Results 1 to 6 of 6

Thread: Laguna TS/BS v’s Harvey TS/BS

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2017
    Location
    Mt. Maunganui, New Zealand
    Posts
    11

    Laguna TS/BS v’s Harvey TS/BS

    I need some advice please. Presently, like in NA, we have a huge shortage of new woodworking tools, particularly table saws and bandsaws. I have a chance to have a Harvey Alpha 110LC-36 shipped from Australia or purchase a CarbaTec TS which is actually a rebranded Harvey TS. I have never seen a Harvey machine in person, so need some advice…are Harvey products as good as they sound? Which has the better resale value in NA? I have always through that the Laguna bandsaw 14 was the “bees knees” when it came to smaller bandsaws but again don’t know about Harvey’s? I could only purchase the Laguna bandsaw 14 BX which is a 2.5 hp motor, 330mm cutting depth, foot operated disk brake and the ceramic roller system for the blade. The CarbaTec t/s is a 2.5 hp 250mm blade, and seems to have most of the Harvey “upgrades” including tool free blade change, Irving knife change. If I were to wait about 14 months for a Laguna it would be a 1.75 hp but has all if not more features than Harvey such as a digital angle readout! Nice to have but not to wait 14 months for, methinks!

    So, setting the issues of money aside, which table saw and/or bandsaw would you go for? I don’t need to have 2 Harvey of 2 Laguna t/s and b/s, I just want which you folks think is best. If you had to make the choice, for a DIY woodworker, what would you choose - and don’t saw SawStop because they are “out of stock” too!

  2. #2
    I have the Harvey 2 hsp tablesaw. I like the wider table, the power is quite adequate and I added the harvey shark dust collection unit. I am satisfied . This was a great step up from my tried and true delta contractor I used for over 30 yrs.
    Be the kind of woman that when your feet hit the ground each morning, the devil says, "oh crap she's up!"


    Tolerance is giving every other human being every right that you claim for yourself.

    "What is man without the beasts? If all the beasts are gone, men would die from great loneliness of spirit. For whatever happens to the beasts will happen to man. All things are connected. " Chief Seattle Duwamish Tribe

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2017
    Location
    Marina del Rey, Ca
    Posts
    1,934
    2 choices are too limiting. I would look for a quality used machine in excellent condition.
    "Anything seems possible when you don't know what you're doing."

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    Atlanta
    Posts
    1,592
    Harvey makes/made a lot of Laguna’s stuff over the years.

    Laguna service is spotty at best in the USA where their headquartered. What’s the local distributor’s reputation like ? They’re either a subsidiary of Laguna or an independent importer that’s re-importing stuff from Laguna that Laguna imported for themselves. Neither would be my first choice for an operation to give me a good feeling.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    Central New Jersey
    Posts
    1,007
    Quote Originally Posted by Dave Sabo View Post
    Harvey makes/made a lot of Laguna’s stuff over the years.

    Laguna service is spotty at best in the USA where their headquartered. What’s the local distributor’s reputation like ? They’re either a subsidiary of Laguna or an independent importer that’s re-importing stuff from Laguna that Laguna imported for themselves. Neither would be my first choice for an operation to give me a good feeling.
    The 14BX is a great bandsaw, and I have the same 2.5hp model the OP was talking about. However, the 'service' issue is 100% old news from years back. I have 3 Laguna machines and the very few times I have called customer service and tech support, I had someone on the phone, or a phone call back within the hour. Granted they were all pre-sales calls except 1. Laguna also now has a parts web page also so if you have issues, it's quick and easy to get parts. I used it once to get a part for a part that was a self-inflicted break, not a malfunction.
    Distraction could lead to dismemberment!

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    Atlanta
    Posts
    1,592
    Quote Originally Posted by Justin Rapp View Post
    The 14BX is a great bandsaw, and I have the same 2.5hp model the OP was talking about. However, the 'service' issue is 100% old news from years back. I have 3 Laguna machines and the very few times I have called customer service and tech support, I had someone on the phone, or a phone call back within the hour. Granted they were all pre-sales calls except 1. Laguna also now has a parts web page also so if you have issues, it's quick and easy to get parts. I used it once to get a part for a part that was a self-inflicted break, not a malfunction.

    um …………..no it’s not.

    pre-sale they’ve always been lovey dovey. After ward , it’s still a crap shoot like it’s always been. Mostly good, but the wheels fall off waaaaaay too often. Quality control has gone down and they don’t support (at all ) many of the machines they made their bones on. None of which may matter to you, but if it does - you still need to be prepared for disappointment and frustration.

    And I stand by my analysis of dealing with a marketer based in the U.S. while residing in Australasia.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •