November 2023 update - the bandsaw continues to work just fine. In this video I was too harsh on the ceramic guides. They guide the blade quite well and will never seize up. The side guides will loosen up a bit after heavy resawing but that's my only really complaint.
I have owned this very same make and model band saw for the last 2 1/2 years. It was also my first band saw. There was no band saw guru in my neighborhood so I poured over reviews for way too long and there was a sale somewhere and boom, I had a band saw. I told my wife it would take me a while to figure it out and I was surprised how quickly it became invaluable. Oh, I have made my share of highly crafted firewood, but none of that was the fault of the machine...operator error mostly combined with inexperience. It's been a while now and every single time I go out to use the thing I get what I expect and sometimes surprise myself with how much I've picked up. I may be able to offer some help with the ceramic guides. first, they are, in fact, solid ceramic. I still have the original guides still in my machine, there is virtually no wear visible. I can't imagine wearing them out in my lifetime. I have even broken a blade or 3 (generally running them too tight) and no damage whatsoever to the ceramic guides. Yes, there are marks on the round thrust bearings but whenever I reset for a new blade they just get rotated a little. In your video at the 3:14 mark I see what is possibly your critical error. It appears that your guides are set to "capture" the entire blade including the teeth. It won't work that way and you will continuously tear up your $100. guides. They should be set just behind the deepest gullet so the teeth never come in contact with the guides. Here's a link to the manufacturers set up guide, after 2 1/2 years I don't do it exactly that way but darned close (ua-cam.com/video/d0EhyANcYWY/v-deo.html). If you get a chance to play with a machine with the roller bearings give it a shot, I did thinking they would be better and after a couple of days helping a buddy out on a project I see why I like the ceramic guides. The biggest thing is there are 6 more moving parts...and they move all over the place. Right up until today I could not agree with you more regarding the knob on the rip fence. I watched the same video you talked about with the guy that shortened the screw but maintained the brass gizmo at the tip and thought he was brilliant...Here is what I discovered today: if you move the rip fence toward the blade instead away from the blade before you open the bottom door the offending knob clears the door where it is notched out for the dust collection slider cover. 2 1/2 years and I just figure it out today...oh well. I hope this doesn't come off as a troll comment. I've really enjoyed my machine and with a few minor tweaks (the ceramic guide adjustment is a really big minor thing) I'm hoping you will have a better time with yours.
Nice review, David - I have the same saw but do not have the same issues with the ceramic guides. They will spark, not a big issue - I think that is even mentioned in the manual. As far as the wear, it looks like you have the teeth of your blade back into the ceramic guide. The guide should be behind the throats of the gullets. That may have been a trick of the camera, or they just weren't where you run them, but I thought it was worth a mention. I also think the guides are solid ceramic. It is cheaper to produce a solid piece of ceramic by extrusion than to try to bond a layer of ceramic around a piece of metal. And if they were doing that, they would not have taken the time to do it on the non-wear faces. I think the metal you are seeing on the ceramic is just rub off from your blades.
Good review. Wish I would have seen it before I bought mine--probably about the same time. I think Carter makes an aftermarket blade guide system, which I am considering but it's not cheap. Questions for you: Have you tried to or had to change the tires on the wheel? Not easy, and there is no guidance from Laguna at all.
Yep I've changed them and I don't recall it being difficult. Afterwards many years with the saw I've grown to mostly like the ceramic guides. No moving parts to gum up and they still cut wonderfully straight resaws.
This is a nice review, but it is not entirely accurate. The ceramic inserts are just that - solid ceramic inserts made to Laguna's specs. Specifically, they are made of Magnesium Oxide. Ceramic is typically a harder surface than your band saw blades, and the ceramic tends to mitigate heat buildup, thereby letting your blades run cooler. What you are calling a metal substrate under a ceramic coating appears to be just the metal of the blade actually rubbing off very fine on the ceramic. Your thrust bearing has taken a beating, and the blade you have on there is quite small - Laguna sell a mini guide system for scroll saw like blades similar to what you are using there. The cost is a reasonable $149 for the upper and lower set, and that includes phenolic rods rather than the solid ceramic inserts. The mini guides are designed to work well with 1/16" to 3/8" band saw blades. Ceramic works fine with small blades, but you need to be careful in setting the front to back depth of the ceramic guide on the blade. Make sure that it is at the blade gullet and not touching the tooth in any way. If it does, it can mess up your teeth (again, the ceramic is hard) or it could chip or crack the ceramic if it engages a tooth. But I did enjoy the review. I am going to purchase the 14Bx this weekend, along with the Laguna Fusion tablesaw and the Laguna 6" ShearTeac II jointer.
