I was looking at a Laugna as well because it had the brake system. I was also looking at the Nikon 14" model as well. Their PRO model has a 3 HP motor which I think is overkill on a 14inch model, the other 2 models have 1.75 HP which should be plenty.I really liked the idea of the brake system, but with the Rikon you could go with the digital motor control option and you'd have electronic braking. A local reseller told me that the Laguna has a white metal trunnion which is soft and prone to wear,
--
For full context, visit https://www.homeownershub.com/woodworking/okay-bandsaws-again-bridgewood-laguna-or-minimax-169765-.htm
I was looking at a Laugna as well because it had the brake system. I was
also looking at the Nikon 14" model as well. Their PRO model has a 3 HP
motor which I think is overkill on a 14inch model, the other 2 models
have 1.75 HP which should be plenty. I really liked the idea of the
brake system, but with the Rikon you could go with the digital motor
control option and you'd have electronic braking. A local reseller told
me that the Laguna has a white metal trunnion which is soft and prone to wear, while the Laguna has a cast iron trunnion.Anyone out there able to confirm of refute this? I think the Bridgewood is discontinued as I
couldn't find any info onlineDMF (Mark Duginske's Bandsaw book says it
is Imported by Wilke Machinery of York, PA)
On 6/17/2022 2:15 PM, DMF wrote:
I was looking at a Laugna as well because it had the brake system. I
was also looking at the Nikon 14" model as well. Their PRO model has a
3 HP motor which I think is overkill on a 14inch model, the other 2
models have 1.75 HP which should be plenty. I really liked the idea of
the brake system, but with the Rikon you could go with the digital
motor control option and you'd have electronic braking. A local
reseller told me that the Laguna has a white metal trunnion which is
soft and prone to wear, while the Laguna has a cast iron
trunnion.Anyone out there able to confirm of refute this? I think the
Bridgewood is discontinued as I couldn't find any info onlineDMF (Mark
Duginske's Bandsaw book says it is Imported by Wilke Machinery of
York, PA)
Well you are not really mentioning models. I owned a Rikon for a bout
2 weeks several years ago. I was greatly disappointed. I HATE roller guides. My experience is that the roller guides get gummed up when cutting wet wood. And then there is great noise and vibration when that happens. I was constantly readjusting guides and tension with this saw.
I returned the Rikon 18" band saw.
I soon after bought a Laguna LT16HD band saw. Laguna band saws have ceramic guides that keep the blade clean. And be aware that there are
2~3 lines of Laguna band saws. The better ones, like the one I
mentioned are Italian made. The non Italian built models are likely
Asian built.
My Laguna has cast iron trunions. The only lite weight metal is the aluminum fence and the aluminum guide blocks.
FWIW you can or could buy direct from Laguna.
If you are concerned about wear of a white metal trunion you are likely wanting something to last for many years with quite a bit of use. So
was I. Rikon was not going to be my last saw. The Laguna is my last saw, the Italian Industrial made versions.
When I bought 12+ years ago the Laguna was only about twice the price of
the 18" Rikon.
Band saws can be very fussy. The better the saw the less adjusting you do.
On 6/17/2022 2:15 PM, DMF wrote:
I was looking at a Laugna as well because it had the brake system. I was
also looking at the Nikon 14" model as well. Their PRO model has a 3 HP
motor which I think is overkill on a 14inch model, the other 2 models
have 1.75 HP which should be plenty. I really liked the idea of the
brake system, but with the Rikon you could go with the digital motor
control option and you'd have electronic braking. A local reseller told
me that the Laguna has a white metal trunnion which is soft and prone to
wear, while the Laguna has a cast iron trunnion.Anyone out there able to
confirm of refute this? I think the Bridgewood is discontinued as I
couldn't find any info onlineDMF (Mark Duginske's Bandsaw book says it
is Imported by Wilke Machinery of York, PA)
Well you are not really mentioning models. I owned a Rikon for a bout
2 weeks several years ago. I was greatly disappointed. I HATE roller >guides. My experience is that the roller guides get gummed up when
cutting wet wood. And then there is great noise and vibration when that >happens. I was constantly readjusting guides and tension with this saw.
I returned the Rikon 18" band saw.
I soon after bought a Laguna LT16HD band saw. Laguna band saws have
ceramic guides that keep the blade clean. And be aware that there are
2~3 lines of Laguna band saws. The better ones, like the one I
mentioned are Italian made. The non Italian built models are likely
Asian built.
My Laguna has cast iron trunions. The only lite weight metal is the >aluminum fence and the aluminum guide blocks.
FWIW you can or could buy direct from Laguna.
