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how about that price

Charlie Knighton

Charlie Knighton

Joined
Jan 20, 2006
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Location
Martinsville, VA
look on page 76, i wonder how long that price is good for. i think they plan to get some people to try it out

any reveiws at that price out there
 
I'm feeling really stupid

(It's not an unusual feeling for me.)

I'm having trouble following this thread. Answers to a couple of questions might help:

  • Page 76 of what?
  • Price of what?
 
davidwalser said:
(It's not an unusual feeling for me.)

I'm having trouble following this thread. Answers to a couple of questions might help:

  • Page 76 of what?
  • Price of what?
Click to expand...

So, you're saying that you didn't get the telepathic message that everybody else did? I am checking page 76 in all of my catalogs to see which one has something that I want/like/need.
 
Ahh, I see. It's the Laguna ad on page 71, not page 76. $1,895 seems like a good price for a lot of lathe.
 
davidwalser said:
Ahh, I see. It's the Laguna ad on page 71, not page 76. $1,895 seems like a good price for a lot of lathe.
Click to expand...

Maybe you are looking at the previous issue. My AW journal came today and the ad is on page 76. Not that there is anything wrong with it, but i wouldn't have anything from them.
 
Bill Boehme said:
I see that they have little labeled pointers to identify the various major parts. Is that a hint at who would be in their intended audience.
Click to expand...

....or maybe they're just verifying that all of these parts will be included with the lathe if sold at that price??? 😉

Rob
 
Don't Do it!

I've owned one of those Laguna 18/47's. :mad:

Don't waste your money, time, effort or one minute of thought.

Mine lasted 1 year and 4 days. 4 day's out of warrentee and it blew up.

I know another person that got three within his first year of owning one and finally returned the last one for a full refund. He was lucky.

I was not as lucky.

Laguna's product quality is only surpassed by their poor customer support. Both product quality and customer support are non-existant at Laguna.

Been there, done that. Don't waste your time.
 
Bill Boehme said:
Maybe you are looking at the previous issue. My AW journal came today and the ad is on page 76. Not that there is anything wrong with it, but i wouldn't have anything from them.
Click to expand...

That must be it. I was looking at the June issue. The next issue (August, September?) hasn't arrived in these parts yet. Nor is it on the AAW's website. Hence my confusion. Page 76 of the June issue doesn't have an ad that mentions a price.
 
Tom Hamilton said:
I've owned one of those Laguna 18/47's. :mad:

Don't waste your money, time, effort or one minute of thought.

Mine lasted 1 year and 4 days. 4 day's out of warrentee and it blew up.

I know another person that got three within his first year of owning one and finally returned the last one for a full refund. He was lucky.

I was not as lucky.

Laguna's product quality is only surpassed by their poor customer support. Both product quality and customer support are non-existant at Laguna.

Been there, done that. Don't waste your time.
Click to expand...

Tom.......

Your post doesn't tell us anything at all about what actually happened.......no specifics.

After reading your post, it's obvious that you have had a frustrating experience, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who is wondering what happened......😕

ooc
 
odie said:
Tom.......

Your post doesn't tell us anything at all about what actually happened.......no specifics.

After reading your post, it's obvious that you have had a frustrating experience, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who is wondering what happened......😕

ooc
Click to expand...

He did mention two things: poor product quality and lack of customer support. I suppose that you could ask for more details on the first, but what would you want on the second (names and dates)? I have heard so much similar statements about them over the years that it surprises me that they are still in business unless they focus all of their customer support on their commercial customers.
 
Pretty much the same lathe is available in Canada from Busy Bee Tools for $1299 Cdn which these days is more or less the same as USD and represents incredible value. It is known as the 128N and generally has had pretty much excellent reviews. Their first version arrived I think 3 years ago with a 1" x 8 TPI headstock but the 128N is 1 1/4" x 8 TPI. When support has been needed BB has responded. We have several users in our Golden Horseshoe Guild. They all come out of the same factory - Jet, Laguna, Powermatic, Steel City, Grizzly, General International, Busy Bee etc. One day white, the next day green or yellow. Have lost the link to the company website. Someone posted a few years back.
 
Last edited:
odie said:
Tom.......

Your post doesn't tell us anything at all about what actually happened.......no specifics.

After reading your post, it's obvious that you have had a frustrating experience, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who is wondering what happened......😕

ooc
Click to expand...

Hi Odie - Sorry, I didn't see your question until today.

