Thread: Laguna Platinum Cab saw

Thanks so much DomAU, this is exactly what I was looking for.

My friend recently purchased a sawstop pro and with the sliding table spent about $6500. I just can't justify that, it's a hobby for me and I use my tablesaw a couple of times a month. The sawstop is a lovely saw but from what you're saying the Harvey is a ripper as well. At the end of the day I just want a saw that is accurate and well built that will last me many years, my current saw is rubbish, I can't get accurate cuts out of it, I've had to modify the splitter so that the blade doesn't hit it when it's at full height, I've had to replace pins and stops as they just sheer off.

The safety aspect of the sawstop certainlay is appealing but the difference between the Harvey and the SawStop is an eye watering $2300 and that's $2300 I can't put toward my jointer/thicknessser.

I saw a you tube video of Jays Custom Creations and he went from the Grizzly (which I believe is the same saw as the Harvey/Laguna) to the sawStop and while he said the SS is better, it's a very close race and there's not much in it, he was given the SS as well which helps.

Originally Posted by DomAU

If you are looking at the 3350 laguna don't forget that this has the dovetail trunnions which is an improvement over the standard laguna / harvey. Not sure how much of a benefit so can't comment.

Yes I was looking at the dovetail version. The guy at Gregs sad it made the up and down movement of the blade much smoother, I'm not sure if the Harvey has a dovetail version but to be honest it's not a deal breaker, I'm sure the standard Harvey is still miles smoother that my contractor saw.

Dazm,

Have you actually contacted BBT regarding the Harvey? I am assuming you have just seen the price online? The reason I ask is that I also saw that price and contacted Major Woodworking to see if they could do any better. As soon as I mentioned the price from "another supplier" he knew I was talking about BBT and said his price was the price and that for some reason BBT were undercutting everyone to get rid of what they had. Even though he was still helpful and apologetic about not being able to do better he agreed $1999.00 was a bargain.
BBT is not a dedicated woodworking store and I was a bit worried about technical support and aftersales service but I called them anyway. None in stock and no intention to bring in anymore.
This was back in June and I ended up paying $2590 for my Harvey. I did call BBT about 2 weeks ago about the Harvey slider but again, none in stock and no more coming in. I think it would be disappointing for one to place an order online with BBT and then find out after the fact that they haven't updated their website and that they don't actually carry Harvey anymore.

Even if you pay "full" price for the Harvey (which is just a rebadged Grizzly/Craftex etc.) you won't be disappointed and I found the quality and finish for a Chinese saw to be exceptional. I love it for my first TS and have already forgotten about the initial outlay. But this was an upgrade from my trusty Triton WC2000 and I was craving real, consistent accuracy.

Go with you gut and your budget!

Trav

Hi,
One thing to be taken into consideration over arbor size is that dado stacks only have a 5/8 bore. So if you want to use your saw for cutting box joints you will need a 5/8 arbor. Please correct me if I am wrong.
Regards,
Ross

Thanks Trav, yeah I've seen this before with other retailers, especially online. Very annoying.

Ive not called BBT but would probably go with Major Woodworking anyway, I'd rather go with a proper supplier than a cut price bargain outlet.

Originally Posted by jazzy69

Hi,
One thing to be taken into consideration over arbor size is that dado stacks only have a 5/8 bore. So if you want to use your saw for cutting box joints you will need a 5/8 arbor. Please correct me if I am wrong.
Regards,
Ross

That's actually not the case. I have a CMT dado stack through Carbatec that is 30mm bore.

Originally Posted by jazzy69

Hi,
One thing to be taken into consideration over arbor size is that dado stacks only have a 5/8 bore. So if you want to use your saw for cutting box joints you will need a 5/8 arbor. Please correct me if I am wrong.
Regards,
Ross

I have a brand new CMT dado set that I got with my current saw, just checked it and it's a 5/8 bore.

hhmmmm

Cheers for that DomAU, I was under the impression that I'd be limited to 5/8 arbor machines if I wanted dado stacks. Good to know for future research! Link below for people that want a look.

https://www.carbatec.com.au/blades/d...-6-35mm-23-0mm

Major Woodworking state you can have either ...

Bore	30mm / Optional 5/8 available

Regards from Perth

Derek

OK , I stand corrected. I have Jet super saw with a 30mm arbor. The shaft is too short to run a dado stack. There is about 6mm of thread left with a normal blade fitted. Length of shaft may be something to look at.
Regards,
Ross

I've had the platinum for over 2 years now in my factory and it's ripped 1000's lineal metres of hardwood and crosscut effin heaps with quite a few blade changes, all without missing a beat. I don't think that
the dovetails wer in stock when I needed to buy, but I haven't had any problems raising or lowering blade.
i did modify the saw though as I found the dust port way to small so I fitted a false sloping floor into base of cabinet and a 6" port this improved dust collection tremendously.

Yeah I think the Laguna or the Harvey will win the day. The SawStop is awesome but I just can't justify the nearly $2k premium.