If you are concerned about wear of a white metal trunion you are likely >wanting something to last for many years with quite a bit of use. So
was I. Rikon was not going to be my last saw. The Laguna is my last
saw, the Italian Industrial made versions.
When I bought 12+ years ago the Laguna was only about twice the price of
the 18" Rikon.
Band saws can be very fussy. The better the saw the less adjusting you do.\
On Tue, 21 Jun 2022 10:28:08 -0500, Leon <lcb11211@swbelldotnet>
wrote:
I soon after bought a Laguna LT16HD band saw. Laguna band saws have >>ceramic guides that keep the blade clean. And be aware that there are
2~3 lines of Laguna band saws. The better ones, like the one I
mentioned are Italian made. The non Italian built models are likely
Asian built.
Yes, they're from Taiwan.
My Laguna has cast iron trunions. The only lite weight metal is the >>aluminum fence and the aluminum guide blocks.
FWIW you can or could buy direct from Laguna.
On Tue, 21 Jun 2022 10:28:08 -0500, Leon <lcb11211@swbelldotnet>
wrote:
On 6/17/2022 2:15 PM, DMF wrote:
I was looking at a Laugna as well because it had the brake system. I was >>> also looking at the Nikon 14" model as well. Their PRO model has a 3 HP
motor which I think is overkill on a 14inch model, the other 2 models
have 1.75 HP which should be plenty. I really liked the idea of the
brake system, but with the Rikon you could go with the digital motor
control option and you'd have electronic braking. A local reseller told
me that the Laguna has a white metal trunnion which is soft and prone to >>> wear, while the Laguna has a cast iron trunnion.Anyone out there able to >>> confirm of refute this? I think the Bridgewood is discontinued as I
couldn't find any info onlineDMF (Mark Duginske's Bandsaw book says it
is Imported by Wilke Machinery of York, PA)
Well you are not really mentioning models. I owned a Rikon for a bout
2 weeks several years ago. I was greatly disappointed. I HATE roller >>guides. My experience is that the roller guides get gummed up when >>cutting wet wood. And then there is great noise and vibration when that >>happens. I was constantly readjusting guides and tension with this saw.
I returned the Rikon 18" band saw.
I was going to buy a Rikon (don't remember the model) then looked at
the Laguna 14-SUV. It was a much better saw for little more than a >higher-end Rikon. When I was ready to buy, it seemed that the 14-SUV
went away (couldn't find one, anyway). I ended up buying an 18-BX.
I soon after bought a Laguna LT16HD band saw. Laguna band saws have >>ceramic guides that keep the blade clean. And be aware that there are
2~3 lines of Laguna band saws. The better ones, like the one I
mentioned are Italian made. The non Italian built models are likely
Asian built.
Yes, they're from Taiwan.
My Laguna has cast iron trunions. The only lite weight metal is the >>aluminum fence and the aluminum guide blocks.
FWIW you can or could buy direct from Laguna.
I bought the bandsaw from Laguna via Amazon but bought my jointer from >Woodwerks. Even though it was a drop-shipped from Laguna, their
shipping was less and they didn't charge sales tax (shhh! Don't tell
anyone). That was a year ago. Don't know how they operate now.
I recently visited their brick and mortar store in Columbus OH. Nice
place.
On Tue, 21 Jun 2022 21:44:54 -0400, krw@notreal.com wrote:
On Tue, 21 Jun 2022 10:28:08 -0500, Leon <lcb11211@swbelldotnet>
wrote:
On 6/17/2022 2:15 PM, DMF wrote:
I was looking at a Laugna as well because it had the brake system. I was >>>> also looking at the Nikon 14" model as well. Their PRO model has a 3 HP >>>> motor which I think is overkill on a 14inch model, the other 2 models
have 1.75 HP which should be plenty. I really liked the idea of the
brake system, but with the Rikon you could go with the digital motor
control option and you'd have electronic braking. A local reseller told >>>> me that the Laguna has a white metal trunnion which is soft and prone to >>>> wear, while the Laguna has a cast iron trunnion.Anyone out there able to >>>> confirm of refute this? I think the Bridgewood is discontinued as I
couldn't find any info onlineDMF (Mark Duginske's Bandsaw book says it >>>> is Imported by Wilke Machinery of York, PA)
Well you are not really mentioning models. I owned a Rikon for a bout
2 weeks several years ago. I was greatly disappointed. I HATE roller >>> guides. My experience is that the roller guides get gummed up when
cutting wet wood. And then there is great noise and vibration when that >>> happens. I was constantly readjusting guides and tension with this saw. >>> I returned the Rikon 18" band saw.
I was going to buy a Rikon (don't remember the model) then looked at
the Laguna 14-SUV. It was a much better saw for little more than a
higher-end Rikon. When I was ready to buy, it seemed that the 14-SUV
went away (couldn't find one, anyway). I ended up buying an 18-BX.
