Apples&Oranges: Laguna Fusion3 or iTECH 01332?

[HOJ]

I've had a Laguna Fusion 3 for a couple of years , I also run a Sedgwick TA 450 & a small Kity saw, I agree with @Daniel.l & @Sideways about the Laguna, my main use is generally for ripping, and mostly Oak, and some days, all day, the Laguna is now my go to option as long as its within its limits, (worth checking what DOC you will need, that's why I have the TA 450) I am more than pleased with its, performance, my only niggle is, I would have liked a micro adjuster on the fence, the Sedgwick monster has one.

 

[Val]

I've had a Laguna Fusion 3 for a couple of years , I also run a Sedgwick TA 450 & a small Kity saw, I agree with @Daniel.l & @Sideways about the Laguna, my main use is generally for ripping, and mostly Oak, and some days, all day, the Laguna is now my go to option as long as its within its limits, (worth checking what DOC you will need, that's why I have the TA 450) I am more than pleased with its, performance, my only niggle is, I would have liked a micro adjuster on the fence, the Sedgwick monster has one.

I would say that 75mm as depth of cut should be more than enough for me, I don’t plan to do anything bigger than that, and if I do I can always rely on the 14BX bandsaw.

I’m surprised the Laguna doesn’t have a fine adjustment knob for the fence, as the iTECH has it - is it possible to add one to it?

 

[Daniel.l]

Something I have perfected is gentle tapping and half clamping until I'm at my precise measurement works really well for me something that doesn't bother me one bit

 

[deema]

I will throw you a curve ball! @Sideways and I have a couple of Wadkin AGS (I think they are both fixed riving knives, not rise and fall with the blade which is what I prefer) and a Startrite 275 saws we have to restore which are next in the pipeline to be done. When finished they work absolutely correctly, and will last a few life times. We were planning on refurnishing the Startrite next and write up a thread on it, however we don't mind which we restore next. Have a look at Sidewys and my threads on machines we have restored. You would be looking at around £2K finished and delivered, the only catch, and those who have bought machines off us know, is that it can take a little while for us to get it finished. We are both retired engineers who do this for fun not commercially. We only let a machine go when we are truly happy that it’s as good if not better than it was when it left the factory.

Those on the forum who have bought a machine of us know, that we continue to help long after we have sold a machine, and equally if someone says they want a machine, the only time they truly committed is when we ship it, everyone we have dealt with has been a gentleman or lady, and we know circumstances change / people decide they would prefer something else, which isn’t an issue for us, just let us know. The machines always sell when we’ve finished them.


Here are a couple of examples
https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/threads/wadkin-bgs10…the-rarest-table-saw-wadkin-made-full-restoration.132165/
https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/threads/sedgwick-mb-planer-thicknesser-full-refurbishment.136008/https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/threads/scm-minimax-s45-bandsaw-teardown-overhaul.135069/

 

[clogs]

Val
another thing to consider is it's resale value when u upgrade or quit...

 

[Val]

I will throw you a curve ball! @Sideways and I have a couple of Wadkin AGS (I think they are both fixed riving knives, not rise and fall with the blade which is what I prefer) and a Startrite 275 saws we have to restore which are next in the pipeline to be done. When finished they work absolutely correctly, and will last a few life times. We were planning on refurnishing the Startrite next and write up a thread on it, however we don't mind which we restore next. Have a look at Sidewys and my threads on machines we have restored. You would be looking at around £2K finished and delivered, the only catch, and those who have bought machines off us know, is that it can take a little while for us to get it finished. We are both retired engineers who do this for fun not commercially. We only let a machine go when we are truly happy that it’s as good if not better than it was when it left the factory.

Those on the forum who have bought a machine of us know, that we continue to help long after we have sold a machine, and equally if someone says they want a machine, the only time they truly committed is when we ship it, everyone we have dealt with has been a gentleman or lady, and we know circumstances change / people decide they would prefer something else, which isn’t an issue for us, just let us know. The machines always sell when we’ve finished them.


Here are a couple of examples
https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/threads/wadkin-bgs10…the-rarest-table-saw-wadkin-made-full-restoration.132165/
https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/threads/sedgwick-mb-planer-thicknesser-full-refurbishment.136008/https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/threads/scm-minimax-s45-bandsaw-teardown-overhaul.135069/

That’s a real curve ball! I have to say that I would like to get the tablesaw in time for Christmas, so I don’t know if that would be feasible. Surely I’m looking for a tablesaw that has the riving knife that rises and falls, so it would leave the startrite only.

What are the differences in terms of safety and dust extraction compared to modern saws?