The inverter blew up. I had a sphere jig mounted in the banjo, the lathe speed was turned down to about 20-50 rpm. The cutter tool mounted in the sphere jig was stuck into the wood mounted on the lathe and the lathe was off. Before noticing the cutter was stuck in the wood I turned the lathe on, then noticed the stuck tool, so I turned the lathe off right away to readjust the tool. The lathe was dead after that. I tracked it down to a 20amp/250VAC "F" type 5x20mm fuse on the inverter board. I had to get one of those either from Laguna or (in my case) directly from Littlefuse.

So I got my new fuse and installed it. When I turned on the lathe my neighbor (who was mowing his lawn at the time) saw the flash and heard the blast and came into my shop asking if I was okay. I was, I had my face shield on, although all the particles from the SCR that blew up stayed in the inverter enclosure.

So the inverter blew up, quite spectacularly! 😱

From what I could determine the output SCR's where not protected from back EMF. So when my motor was not able to move, then I shut it off all of the available motor energy collapsed back across the motor windings, back into the output SCR's with no diode to snub it. So when I put the new fuse in the energy being supplied to that shorted SCR blew the top off of it and let the smoke out.

We all know that once you let the smoke out of an electrical component it just won't work any longer. 😛

While talking with the Laguna manager about this issue he told me that Laguna had been trying to fix that issue, but because mine was out of warrantee I was out of luck.

You're right I do have a frustrated attitude about Laguna.

The upside to this is that I just absolutely love my Robust Sweet 16 long bed! 😀
 
Mike Brazeau said:
They all come out of the same factory - Jet, Laguna, Powermatic, Steel City, Grizzly, General International, Busy Bee etc. One day white, the next day green or yellow. Have lost the link to the company website. Someone posted a few years back.
Click to expand...

Maybe yes, maybe no. Lots of factories over there where the air's not clear. http://www.alibaba.com/showroom/wood-lathe.html Could be the one you get is from a different place than the one your buddy bought yesterday.
 
Tom Hamilton said:
Hi Odie - Sorry, I didn't see your question until today.

The inverter blew up. I had a sphere jig mounted in the banjo, the lathe speed was turned down to about 20-50 rpm. The cutter tool mounted in the sphere jig was stuck into the wood mounted on the lathe and the lathe was off. Before noticing the cutter was stuck in the wood I turned the lathe on, then noticed the stuck tool, so I turned the lathe off right away to readjust the tool. The lathe was dead after that. I tracked it down to a 20amp/250VAC "F" type 5x20mm fuse on the inverter board. I had to get one of those either from Laguna or (in my case) directly from Littlefuse.

So I got my new fuse and installed it. When I turned on the lathe my neighbor (who was mowing his lawn at the time) saw the flash and heard the blast and came into my shop asking if I was okay. I was, I had my face shield on, although all the particles from the SCR that blew up stayed in the inverter enclosure.

So the inverter blew up, quite spectacularly! 😱

From what I could determine the output SCR's where not protected from back EMF. So when my motor was not able to move, then I shut it off all of the available motor energy collapsed back across the motor windings, back into the output SCR's with no diode to snub it. So when I put the new fuse in the energy being supplied to that shorted SCR blew the top off of it and let the smoke out.

We all know that once you let the smoke out of an electrical component it just won't work any longer. 😛

While talking with the Laguna manager about this issue he told me that Laguna had been trying to fix that issue, but because mine was out of warrantee I was out of luck.

You're right I do have a frustrated attitude about Laguna.

The upside to this is that I just absolutely love my Robust Sweet 16 long bed! 😀
Click to expand...

Hi Tom.......yep, sounds like serious issues with the Laguna. I think most companies would have tried to work with you on this, even though the warranty had elapsed. It's their responsibility (or, should be), since there was a known issue here.........

Don't believe I've ever heard of any negatives with the Robust......so, it looks like the Laguna loss was a stepping stone to something better. Too bad it cost you $$$$, but the end game is where it counts!

Thanks for the come-back.......It will serve as a "heads up" to a few others who read of your misfortune.......

ooc
 
odie said:
Hi Tom.......yep, sounds like serious issues with the Laguna. I think most companies would have tried to work with you on this, even though the warranty had elapsed. It's their responsibility (or, should be), since there was a known issue here.........

Don't believe I've ever heard of any negatives with the Robust......so, it looks like the Laguna loss was a stepping stone to something better. Too bad it cost you $$$$, but the end game is where it counts!

Thanks for the come-back.......It will serve as a "heads up" to a few others who read of your misfortune.......

ooc
Click to expand...

