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laguna 18 36

Well, that’s not encouraging. I just ordered an 1836.
 
There are better options, IMO. As Guy said, Laguna customer service is oft-maligned.

I have the Rikon 70-1824 in 110v. I see it's on sale at Acme for $2999. The tariffs hurt Rikon as they did other manufacturers, but $3k for that lathe is good. Nova, Jet, and Powermatic are good choices. Harvey is, too, but their T40 is 14" and the T60 is 24". I wanted an 18" lathe in the $3k range or I might have gone with Harvey.
 
Well I'm already living the Laguna customer service issue. The lathe hasn't shipped yet, and Rockler can't get anybody over there to tell them when the shipping date will be. And I missed the Jet sale that ended a couple weeks ago.

:(
 
I've been turning on an 1836 since 2019 with no issues. It's like vehicles, those with issues are often the loudest. Not dismissing the issues but what are the statistics of failure vs units that run fine.
 
I've been turning on an 1836 since 2019 with no issues. It's like vehicles, those with issues are often the loudest. Not dismissing the issues but what are the statistics of failure vs units that run fine.
I think I'm stuck now. Shipping in "processing" and can't cancel. So these are encouraging words. Thanks!
 
I turned on a 1836 for a few years before I upgraded. It’s a solid lathe for its price point IMO. I had a few issues, but nothing major. If you’re expecting Robust or Vic quality, you’ll be disappointed, but it’s a good option for turners who want to graduate to a full size lathe for a few thousand dollars.

I would, however, strongly recommend you upgrade to a Oneway banjo. It’s only a few hundred bucks and will make turning on that machine a much better experience.
 
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I turned on a 1836 for a few years before I upgraded. It’s a solid lathe for its price point IMO. I had a few issues, but nothing major. If you’re expecting Robust or Vic quality, you’ll be disappointed, but it’s a good option for turners who want to graduate to a full size lathe for a few thousand dollars.

I would, however, strongly recommend you upgrade to a Oneway banjo. It’s only a few hundred bucks and will make turning on that machine a much better experience.
I second this suggestion!
 
I turned on a 1836 for a few years before I upgraded. It’s a solid lathe for its price point IMO. I had a few issues, but nothing major. If you’re expecting Robust or Vic quality, you’ll be disappointed, but it’s a good option for turners who want to graduate to a full size lathe for a few thousand dollars.

I would, however, strongly recommend you upgrade to a Oneway banjo. It’s only a few hundred bucks and will make turning on that machine a much better experience.
thanks Jaramiah. I'm not expecting that kind of quality as it's about half the cost of a 3520 :) I have a big lathe for large work (VB36), so this will be for smaller stuff. I"ll check out that banjo.
 
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