Either of those machines would be a substantial upgrade from a Harbor Freight lathe. The cons for them, based on experiences expressed here on the forum, would be:
Grizzly--A) they look like other, more expensive lathes, but the unseen parts and quality of workmanship may not be on the same level
B) Grizzly has tended to change models and not provide support for discontinued models later on
C) Their customer support is probably not equal to that from more expensive brands
Laguna--this one is harder. They have sold a ton of lathes over the last few years, so the installed base is large. Historically, they were criticized for not providing high level support, but more recent reports suggest this may be a thing of the past.
Other than Harbor Freight, General or Shop Fox, most lathes sold in the US, would be considered good quality and likely to serve you well. There are passionate advocates for almost all the brands (and this post may bring them out) and a majority of woodturners like whatever lathe they have, other than those 3. That being said, most people would consider a Powermatic, Vicmarc, Oneway, or Robust lathe to be a 'last one you'll buy' purchase.
And the label says Laguna lathes are made in Taiwan, though the company headquarters may be moving to Texas. If buying American is important to you, save your pennies for a Robust.
