# Laguna F3 52" table saw.



## woodtickgreg (Apr 27, 2021)

I came home from my first day on a new job and as I backed I to my driveway I got a text from woodcraft, your order is in! So this will be a review of the whole experience, good or bad. First I waited over 2 months to get it due to covid and no one having any machinery. 
Some damage to the top of the crate when picking it up from woodcraft, but I peeked I side and didn't see any damage.



I pulled the corner of the plywood back and everything looked OK, fence was securely attached to the crate and was intact.


I cut the shrink wrap of and removed the fence before the woodcraft associate loaded it up for me.



I put the fence in the bed of the truck, it was heavy and I didn't want it bouncing around in the trailer.



All strapped down and ready for the journey home.







So how does one unload a 500lb saw by themself? A set of nice aluminum ramps and a dolly with big wheels helps. I pushed it off as far as I could and then dragged it down the rest of the way with the dolly.



And its off the trailer and on the ground. Using the trailer instead of the truck bed put everything lower to the ground.



And its in the garage on a furniture dolly. This is where it will stay until I sell my old saw, now I can list it.

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## woodtickgreg (Apr 27, 2021)

You have no idea how badly I want to uncrate this bad boy! There's just enough room for me to get my motorcycle in and out.



So I had to peak inside to make sure there was no damage from the crushed plywood on top.



Can you say massive amounts of cast iron? The table top is huge, nicely ground and well covered in oil and plastic. 



The roof on my garage leaks so I covered it with a tarp.



First piece is in the basement, the fence.



52" rails, 50 lbs shipping weight.



I'll add more as this progresses.............

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## Steve in VA (Apr 27, 2021)

Very exciting; congrats!!!

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Nature Man (Apr 27, 2021)

Congrats on getting it to your house! Can’t wait to see the setup and your report on how it works! Chuck

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## William Tanner (Apr 27, 2021)

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Wildthings (Apr 27, 2021)

Yeehaw!! It's gonna be a race as to who sells the old one and gets the new one up and running first!!

My money's on Greg. Wait did I say that!!

Reactions: Funny 4


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## woodtickgreg (Apr 28, 2021)

Wildthings said:


> Yeehaw!! It's gonna be a race as to who sells the old one and gets the new one up and running first!!
> 
> My money's on Greg. Wait did I say that!!


At least I pulled the top off and looked at mine, lol.

Reactions: Funny 3


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## woodtickgreg (May 1, 2021)

Well today I thought I would at least carry some of the boxes for the saw downstairs to the shop.
So I uncrated the top and sides.
Back of the saw......



Right side......



Front........


Left side. Unlike most of the online reviews I have seen my saw came with both of the cast iron wings already bolted on.


5 boxes of parts.......



And the hose for the blade guard dust collector.



First impressions are that it is well put together, fit and finish is very nice. The grind on the top is beautiful. The top has beveled edges too. The top is very large and lots of cast iron, well oiled and covered in a plastic wrap.



Right side dust port and tool storage. And cast iron tilt wheel with a folding crank handle.



I pryed some boards off of the pallet to reduce its size so it would be easier to get my motorcycle in and out.



I cut the 2x4's back with a cordless sawzall.

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## woodtickgreg (May 1, 2021)

Then I realized the top would still be in the way so I removed the wings to reduce the size. I removed the motor cover to get to the 4 13mm bolts that hold a wing on. The oil on the top and wings cleaned off really easy. I used one rag to wipe the oil off and another rag with brake cleaner to finish it up so I could carry them around and handle them without getting all oily.



Well since the wings where off I figured why not remove the top and carry that down to the shop as well. 4 bolts held it on.



Really nice cast iron trunion assembly. Well greased and oiled. I'll clean some of the excess grease off before I put the top back on. The red tab is an arbor lock so you only need one wrench to loosen the blade nut.



So since I reduced the size of the saw I figured out a place to put it in the shop and strapped it on to a dolly to get it down the stairs.



