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I bought the Laguna Revo 2436 last year and must add that the motor on my machine is an AC not DC. The early large Revos along with the Harvey variant were DC.
The machine is very quiet. There is the sound of the small box fan that runs at all times as long as the machine is plugged in.
Carl.
The reason I said a DC motor is because the current manual specifications list the motors as "DC Brushless", and the parts list in the manual states that the motors for both large lathes are DC motors. The motors on the Laguna web site pictures shows a rectangular shaped motor like DC motors I've seen. However I must admit that I have no experience with those lathes. As an owner, you certainly know the facts far better than me.
The REVO 18/36 never emits any kind of whine when the motor is running or stopped(with lathe still turned on). The only noise is the motor fan blowing air from the cowling as RPMs increase. You can feel the air coming out of the motor.
First time I have paid much attention to this lathe, but this is a very impressive feature set for the price. I am most impressed with the available tailstock riser block, something that is not (to my knowledge) available on the PM 3520B, although you can get one for the 4224. I bought my 3530B long before this lathe was on the market but if I was making the decision today, I probably would have purchased the Laguna and saved myself $1500. The baked in mount points for lights is also very nice.
I think Powermatic is going to need to rush a new, longer bed extension to the market that includes a tailstock riser block *and* lower their price a bit if they want to maintain a sizable chunk of their market share. The extra weight and 2" of swing is not going to be enough for many buyers to justify the extra $1500, most especially with the impressive feature/add-on set that the Laguna offers that, in many ways, is superior to Powermatic.
How are you new owners liking the solid steel bed? Are you noticing any increased vibration over a cast iron bed?
Thanks
George, I guess in order to answer that question one would need to have two identical lathes, with the only exception the difference in the bed. It would also seem that a source for vibration would need to be present. I can say that I find the lathe exceptionally smooth and stable and without any noticeable vibration. However, I rarely turn wood that is significantly out of balance. The steel is softer, of course, and does seem to scratch a little easier.
Just something to consider....if you saw the same youtube video that I saw, then the owner of that G0800 has it located down in a small basement area, where the sound resonance from the small area, concrete walls and floors and the close proximity of the camera microphone all make it sound much amplified....I would say that if you heard that lathe in a more open environment, you would not notice that sound nearly as much. The setup for that video was a poor one for giving a true picture of the lathe as far as sound, and then I also think that technically, just listening to the person giving his review, he did not come across as really experienced.......he mentioned he had turned on the Stubby that belonged to a friend before, but his familiarity with Asian makes and features may not be extensive.Quote:
Originally Posted by Edward Weingarden
You are absolutely correct. The motor shown in the owners manual is rectangular shaped and listed as brushless DC.Quote:
Originally Posted by Joe Frank Porter
Mine came with the identical 3hp AC motor that is on the new Grizzly GO800. Somewhere along the line they made a change.
Good or bad I love the low end power of my lathe.
Yes, that may have been the same YouTube, and I agree with your impression of the shop and the presentation.
By happenstance, I turned a large piece of walnut on two different lathes -- a friend's Revo 18-36 and my Jet 14-42. The Revo is straight out of the box with no ballast, while the Jet has 600 pounds of sand mounted near the base. The piece was a freshly-cut hunk of walnut, and we had just created about two dozen rounds at the friend's shop. Since it was handy, I rough-turned several pieces in preparation for air-drying, and was surprised at the amount of vibration on the Revo. I thought, "must be in the wood..." and lowered the speed.Quote:
Originally Posted by John Keeton
I didn't quite rough turn the last one evenly, so I re-mounted it on my Jet the next day, expecting the vibration to continue. But it didn't. In fact, I was able to dial the speed up.
I'm no physicist or metallurgist, but reading the previous comment about the "softer" steel bed I'm thinking this makes sense. I also advocate adding a ton of ballast to the Revo's stand. This is in no way a criticism of Laguna's wonderful new machine. The steel ways are remarkably true and precise and the tailstock and banjo work extremely smoothly.
Interesting, Russell,
Thanks for taking the time to respond:)
Thanks for your review John. I have been saving for a new lathe, with my eye on a Powermatic 3520B. I currently have a Powermatic 90. Your review helped me decide on a Revo 1836. I ordered one last week. I cant wait for delivery. I liked the lower bed height and cone shaped nose on the 1836. I have have really liked my PM90 and kind of hard giving it up, but I wanted a larger swing, sliding headstock and smoother running than the reeves drive. How long did it take you 1836 owners to take delivery of your lathes? I ordered mine from Woodcraft last week. Where do they ship from? Thanks
Looks like a great lathe. Your well crafted review was informative and a pleasure to read.
Jay
Hi John. I am considering upgrading to this lathe. 18 months in, do the conclusions from your original review (thank you for that) still hold?
My Delta 46-450 just bounces around a little too much with heavier blanks.
Prashun, in short, I enjoy the Laguna even more now that when purchased. I sent you an email earlier this morning via SMC. If you didn’t receive it, please email me. SMC was really slow on data transfer and the mail may not have gone thru. Also, make sure your email in your profile is current.