Val
another thing to consider is it's resale value when u upgrade or quit...

I’m not particularly bothered by resale value, to be honest!

 

[deema]

That’s a real curve ball! I have to say that I would like to get the tablesaw in time for Christmas, so I don’t know if that would be feasible. Surely I’m looking for a tablesaw that has the riving knife that rises and falls, so it would leave the startrite only.

What are the differences in terms of safety and dust extraction compared to modern saws?


I’m not particularly bothered by resale value, to be honest!

This is just my opinion, laced with playing with a number of table saws. Firstly let’s dismiss the issues of users not using them properly. The rigidity of the saw assembly both to handle the loads and also to remain set as it should has a big impact on the likelihood of a kick back. If the blade doesn’t tilt on an axis that keeps the blade orientated to the fence exactly as it is at 90 degrees, or doesn’t lower maintaining the blade coplanar with the fence you have an increased likelihood of a kickback. The last element is that the fence is strong and rigid and again tracks properly. The older iron saws are IMO far better built than the equivalent price point of a modern saw. Clearly as you go up the price curve the quality of the build increases and the issues of value engineering a machine to hit a price point are reduced / eliminated. For this reason they hold their value / increase in value as people who have used them recognise the difference in quality and also cut. Cast iron absorbs vibration, and the greater the quantity of it within the saw the more vibration is damped and the better the cut.

 

[Fireburst]

I have just purchased the Fusion 3 for my new workshop which will be an upgrade on dust collection from my old startrite.

 

[Reffc]

Fwiw my tuppenceworth given the OP’s choice would be the laguna 3 all day long. The other saws are more expensive than but no better than the much cheaper Charnwood W650. I looked at those but given some user feedback bought a W650 which seems to have fewer issues bar similarly poor dust extraction. It has a powerful 3hp induction motor and has proved to be more than precise and durable enough for professional use on a budget. Had I had my current budget at the time I would have bought the Laguna.

 

[Val]

Fwiw my tuppenceworth given the OP’s choice would be the laguna 3 all day long. The other saws are more expensive than but no better than the much cheaper Charnwood W650. I looked at those but given some user feedback bought a W650 which seems to have fewer issues bar similarly poor dust extraction. It has a powerful 3hp induction motor and has proved to be more than precise and durable enough for professional use on a budget. Had I had my current budget at the time I would have bought the Laguna.

that's an interesting saw - it costs a bit more than the iTECH but has a sliding carriage already (which is £600 extra for the iTECH). it doesn't seem to be a copy of the SIP, though.
I understand that at the time you would've bought the Laguna if you had the money, but would you still buy the Laguna today after having tried this Charnwood? basically: is the money difference worth it?

 

[Reffc]

I think that little things matter. The Laguna uses more precise and better finished arbor raise and lower controls and uses a 2:1 gearbox for smoother operation (although the Charnwood one is very solid). It's dust collection isn't an afterthought and is far better designed and implemented. It has a slightly larger cast iron table which is better finished, although the Charnwood's one is very flat and well ground. The Laguna's motor is very similar to the Charnwoods so no advantage there. If you're after something which won't get used daily and where you you take the time to set up the Charnwood properly (many moan about the sliding table not being square or difficult to get consistent square cuts but since you set this up yourself it's all about taking care to do it accurately) then it's probably not worth spending the extra on the Laguna. Be aware though that dust collection is very poor and you'd end up modifying the machine to improve it. The plus points are that the motor is very good and shaft run out more than to acceptable tolerances...it's capable of very accurate long rips or cross cuts. The motor is quiet and powerful and the main fence is pretty rigid and once you get the knack of adjusting the solid steel bar mounting to square it (not a method I like as it's a bit hit and miss) then it stays accurate and has a pretty decent fine adjust but won't slide as smoothly across the table as the Laguna one.

What you're paying extra for with any saw like the Laguna or the Axminster professional saw is for better refinement.

Once you've taken the time to set the W650 up as it should be, it's as capable as the Laguna and probably as accurate but you have to be prepared to do more cleaning up as a lot of dust falls to the bottom of the cabinet and unless you religiously vacuum out the dust connecting in the tilt mechanism it compacts there behind the end stop and needs scraping out.

Personally I'm happy with the Charnwood but given the budget would have plumped for the Laguna if only for the better dust collection, better refinement and better finish. It's the more professionally oriented of the two. Whilst I use mine professionally and often it gets run several hrs per day it's really aimed at the semi-professional or serious diy market. I would say it's a better bet than the i-tech for the money if only due to the (better) rip fence and sliding carriage as standard (and that even uses a cast iron top).