Laguna Tools - Laguna Mobile Cyclone 2HP Dust Collector (Rating: 1)
This is an initial (unboxing & assembly) review … I'll update after the machine has been in service for a few months.
The machine arrived at the local Woodcraft store on a pallet, and weighed in at 106 KG (a little over 233 pounds). We got the shipping container ( 45" x 26" x 38") to fit into the cargo bay of my Jeep Liberty with a little finagling (and a few well-chosen words).
![Car Vehicle Automotive tail & brake light Automotive lighting Motor vehicle]()
I have a pneumatic table and a very patient wife that were invaluable in unloading it in my garage.
At first, the task of assembling the beast seemed daunting, but aside from the weight of the Main Housing Assembly (which includes the impeller and motor), assembly went pretty well.
![Gas Machine Engineering Wood Aluminium]()
Laguna warns that the main housing assembly is heavy, and suggests you have at least 2 people working together when lifting it into place. My wife is a great helper, and with the pneumatic table, some plywood, and 4×4's, we managed to get the motor assembly mounted on the stand and attach the bottom cone.
![Wood Engineering Gas Luggage and bags Machine]()
I would have rated the unboxing & assembly 5 stars but for a glaring error in the manual. Though Laguna includes 4 strips of foam tape, the manual only addresses installation of 3 of them. The manual makes no mention of any sort of gasket or foam tape around the flanges that connect the main housing assembly and the canister filter. I recall that previous reviewers had complained of air leaks between the main housing and canister. I used the 4th strip of foam tape to form a gasket around the flange.
I have a little prep work to do before I move it into the shop … more on performance after I have it in operation for awhile.
//////////////////// Four Days Later \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
A couple of minor issues worth noting …
The bin has four threaded casters that screw into the bottom of the bin. This results in about 1/2" of the bolt threads exposed inside the bin … several prior purchasers of this machine warned that the threads can tear bags (the bags cost about $3.50 apiece and are 'reusable' so you don't want to risk tearing them).
![Tire Wheel Automotive tire Tread Alloy wheel]()
There were several solutions suggested … I decided to go with 5/16" thread protectors …
![Automotive lighting Hood Automotive design Motor vehicle Automotive exterior]()
The 'Inlet Adaptor' has two four-inch inlets with plastic guards inside, which I presume are intended to keep large objects from getting into the cyclone. While I appreciate the desire to reduce chances of damaging the machine's innards, I am a woodturner and the plastic grillwork was a bottleneck clogged with shavings …
![Gas Wood Kitchen appliance Auto part Metal]()
The solution was simple … a couple of minutes with a keyhole saw and the bottleneck is gone!
//////////////////// Almost Three (3) Years Later \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
This unit has been discontinued by Laguna, so this addendum to my review is 'for the record' and to forewarn anyone who is contemplating buying a used one on the second hand market.
Overall, performance has been acceptable, with two problems … one minor and one major.
The minor problem is the 12" hose that connects to the cyclone cone to the barrel lid. Swirling chips and sawdust act like an abrasive that wears away the inside of the hose material. The end result is that the hose starts spraying fine dust into the air. As of today (September 13, 2018) I have replaced this hose twice. The original crapped out after about a year of use, the replacement lasted about 2 years. The cost to replace is about $40 including shipping.
The major problem is the motor. A few months ago, it started to squeek as the impeller spun down when shut off. Not loud, just a little squeek, which got louder and turned into a grinding noise when power was applied to the motor duirng startup. Those who grew up in farm country will understand when I say it started to sound like a corn sheller. The bearings are going out in the motor, and the machine is out of warranty, so I have a couple of choices: junk the cyclone and buy a replacement, get the motor rebuilt at a local motor shop, or buy a replacement. Laguna's discounted cost for a new motor: $327.38
I weighed my alternatives. Buying a new machine is not in the cards right now. A local motor shop might be able to rebuild the motor, I would be without a dust collector for a period of time when I need to get into production mode for holiday sales (the bad motor runs, so I can get some work done). So I did the unthinkable … I ordered a replacement from Laguna.
