The quality of its components and design make it unlike any other small benchtop bandsaw, which have unfortunately given small bandsaws a bad reputation.
Years ago, I upgraded from a Ryobi 9” benchtop bandsaw to an older, used Craftex 15”, the step up in power, versatility, resaw capacity and essentially everything was a huge improvement in my woodworking needs. I added a Kreg fence, replaced the tyres, upgraded the dust collection and did a complete go over of all the bearings, cast iron, everything. I was in bandsaw heaven! Or so I thought…
As the years went by, I used that bandsaw almost daily it seemed, mostly with typical hardwoods (maple, cherry, walnut, ash, red and white oak). I adapted to the constant fight with blade drift, guide bearing alignment and horrible amounts of dust escaping from every conceivable location. I all but gave up on resawing given the constant drift and alignment issues. All in all I had to accept my 15” bandsaw was a workhorse, but a rough one at that.
When I was given the opportunity to take a look at the new Laguna V10 Bandsaw, I thought, sure why not, I was certain it wouldn’t be comparable to a 15” bandsaw, but still I wanted to give it a fair shake and see what it could do.
Specifications
● Motor – 1 HP Induction Motor
● Power – 120 Volt 60 Hz
● Flywheel Size – 10” Diameter
● Resaw Height – 5.75” (146.05 mm)
● Throat – 9-5/8” – 245 mm)
● Blade Length – 70-1/2” (1791 mm)
● Blade Width – 1/8” – Max 1/2” (3.18 – 12.7 mm)
● Blade Speed – 1515 High / 3280 Low Ft/Min – (462 / 1000 m/min)
● Table Size – 13-3/4” x 12-1/2” (350 x 318 mm) (+ 1.25” left extension)
● Table Tilt – Left -5° / Right 45°
● Table Height – 14-1/2” (368 mm) (without optional stand)
● Dust Port Diameter – 2-1/2” x 2 (64mm)
● Base Size – 9-1/4” x 15-3/4” (235 x 400 mm)
● Overall Size – 22-1/2” x 21” x 34-1/2” (546 x 533 x 876 mm) LxWxH
● Included: 3/8” Blade
For more information visit lagunatools.com
Assembly and configuration
The assembly took approximately 90 minutes; and was fairly straight forward. The base stand also fits the Laguna G8 grinder and went together quite easily. The adjustable height was a nice option to have. Installing the casters was a breeze and having the adjustable feet makes the entire set up nice and stable. Personally, I’d like to see a more rigid frame around the base with the casters. The reason being I’m in an old basement shop with very uneven floors, and seeing the legs flex as I try to navigate that unevenness was a little concerning. If I had a level poured concrete floor, it wouldn’t be an issue, but in my shop, it’s a little worrying, however I’m probably overthinking it anyways.
For the bandsaw itself, assembly consisted of the cast iron table (love that it’s cast iron!), the outfeed rollers, fence and dust collection. Connecting the table to the trunnion was a little tricky at first, but once I figured out what I was doing it went together easily. The fence rail and outfeed rollers attached to the table with ease. Each roller on the outfeed is adjustable, so tuning those up to align with the table was a simple process. The Hi/Low Fence connects to the rail with a C bracket and has a nice secure feel when tightened down.
Like with any tool, I took the time to get everything tuned up properly. Adjusting the table to ensure it was 90 degrees in every direction, upper and lower blade guides aligned, blade alignment and tension all set. A quick attachment of the under-table dust collection, held on by strong magnets, then the dust collection hoses and I was off and running.
An interesting safety feature, that I was unsure about at first, but can see the logic behind is on the back side of the frame there is a power switch, if off, the tool won’t operate. This is a departure from the traditional safety switch with a removable key which can easily be lost if you’re not careful. Having the two stage switch certainly adds a level of safety if you require that added layer in your shop.
Another interesting aspect is the inclusion of a 120V outlet on the back side of the machine. The intention is for the add-on magnetic flex arm light offered by Laguna. There is already a built in light in the machine, it shines from above and to the left of the blade and can have issues with a shadow created by the blade guides. While normally a good pencil line doesn’t need the extra lighting, but when working with woods like walnut or wenge, having that extra visibility is nice to have. So the addition of a second light is a big bonus in eliminating shadows and allows for more precise, safer cutting.
Blade selection
Included with the kit is a ⅜” blade which is a great utility blade for simple straight and gradual curve cuts. Next from the Laguna 3-Blade Combo Pack I used the ¼” blade to do some tighter turns and gave it a good test by cutting out over 40 bandsaw birds made out of a variety of woods (walnut, white oak, cherry and red oak). Even with pieces close to 3 ¾” thick the blade cut through the pieces like butter. Leaving a generally clean cut, but still with the typical bandsaw blade marks.
It wasn’t until I was done all of the cutting that I realized the dust, or should I say, lack thereof! Sure there was still some dust on the table and floor, but in comparison to my 15” bandsaw it was practically nothing. The under-table dust hood, and lower dust port did an incredible job of capturing the majority of dust. Let’s just say I am incredibly happy with that feature.
Altogether, the Laguna V10 can handle from ⅛” to ½” blades, which are all available through Laguna or anyone that makes 70 ½” blades.
Resawing
As I mentioned earlier, I all but gave up on resawing with my 15” bandsaw, between blade drift, constant struggles with fence alignment and being under powered, my bandsaw just couldn’t do an effective job. So, I had high hopes for the V10. I did a quick blade changeout and installed the Laguna Resaw King Bandsaw Blade did a check of guide alignments and made a few tweaks with the micro-adjustment knobs (which are astoundingly easy and handy to have), did a quick fence alignment test on a piece of scrap wood and away I went.
I’m not usually one to get excited about sawing, but the 1hp motor of the V10 sliced through a piece of 5” walnut like nothing was even there. It truly was a beautiful sight to see. The overall resaw capacity is 5 ¾”, which doesn’t sound like a lot, but for the woodworking I do, it’s perfect and more than I’ll ever need in most situations.
I will say though, I found one design element in this process that I’m not a fan of. The blade guide height adjustment is a knob located on the back side of the machine, which is typical. However, the tensioning knob to hold the guides in place is a secondary knob connected to the height adjustment. While totally typical to have them close to one another, having them paired makes for unintentional tightening of the tension as you raise the guides and unintentional loosening of the tension as you lower the guides. Meaning each time I raised the blade guide I’d have to stop, re-loosen the tension, continue and then tighten it off once I reached the desired height. It’s certainly not a deal breaker by any means, and it’s not that the 5-3/4” height is a lot of distance to travel, but still, something I’d urge Laguna to consider changing in the future models of the machine.
As for the fence and resawing, it didn’t require any major adjustment right out of the box. I did still purposely misalign it so I could go through the process of setting it, and like I’ve already mentioned on many of the features of the Laguna V10, setting up and aligning the fence was a breeze. With the front rail and fence carrier assembly the fence sits firm and shows no sign of flex or movement when applying side pressure.
Overall, I am very pleased with the Laguna V10. The quality of its components and design make it unlike any other small benchtop bandsaw, which have unfortunately given small bandsaws a bad reputation. The 1hp motor, combined with the wide selection of blades and well-designed fence make this saw an excellent choice if you’re considering one for your shop. While it doesn’t have the resaw capacity of larger machines, it makes up for that with its compact design and ease of mobility which is perfectly suited for small shops. The ease of use, set up and dust collection are just icing on the cake when it comes to this machine. Finally, the price point is very reasonable for a well-designed, quality machine like this and I really could see it being a workhorse in most hobbyist workshops.
