NEW Laguna Fusion 10" Table Saw 36"

[Billyboydes]

Big excitement at my place! I purchased and received the first Laguna Fusion 10" in Australia and it is a Beauty! Total cost $1375 plus delivery from Gregory Machinery in Brisbane.

I have been wanting to upgrade my box making saw for a while and the opportunity to compare all 'small' cabinet saws on the market with the Laguna 10", saw me purchasing the Fusion last week.

Note it is not big, advertised 1.75 HP but stamped as 2HP and only 10", but I was purchasing for a specific purpose. (I already have a Hammer Winner panel saw in the shed)

The machine comes 90% assembled (just the wings, and the fence to install) so within a couple of careful hours and some minor adjustment I was cutting my first mitre.

I don't use the Riving knife or the Blade guard (I have made a new set of Doug Stowe Sleds) but both are well assembled and positioned and the Mitre gauge adequate.

Some of the features I like include, the quality two way fence (note the manual is not correct with regard the alignment), the enclosed cabinet and excellent dust extraction, the spot on 0 degree stop (the 45 degree is not spot on but is adjustable but a fiddle to get to, so I will use my gauge), the angle locking handle, beautiful smooth running and a quick stop, good switch position.

This is the best saw I found in its class and a fantastic new addition to the shed.

regards

[Big Shed]

That is a lot of saw for the money, it looks very similar to my Carbatec TS10L, except my rip capacity is 1200mm and the motor is 3hp.

I would suggest that the dado set would be an ideal addition if you are going to use it for box making, I have an 8" set as well.

Another 2 things I wouldn't be without on mine are the Incra 1000SE mitre gauge and the Wixey digital fence, both used every time I use the saw.
Was alo going to recommend the Wixey angle gauge, but I see you already have one.

[FenceFurniture]

Thanks for the info Billy. Where would be without this forum eh? I can't comment with any authority at all, but as Fred says it looks like an excellent product:$ ratio.

Fred, obviously the bigger ripping capacity the better, but I'm more interested in you power comment, and what the various powers would cut with ease. This saw (at I think 2hp) would cut up to what sort of thickness of reasonably mean hardwood with ease? Compared to a 3hp jobbie.

I ask this because it's all relevant to the user (which is why we get a choice), BUT the user needs to know what they can reasonably expect.

I'm going down a quite different modular table saw path myself, for a multitude of reasons, and so I'm in the process of finding out what I can expect mine to do comfortably (parts of it still haven't arrived but the saw works really well as my first track saw). The neat part is that I'll be able to upgrade to more power/depth with ridiculous ease (but more $ of course) and then use the smaller saw for trackwork (speaking of horse power) to which it is more suited than the larger saw.

Minor short term, but related threadjack (forgiveness Billy:p):

On the same theme, I've been looking at the Hammer N4400 for some way down the track, and just over the weekend the Laguna Bandsaw (I think new to Oz??) came into my research sphere via another thread, and a private conversation (also a coincidence). It too looks to be excellent vfm.

So, does this mean the Laguna as a brand is usually excellent vfm? It's panning out that way. My next major purchase will be a Thicky/Jointer combo, and again I'm looking at the Hammer with a helical head. I'll get some hands on with that at Groenaj's joint pretty soon, but I'm already fairly familiar with it. Good machine with a couple of in-your-face ergonomic cockups (why do they do that - don't get me started on the excellence of Festool engineering combined with inelegant, dopey, and easily eliminated ergonomic flaws). Everyone owner of the Jet JPR 310 combo seems to rave about it (particularly with HH head), but at least one ex-user says that getting the tables co-planar is a bloody nightmare/impossible. An ex-user's opinion as far more valid that someone who is in love with it, I'm afraid.

So....might have to research what Laguna have in Combo machines.......could be either very interesting or nuttin there.....

EDIT: Yes there are Combo machines, and the prices look really good, except that Gregory's don't have them (yet?). Perhaps they are just rolling out the brand?

