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laguna 18 or 24?

Joined
Jan 14, 2020
Messages
192
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Location
Austin, TX
Hi, I've decided to get a laguna lathe. My current lathe is 12". While I don't know that I would really turn much over 18" I don't have a bandsaw, so once a I get a piece to round it's usually an inch or 2 smaller. I know a bandsaw would be nice but I do have pretty limited accommodations. I could get an outboard extension but that's like $500, halfway to the 24" inch. The two lathes are basically just the same except the headstock, banjo and tailstock are taller. 18" is 2hp 24" is 3hp and 24" is 100lbs heaver.
Laguna is on sale right now so 2500 for the small and 3500 for the large. The small is in my budget. The large is not. That said, I could just not look and buy the large one. It's killing me.
Can anyone help me decide?
Thanks,
R
 
Joined
Mar 1, 2020
Messages
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Location
Lebanon, TN
I was in the same boat around December 2019. I'd pretty much locked in on the 18/36, but several people I spoke to, persuaded me to bite the bullet and get the 24/36.

It was not in my budget, but it wasn't't too much of a stretch to spend the extra, if the difference had been $2000, I would have settled on the 18/36. That extra $1000 is 3 or 4 months of other discretionary spending and I'm hoping I never have a desire for another lathe.

I figured the mobile base was going to cost me $500 for either lathe, if I went with the OEM option. I made one myself for about $80, so I used the $400 saved as an excuse to go with the 24/36.

I bought from out of state and saved $350 on sales tax and it appeared no matter where I bought it from, it would be drop shipped, which took about 4 days from the order date.

I've had the lathe for 4-5 months. That extra money is gone and not missed, it would have gone on other things regardless, but I'm happy with my decision.
 
Joined
Aug 14, 2009
Messages
2,031
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1,120
Location
Peoria, Illinois
When deciding to turn large work, you need to consider two things. Do I have access to large blanks and can I handle them, and then, what will I do with these large turnings. 20-24" green blanks will take some kind of lift to get them on the lathe. You need an arborist as a good friend. 20-24" turnings will cover a coffee table, will not fit on a shelf, and will be even be out of the range of salad bowl. You really need a coring tool as well. Maybe not for the extra blanks you will get, but to shorten the time of turning. You could fill a couple of garbage cans with just curls off 1 bowl. I had a wonderful patron, who told me to keep turning 18" bowls until he told me to stop. I paid for a 2436 Oneway with that order, but good Lord it was hard work. That oak log was for a different order, but gives you an idea what size log you will be working with. The stack of bowls was just one delivery of 18" bowls to the patron. I apologize for the poor photo quality.
 

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Joined
Feb 15, 2018
Messages
254
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63
Location
Canton, GA
I had a 24-36 and have worked on several 18-36's and I would steer you to the 24-36. I had issues with mine but Laguna was great to deal with, I can go into details if you want--PM me.
 
Joined
Mar 30, 2019
Messages
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Location
Ramona, CA
I’ve had the 18/36 for about a year now and have been very happy with it. It’s a huge step up from the 12” harbor freight lathe I had been turning on. I haven’t done anything that pushes the limits yet, but I always keep my eye out for larger logs.

In my case, the 24/36, or really anything larger, wasn’t an option as I only have 110V in my garage. As much as I would have loved going 220V, just the lathe itself stretched my budget.
 
Joined
May 25, 2010
Messages
121
Likes
68
Location
Prince Frederick, MD
I also have the 18/36 and have been very happy with it.

Having said that, I am a big believer that when you get the right tool, it only hurts once when you buy it. If you get the wrong tool, it hurts every time you use it. Based on what you said, I'd take the plunge and get the bigger one...
 