I absolutely agree with you on all counts, Odie. The fact that they acknowledged that there was a known deficiency and yet were so Pharisaical in their adherence to the terms of the warranty. It probably wasn't worth the aggravation to pursue the matter any further, but you probably could have made them replace the VFD since it was defective from the get-go -- the only thing is that you did not discover this until the warranty had expired. What Tom stated is right in line with what i have heard from several woodworkers who had purchased woodworking machines (mostly bandsws) from Laguna over the past fifteen years or so. Their Italian made bandsaws (which like everything else may now be made in China) were good machines, but for some reason, they did not seem to be very willing to do after sale warranty service.
 
odie said:
... Don't believe I've ever heard of any negatives with the Robust.....
Click to expand...

I forgot to mention that neither have I. It has been a pure pleasure doing business with them. This is one of those things where it only hurts once ... in the pocketbook ... but that pain is very temporary when the proper therapy is applied ... turning on the machine. I have turned on a number of very decent lathes, but my Robust AB is the bee's knees.

My first lathe, a Delta 1440 Iron Bed, was the pain that kept on giving. Not much initial pain in the pocketbook, but soon followed by a lot of lingering chronic pain not too far from the pocketbook.
 
odie said:
Hi Tom.......yep, sounds like serious issues with the Laguna. I think most companies would have tried to work with you on this, even though the warranty had elapsed. It's their responsibility (or, should be), since there was a known issue here.........

Don't believe I've ever heard of any negatives with the Robust......so, it looks like the Laguna loss was a stepping stone to something better. Too bad it cost you $$$$, but the end game is where it counts!

Thanks for the come-back.......It will serve as a "heads up" to a few others who read of your misfortune.......

ooc
Click to expand...

Hi Odie - I agree, Laguna should have supported the warrentee because it was a known issue, and only days past the purchase date (not the delivery date).

One problem Laguna created for themselves is that they paired up the motor with the inverter and would only sell them as a pair. Even though the motor was fine, I had to buy them as a "combo".

So I bought the parts, repaired it and now we use it in my club for students in classes taught by demonstrators. It doesn't get much use, only 2 or 3 times a year.
 
Companies that make all or major portion of their business from woodturners have things in common
Their machines are designed to work for woodturners
They understand woodturners
And they stand behind their products

Excellent companies with great lathes include:
ONEWAY,Powermatic/jet(Walter Meier), Robust, VicMarc( woodworkers emporium), Stubby (Bil Rubenstein)..

It is probably no coincidence that these companies support the AAW.

Al
 
Tom Hamilton said:
Hi Odie - I agree, Laguna should have supported the warrentee because it was a known issue, and only days past the purchase date (not the delivery date).

One problem Laguna created for themselves is that they paired up the motor with the inverter and would only sell them as a pair. Even though the motor was fine, I had to buy them as a "combo".

So I bought the parts, repaired it and now we use it in my club for students in classes taught by demonstrators. It doesn't get much use, only 2 or 3 times a year.
Click to expand...

Tom......Just a thought:

If the old motor is still usable without the inverter, you might want to consider using it as a buffing station. This is what I did with my old motor, from when I converted my lathe from pulley drive to variable speed. Entire assembly was made from parts and pieces that were on hand.....so, cost was almost nothing!:cool2: Works really well, and will probably last me a lifetime.

ooc
 

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my 18/47 has been superb

My Grizzly G0698 18/47 has been going strong without one issue for over 2-1/2 years............not one problem! Of course I take care of my equipment, and the only thing I have done is change the belt once........was not really needed, but I mis-aligned the ribbed belt on the pulley's once and it put a nick or two on the inside of the belt...........totally my fault, and I have that belt as a back up now...........was not really needed to be changed, but I am a stickler for ultimate performance from my equipment.

Given the choice..........I would love to have an American Beauty from Robust......maybe in time!
 
odie said:
Tom......Just a thought:

If the old motor is still usable without the inverter, you might want to consider using it as a buffing station. This is what I did with my old motor, from when I converted my lathe from pulley drive to variable speed. Entire assembly was made from parts and pieces that were on hand.....so, cost was almost nothing!:cool2: Works really well, and will probably last me a lifetime.

ooc
Click to expand...

Well without an inverter or three phase power, it is just a paperweight.
 
Bill Boehme said:
Well without an inverter or three phase power, it is just a paperweight.
Click to expand...

OK, kind of suspected that might be the case.......