My extruded aluminum ramps came in handy once again to get it up the first step and onto the landing.



And now all the parts are in the shop.



Motor cover and all the boxes of parts.



The cast iron wings and top. I sprayed them down again with wd40 until I get the saw put back together and can wax the top.



I didn't plan on getting it in the shop today, but once I started fiddling with it everything just kind of progressed. I still can't put it together though until my old saw sells and I get it out of the way.
I dropped the price on the old saw $100 down to $600 and ill take a reasonable offer.

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## Eric Rorabaugh (May 1, 2021)

Man that's a good looking saw! May look into one if I ever get the shop I want

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## Wildthings (May 1, 2021)

Mine still looks like this!!




Well that's not true...it's off that pallet and on a Harbor Freight furniture dolly like yours

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## woodtickgreg (May 2, 2021)

Today I just couldn't stay away from the saw, I had to play with it. I started by wiping it down with denatured alcohol and wiped the excess grease from the trunions since it was easier to do with the top off.
Then I wiped down the center cast iron top section and mounted it back on the saw. I aligned the blade with the miter slot. I marked one tooth on the blade as a reference point. I just used a square to set the top, it came in super easy.







Man the grind on this top is just beautiful.



Next to re install the extension wings I clamped a block of wood to support one end while I held the other end and put the bolts in, kind of a third hand. I snugged the bolts and tapped the wings with a dead blow hammer as needed to get everything to line up and be flush before tightening every thing down.



This was the only mark on the saw from shipping and the damaged crate, some scratches from the wood and staples.



A little 600 grit Emory cloth and some wd40 rubbed it out.



I think they ground this top after everything was bolted together as one piece because when I took it apart there was a burr at the seams, so I hit the seams with some 600 too and it smoothed it right out. Everything was flush but the burr raised. I also hit the 2 outside edges as they where pretty sharp after grinding. I don't know why the manufacturer didn't do that.
But those are minor sniggles, this top is large and beautifully ground.

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## Tony (May 2, 2021)

So how much are you offering for someone to come take your old saw away now??


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## woodtickgreg (May 2, 2021)

Since the top has been cleaned of any oil it was time to wax it to protect the top.
2 coats of Minwax.



Wax on........



Wax off....but with a buffer because I have one and it's easier, lol.



Then I Leveled the throat plate. Just has hex set screws. I also adjusted the lock knob so it was a little more snug. The throat plate has some side to side play that I don't like, I'll fix that later somehow.



The miter gage is pretty nice. Has a large rubber lock/handle, and the detent knob is also a twist knob for a rack and pinion.



It has 2 quick release levers to adjust the extruded aluminum fence. The fence is nice and tall.



It's very easy to adjust the miter fence close to the blade.



It has adjustments to take up the slack in the miter slot and a "T" so the miter gauge won't fall off if you pull it back beyond the table.



I took whatever play there was in the miter gage out in a few seconds.



The extruded fence also has slots for attaching hardware for various jigs, stops, or holdowns one might make.



It's a pretty nice miter gage for a factory made unit that comes with a saw. But for really accurate stuff I'll still use my incra 1000hd, which I'll have to re set up for this saw.

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## woodtickgreg (May 2, 2021)

Tony said:


> So how much are you offering for someone to come take your old saw away now??


Someone is going to get a good saw for cheap! Lol.

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## woodtickgreg (May 2, 2021)

Next I found the blade guard, it was packed in its own box and in the box with the fence. It has a dust collection port and both guards move independently of each other. The guards can also be removed with just a twist of a knob so the splitter part and the anti kick back pawls stay on the saw.



The thickness of the splitter is clearly marked on the guard and on the small splitter.



It's super easy and fast to change from the guard to the riving knife splitter. It's one lever below the throat plate.



Tool storage is on the right side of the saw.



Riving knife and miter gauge provisions as well as the blade wrench. I put the miter gage in backwards because the high aluminum fence interfered with the blade tilt hand wheel.



