Official Luthiers Forum!

Okay- I have had it!
In one week two of my imported tool have had major problems.
I have had a Tawainese 5 HP 20" planer for about 8 years.
The first year the motor shaft spalled which after some major surgery I was able to fix -3 hrs labor and $60.
Then the other day the motor blew up-I am sorry,but I have American motors on at least 10 other tools,some that are 40 years old-still going very strong!!
I expect them to keep going long after I am gone!!
Then there's the Italian motor on my 5 HP Laguna band saw.This motor was never right-has absolutely no starting torque-my luck they changed to American made Baldor motors a year after I bought the saw.

I hear you Brad. I love my Baldor. Had a lot of problems with Grizzly motors. Although I have to add that I have a Ryobi comb. 12" planer 6" jointer since 1985 and still going strong. A real workhorse.

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Beautiful and unusual tone woods at a reasonable price.
http://www.rctonewoods.com/RCT_Store
The Zootman
1109 Military Rd.
Kenmore, NY 14217
(716) 874-1498

Hesh the Jet saws are great. You won't have any regrets.

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Beautiful and unusual tone woods at a reasonable price.
http://www.rctonewoods.com/RCT_Store
The Zootman
1109 Military Rd.
Kenmore, NY 14217
(716) 874-1498

I hear you Brad. The market these days is fluid. You mentioned the Laguna. This company takes action in major ways when things don't work out. You mentioned the move from the Italian motor to the Baldor. Another major change they implemented was the Euroguides on their machines. They manufactured ceramic guides specifically for their machine and everyone loves them. Knowing the need for carbide blades in their industry, they came out with the ReSaw King. Pretty much an ear to the ground kind of company.

And with all the feedback available online, no one should make an uninformed purchase decision anymore. Buy the best you can find and afford, that's what most of us do. Sorry you had trouble, we all do. Some machines are just better than others. And with outsourcing these days, some parts of machines are better than others. Many American Brands are full of foreign parts, if not completely foreign.

My Canadian General Int'l Drum Sander, made in Taiwan. My American Powermatic Table Saw, made in Taiwan. My Jet Spindle Sander, made in Taiwan. Our local college, full of International Students, made in Taiwan. I see a pattern here.

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http://www.dickeyguitars.com

Baldor and Leeson motors are great....

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

Money makes the WORLD go around gentlemen, not just America.

I've had many american made cars which realy suck compared to my oversea's build vehicles. It always comes down to you get what you pay for and sometimes you just get lucky but don't count on it.Rod True38764.7130208333

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"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

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When I bought the Laguna I thought I was buying the best.
I certainly paid for it!

Twice I have had issues with electric motors, once very recently on my re-saw. In both cases, the capacitor starter case was full of sawdust. I took the motor off of my unisaw and took it in, they blew out the dust out of the capacitor case and it was fine again. The other day, I just blew the dust our of the re-saw's motor and it too was fine.

Hope you get it figured out Brad. Motors are not too bad if you go to re-wind place and buy re-conditioned ones.

Shane

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Canada

Unfortunatly Laguna had trouble with those motors,that's one of the reasons they switched to Baldors.
Also the mount on the Italian saws are not standard-so I am looking into getting a Baldor from Laguna.Brad Goodman38764.7777777778

Brad

If they know they have a problem, will they do you a deal on the Baldor ?

[QUOTE=Rod True] Money makes the WORLD go around gentlemen, not just America.

I've had many american made cars which realy suck compared to my oversea's build vehicles. It always comes down to you get what you pay for and sometimes you just get lucky but don't count on it.[/QUOTE]

Ron, I've never tried a Japanese built bandsaw, although I bet they would be very nice if they existed. I don't think I would gamble on a Chinese made car, though.

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Scott Thompson
Port Townsend,WA

"In a perfect world we'd all sing in tune
But this is reality so give me some room"
-Billy Bragg

Scott, stay tuned...your next car or many of the components might just well be from China...all the big boys are setting up manufacturing there.

Hitachi's were/are Japanese and so are Makita's. Both are very good bits of equipment. I would trade my General International re-saw for a same size Hitachi in a minute! I tried to buy one but they are no longer sold new in Canada.

Shane

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Canada

I am beginning to think that nothing is manufactured in the USA anymore. Brand names that are historically associated with american industry, are now just importers of foreign goods.
As a union electrician (my day job) I drive a Dodge, made in USA, but I sure would like to have a Subaru WRX. Now Dodge is foreign, and Toyota is built in Indiana.
The more I think, the confuseder I get.