Steven is absolutely correct, the guides are solid ceramic. What you think is bare metal is residue from your blades. If you want to learn more about setting up your saw correctly, you need to watch this video: ua-cam.com/video/wGbZqWac0jU/v-deo.html. It is THE best bandsaw video on UA-cam. I have owned this same saw for about two years and have only two complaints about it. The quick release lever quit functioning after using it several times and no one at Laguna could ever explain why or how to repair it and the foot pedal for the mobility attachment is very stiff most the time. I agree it's not worth $150. I use the smae blade you spoke of and also their blade for green wood and have no problem with it "fluttering" or not tracking straight. I think your problem may stem from not adjusting your blade tracking with the gullets being perfectly centered in the upper tire, and perhaps TOO MUCH tension. Too much will cause more problems than not quite enough. DO NOT pay any attention to the blade tension guage on the saw. They are not ever even close to the correct tension. Follow Alex's advice in the video above. As far as dust collection, you will NEVER have 100% on a bandsaw. There's no possible way to seal the bottom of it to get enough vacuum.
Thanks man! I thumbed up. I had concerns about the guide blocks too, and it's good to see a review that wasn't bought and paid for. There are other versions in the same frame (other mfgs) that use regular bearing guides. I'm in the market for an inexpensive re-saw. I have a '99 Delta that I love for scrolling, that uses the graphite cool blocks. I'm wondering if there is retro-fit for the Laguna. $100 for ceramic guide blocks, and home use, in less than two years seems a little unreasonable. I'm going to investigate what you said about micro-adjustment. On the older Delta's you can adjust the guides by turning a thumbscrew up front while the saw is running - this is a feature I use a lot - ditto for the top guides. I generally go through a set of cool blocks ($20) each year. Once again, thanks for providing a genuine opinion about this extremely well marketed saw!
You missed the biggest problem that I have with this saw, setting the bottom guides. They are incredibly difficult to reach and adjust. I too, would not buy this saw again.
Good job on this video sir, I have been looking at this one and another brand. I am like most, just wanting to make sure my choice I make it the right one since this will be my last band saw I buy in my lifetime, or at least that is my plan. Thanks again for taking the time to make this video and you really have helped me make up my mind on the saw I want. Thanks again, new sub here, Keep up the fun videos and have a blessed weekend. Dale
i have a question about your saw is the miter track machined smooth on the slot sides or dose it have milling marks on it ? i just got a new saw a few weeks ago and there are mill marks in the sides of my track . laguna sent me a new top but it is the same . i contacted them and they said that`s the way it is made at the factory . very disappointed with this as my miter gauge will not fit the track.
@@DavidPx i think that`s what i`m going to get too. laguna was very helpful in looking for a solution to this there sending me a miter gauge thanks for the reply
The new Jet equivalent to what you have is an awful saw..You are just fine with what you have, Jet is NOT even close to as good as Laguna when it comes to band saws. All Band saws are fiddley these days, just the nature of that tool.
I have the 1412 but I would buy the LT14 SUV if knew beforehand. Only a few hundred dollars more will get you a long list of better features and qualities, much stiffer frame, much sturdier saw guide, rack and pinion adjustable table with suspension, foot brake, precision machined parts comparing to filmcy plastic, bigger motor....
1,340 now ;) Comes over as an honest, straightforward review - a useful contrast to some of the other "reviews" (promotional videos?). I only just came across ceramic guides, seems like they offer first class blade stabilization but at very high cost, poor life span and - they cause sparks! Lucky they provide dual-port dust extraction.
Haha well this plus a couple other points just made me want the rikon 10-326 instead. So Laguna if you read this get better at responding even if it's to say sorry can't help.
Great review. I like the small footprint and capabilities. However, the nickel and dime (more like hundred dollar bill...) game on a steel rod and some plastic wheels, a worklight, those guides, etc. made the saw not a good deal to me.
I’m thinking about purchasing this saw. Dude you are knit picking this thing…. Try finding another saw that doesn’t have other issues that piss you off.
November 2023 update - the bandsaw continues to work just fine. In this video I was too harsh on the ceramic guides. They guide the blade quite well and will never seize up. The side guides will loosen up a bit after heavy resawing but that's my only really complaint.
