Replies

1. 
   forestgirl | Dec 01, 2005 05:32am | #1

   Mmmmmmm, no mention of MiniMax?!

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
   Another proud member of the  "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>) 

2. 
   catlak | Dec 01, 2005 05:09pm | #2

   I have a Laguna 16HD with a 4.5HP Baldor motor.  The saw and the motor are excellent but the company is terrible tom deal with..

   With this saw you'll be well above the Jets etc..

    

   Good luck

   Gunner
3. 
   DJK | Dec 01, 2005 05:50pm | #3

   Unless you live on an island in the Pacific, you should be able to find a deal on a used 20" Delta/Rockwell or Powermatic for less than half the cost of a new machine. I have a 1942 20" Crescent with about $700 total investment in the purchase and rebuild. Weight is over 850 lbs of cast iron, 3hp Baldor and 12" resaw.

   Look for a used machine and save your money.

   DJK

1. 
   Stephenson | Dec 01, 2005 06:32pm | #4

   Yes I should have mentioned Mini Max , I'm sorry. I'm currently looking at them as well. But who is better Laguna or Mini Max?

1. 
   Northboundtrain | Dec 01, 2005 07:21pm | #5

   Last year, I bought a minimax, the entry-level saw, S45 I think.  I found the sales and support quite good (though I haven't really needed anything; the saw has been wonderful).  The minimax compared very favorably to the comparable Laguna, it was several hundred dollars cheaper, and available immediately.  I would have had to wait several months for the Laguna. 

1. 
   kwadams | Dec 03, 2005 08:23pm | #7

   Northboundtrain--

   I'm currently looking very hard at the S45 myself.  The MM16 looks wonderful, but I really don't need that capacity, nor do I wish to spend that much right now.  Do you have the newer S45 with 12" re-saw and built-in mobility kit?  I'm just curious about the power, if it runs very smooth, and how the mobility kit works (if you have it).  Does it have standard euro-style guides and any opinion as to how they work vs. the Laguna guides?  They tell me the fit and finish is excellent and that it does run vibration-free, but I guess I'd like to hear from others.  It seems most folks are getting the MM16 or larger.

   Thanks for any advice you'd like to provide.

   Kevin Adams

2. 
   PeteBradley | Dec 03, 2005 01:47am | #6

   I'll second the Delta 20". I love mine. Be sure old iron is for you though. You will almost certainly need to replace bearings or get them replaced. Tires too. Make sure all the parts are there because they can be expensive. The Powermatic 20 has a significantly bigger footprint than the Delta.Pete