Al

[QUOTE=Hesh1956]My current one gets 29-30 miles per gallon and I have had it up to 138 mph. I know of no other car in the world that combines the luxury, spottiness, quality, and economy of this one.[/QUOTE]

That's quite good, but my VW Gold TDI (turbo diesel) gets 5.5 L/100 km's (42 MPG) and I have gone 125 mph in it, very smooth, till the bugs hit have not tryed pushing it any further, my own nerves keep getting in the way, but it sure seems to have more in the "tank". Pretty good for a 4 cylinder. Got to love that German Engineering (made in Brazil ) Rod True38764.883587963

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My Facebook Guitar Page

"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

"We have to constantly remind ourselves what we're doing....No Luthier is putting a man on the moon!" Harry Fleishman

"Generosity is always different in the eye of the person who didn't receive anything, but who wanted some." Waddy Thomson

Brad, didn't want to harp on you with my first post. Just thought I was pointing out the obvious. I would think that Laguna would make a very good machine, and I hope they help you out with the motor issue, but I bet (like most other industries) there are other, better (read more reliable, more precise, more "heavy duty") and more expensive machines out there but the budget just won't support it, hence the "you get what you pay for" comment check these guys out now that's a resaw. I'm sure that none of us could justify a 15hp resaw (yes I know that Laugna makes a big 15hp saw too), but boy it sure would be nice wouldn't it.

Back to the cars, I also drive a 1983 Toyota Landcrusier with a 4 cylinder diesel in it. It has 450,000 km's on it and I am told you can easily get 600+ out of one of these motors. Now, you will have to replace almost all of the body parts well before hitting 600k but that should only cost about $10k to do, and where can you replace a vehicle like this for $10k and still get 150-200,000 km out of it? Now, I paid $11k for this 18 year old vehicle, and that's a lot of money for an 18 year old import, but, you get what you pay for. Rod True38764.8971064815

_________________
My Facebook Guitar Page

"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

"We have to constantly remind ourselves what we're doing....No Luthier is putting a man on the moon!" Harry Fleishman

"Generosity is always different in the eye of the person who didn't receive anything, but who wanted some." Waddy Thomson

Hesh, a "km" is Kilometers, the other world standard (lets not go there either )

_________________
My Facebook Guitar Page

"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

"We have to constantly remind ourselves what we're doing....No Luthier is putting a man on the moon!" Harry Fleishman

"Generosity is always different in the eye of the person who didn't receive anything, but who wanted some." Waddy Thomson

Deming was so far ahead of his time and US manufacturing though he was nuts, He begame celebrity in Japan. China is right behind. US manufacturing is far to political . Facts are , we lost.
    Those that don't learn from History are doomed to repeat it. THe US Gov failed and so did US business. China in fact is waging economic war with the US and is winning . I hope I am wrong but I don't think so. with a strong manufacuring base the economy will strengthen and so will the military.
     The american dream is on the downhill. I hope we can recover before it is too late.
Sorry if I sound so cinical but I see so many skilled and techincal jobs leaving andbeing replaced by wharhousing jobs at half the pay. I worked in tool making and manufacturing. China is by far taking advantage and we are giving it away.
john hall

Rod,
Of course I would love to own a saw like that-I wouldn't need to justify it,but I would need to pay for it!
When I bought my saw I came up with as much money as I could scrape together,I thought I was buying the "Rolls Royce" of bandsaws.
Funny you should pick a Canadian company-one of my favorite tool manufacturers is General-not the Tawainese stuff,the tools made in Canada. I have there 15" bandsaw and I cannot find fault with it-now that saw IS a Rolls Royce,and guess what-it has a Baldor motor!!

Russell,
I do have a call into Laguna and am hoping they will do something for me.

I bought 2 Fords and both have been great. My '96 Windstar just passed 120,000 and finally needs a power steering pump, but nothing major. The '98 F150 with only 52,000 has never had a problem.

The last Jap car I owned was crap.

Kurt

[QUOTE=Hesh1956]

All 4 of my Acuras have been flawless in all respects and often better than the specs said they would be. I never had a single thing go wrong with any of them and only replaced them as my needs and wants changed. My current one gets 29-30 miles per gallon and I have had it up to 138 mph. I know of no other car in the world that combines the luxury, spottiness, quality, and economy of this one. Die hard American car buyers who I know and who experience my car are now interested in a foreign car for the first time in their life.

[/QUOTE]

I have a new Acura also, but you may be surprised to know they are almost completely American made. The car is built in Ohio, and 95% of the parts are also American made. The only part of an Acura from overseas is the transmission, made in Japan. Otherwise, 95% made and assembled in America.

John