Thread: Another new Laguna LT18 3000 delivered - but not so pleased

Not familiar with the saw so I can barely tell how to make that right. Have you tried adjusting it?

Larks,

Sadly it is not just that manufacturer of band saws!

I have had a number of issues with a Woodfast BS500 band saw, not the least of which was the saw was supplied with "bearing" style euro guides & not the roller guides as advertised on the web site, flyers & packaging. The fact that I inspected the assembled saw before purchase means I can't make a claim because I was aware of the issue before purchase.

The "bearing" style euro guides could not be adjusted correctly for the band supplied, but that was relatively easily modified. A lot of niggley issues with very poor design & alignment of parts, things like the table slot & insert cannot be aligned to the band but can be accommodated.

From the band saws I have inspected & the research I had done it was the best of an "average" bunch IMO. There were far worse options out there.

Originally Posted by bosox

Not familiar with the saw so I can barely tell how to make that right. Have you tried adjusting it?

Short of cutting the frame down and rewelding it or putting the entire saw frame on a hydraulic press and bending the heck out of it to straighten it this is not an "adjustable" fix. And I'm not interested in it being repaired as I reckon the the only way to repair it properly is to cut it down and reweld it. I think bending it to straight would only produce a bent frame.

I'd been wary of welded frame band saws, as opposed to cast frame bandsaws, because of the potential for flex when resawing, but I didn't expect a welded frame to also be so poorly quality controlled that it isn't straight.

I've got a Laguna 14" SUV, and that post can be adjusted on my saw. The adjustment is on the back of the upper cabinet, directly behind the post.

Cheerio!

John

Originally Posted by John Samuel

I've got a Laguna 14" SUV, and that post can be adjusted on my saw. The adjustment is on the back of the upper cabinet, directly behind the post.

Cheerio!

John

Thanks John, I don't know that the LT18 has that adjustment, its certainly not shown in the manual anywhere. Here's a picture of the LT18 reverse side:


the 1412 shows a knob where the LT18 doesn't:



There may or may not be some adjustment capability under the cover box over what I assume is the trunion set up for raising the guide, but I'm now back in WA so can't check it. However that doesn't account for the apparent distortion in the frame that you'll see in the photo above

Bend it straight? That,s a bit of an oxymoron.

The whole assembly is controlled by two bolts near the up/down winder.

The door on mine is the same(ish). I thought it was a design feature to make it pop open, which I admit, I like.

I think if you undo those two bolts, you rotate the armature forward a tad and then retighten them. It's a bit hard to believe that the chassis itself is bent - it would be made and welded up on a jig. You would have seen any abuse on the crate when it was delivered.

It is a bummer that companies don't offer a pre-sale setup/check service to ensure everything is spot on....even if you paid for it, it's a high value option for some.

Originally Posted by Evanism

The whole assembly is controlled by two bolts near the up/down winder.

The door on mine is the same(ish). I thought it was a design feature to make it pop open, which I admit, I like.

I think if you undo those two bolts, you rotate the armature forward a tad and then retighten them. It's a bit hard to believe that the chassis itself is bent - it would be made and welded up on a jig. You would have seen any abuse on the crate when it was delivered.

It is a bummer that companies don't offer a pre-sale setup/check service to ensure everything is spot on....even if you paid for it, it's a high value option for some.

I'm pretty sure these guys must offer a pre-sale setup, as the saws that I looked at prior to ordering one were not on the showroom floor but were out in the loading bay ready for dispatch to a school, fully assembled and ready to go.

If the sales rep' had advised that this wasn't standard but that they'd do it at an extra cost I'd have been quite happy to pay the extra for the peace of mind and time saving. With only 2 1/2 days at home in a month, that two hours of putting it together would certainly be better used....so you can understand that the 2 1/2 days of not being able to use it and the time spent scratching my head over it and following it up is a complete nuisance.

Re the chassis distortion: there's no signs of it being damaged but it certainly looks like it to me. Looking back at the photo of the bandsaw below, you'll notice that the left hand side of the frame angles in at the top, so this should have the effect of the side on view (from my photo above) appearing to be out square anyway......however in the opposite direction to what it is in my photo (i.e. the further edge should be closer to the nearer edge in the photo at the top, rather than further away), this would suggest that the frame is even more distorted than my photo makes it appear. (I'm not sure if I've explained that particularly clearly?)

Looks similar to my Minimax s400p( appearance wise )

did Centauro make the saw or is Laguna made in Asia now ?

i dont like sales rep who over promise and under deliver. Do more harm to the company then good.

Originally Posted by Albert

Looks similar to my Minimax s400p( appearance wise )

did Centauro make the saw or is Laguna made in Asia now ?

i dont like sales rep who over promise and under deliver. Do more harm to the company then good.

The 3000 series ones like my LT18 3000 are made in Taiwan and the HD series, such as the LT18HD are made in Italy, however I understand that the HD ones are not available in Oz.

Here is a shot of my SUV. The box at the back looks like yours. The 1412 is a smaller machine. The box behind the post holds the adjustment mechanism for the post. I'm sure the user manual for the SUV describes how to use it. If your manual does not, I could send you a scan of mine.

aaaBack (Finished).jpg

Have fun!

John

Originally Posted by Larks

The 3000 series ones like my LT18 3000 are made in Taiwan and the HD series, such as the LT18HD are made in Italy, however I understand that the HD ones are not available in Oz.

sounds like a quality issue... Pretty sure you can claim this on warranty?

I was a bit worried when my Minimax s400p arrived 2 weeks ago. Mainly because it's my first bandsaw, I wouldn't know anything if there is anything wrong with the saw... Luckily there is nothing wrong and the saw performed perfectly.

A bit of an update: I've not yet had a response from the supplier here, other than to advise that my email has passed on and I should expect a response by Friday (tomorrow).

However I also forwarded the photos to Laguna in the US to make them aware of it as a quality control concern with their manufacturer and they have responded very quickly agreeing that "with something this out of whack we would have to swap the machine" and wanting to get the details onto the manufacturer ASAP.

So full credit to them for responding quickly, taking it seriously and acting on it. I've heard so many stories lately of people having serious and tangible issues with faulty well known brand name products being fobbed off......(as an aside: I'll never buy another Holden for just that reason.....and they wonder why Holden is washed up in Australia)

Originally Posted by Larks

So full credit to them for responding quickly, taking it seriously and acting on it. I've heard so many stories lately of people having serious and tangible issues with faulty well known brand name products being fobbed off......(as an aside: I'll never buy another Holden for just that reason.....and they wonder why Holden is washed up in Australia)

Great to hear. Hope the follow through is fast and positive.

Cheerio!

John