Hi Wes, welcome to the site from Peoria, Arizona and an ex=Seattlelite. I'm new to pen turning, using a Jet 1221vs, and am thinking of upgrading to a Laguna 1836 for turning larger projects. How do you like yours?
George
Hi George!
I absolutely love my Laguna 1836. I bought mine as a floor model locally and saved quite a bit that way. I wrote a somewhat lengthy review all about it for Amazon. I will attach it below
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Good luck to you with your upgrade!
Wes
-----------------AMAZON REVIEW FOLLOWS: -------------------------
5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding Lathe. This review includes specifics from my 110v model.
May 12, 2019
This is a well designed, high quality lathe. They do go on sale periodically, typically for 10% off the list price, but sometimes you can do even better.
Positives:
The 110v system has an inverter that creates ample three phase 240v power to the motor.
Adjustments are easily made, and handle positions are easily adjustable within their rotations so the lock position can be set where you want it.
Very heavy duty machine. All parts and systems are built for rock steady performance.
Morse tapers are perfectly made.
Very steady at high speeds, terrific balance.
The display is outstanding.
The sturdy and heavy weight allows for turning good sized out of balance pieces if required.
Less Positives - Things to consider:
Power sensitive - This machine requires very clean power. I found I could not use my extension cord that had worked fine with a previous lathe When I changed that to another cord, it worked great! This sensitivity could account for the few negative reviews I have seen.
Power inverter - I did not get any information with my lathe regarding the Delta power inverter that creates the three phase power to the motor. I learned the exact same unit is used on many other brands and models of lathes, and the manual is available online. With clean power, mine works great.
Height is typical, but as a tall person I like it higher. Laguna offers a pair of $300 risers to lift it 3" and a fancy wheel kit for $500. I made a super sturdy base with 8 casters out of a single Harbor Freight hardwood dolly at each end and 2x10 boards as lengthwise runners. My cost - about $50 for a super solid wheel system.
The control panel is easy to understand and works as it should. That being said, the labels on the panel could be more clear than they are. This is also true for the power inverter. However, it is not a problem as the controls all operate as any woodturner might expect, regardless of labels.
Bottom line:
Get the best deal you can find on this lathe, and it is built to serve high end usage for a very long time. I strongly recommend it.