Found the owners manual in the box with the fence. Fence assembly will have to wait until my old saw sells so I can get the 52" rails installed.



So unfortunately I'm at a standstill until I can make the old saw go away 
But it was a great day going over the saw and becoming familiar with it and setting it up. So far I'm very impressed with it. I did plug it in and turned it on, super smooth. I need to make an extension cord for it as it will use the same outlet as my laguna lathe, they have the same 220v 15amp plug.

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## 2feathers Creative Making (May 2, 2021)

woodtickgreg said:


> Since the top has been cleaned of any oil it was time to wax it to protect the top.
> 2 coats of Minwax.
> View attachment 208246
> Wax on........
> ...


Oooh... pretty.... Frank like shiny saw!

Reactions: Funny 3


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## woodtickgreg (May 9, 2021)

Well my old saw sold so now I have the room to finish putting the Laguna saw together.
I also put on my rockler dust hose fitting.



The brackets for the fence storage are nice, vynil coated.



They mounted on the back of the cabinet.



Now it's time for the fence rails to be installed. Very heavy steel rectangular tube rails.



Switch bolted on next.



Storage brackets for the fence work nice.



Next thing was to install the extension table. It's kind of cheap, vynil coated particle board. This is something I will upgrade later. I clamped a level to it to line up the edges while I tightened the bolts.


looks nice, the legs are kind of cheesy.


The fence is very nice, heavy duty with a magnetic catch that holds the clamp lever up while you position the fence, its a nice touch. It slides super easy, has a place for the provided push stick. It's a heavy sucker when you lift it off the saw.



The aluminum fence can slide forward and back, and lay down for a low fence. Very innovative. 



Okay so here's the bad. The manual is a joke, its actually for the f2 with some annotations for the f3. There is absolutely no information on how to install this fence which is completely different than an f2. No info on how to install the tables either. I just had to figure it out. There was a lot of pieces and brackets, just had to count bolts and bolt holes to try and make sense of it.

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## Tony (May 9, 2021)

That looks great brother, can't wait to hear how it runs!

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## woodtickgreg (May 9, 2021)

Next was the dust hose for the blade guard and the outfeed table. No information in the manual for them either, just figure it out. Come on Laguna you can do better than that. An incomplete manual that isn't even for this machine is unacceptable. 
But I got the dust hose on and the mounting bracket.



The bracket is nice, fits the hose well and holds it in place where you put it.



Ok the outfeed table is kind of a joke as well. Better than nothing I guess but it's just a very small vynil coated particle board item, it's about 20x24. This won't be on the saw long. I'll be building a much larger one like was on my old saw. Something made from quality plywood and maybe a formica top again, and much better legs!



So there she is all put together. It really is a nice saw even if the tables are not up to my standard, but that's an easy fix.



I still have to check the fence for alignment before I use it, and I have to make an extension cord for it so I need to pick up a couple of ends, one male and one female, I've still got a bunch of 10 gage cords I can use. And I have to level it.
Overall I'm pretty impressed and happy with the saw so far. I like that I now have a decent blade guard and a riving knife. 3 hp will be a bonus too especially when ripping 2" hardwood stock. Ill see how the blade that came with the saw works but I can see myself getting some new Freud blades for it and a couple of zero clearance throat plates. Since it's 3 hp I can run full kerf blades too which are stiffer. The cast iron top is massive and ground very nicely. The trunion is beefy and rises straight up, it doesn't swing the blade up in an arc, I really like that. I like that it has an arbor lock so you only need one wrench to change blades.
So I only have 2 negatives so far, cheesy tables and legs, and a really crappy owners manual.

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## Tony (May 9, 2021)

Greg, get a Frued Glue Line Rip blade, you won't regret it.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## woodtickgreg (May 10, 2021)

Tony said:


> Greg, get a Frued Glue Line Rip blade, you won't regret it.