I have owned this very same make and model band saw for the last 2 1/2 years. It was also my first band saw. There was no band saw guru in my neighborhood so I poured over reviews for way too long and there was a sale somewhere and boom, I had a band saw. I told my wife it would take me a while to figure it out and I was surprised how quickly it became invaluable. Oh, I have made my share of highly crafted firewood, but none of that was the fault of the machine...operator error mostly combined with inexperience. It's been a while now and every single time I go out to use the thing I get what I expect and sometimes surprise myself with how much I've picked up. I may be able to offer some help with the ceramic guides. first, they are, in fact, solid ceramic. I still have the original guides still in my machine, there is virtually no wear visible. I can't imagine wearing them out in my lifetime. I have even broken a blade or 3 (generally running them too tight) and no damage whatsoever to the ceramic guides. Yes, there are marks on the round thrust bearings but whenever I reset for a new blade they just get rotated a little. In your video at the 3:14 mark I see what is possibly your critical error. It appears that your guides are set to "capture" the entire blade including the teeth. It won't work that way and you will continuously tear up your $100. guides. They should be set just behind the deepest gullet so the teeth never come in contact with the guides. Here's a link to the manufacturers set up guide, after 2 1/2 years I don't do it exactly that way but darned close (ua-cam.com/video/d0EhyANcYWY/v-deo.html). If you get a chance to play with a machine with the roller bearings give it a shot, I did thinking they would be better and after a couple of days helping a buddy out on a project I see why I like the ceramic guides. The biggest thing is there are 6 more moving parts...and they move all over the place. Right up until today I could not agree with you more regarding the knob on the rip fence. I watched the same video you talked about with the guy that shortened the screw but maintained the brass gizmo at the tip and thought he was brilliant...Here is what I discovered today: if you move the rip fence toward the blade instead away from the blade before you open the bottom door the offending knob clears the door where it is notched out for the dust collection slider cover. 2 1/2 years and I just figure it out today...oh well. I hope this doesn't come off as a troll comment. I've really enjoyed my machine and with a few minor tweaks (the ceramic guide adjustment is a really big minor thing) I'm hoping you will have a better time with yours.
Nice review, David - I have the same saw but do not have the same issues with the ceramic guides. They will spark, not a big issue - I think that is even mentioned in the manual. As far as the wear, it looks like you have the teeth of your blade back into the ceramic guide. The guide should be behind the throats of the gullets. That may have been a trick of the camera, or they just weren't where you run them, but I thought it was worth a mention. I also think the guides are solid ceramic. It is cheaper to produce a solid piece of ceramic by extrusion than to try to bond a layer of ceramic around a piece of metal. And if they were doing that, they would not have taken the time to do it on the non-wear faces. I think the metal you are seeing on the ceramic is just rub off from your blades.
Ceramic is harder than steel. The dark discoloration is steel on the guides rather than ceramic rubbing off.
To make the ceramic work better, the blade should be polished before use, just like some people shown on UA-cam.
that's what I thought
Good review. Wish I would have seen it before I bought mine--probably about the same time. I think Carter makes an aftermarket blade guide system, which I am considering but it's not cheap. Questions for you: Have you tried to or had to change the tires on the wheel? Not easy, and there is no guidance from Laguna at all.
Yep I've changed them and I don't recall it being difficult.
Afterwards many years with the saw I've grown to mostly like the ceramic guides. No moving parts to gum up and they still cut wonderfully straight resaws.
This is a nice review, but it is not entirely accurate. The ceramic inserts are just that - solid ceramic inserts made to Laguna's specs. Specifically, they are made of Magnesium Oxide. Ceramic is typically a harder surface than your band saw blades, and the ceramic tends to mitigate heat buildup, thereby letting your blades run cooler. What you are calling a metal substrate under a ceramic coating appears to be just the metal of the blade actually rubbing off very fine on the ceramic.
Your thrust bearing has taken a beating, and the blade you have on there is quite small - Laguna sell a mini guide system for scroll saw like blades similar to what you are using there. The cost is a reasonable $149 for the upper and lower set, and that includes phenolic rods rather than the solid ceramic inserts. The mini guides are designed to work well with 1/16" to 3/8" band saw blades. Ceramic works fine with small blades, but you need to be careful in setting the front to back depth of the ceramic guide on the blade. Make sure that it is at the blade gullet and not touching the tooth in any way. If it does, it can mess up your teeth (again, the ceramic is hard) or it could chip or crack the ceramic if it engages a tooth.
But I did enjoy the review. I am going to purchase the 14Bx this weekend, along with the Laguna Fusion tablesaw and the Laguna 6" ShearTeac II jointer.