Maybe I just got a lemon, but this makes me leary of buying any other Laguna tools. This is not a consumer-grade machine, and for the motor to go out after less than 3 years is not acceptable … especially when it sat unused for 4 months while I was recovering from open-heart surgery.
Caveat Emptor
This is an initial (unboxing & assembly) review … I'll update after the machine has been in service for a few months.
The machine arrived at the local Woodcraft store on a pallet, and weighed in at 106 KG (a little over 233 pounds). We got the shipping container ( 45" x 26" x 38") to fit into the cargo bay of my Jeep Liberty with a little finagling (and a few well-chosen words).
I have a pneumatic table and a very patient wife that were invaluable in unloading it in my garage.
At first, the task of assembling the beast seemed daunting, but aside from the weight of the Main Housing Assembly (which includes the impeller and motor), assembly went pretty well.
Laguna warns that the main housing assembly is heavy, and suggests you have at least 2 people working together when lifting it into place. My wife is a great helper, and with the pneumatic table, some plywood, and 4×4's, we managed to get the motor assembly mounted on the stand and attach the bottom cone.
I would have rated the unboxing & assembly 5 stars but for a glaring error in the manual. Though Laguna includes 4 strips of foam tape, the manual only addresses installation of 3 of them. The manual makes no mention of any sort of gasket or foam tape around the flanges that connect the main housing assembly and the canister filter. I recall that previous reviewers had complained of air leaks between the main housing and canister. I used the 4th strip of foam tape to form a gasket around the flange.
I have a little prep work to do before I move it into the shop … more on performance after I have it in operation for awhile.
//////////////////// Four Days Later \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
A couple of minor issues worth noting …
The bin has four threaded casters that screw into the bottom of the bin. This results in about 1/2" of the bolt threads exposed inside the bin … several prior purchasers of this machine warned that the threads can tear bags (the bags cost about $3.50 apiece and are 'reusable' so you don't want to risk tearing them).
There were several solutions suggested … I decided to go with 5/16" thread protectors …
The 'Inlet Adaptor' has two four-inch inlets with plastic guards inside, which I presume are intended to keep large objects from getting into the cyclone. While I appreciate the desire to reduce chances of damaging the machine's innards, I am a woodturner and the plastic grillwork was a bottleneck clogged with shavings …
The solution was simple … a couple of minutes with a keyhole saw and the bottleneck is gone!
//////////////////// Almost Three (3) Years Later \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
This unit has been discontinued by Laguna, so this addendum to my review is 'for the record' and to forewarn anyone who is contemplating buying a used one on the second hand market.
Overall, performance has been acceptable, with two problems … one minor and one major.
The minor problem is the 12" hose that connects to the cyclone cone to the barrel lid. Swirling chips and sawdust act like an abrasive that wears away the inside of the hose material. The end result is that the hose starts spraying fine dust into the air. As of today (September 13, 2018) I have replaced this hose twice. The original crapped out after about a year of use, the replacement lasted about 2 years. The cost to replace is about $40 including shipping.
The major problem is the motor. A few months ago, it started to squeek as the impeller spun down when shut off. Not loud, just a little squeek, which got louder and turned into a grinding noise when power was applied to the motor duirng startup. Those who grew up in farm country will understand when I say it started to sound like a corn sheller. The bearings are going out in the motor, and the machine is out of warranty, so I have a couple of choices: junk the cyclone and buy a replacement, get the motor rebuilt at a local motor shop, or buy a replacement. Laguna's discounted cost for a new motor: $327.38
I weighed my alternatives. Buying a new machine is not in the cards right now. A local motor shop might be able to rebuild the motor, I would be without a dust collector for a period of time when I need to get into production mode for holiday sales (the bad motor runs, so I can get some work done). So I did the unthinkable … I ordered a replacement from Laguna.
Maybe I just got a lemon, but this makes me leary of buying any other Laguna tools. This is not a consumer-grade machine, and for the motor to go out after less than 3 years is not acceptable … especially when it sat unused for 4 months while I was recovering from open-heart surgery.
Caveat Emptor
