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Thread: Customer Service Laguna, Grizzly, Jet

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
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    NE Missouri
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    88

    Customer Service Laguna, Grizzly, Jet

    Looking to purchase a full size lathe and have been looking at Laguna Revo 18/36, Jet 1840 EVS, & a Grizzly G0733. When I started looking up reviews I found a lot of bad reviews on Laguna Customer Service. Some on Grizzly & Jet but not as bad. What experience have people had good or bad
    Last edited by cecil dean; 07-20-2018 at 5:24 PM.

  2. #2
    I have a Laguna 18/36 and I think the reviews on bad customer service are old ones. I had a couple of small issues with some parts and Laguna sent me out replacements no problem.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Location
    Cookeville TN
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    338
    Jet and powermatic still have the best customer service when you base it on the number of lathes out there. Sure there are some problems occasionally but there is a huge number of lathes out there. Laguna has a much better reputation today than they did 10 years ago and so does grizzly.

  4. Quote Originally Posted by Barry McFadden View Post
    I have a Laguna 18/36 and I think the reviews on bad customer service are old ones. I had a couple of small issues with some parts and Laguna sent me out replacements no problem.
    I agree. I have had the same experience with Laguna, not a lathe, a bandsaw. Needed a part and Laguna took good care of me. 10-15 or more years ago there are horror stories regarding Laguna CS, my experience leads me to believe they got the message.

  5. #5
    I had a small problem with my Laguna dc and one call got the part on its way, I was pleased with the quick and helpful service.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    LA & SC neither one is Cali
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    Laguna is an odd duck of a company, in that they grew despite well documented CS issues. They did it on the back of a really good line of ACM built bandsaws with unique and excellent guides. This backbone of the company need little CS, they were good and they worked. The best thing for consumers was when they really made a large expansion to a dealer network for almost all their tools, this took the selling off the table and left more time for CS and the one person that influenced the culture of poor CS became busy with tasks of running a bigger company. Without that person micro-managing the whole company CS has actually become VERY good. Laguna grew even with near legendary poor CS and CS got better the larger they have gotten, bucking two of the normal business trends. The vast majorty of Laguna CS stories now are very positive.

    I am not suggesting Laguna has the better CS than Jet/PM or Grizzly just that one can't base their current CS on 5+ year old stories.
    Of all the laws Brandolini's may be the most universally true.

    Deep thought for the day:

    Your bandsaw weighs more when you leave the spring compressed instead of relieving the tension.

  7. #7
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    Mar 2008
    Location
    NE Missouri
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    88
    Thanks to everyone for the information. Have been leaning toward Laguna but after reading about their CS was thinking removing it from the short list. Glad to hear thing have changed for the better.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Location
    Northern Illinois
    Posts
    943
    I would agree that Jet has great customer service (at least on my 8" jointer they did). There was a problem which I was not able to resolve myself after they provided tech support so they sent out an on-site service contractor who was very quick to respond, knowledgeable and very professional. My understanding is that Grizzly will provide no on-site service no matter what the problem is. Of course, my great Jet service could have at least partly been because my area happened to have a great service contractor.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
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    LA & SC neither one is Cali
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    Quote Originally Posted by Randy Heinemann View Post
    Of course, my great Jet service could have at least partly been because my area happened to have a great service contractor.
    It really depends on where you live in terms of on-site service for PM/Jet. People that live away from metro areas or areas with lots of woodworking (like Central and Western NC) will be in the same boat as with all the other Asian makes and frankly the rest as well. I have been lucky enough to live in areas with on-site service but not everyone does. Also, as you note, the onsite service is only as good as the contractor.
    Of all the laws Brandolini's may be the most universally true.

    Deep thought for the day:

    Your bandsaw weighs more when you leave the spring compressed instead of relieving the tension.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Cincinnati Ohio
    Posts
    4,731
    I had good experience with JET customer service. Called to order replacement bearings for my table saw ,after reading many owners complain of the same issue on line and their fix. Guy with JET CS asked me to hold the phone to the saw and fire it up then shut down. Said you just need to tighten the set screw on the arbor/ shaft. He was right. Other owners were 100% sure bearings were the problem because it fixed it, But most likley they tightened the set screw when replacing the bearings.

    From what I have read Laguna and Grizzly is also good on customer service.
    "Remember back in the day, when things were made by hand, and people took pride in their work?"
    - Rick Dale

  11. I had experience with all of them recently.
    Laguna: awesome response. Had a little problem to the banjo and they sent me one for free right away. Had the new banjo in 5 days after the first call.
    Grizzly: Bandsaw arrived damaged by poor package handling, after some initial resistance about sending at least the damaged parts, the whole experience with the CS was good.
    Jet: Drill press. Arrived with some problems and CS wasn't helpful; I would say a little bit obnoxious. Fortunately it was an Amazon purchase and you can send it back for free. Got another one, same model, same issue, same experience with CS. Fixed by myself because I didn't want to go through another repack, wait a week for Amazon to pick it up. But after this, decided no more Jet tools.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Jan 2015
    Location
    Brentwood, TN
    Posts
    684
    I only has Grizzly CS experience, and so far they have been very responsive to minor issues (speed control pot failed twice, and free touch up paint, etc.). I would buy more Grizzly if I ever can afford afford it.
    Maker of Fine Kindling, and small metal chips on the floor.
    Embellishments to the Stars - or wannabees.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
    Location
    Richmond, TX
    Posts
    409
    I would like to make one more Lathe recommendation, the Rikon 70-306. Their customer service is top notch, quality is really good too.
    https://www.rikontools.com/product/70-306

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