Steven is absolutely correct, the guides are solid ceramic. What you think is bare metal is residue from your blades. If you want to learn more about setting up your saw correctly, you need to watch this video: ua-cam.com/video/wGbZqWac0jU/v-deo.html. It is THE best bandsaw video on UA-cam. I have owned this same saw for about two years and have only two complaints about it. The quick release lever quit functioning after using it several times and no one at Laguna could ever explain why or how to repair it and the foot pedal for the mobility attachment is very stiff most the time. I agree it's not worth $150. I use the smae blade you spoke of and also their blade for green wood and have no problem with it "fluttering" or not tracking straight. I think your problem may stem from not adjusting your blade tracking with the gullets being perfectly centered in the upper tire, and perhaps TOO MUCH tension. Too much will cause more problems than not quite enough. DO NOT pay any attention to the blade tension guage on the saw. They are not ever even close to the correct tension. Follow Alex's advice in the video above. As far as dust collection, you will NEVER have 100% on a bandsaw. There's no possible way to seal the bottom of it to get enough vacuum.
Hey David. Great review! Have you had any issues with sparking on the ceramic guides? I am just about to purchase this saw. Thanks in advance!
Thank you for this review. It was very helpful. I didn't know the ceramic guides were just a coating. Good luck and keep on making sawdust!
They're not. He got that wrong and should probably add a disclaimer about that. They're solid ceramic.
Thanks man! I thumbed up. I had concerns about the guide blocks too, and it's good to see a review that wasn't bought and paid for. There are other versions in the same frame (other mfgs) that use regular bearing guides. I'm in the market for an inexpensive re-saw. I have a '99 Delta that I love for scrolling, that uses the graphite cool blocks. I'm wondering if there is retro-fit for the Laguna. $100 for ceramic guide blocks, and home use, in less than two years seems a little unreasonable. I'm going to investigate what you said about micro-adjustment. On the older Delta's you can adjust the guides by turning a thumbscrew up front while the saw is running - this is a feature I use a lot - ditto for the top guides. I generally go through a set of cool blocks ($20) each year. Once again, thanks for providing a genuine opinion about this extremely well marketed saw!
That was a great honest review !!
You missed the biggest problem that I have with this saw, setting the bottom guides. They are incredibly difficult to reach and adjust. I too, would not buy this saw again.
Good job on this video sir, I have been looking at this one and another brand. I am like most, just wanting to make sure my choice I make it the right one since this will be my last band saw I buy in my lifetime, or at least that is my plan. Thanks again for taking the time to make this video and you really have helped me make up my mind on the saw I want. Thanks again, new sub here, Keep up the fun videos and have a blessed weekend.
Dale
i have a question about your saw is the miter track machined smooth on the slot sides or dose it have milling marks on it ?
i just got a new saw a few weeks ago and there are mill marks in the sides of my track . laguna sent me a new top but it is the same . i contacted them and they said that`s the way it is made at the factory . very disappointed with this as my miter gauge will not fit the track.
@@DavidPx i think that`s what i`m going to get too. laguna was very helpful in looking for a solution to this there sending me a miter gauge thanks for the reply
What would be your choice for a new bandsaw? Particularly with the micro adjustment guides. I've been considering a jet 15" 3hp
The new Jet equivalent to what you have is an awful saw..You are just fine with what you have, Jet is NOT even close to as good as Laguna when it comes to band saws. All Band saws are fiddley these days, just the nature of that tool.
I have the 1412 but I would buy the LT14 SUV if knew beforehand. Only a few hundred dollars more will get you a long list of better features and qualities, much stiffer frame, much sturdier saw guide, rack and pinion adjustable table with suspension, foot brake, precision machined parts comparing to filmcy plastic, bigger motor....
Fantastic review
thanks for the info! $100 for the damn inserts ? that's crazy.. although, I noticed all the Laguna accessories are super expensive. thanks again
If you were going to get another bandsaw in this price range which would you look at?
Surprised you mention the 10-326 as everyone seems to point to the Laguna 14-12 over the Rikon.
Has Laguna responded to your concerns?
1,340 now ;) Comes over as an honest, straightforward review - a useful contrast to some of the other "reviews" (promotional videos?). I only just came across ceramic guides, seems like they offer first class blade stabilization but at very high cost, poor life span and - they cause sparks! Lucky they provide dual-port dust extraction.
Haha well this plus a couple other points just made me want the rikon 10-326 instead. So Laguna if you read this get better at responding even if it's to say sorry can't help.
Great review. I like the small footprint and capabilities. However, the nickel and dime (more like hundred dollar bill...) game on a steel rod and some plastic wheels, a worklight, those guides, etc. made the saw not a good deal to me.
david can you tell me the bandsaws that come with micro adjustments
if you had it to over would you purchase a rikon over laguna,,I really like grizzly but the freight is what I have a hangup on,,lol
I’m thinking about purchasing this saw.
Dude you are knit picking this thing…. Try finding another saw that doesn’t have other issues that piss you off.
Thanks for the engagement!
@@DavidPx No problem. Love helping the little guys.
Your concerns are petty.
Tom Petty