would be as good with the bx series. After all, the bx line has a good track record coming out of that factory (non-italian).

I did look at the Rikon but kept coming back to Laguna. I still believe it to be a good saw, the saw is heavy in every way, the ceramic blocks are legendary, in my opinion. There aren't too many parts to a bandsaw. What you want is weight, well balanced heavy wheels, properly machined table and fence. The Shanghai motor was a dealbreaker on the 14SUV for me: you want to trust the manufacturer of the motor. The bx line has a good history of the motor.

I did know/expect that issues could come up with the table and fence, but those are easy to replace. The rest you cannot replace (unless you replace the whole saw). However, fit and finish of the rest of the bandsaw is top-notch, and now I have a good fence and table.

Hope this helps.

Let me know how you decide or if you have more questions.
Greg

Thanks for your thoughts! I know you had to produce and send Laguna a video to prove the table and fence were out - how long did it take them to send the replacements? Would you say they were responsive or was it a drawn-out frustrating experience?

[Greg J. Anderson]

Thanks for your thoughts! I know you had to produce and send Laguna a video to prove the table and fence were out - how long did it take them to send the replacements? Would you say they were responsive or was it a drawn-out frustrating experience?

OK, since you asked. Customer service: slow, unresponsive, and frankly at times I felt they were dodging me. It took a long time to get my problem resolved. Let the dates speak for themselves:
Feb. 26: purchased 14SUV at tradeshow.
Mid-March: 14SUV arrived with all kinds of issues.
Late-March: we agreed on upgrade to 18BX, with expected delivery by mid- June.
Late June: I was told there is a delay and I would get my saw in mid-July, first of August the latest.
Aug.18: the saw finally came in. Only because of an intervention by the sales rep.
Due to work etc. it took some time before I put the saw together and noticed the issues with the table and fence.
Sept. 4/5: called customer service
Sept. 28: I’m told both the table and fence are on backorder and expect another 4-6 weeks.
Sept. 29: the fence shows up!
Nov.3: table arrives.

In between there: customer service argues, (“nobody else has had a problem with the table/fence”), doesn’t want to honour my real warranty dates (wanted to backdate the warranty to mid-July), and tried to avoid my calls and did not return messages. On one occasion when I called, before I could open my mouth to introduce myself, the person answering the phone addressed me by my surname and quickly updated me on the status. You would think this is good service, but she did not let me get a word in edge-wise, and did not want me to speak to the rep I had dealt with previously. Who, by the way, by this time would never come to the phone, he was always “busy”. It’s not like I called daily, but I did call repeatedly when they would not pick up, which happened a lot. I felt I deserved answers since they had had my money for so long and I wasn`t getting any updates.

So not happy with customer service, but the Laguna sales rep has been going out of his way to help/support me.
In contrast to Laguna: King, my previous shop equipment vendor had a tech guy that would come out in person to help with things. Laguna expects you to solve everything on your own. For a higher end saw, you would expect more pride and support. If it wasn’t for the sales guy, I would have thrown in the towel by now. He is now sales, customer service and tech support all in one person.

My two cents: this should not be expected as the norm, so in general should not deter anyone from buying this bandsaw. As I said, great saw. Just not great customer service. Perhaps just growing pains. I’m sure there are way more positive experiences than negatives, and perhaps the geography is an issue. Being in Canada vs. the US. Less hands-on opportunities. Laguna is a great name and I am sure they’ll figure this out.

[Steve Kang]

Hi Greg, thanks for putting this video together and sharing an in-depth assessment of its fit, finish and performance. I'm considering buying a laguna but your comments about their customer service give me pause. In this day and age product and service issues are quickly socialized and negative reviews will stick around for quite some time. I do wonder how much market share they've lost due to being deaf to this feedback.

[Paul F Franklin]

Yes, Greg, thanks. I am wavering between the 18BX and the Rikon 10-346. I think I would prefer the ceramic guides of the Laguna, but if you have to have bearings, the rikon tool less design seems pretty nice. Rikon has 5 year warranty, but I'm more worried about the out of the box issues that seem more common than problems that crop up a few years down the road. I would be really torqued if I got a machine with bad fence/table like you did and it wasn't remedied very quickly with minimal effort on my part. To go through what you did....I would have been tempted to dispute the credit card charge.

Gee, I wish Lee Valley made bandsaws. Then you could count on good customer service!

[Mike Kees]

They are selling Rikons. The smaller ones anyway.

[Greg J. Anderson]

My Laguna sales rep came out to help fine-tune the new table. I learned a few neat tips and tricks which you can find on https://youtu.be/qJacAU0TgYQ. I do like this saw, despite the issues I had. Hope this update helps you whether you already have the saw or pondering buying it.

[Nick Decker]

With major tool purchases, I make it a point to send an email to the manufacturer's support department and ask them a couple of questions. They might be actual questions that I have about the product, or questions I already know the answers to. Doesn't really matter. What matters, to me, is how quickly and well the questions get answered. Gives me a clue about how I might get treated later. It's somewhat unusual for the quality of customer service to get better AFTER the sale.

[Victor Robinson]

With major tool purchases, I make it a point to send an email to the manufacturer's support department and ask them a couple of questions. They might be actual questions that I have about the product, or questions I already know the answers to. Doesn't really matter. What matters, to me, is how quickly and well the questions get answered. Gives me a clue about how I might get treated later. It's somewhat unusual for the quality of customer service to get better AFTER the sale.

That's a good tip - not one that I've never thought of but one that I don't put into practice.

I think the 18BX is the right saw for me IF I can't swing a Euro. Of course there's no guarantee that a Euro saw wouldn't have anything wrong with it and also no guarantee a potential issue would be resolved any more swiftly than Greg's experience with the 18BX. That would certainly be true with a Laguna HD saw.