Joined
Mar 19, 2016
Messages
1,175
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1,269
Location
Haubstadt, Indiana
There is a lot of difference between the 18-36 and 24-36. They are in different classes. I had a 18-36 for 2 years. It is a nice lathe. However I sold that lathe and bought a Robust AB. I much prefer The Robust size even though I don’t turn 20” bowls. I still turn about the same thing on the Robust as I did on the 18-36. One thing to also consider is the spindle height. It is important to have the lathe at the proper height.
 
Joined
Jan 14, 2020
Messages
192
Likes
49
Location
Austin, TX
This all really good feedback, thank you.
@Chirs and @Doc having used both and preferring the 24 could you give me some details on the difference and what leads you to prefer the 24? Or is it just a feel you get on the lathe.
@robert are you kidding? I eat logs like that for breakfast! JK, that's a crazy log. And that's a crazy awesome gig you got. What better way to perfect a technique than to get paid to do it over and over. Where they setting up a orphanage or something? :)
 
Joined
Mar 1, 2020
Messages
89
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85
Location
Lebanon, TN
I had a used Oneway 1224. I enjoyed using it, but my main interest is bowls.

I wanted to turn larger diameter bowls and so started looking at alternatives. After a lot of online reviews, as stated earlier, I pretty much locked on the 18/36.

But not wanting to go through the same process of finding a limitation of this choice, be this two months from now or in five years time, I figured going a bit bigger would most likely never cause this situation to occur.

When I buy things, I usually end up with things I keep for a long time, I have two motorcycles, in my garage, that I bought new back in the 90's, with no plan to let them go.

So although the extra $1000 was something I didn't want to spend, or probably wasn't going to give me any more capacity now than what the 18/36 would, my goal of this purchase was to buy my last lathe. I wasn't totally positive that the 18/36 would be that.
 
Joined
Aug 14, 2007
Messages
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2,792
Location
Eugene, OR
The main reason to get the bigger one is the extra horse power, and extra weight, though sand bags can add weight. I don't know if the legs are splayed more on one than the other, but that really helps on unbalanced pieces. In the years where I did craft shows, I had trouble moving bowls over about 14 inch diameter. Mobility depends on if you are turning in the shop or moving it outside to turn. I didn't like the mobility set up on the Laguna, unless they have changed it. It is bolted on, and since I stand at the end of the lathe to turn, they are in the way. If it doesn't cramp your budget, and you plan to sell your work, go for the bigger one.

robo hippy
 
Joined
Apr 3, 2020
Messages
60
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38
Location
Ponte Vedra, FL
Can't help you on the Laguna decision, but can suggest an electric chainsaw in the absence of a bandsaw, at least for rough shaping of firewood chunks (unless you're better with a chainsaw than I am). They're pretty inexpensive.
 
Joined
Aug 6, 2009
Messages
694
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498
Location
Lummi Island, WA
Go for the 24” - Even if you’re not planning on turning as large as you can (and I’d bet that if you stumbled upon a blank you would have to see what its like) the added weight and horsepower make turning a joy. That alone is worth the added cost. Having the capacity to turn anything is a bonus.

As has been pointed out, you can always turn pens on a bigger lathe, but trying to work on a 18-1/4” blank on a 18” lathe is impossible.
 
Joined
Apr 11, 2014
Messages
424
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420
Location
Dallas, TX
Two comments:
1) Our club has a 18" Laguna and I did a demo back in August. Unless the did a drastic redesign, the first thing I would do with the banjo is bury it in my backyard - I use custom tool-rests and had a miserable time adjusting.
2) You can buy all the bowls you'll ever need for a lot less than a lathe. You buy a lathe as a vehicle for recreation, but in the literal sense - you re-create yourself every time you make a piece which is a piece of you. Go with a lathe that will allow you to grow.
And one more comment: You live in Austin or there bouts (redneck for in the vicinity) - lots of seriously cool mesquite in your area and towards Corpus. I had a 18" Laguna bandsaw and quickly got rid of it - trying to bandsaw a 200-lb+ log can affect your person. Put the money on more lathe and a chainsaw and then learn to enjoy ker-chunkin.
 
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