[Repete]

Very tasty! Just an observation, but it does have a Jet Proshop look!?? The blade guard, the insert & the tilt lock look very familiar. Does the the tilt have the fantastic horse shoe casting of the jet? I'm very curious. Pete

[Billyboydes]

Pete, I suppose many components and or complete units are made in the same factories however this saw made in Taiwan is certainly NOT a Jet. I looked at the Jets at CarbaTec and the Laguna was superior.

[simops]

Great looking saw! Had I not bought the SB12 over a year ago I would have definitely gone for this Laguna branded saw.....especially at that price!

i bet your table is flat? The SB12 I got had a bow in the table top....so did the replacement:no: for $1500 plus ended up paying to flatten it! I doubt that the Laguna quality control would allow that.

well done on that purchase.....

[FenceFurniture]

plus ended up paying to flatten it!

At what cost?

[Billyboydes]

That is a lot of saw for the money, it looks very similar to my Carbatec TS10L, except my rip capacity is 1200mm and the motor is 3hp.

I would suggest that the dado set would be an ideal addition if you are going to use it for box making, I have an 8" set as well.

Another 2 things I wouldn't be without on mine are the Incra 1000SE mitre gauge and the Wixey digital fence, both used every time I use the saw.
Was alo going to recommend the Wixey angle gauge, but I see you already have one.

Hi Fred, thanks for the advice, I am currently researching a Dado set (I have never used one) Any brands you can recommend?
regards

[Big Shed]

I can recommend the one I have, but.......

It came from Northwood Tools who are now defunct, my saw blades came from there as well.
Only paid $99 for the dado set, only bought it to try out using a dado set and didn't want to spend the hundreds of dollars demanded for some of the sets.
The plan was to buy a better set once I had convinved myself of the usefulness of a dado set.
Well I certainly convinced myself of that, it gets used regularly and the cheap set gives me very good results so I am still using it.

I think have a thread on this set somewhere.

[simops]

At what cost?

$400......precision grinding.....flat as a pancake now but should of been like that from the start :no::no:

[chook]

I bought a table saw about a year ago. It has a 2 HP motor and at the time I wondered if it would be enough. But the rest of the saw and especially the fence was so good and the price at about $1300 I thought it would be worth a try. The saw will take a 12 inch blade and I recently put a $175 12 inch Gudho ripping blade in it. Anyway I suppose if I was cutting 4 inch iron bark posts for a living then something more wonderful would be required. But for the mucking about in the shed on weekends and holidays that I do (and I suspect many others) the HP of the saw has never been anything I have even thought about. I make tables, boxes cabinets and mess out of an assortment of whatever is laying about and the saw cuts the timber clean and straight. Really for me the accuracy and stability of the fence, the flatness of the table and the absolute lack of vibration are far more important than an extra HP. If this new saw is well made, if the fence is solid and straight etc then for most of use wannebees then the 2 HP will get us all home. If we earn our livings at cutting timber or if we have a rich uncle then of course we will get something grander.

[chemfish]

Nice to see your appraisal of the saw, I was hoping to get one come easter but a surprise house restumping has set my power tool acquisition back a bit, good to see your happy with it though as I’m thinking it’s still top of my purchase list.

How do you feel about the overall quality of the saw? Everything moves smoothly, height adjust, tilt, fence etc? And how is the reproducibility of the blade tilt adjustment, do the stops always stop at 90 and 45% or do they wander by a little bit each time you move the blade? Also have you found the power adequate?

[Billyboydes]

Hi chemfish,
The overall quality is superior to anything I saw. Finish, assembly etc. The stops appear to be consistent, the 45 was not factory set but a simple allemn key adjustment in the table top and it appears fine.

I was pleasantly surprised at the 2hp stamp ( I was expecting 1.75hp). It is not an issue for me as I purchased as a Box Making saw only so it will never cut anything more than 20mm hardwood. The blade included is an all purpose so I changed to a 120 tooth and have no issues.

