Reply by Paul Mayer

I don’t have any experience with the Rikon 10-340, although I owned a 10-325 for a while and it was a nice saw. Very smooth running and a great value. I’d be surprised if the 10-340 wasn’t a nice tool as well. That said, after looking at the Rikon web site, it feels like these two machines are not in the same class. The 18bx has 50% more power, almost a 50% larger table, and nearly 20% more resaw capacity, so other than the wheel size I don’t know if it’s a fair comparison. I own an 18bx and I like it a lot. I think it comes down to what you are looking for in a bandsaw, and whether the additional capability on the Laguna is worth the additional $200 – $300. If you are just using it for furniture, maybe not. If you are a bowl turner, maybe so. There is also a significant difference in the style of guides on these two machines, and that mostly comes down to personal preference. There are pros and cons with each style.

-- Paul Mayer, http://youtube.com/c/toolmetrix