I soon after bought a Laguna LT16HD band saw. Laguna band saws have
ceramic guides that keep the blade clean. And be aware that there are
2~3 lines of Laguna band saws. The better ones, like the one I
mentioned are Italian made. The non Italian built models are likely
Asian built.
Yes, they're from Taiwan.
My Laguna has cast iron trunions. The only lite weight metal is the
aluminum fence and the aluminum guide blocks.
FWIW you can or could buy direct from Laguna.
I bought the bandsaw from Laguna via Amazon but bought my jointer from
Woodwerks. Even though it was a drop-shipped from Laguna, their
shipping was less and they didn't charge sales tax (shhh! Don't tell
anyone). That was a year ago. Don't know how they operate now.
I recently visited their brick and mortar store in Columbus OH. Nice
place.
BTW, though it may not be practical for many stationary tools, if you
order from a Woodcraft store and pick it up, there is no shipping
charge.
On Tue, 21 Jun 2022 10:28:08 -0500, Leon <lcb11211@swbelldotnet>
wrote:
On 6/17/2022 2:15 PM, DMF wrote:
I was looking at a Laugna as well because it had the brake system. I was >>> also looking at the Nikon 14" model as well. Their PRO model has a 3 HP
motor which I think is overkill on a 14inch model, the other 2 models
have 1.75 HP which should be plenty. I really liked the idea of the
brake system, but with the Rikon you could go with the digital motor
control option and you'd have electronic braking. A local reseller told
me that the Laguna has a white metal trunnion which is soft and prone to >>> wear, while the Laguna has a cast iron trunnion.Anyone out there able to >>> confirm of refute this? I think the Bridgewood is discontinued as I
couldn't find any info onlineDMF (Mark Duginske's Bandsaw book says it
is Imported by Wilke Machinery of York, PA)
Well you are not really mentioning models. I owned a Rikon for a bout
2 weeks several years ago. I was greatly disappointed. I HATE roller
guides. My experience is that the roller guides get gummed up when
cutting wet wood. And then there is great noise and vibration when that
happens. I was constantly readjusting guides and tension with this saw.
I returned the Rikon 18" band saw.
I was going to buy a Rikon (don't remember the model) then looked at
the Laguna 14-SUV. It was a much better saw for little more than a higher-end Rikon. When I was ready to buy, it seemed that the 14-SUV
went away (couldn't find one, anyway). I ended up buying an 18-BX.
I soon after bought a Laguna LT16HD band saw. Laguna band saws have
ceramic guides that keep the blade clean. And be aware that there are
2~3 lines of Laguna band saws. The better ones, like the one I
mentioned are Italian made. The non Italian built models are likely
Asian built.
Yes, they're from Taiwan.
My Laguna has cast iron trunions. The only lite weight metal is the
aluminum fence and the aluminum guide blocks.
FWIW you can or could buy direct from Laguna.
I bought the bandsaw from Laguna via Amazon but bought my jointer from Woodwerks. Even though it was a drop-shipped from Laguna, their
shipping was less and they didn't charge sales tax (shhh! Don't tell
anyone). That was a year ago. Don't know how they operate now.
I recently visited their brick and mortar store in Columbus OH. Nice
place.
If you are concerned about wear of a white metal trunion you are likely
wanting something to last for many years with quite a bit of use. So
was I. Rikon was not going to be my last saw. The Laguna is my last
saw, the Italian Industrial made versions.
Cast wheels, too. The only thing I don't like about the Laguna is the mobility kit. It's an add-on ($$) and a three-point system. The front
swivel wheel lifts the front and the saw off its pads onto the rear
wheels (a little hard to adjust, at first). It's not the greatest
system. I think the Rikon tow bar is a better idea.
When I bought 12+ years ago the Laguna was only about twice the price of
the 18" Rikon.
Only? Laguna had a huge price increase last fall. The 18-BX went up
$400, IIRC. The jointer. $500 (I ordered in June so slipped under the
wire). They're not like Festool with its 5%, or so, annual increase.
Band saws can be very fussy. The better the saw the less adjusting you do.\
Tracking (then blade changing) is the big deal. The ceramic guides
can be a pain but once they're adjusted they're great.