Yea I'll get one of those and a good combination blade. I have only used Freud blades for many years. I've tried others but find nothing works as well as a Freud for the money. I've got some cheapie carbide blades I use when processing pallet wood in case I miss a nail.

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## woodtickgreg (May 11, 2021)

Stopped at home depot on the way home and picked up some 220 cord ends to make an extension cord for the saw.



I used some more of the 10 gage cords I have a bunch of.



This is the fence set in the low position. It's very easy to do and only takes a few seconds. Just loosen 3 knobs and slide the fence face off, turn it and slide it back on, then tighten the knobs back up..



When you slide the fence face off you can see the bar that holds the fence on, makes it really easy to slide the face on and off



And back in the high position in just a few seconds. I really Ike this feature.



I set the fence with a dollar bill folded in half on the backside, this ensures a clean cut as you pass a board through. I have done this on any Table saw I have set up, it makes a big difference.



This is another really nice feature, 2 little magnets that hold the fence lock lever in the up position. This makes it very easy to move the fence. It literally glides across the table if the lock isn't dragging on the rail.



Here you can see it in the up position.



It's a small feature but one that does make it more user friendly, I really like it.



Fence was perfectly square to the table right out of the box, I checked it with a small machines square.

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## woodtickgreg (May 11, 2021)

Ok, so here's another bad thing.
Set the fence at 2"



And this is what it actually measured, it's 7/8" off. There is now way to adjust this. All the bolts for the rail mount and rail only have one position. Only fix for this will be a new measuring tape.



So I have a call into Laguna, was late in the day so I left a voice mail. We'll see if they call me back. I'll be calling them again tomorrow if I don't hear anything. This kind of goes with the manual not showing anything for this fence and only showing the f2. The f3 fence is completely different.

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## rob3232 (May 11, 2021)

Just guessing but maybe flip your fence? Looks like a nice saw!


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## Sprung (May 11, 2021)

If nothing else, making a new clear plastic indicator like that, with the line offset in the direction it needs to go, could be a fix. And potentially cheaper and easier than trying to remove the measuring tape that's stuck on and buying and applying a new one.


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## Wildthings (May 11, 2021)

Could it be zero'd for the fence in the low position?


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## Tony (May 11, 2021)

Is there enough play in that plastic cursor to move it to the correct measurement?


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## woodtickgreg (May 11, 2021)

Tony said:


> Is there enough play in that plastic cursor to move it to the correct measurement?


No


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## woodtickgreg (May 11, 2021)

Wildthings said:


> Could it be zero'd for the fence in the low position?


That's possible, I'll check that tomorrow.


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## Wildthings (May 11, 2021)

what's the plastic plug to the right? can you move the cursor with what's under the plug


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## woodtickgreg (May 11, 2021)

Sprung said:


> If nothing else, making a new clear plastic indicator like that, with the line offset in the direction it needs to go, could be a fix. And potentially cheaper and easier than trying to remove the measuring tape that's stuck on and buying and applying a new one.


I shouldn't have to make anything on a brand new machine. And I won't buy a new tape, laguna should provide it if it's incorrect.

Reactions: Agree 2


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## woodtickgreg (May 11, 2021)

rob3232 said:


> Just guessing but maybe flip your fence? Looks like a nice saw!


What do you mean? To the low position?


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## woodtickgreg (May 11, 2021)

Wildthings said:


> what's the plastic plug to the right? can you move the cursor with what's under the plug


That's a adjustment screw to square the fence to the table.

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## Tony (May 11, 2021)

Rob might be right, maybe it's set for only 1 fence position. Seems stupid buy possible.


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## rob3232 (May 11, 2021)

Yep


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## Wildthings (May 11, 2021)

Tony said:


> Rob might be right, maybe it's set for only 1 fence position. Seems stupid buy possible.