When you get the chance have a look at one far superior to anything in the same price range.

regards

[Richie Rich]

Hi Billyboydes, I had a look at the Laguna Fusion Today and was mighty impressed, do you think that the saw would be able to cut 50-70mm Qld Maple and Blackwood okay or would it struggle,
Cheers,Richie

[Billyboydes]

Hi Billyboydes, I had a look at the Laguna Fusion Today and was mighty impressed, do you think that the saw would be able to cut 50-70mm Qld Maple and Blackwood okay or would it struggle,
Cheers,Richie

Hi Richie,

I will test in the morning and take a photo.
regards

[Billyboydes]

Hi Billyboydes, I had a look at the Laguna Fusion Today and was mighty impressed, do you think that the saw would be able to cut 50-70mm Qld Maple and Blackwood okay or would it struggle,
Cheers,Richie

Richie,
This morning I changed blade from my 120 tooth Fine Cut Off to the 40 tooth universal that came with the saw, attached the Blade Guard and pulled out a few test pieces.

It is rare that I would want to Rip anything over 50mm (and I would use my panel saw). I purchased the saw for box making, but it has enough grunt to easily perform the following cuts.

The toughest test in my shed is bloody hard Spotted Gum 40mm Rip. NO PROBLEMS :2tsup:
Red Mallee burl 55mm. NO PROBLEMS :2tsup:
Qld Maple 55mm Rip and Dock NO PROBLEMS :2tsup:
Kwila 55mm Dock NO PROBLEMS :2tsup:
Tassie Myrtle 48mm Dock NO PROBLEMS :2tsup:

:clap3:

regards

[Jim Carroll]

Billy it will be interesting to see how you go with the dado blade as generally they really need a 3hp to push trough easily.

Some of the 2hp units out there struggle with this set up.

The 2hp works well with 10" blades but puting a 12" blade on with the extra weight can see them slow down on the cut.

Will follow with interest as the laguna has piqued my interest.

[simops]

Jim, I don't have the Laguna (unfortunately) but my SB12 saw (2hp) with a 8" dado I can groove a 3/4" x 3/4" dado without issue with one pass. So I suspect the Laguna unit should have no issue.

cheers

[Repete]

Pete, I suppose many components and or complete units are made in the same factories however this saw made in Taiwan is certainly NOT a Jet. I looked at the Jets at CarbaTec and the Laguna was superior.

Hi Billy, I have looked at the exploded view in the manual & the fusion uses the same 'horseshoe' mechanism as the Proshop, which is also made in Taiwan. The big difference is that the trunnion is mounted to the frame in the Fusion & to the table on the Proshop. Mounting the trunnion to the frame is a much better option, as is the dust shroud around the blade, which is missing on my older Proshop. Don't get me wrong about the Fusion, as The Proshop is the best saw I have owned & will see me out!! I would be very happy to own the Fusion, I just reckon they come from the same factory. Pete

[Richie Rich]

Hi Billyboydes, Thanks so much for doing the Test for me, Currently I have a trusty Triton and am looking to upgrade to a decent table saw and i'm really impressed with what i saw. What supplier do you use for your 120 tooth blade? After more use have you found anything that could be improved or any faults that need rectifying?
Cheers, Richard

[Billyboydes]

Hi Richard,
I have now completed a couple of boxes on the Fusion and I can say that I am very pleased with the result. They are my most accurate to date.

The only small niggle I have found is the 90 and 45 degree stops. I need to go back to the manual and check but they are not 'stops' as there is some rubberiness in them not a definitive stop. I always check with my digital gauge but I need to double check if I have done everything correctly.

Other that that I have no issues at all.

regards

[Richie Rich]

Thanks a lot for all the info Billyboydes, I am still looking for a good table saw so any info is great. Once again thank-you,cheers Richard

[grantoboy]

Billyboydes,

I am looking at getting one of these myself and see you paid $1375 for yours.

Just wondering how you managed to get it for that price as the price I have found is $1590.

Also how are you still finding it?

Thanks

[Redgy]

Billyboydes,

Just wondering how you managed to get it for that price as the price I have found is $1590.



From July 1, Laguna had a substantial price rise across their range in Australia due to the dollar dropping.

Redgy

[grantoboy]

So it looks like I am 2 weeks to slow.

Any idea on the new pricing? I h have contacted gregmach but they have not responded to me.

Also in an attempt not to hijack this thread, how does the fashion compare to the sawstop? I currently have a makita contractors saw and want to upgrade to a better machine.

