Complete Laguna Tools Review Company & Product Overview
Laguna Tools commercial and industrial level woodworking and metalworking equipment, service and warranties reviewed.
Laguna Tools is one of the top names if not THE top name in commercial and professional level saws, mills, lathes and routers for high end wood and metalworkers.
You may not be familiar with the Laguna Tools family of products just by observing a local contractor. This is primarily because Laguna focuses on the professional caliber worker and their tools start over $1K.
Laguna's Band Saw Lineup and Reviews
Laguna bandsaws are some of the most popular band saws on the market. Like many of their other tool lineups, they do not offer a contractor option or a benchtop option as Rikon does. Instead, they start at $1K and are geared toward professionals.
The Laguna bandsaws are renowned for their stability, high level of horsepower and large throat which makes resawing even large stock a breeze.
Laguna's Dust Collector Lineup and Reviews
Laguna dust collector line is one of the most complete if not the most complete collection in the industry. the JPW brands offer high priced and high powered options. However, they don’t seem to offer the versatility, compact size and functionality that the Laguna dust collector line offers.
Laguna's Table Saw Lineup and Reviews
Laguna Table Saws offer a full range of power, portability and functionality at a very competitive price.
The F1, F2 and F3 saws offer a high level of horsepower, accuracy, built in dust collection and adjustability in a surprisingly affordable package. The Laguna table saw lineup is more popular and reliable than just about any other line of woodworking equipment with the exception of SawStop for their remarkable safety features.
Laguna's Wood Lathe Lineup and Reviews
Laguna wood lathe’s have built a reputation as being remarkably sturdy and powerful.
While accuracy is more important to many wood turners than power, the Laguna line offers both in spades. This is one of Laguna’s few lines that offers a benchtop model. While I am suspect of small lathes having the necessary stability, I was impressed by this little unit.
Laguna Tools Pros
Laguna offers a broad range of professional caliber woodworking products and has strong reviews on just about all of them. There are some woodworkers who are brand loyalists and won’t buy anything but Laguna tools.
Laguna also offers tools ranging from hobbyist to commercial and industrial as opposed to just focusing on one portion of the market.
Laguna’s products are remarkably affordable in comparison to comparable equipment and could likely increase their prices by 15-20% and still be priced fairly.
Laguna Tools Cons
While there are almost no complaints on Laguna products, one that has come up several times is the dust collection on their Fusion table saw line. However, we still see these saws as strong products.
The lack of a product warranty is unfortunate. Laguna makes great equipment, so it is a shame that they do not warranty their products.
Laguna Tools Verdict
Every Laguna product I have tried performed very well. They are US based and have a great support team. Their products are also very affordable for the quality that you’re getting.
The lack of a warranty is the only real complaint keeping Laguna from being a 5/5 star manufacturer.
Laguna Tools Warranty
I have never heard from a craftsman that has had a problem getting Laguna to stand behind their product. Much like Jet and Powermatic, if the product is defective in any way upon receiving it, they will issue a full refund and take the product back.
It is however, important to note that you must register your product with Laguna within 30 days of purchase for your warranty to be active. To my knowledge, this is not something that other companies ask the consumer to do.
From their website:
“New woodworking machines sold by Laguna Tools carry a two-year warranty effective from the date of dealer invoice to customer/end-user. Machines sold through dealers must be registered with Laguna Tools within 30 days of purchase to be covered by this warranty. Laguna Tools guarantees all new machine sold to be free of manufacturers’ defective workmanship, parts and materials.”
Laguna Tools Customer Service
I’ve read mixed reviews of Laguna’s support on various woodworking forums. It seems as though the narrative is largely positive. The little experience I have had with their customer support team was very positive.
I had a bent component (likely happened during shipping) and contacted them about it. They didn’t ask for pictures or demand I show proof of purchase within the past 30 days like I had assumed they would. The support rep simply asked me to describe the component and asked where they could send me a replacement item to.
If you are currently looking to contact Laguna’s customer support team, check them out here. If you are in the market for a new Laguna machine, have a look at their complete lineup at the minimum price that they allow and with free shipping here.
Where Are Laguna's Manufactured?
While Laguna moved their headquarters from Irvine, CA to Grand Prairie, TX, they still don’t seem to have updated their website to reflect where the engineering and manufacturing takes place. Their website reads “Designed, Engineered and Assembled in Irvine, CA.”
Of course, this does not explicitly say that the components are manufactured in the US. In fact, the lack of transparency leads me to believe they are manufactured elsewhere. Regardless, they build great machines and largely have a strong reputation of supporting their customers and giving back to the woodworking community.
Laguna Tools History
Laguna’s history as told on their website:
“Laguna Tools was founded in 1983 by Torben Helshoj who saw an opportunity to bring high-quality European woodworking machinery to the US. The first tools to be introduced were combination machines and soon lead to Laguna Tools’ most iconic machine, the Italian Bandsaw. Over the years we built an extensive line of woodworking machinery before moving forward with development of our own CNC Automation.
We launched our line of CNC Machines with the SmartShop and soon followed it up with the Swift and IQ machines. After innovating on the CNC Router end, we came out with even more advanced machinery such as CO2 Lasers and Plasma Cutters. Now we have a wider range of machinery available than ever before, all to help our customers achieve their goals to improve the way they do business.”
Laguna Tools Dealers (online vs. local dealers)
Laguna is one of the largest names in the woodworking industry. They have a robust network of dealers both online and with physical warehouses.
Local Dealers & Lumber Yards
You may be able to purchase a Laguna saw from your local lumber yard or woodworking supply store. However, it is very unlikely that they will have your desired model in stock which means they will need to order it directly from Laguna. Most lumber yards and local dealers will pass this cost on to you.
Depending on where you live and the size of the equipment you are buying, assume it will cost $100 – $350 to have it shipped to you. If you are getting one of their CNC machines or industrial sized equipment, it may be even more.
Online Woodworking Dealers
The benefit of using an online Laguna dealer is that the saw will likely actually get to you sooner than it would if ordering from a local dealer and they are typically less expensive.
The three dealers that we know do a great job are USA Supply, Rockler and Woodcraft. While Rockler and Woodcraft may be household names for most woodworkers, USA Supply is a small business that offers better pricing on equipment than the others with outstanding customer support.