On 6/21/2022 8:44 PM, krw@notreal.com wrote:
On Tue, 21 Jun 2022 10:28:08 -0500, Leon <lcb11211@swbelldotnet>
wrote:
On 6/17/2022 2:15 PM, DMF wrote:
I was looking at a Laugna as well because it had the brake system. I was >>>> also looking at the Nikon 14" model as well. Their PRO model has a 3 HP >>>> motor which I think is overkill on a 14inch model, the other 2 models
have 1.75 HP which should be plenty. I really liked the idea of the
brake system, but with the Rikon you could go with the digital motor
control option and you'd have electronic braking. A local reseller told >>>> me that the Laguna has a white metal trunnion which is soft and prone to >>>> wear, while the Laguna has a cast iron trunnion.Anyone out there able to >>>> confirm of refute this? I think the Bridgewood is discontinued as I
couldn't find any info onlineDMF (Mark Duginske's Bandsaw book says it >>>> is Imported by Wilke Machinery of York, PA)
Well you are not really mentioning models. I owned a Rikon for a bout
2 weeks several years ago. I was greatly disappointed. I HATE roller >>> guides. My experience is that the roller guides get gummed up when
cutting wet wood. And then there is great noise and vibration when that >>> happens. I was constantly readjusting guides and tension with this saw. >>> I returned the Rikon 18" band saw.
I was going to buy a Rikon (don't remember the model) then looked at
the Laguna 14-SUV. It was a much better saw for little more than a
higher-end Rikon. When I was ready to buy, it seemed that the 14-SUV
went away (couldn't find one, anyway). I ended up buying an 18-BX.
I soon after bought a Laguna LT16HD band saw. Laguna band saws have
ceramic guides that keep the blade clean. And be aware that there are
2~3 lines of Laguna band saws. The better ones, like the one I
mentioned are Italian made. The non Italian built models are likely
Asian built.
Yes, they're from Taiwan.
My Laguna has cast iron trunions. The only lite weight metal is the
aluminum fence and the aluminum guide blocks.
FWIW you can or could buy direct from Laguna.
I bought the bandsaw from Laguna via Amazon but bought my jointer from
Woodwerks. Even though it was a drop-shipped from Laguna, their
shipping was less and they didn't charge sales tax (shhh! Don't tell
anyone). That was a year ago. Don't know how they operate now.
I recently visited their brick and mortar store in Columbus OH. Nice
place.
If you are concerned about wear of a white metal trunion you are likely
wanting something to last for many years with quite a bit of use. So
was I. Rikon was not going to be my last saw. The Laguna is my last
saw, the Italian Industrial made versions.
Cast wheels, too. The only thing I don't like about the Laguna is the
mobility kit. It's an add-on ($$) and a three-point system. The front
swivel wheel lifts the front and the saw off its pads onto the rear
wheels (a little hard to adjust, at first). It's not the greatest
system. I think the Rikon tow bar is a better idea.
My mobility kit is 2 wheels, left front and left back, and a Johnson bar
to lift and pull/push from the right side. It works.
When I bought 12+ years ago the Laguna was only about twice the price of >>> the 18" Rikon.
Only? Laguna had a huge price increase last fall. The 18-BX went up
$400, IIRC. The jointer. $500 (I ordered in June so slipped under the
wire). They're not like Festool with its 5%, or so, annual increase.
Well the 18" Rikon was $999.99 + tax, about $1082.50, the Laguna with >mobility, ReSaw King blade and 5~6 additional blades and delivery/tax,
was $2600 total. That saw today is $5100 for the saw and delivery.
Plus Tax, mobility and any other blades.
Band saws can be very fussy. The better the saw the less adjusting you do.\
Tracking (then blade changing) is the big deal. The ceramic guides
can be a pain but once they're adjusted they're great.
With mine the guides only have to be close. I have never noticed any >difference in cutting quality from one blade to the next. I think if >tracking/guide adjustment was critical I would at least notice a
difference some o the time.
What I meant was that tracking and ease of blade changes are one of
the biggest differences between a good bandsaw and an also ran. The
saw has to have a pretty stiff spine to hold tracking, particularly
across blades.
On 6/22/2022 5:29 PM, krw@notreal.com wrote:
Snip
What I meant was that tracking and ease of blade changes are one of
the biggest differences between a good bandsaw and an also ran. The
saw has to have a pretty stiff spine to hold tracking, particularly
across blades.
Absolutely! Many saws will bend/give to the strain of a properly
tensioned 1.25" blade.
And yes, switching blades can be time consuming.
On Thu, 23 Jun 2022 09:42:50 -0500, Leon <lcb11211@swbelldotnet>
wrote:
On 6/22/2022 5:29 PM, k...@notreal.com wrote:
Snip
What I meant was that tracking and ease of blade changes are one of
the biggest differences between a good bandsaw and an also ran. The
saw has to have a pretty stiff spine to hold tracking, particularly
across blades.
Absolutely! Many saws will bend/give to the strain of a properly
tensioned 1.25" blade.
And yes, switching blades can be time consuming.But a 1-1/4" Resaw King doesn't scroll worth squat. ;-)
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