I don't see how you could have it zero'd for both positions unless they were the same widths. In fact the low position is going to push it out to about 4.25" now that I look at it


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## Sprung (May 11, 2021)

woodtickgreg said:


> I shouldn't have to make anything on a brand new machine. And I won't buy a new tape, laguna should provide it if it's incorrect.



Oh, I agree you shouldn't have to make or buy anything on a brand new machine. But if push comes to shove and you have to, it's an option. I haven't dealt with Laguna's customer service (don't own anything Laguna), but I've heard mixed reviews on their customer service. Hopefully they set it right for you!

That is a nice looking saw with lots of features. I like the fence design - the adjustable fence, forwards and back and the short fence, appears to be taken from the well loved Unifence design. I like that fence on there, save for what I think is an awkward location for the push stick storage.

And you'd have to pry my Unisaw from my cold, dead hands, but if I was forced to buy a new saw, your Laguna has some nice features.

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## woodtickgreg (May 12, 2021)

rob3232 said:


> Just guessing but maybe flip your fence? Looks like a nice saw!


Well I tried that this morning before I left for work, that wasn't it, still off. I think the only fix is a new measuring scale/tape. We'll see what laguna says.

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## woodtickgreg (May 12, 2021)

Sprung said:


> I like that fence on there, save for what I think is an awkward location for the push stick storage.


Actuly the push stick is in an ideal location, when you are pushing a board through the saw its right there in a natural place to grab it. I always kept a magnetic push stick on the fence of my old saw. I may go back to that as the clips that hold this push stick on are quite tight and the stick is a little wide for my liking. But that's all just personal preference. I think its cool that they even thought to put a push stick right where you need it.

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## Sprung (May 12, 2021)

woodtickgreg said:


> Actuly the push stick is in an ideal location, when you are pushing a board through the saw its right there in a natural place to grab it. I always kept a magnetic push stick on the fence of my old saw. I may go back to that as the clips that hold this push stick on are quite tight and the stick is a little wide for my liking. But that's all just personal preference. I think its cool that they even thought to put a push stick right where you need it.



I can see that, if you often use the push stick. I don't use my push stick that often - I have a pair of MicroJig Grr-Rippers that I prefer to use most of the time. For the times I do use a push stick, it's held onto the right edge of the saw's top with a magnet. (I don't have an extension table off the side of the cast iron wing, so it's a convenient spot for me to store it.

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## woodtickgreg (May 12, 2021)

Well Laguna called me back twice today. First call was just a customer service representative that took my information and forwarded it to a tech. Then the tech called me and confirmed everything I said and that there was no adjustment to the fence rail and that the measuring rule was stuck on in the wrong place. A new one is being ups'ed to me. I also chatted with him about the manual being for an f2 model and useless for an f3. He said he would forward that information. So I'll give them a thumbs up for customer service so far, they did get back with me, talked about the problem, and took action to correct it.

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## rob3232 (May 12, 2021)

My Delta has two windows .(?)Depending on how the fence is set , so a total guess on my part. I’m glad that they are making it right for you!

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## woodtickgreg (May 17, 2021)

I recieved my new measure tape for the saw today. Promptly shipped by Laguna! Thank you Laguna. So I removed the old one and cleaned the sticky adhesive residue with some denatured alcohol. That's all I have time for tonight, got home kinda late from work today. Tomorrow's another day. But Laguna took care of me and I'm happy about that.

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## woodtickgreg (May 19, 2021)

Been working crazy hours, maybe I can get the tape put back on over the weekend. Then it's on to building a new outfeed table for it. It's gonna kill me to buy a sheet of plywood at today's prices but I need it for the top to laminate some formica on it. I had this on my last outfeed table and it was nice.

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## 2feathers Creative Making (May 19, 2021)

Why not break up a couple plywood pallets? (sorry, I am cheap)

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## woodtickgreg (May 19, 2021)

If I could find some 3/4 that was halfway smooth I would! I'm frugal, lol. I need a piece 4x5. When this is done it will also serve double duty as a work bench so it has to be flat and strong. Plus I have some ideas for storage underneath it.