There is a plastic electrical box that is mounted on the other side of the upright post of my buffing station. This doesn't show up very well in the picture unless you know what you're looking at. That must be the inverter.......?

ooc
 
odie said:
OK, kind of suspected that might be the case.......

There is a plastic electrical box that is mounted on the other side of the upright post of my buffing station. This doesn't show up very well in the picture unless you know what you're looking at. That must be the inverter.......?

ooc
Click to expand...

No, that is a single phase capacitor-start capacitor-run induction motor and they can't be used with inverters (three phase motors are required for inverter duty).

I have no idea what that tan colored plastic box might be -- maybe a toolbox.
 
Bill Boehme said:
No, that is a single phase capacitor-start capacitor-run induction motor and they can't be used with inverters (three phase motors are required for inverter duty).

I have no idea what that tan colored plastic box might be -- maybe a toolbox.
Click to expand...

Bill, the tan color is the particle board the white box is mounted to on the other side......it's hard to see from that photo.

It's an electrical component, and part of the original setup for my Woodfast lathe. You can see the heavy gauge wire going from the motor to that electrical component. Without going out to the shop right now, I'm not sure how the other wires configure, but it's definitely not a tool box.

I built this buffing station myself, and used all the original Woodfast electrical parts and motor.........even though I'm very un-knowledgeable about electrical things, I simply made sure all the wires were connected the same way they had been installed previously.

Update this morning: Main power goes to the plastic box on the column. Large gauge wire goes from the plastic box to the motor. Smaller gauge wire goes from the plastic box to the on/off switches. There is a reset button on the plastic box.


ooc
 
Last edited:
I forgot to mention in my previous post that the two big bumps on the motor housing were my clues about the motor type. There is a start capacitor inside one of those bumps and a run capacitor inside the other.

A single phase induction motor doesn't know which way to run so a second pseudo-phase is created using a start capacitor to shift the phase of the power going through another set of windings. Once the motor has accelerated to near its full speed, a rotating centrifugal switch near the back of the rotor opens up to break the connection on the start winding. The centrifugal switch consists of a couple rotating weights and springs that operate an electrical switch. When the switch opens, the start winding and capacitor are no longer in the circuit until the motor stops. When the motor is coasting to a stop, you can hear the centrifugal switch re-engage just prior to coming to a stop.

If the motor also has a run capacitor, then it and the auxiliary winding stay engaged and only the start capacitor is disconnected.

Three phase motors do not have capacitors since the three phases provide the rotating electric field and the rotor "chases" it around. The direction of rotation of a three phase motor can be easily changed by swapping two of the three phases.
 
Bill Boehme said:
I forgot to mention in my previous post that the two big bumps on the motor housing were my clues about the motor type. There is a start capacitor inside one of those bumps and a run capacitor inside the other.

A single phase induction motor doesn't know which way to run so a second pseudo-phase is created using a start capacitor to shift the phase of the power going through another set of windings. Once the motor has accelerated to near its full speed, a rotating centrifugal switch near the back of the rotor opens up to break the connection on the start winding. The centrifugal switch consists of a couple rotating weights and springs that operate an electrical switch. When the switch opens, the start winding and capacitor are no longer in the circuit until the motor stops. When the motor is coasting to a stop, you can hear the centrifugal switch re-engage just prior to coming to a stop.

If the motor also has a run capacitor, then it and the auxiliary winding stay engaged and only the start capacitor is disconnected.

Three phase motors do not have capacitors since the three phases provide the rotating electric field and the rotor "chases" it around. The direction of rotation of a three phase motor can be easily changed by swapping two of the three phases.
Click to expand...

OK, Bill......

I don't know about these things.......sounds like you do!

I wonder just what function that white electrical box has........😕

ooc
 
Bill Boehme said:
That is where the spare electrons are stored. If you wear out any electrons, just open the box and get some fresh ones.
Click to expand...

:cool2: Oh.....well, now I know!

😀

ooc
 
Gretch Flo said:
Can we get spare neurons in the same place??? If so, I may need to buy a new lathe so I have the white neuronal box.😀 Gretch
Click to expand...

Nerve cells? Is this to build up your reflexes and tactile senses before beginning a really challenging turning? 🙂

I usually want to steady some of my reflexes to reduce unintended chatter work when trying to do some very intricate task. If it weren't for some serious safety issues, I hear that a shot of Jack D. is good for steadying the nerves. 😀
 
I was actually thinking of the brain and it's dwindling capabilities. Don't have problems with reflexes , probably because of the box of wine I keep right next to the panic button.😉 Gretch
 
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