Sent from my GT-N7105 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

[Billyboydes]

Hi Grant,
Yes I am still very happy with the saw. I did get it when the A$ was at its best! (worst, depending on how you look at it!)

Contact John for more info pricing etc. [email protected]

regards

[grantoboy]

Thanks for the update. I have tried to contact them via their website twice but no reply.

Will give then a go via the email address you supplied.

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[grantoboy]

Billyboydes

What type of power plug does the fusion have on it? Is it a standard 10amp plug?

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[Billyboydes]

Billyboydes

What type of power plug does the fusion have on it? Is it a standard 10amp plug?

Sent from my GT-N7105 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

Hi Grantoboy,
We were surprised when the first unit arrived because it was 2hp not the promoted 1 3/4hp so we tested it and yes definitely only a 10amp plug.
regards

[grantoboy]

Billyboydes,

thanks for the info. Gregmach informed me the new machines have a 15amp plug but are 10amp machines.

placed an order for one today and put down a deposit since they have none in stock and should have a new shipment in the next 6 weeks.

so I just have to hang out till then and I'm sure I will let all know once it is here.

[graemet]

I picked up my new Fusion 10" at the wood show on Friday and finally got it out of the crate today. Full marks to Laguna for the crating, just unscrewing a few screws around the base and the whole top and sides lift off, leaving the saw on its pallet, then slightly lifting one side allows one person (with a bad back) to roll it off the pallet onto the floor. That's as far as I've got so far, I'll report on the ease or otherwise of assembly later.

[grantoboy]

Lucky you graemet. I was unable to make the show and have to wait 6 weeks for mine to arrive. May I ask what type of deal you got with it?

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[graemet]

May I ask what type of deal you got with it?



I paid the old price as I had ordered before the price rise. No freight as I picked it up from the show and was prepared to wait for the show.

[graemet]

Now that I've had a chance to use the saw, a few thoughts on its use. Firstly, the original blade was blunt, but seems to be holding its bite after sharpening. The fitted wheels will allow you to move it around, but not easily. Being severely challenged in the muscle department, I found it difficult to lift it, as intended, wheelbarrow style, so fitted a pair of pedal operated casters to the opposite side of the cabinet which allows easier maneuvering.
The rails for the rip fence take up a lot of room in a confined space, so, as I'm unlikely to require ripping over 200mm, I cut them off at the end of the table.
The machine is a dream to use. After minimal setting up, the cuts are smooth, repeatable and accurate. Blade changing is very easy and quick compared with other saws that I have used. The blade height and tilt wheels are very smooth in operation. I use a Shop-Vac for dust extraction and it seems to be quite adequate. The noise level is less than I expected, being quieter than the shop-vac.
Overall, I'm impressed with the design, construction and ease of use compared with other small table saws, and I consider that I made a very good choice.

[graemet]

The rails for the rip fence take up a lot of room in a confined space, so, as I'm unlikely to require ripping over 200mm, I cut them off at the end of the table.
.
EDIT I'm unlikely to require ripping over 600mm = 2 feet. I still have brain fades when it comes to metric/imperial conversion!

[Binary01]

Thanks for the review Billyboydes (and comments from other owners). Considering you have had this saw for a while now, do you find that you still need to turn to your larger panel saw for much, or is the Laguna adequate for most tasks. Or more to the point - if you only had the Laguna do you think you go wanting for more?
I am mostly doing smaller tasks like box making, etc, but occasionally have the need to resaw and rip hardwood at full depth.

I'm tossing up between this saw at around $1500 and the larger Harvey HW110LGE-30 (3HP cabinet saw) at around $2k. I haven't heard a bad word about either but the Laguna has advantages with cost, mass and power requirements.

[Billyboydes]

Hi Binary,
I had not heard of the Harvey but it is certainly a solid looking machine. It compares to the Laguna Platinum at around $2500, I am not sure how the Harvey is that price.

It is a difficult question. My Laguna Fusion is setup and positioned (in the shed) for box making. The Hammer panel takes up a lot of room but is used very regularly as it has a sliding table etc.