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## 2feathers Creative Making (May 19, 2021)

Double your half inch?


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## Sprung (May 19, 2021)

At current pricing, I think hardwood plywood is cheaper than anything in pine... I went with a different design on the pair of desks I'm building for my boys to avoid having to buy a couple sheets of plywood. But that's hard to avoid with what you're looking to do.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## woodtickgreg (May 19, 2021)

2feathers Creative Making said:


> Double your half inch?


Don't have any big enough or of decent quality. I'll just bite the bullet and buy a sheet.


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## Wildthings (May 19, 2021)

Wait 6 months and the prices will drop! Uhhh yeah that's what I'm doing!


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## woodtickgreg (May 31, 2021)

Well today I wiped down the rail again with denatured alcohol and got the replacement measuring tape put back on.
I did small sections at a time.



After a few test cuts I set it to 4"



I'd say it's pretty spot on.



I can't believe how smooth this saw is! I have never in my life run such a smooth table saw, no vibration whatsoever. The factory blade that came with it isn't bad either, it's not a Freud, but it's really not bad for a blade that came with the saw. Most factory blades are crap.

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## woodtickgreg (Jun 8, 2021)

So here's a little feedback after using the saw a little bit. The hand wheels are extremely smooth and fast, and I like that they have a lock knob in the center. Blade gaurd and riving knife is quick to change and no tools are needed to do it. The fence is now accurate after getting the new measuring tape installed under warranty from Laguna. It locks down and is very rigid, it's a heavy piece of steel and very robust. The power of the saw is really good, I have sawn 2" rough sawn cherry and some really hard red oak, it plowed right through it even with the factory blade which isn't a ripping blade. And the blade it came with isn't bad, but I did purchase some new full kerf Freud blades for it. Dust collection is good, but I still get dust on the table so the overblade pickup isn't fully effective as I had hoped. I'm sure it's doing something but I do still get some dust on the table. The saw is very smooth when running and I like the standard paddle safety switch. Overall this is a very high quality machine imo. But here's what I dont like. The owners manual is about worthless, it's not even for this model saw, I had to just figure out how the fence rails and tables where put together. And the tables and legs. Both are cheap imo. The legs are thin steel with no bracing, not good on a machine with wheels that can be moved. And the tables themselves are pure crap, like a vinyl coated MDF, it's a soft material and not very robust, and the outfeed table is tiny. But most other manufacturers dont even give you an outfeed table so I guess that's a plus. But hey, we are wood workers and we can build new tables, and I am. Once my new outfeed tables are made this is going to be a fantastic upgrade for my shop. I really do like this saw and I'm very happy with my purchase. Its powerful, smooth, quiet, and accurate, and it has a great fence. The miter gage is nice and has some nice features too but I'll be using my incra miter 1000 hd on the saw. Oh and it's nice to have a blade guard that actually works and doesnt make me want to take it off and throw it away!

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## woodtickgreg (Jun 10, 2021)

Here's another nice feature of the fence, you can slide the aluminum fence back to help guide large pieces hanging off the table. Helps to keep things square before you hit the blade.



This is a 24" table top.

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## woodtickgreg (Aug 10, 2021)

I learned today that laguna has already updated this saw. All that was added was a digital readout for the blade angle and they added a dual cursor for the fence since it is a hi low fence. And they upped the price $500. I could care less about the digital readout as I still like my tilt box. But I want to see if I can order the fence dual curser and add it to my fence, I think that would be nice.

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## woodtickgreg (Aug 15, 2021)

I removed the Laguna push stick and just use the one I've had for years, it's far easier to get off the fence as it's just held on with a magnet. It's also much thinner so the space between the fence and blade guard can be quite small. The Laguna push stick was held in place with a couple of spring steel clips and it held it too firmly, even to the point that the push stick bent from being under tension. So I removed it.
I like my very old rockler push stick much better.
Some things are just better by simplicity.

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