As the salesmen all said to Dad and I, 6 years ago, "What do you want to do?" Our response was anything we like, but we had some room.

The Laguna can do pretty solid ripping work (see above) but it is your call as to how much of this work you need to do.

If I could only have one saw I would have to choose the Fusion because the majority of my work is boxes. (Says he just finishing his 5th double bed! None of which was done on the Fusion)

Have I confused you?
regards

[Binary01]

Thanks Billy. From your earlier posts and photos it is clear that the Fusion is a very capable saw for its size and power and I'm sure it would be more than suitable for my current needs. The only hesitation is that I'm quite new to woodworking so the answer to the question of "what work will I be doing with it?" is not easy to determine... yet :) Currently: box making, in the future: I don't know / anything I like.

The Harvey does indeed look like good value and I believe it is the same basic saw as the Laguna Platinum and the Grizzly 0690 (popular in USA), bar some customization that each brand does. However the extra $500 over the Fusion could be spent on Incra jigs...

Bottom line is that I would no doubt be perfectly happy with either and I should stop clogging up the forum with my indecision!
Thanks again.

[aron23]

Nice one, i know you're enjoying it now...

[skot]

I examined one of these at the Maleny Wood Expo today.....Very nice unit....I think it is time to upgrade from my triton to something more serious and this looks good. Price looked fine as well....it was about $500 less than Carba's special price of the Jet 10" and almost the same specs.
It has the 3hp motor according to the Gregories' people I spoke to and the info brochure I got. Gregories' website has it as a 1.75hp but I think it has been upgraded to compete against the Jet.

The one I looked at was capable of ripping up to 1320mm (I think). For those who have this Unit, did you get the standard 36” (915mm) rip capacity or take the optional 52" (1320mm). ...and if opting for the first 36" (915mm) , did you find sometimes that the wider capacity would have been handy.

I have the room for the wider but tossing up whether the extra cost is worth going there.

EDIT: I will have to check with Gregories..I am sure that they mentioned 3hp motor for the Fusion BUT have realised the brochure I was given was for the Platinum with 3 hp...maybe Fusion has 1.75 hp

[Billyboydes]

I have the 36" and it is plenty, for the sort of work I do (primarily box making).
If you plan to work with larger boards, or lots of whole ply then the extra may suit.
regards

[skot]

I think you mentioned earlier but do you find it has more than enough power.

[Billyboydes]

I think you mentioned earlier but do you find it has more than enough power.

Yes plenty, see above.
Regards

[skot]

I bit the bullet and have ordered one, together with the sliding table accessory. Now to make room in the workshop.

[Binary01]

Congrats Skot! I'm jealous...
Be sure to post your comments back in this thread after you get it :)

[skot]

I will ...should get it either later this week or early next week. Looking forward to my new play equipment.

[Billyboydes]

I will ...should get it either later this week or early next week. Looking forward to my new play equipment.

Hi skot, good to hear you have chosen the dark side! I am sure you will be happy with your decision.
regards

[Billyboydes]

Hey everyone just to advise I now work at Gregory Machinery.
regards

[Evanism]

Maybe we can get Mates Rates ;)

I note that the saw is almost $500 more than you paid now (not inc delivery).

Maybe you can get them to do something with that website? :yikes:

[scuzyboy]

Hey everyone just to advise I now work at Gregory Machinery.
regards

Hey Billy can you please pass on the need for the Italian made bandsaws in Australia. If they had the 18 Italian model I would buy tomorrow [emoji6]
PLEASE
cheers
Peter


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[Billyboydes]

Maybe we can get Mates Rates ;)

I note that the saw is almost $500 more than you paid now (not inc delivery).

Maybe you can get them to do something with that website? :yikes:

Hey Evanism,
Yes I purchased when the $ was nearly $1.10.
regards

[Billyboydes]

Hey Billy can you please pass on the need for the Italian made bandsaws in Australia. If they had the 18 Italian model I would buy tomorrow [emoji6]
PLEASE
cheers
Peter


Hey Peter,
Very early days for me to be influencing stock!!!
regards

[scuzyboy]

No worries Billy good luck with the new job
most of the fellas are great help


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