Laguna Fusion F3 Table Saw Deep Dive Exam 

Awesome. Thanks. Let me know what you think.

Thanks for the feedback Nick. Cheers, Paul

Thanks 🙏

That's great - Glad I could help! I just saw a very good video on the Shop Nation channel that spells out why he bought an F2 rather than SawStop. He makes a great case.

@@ToolMetrix I saw the same video, but you took everything to a new level, many thanks. I am buying Laguna

not to mention it's half the price of a sawstop! at least where I live..

Hi JP, Thanks for the feedback, and for the sub. Cheers, Paul

You are most welcome

Randy are you in UK or US?

@@gavinschofield8578 US

Glad I could help, Randy. Cheers, Paul

how you likeing the saw???? im here in Canada, there is a tool shop just down the road which sells Laguna equipment... i cant wait to bring one home next month!

It was an awesome saw. Unfortunately, as with most tools that I get in for eval videos, I wasn’t able to keep it.

👍

Glad I could help, Wayne. Enjoy your new saw. Cheers, Paul

Hi I'm interested of getting the f3 could you tell me after three years that you have this f3 how is it this days if you still have it ☺️

Thanks for sharing, Matt. I agree that the manual could use some additional assembly details.

Another hat tip to you is that yours is the ONLY overview/review that I’ve been able to find on RU-vid other than Laguna’s. For their price-point and features, I expect sales of these newly updated Fusions to really take off.

🙏

I just got mine today. The lack of instructions for the 52" rails is insane. I was told to reference the exploded parts diagram, which I think is actually wrong. Or at least I can't figure out how to read it :). Any tips would be appreciated!

I’d suggest calling in to support. If I still had it here I’d send you some pictures. I don’t remember how I did it. Sorry.

Sounds great, Jared. If you get one, let me know what you think. Cheers, Paul

Hi Mark, thanks for your feedback. I'm not sure about the jessem guides. I haven't played with them, but I'm guessing that you would have to remove the sliding portion of the fence to make them work. Maybe not, but those look very cool and I'd definitely work to figure out how to incorporate them into the new setup. I think you're probably right about the 750 CFM DC. I'd not use the upper hose. I would still probably modify the internal setup to run 4" straight to the below table shroud. There's also a 1" hole that goes into the body of the saw from the duct connection on the back of the saw, and I'd get rid of that for sure. You would actually have to get rid of that if you go 4" all the way through to the shroud, but I just wanted to call that out because it's not very noticeable.

They definitely did a great job on this saw.

Hi Karim, thanks. I haven’t thought about using the outfeed table that way so I don’t know what it might take to do so.

Hi Hando, thanks for your comment/question. From my memory, it should be possible to do this, but you will have to cut the fence rail. They offer the saw with a shorter rail; I believe it's 36".

Hi John, I was actually just thinking about this today. Overall I’d prefer that the blade be positioned further back to provide more runway when ripping long boards and plywood sheets. That said, the sliding fence helps with that situation by extending forward during long rips. It definitely helps although it doesn’t give as much runway as som other saws. The upside of a forward positioned blade is that it provides an easier reach when using a sled or doing other crosscut operations. The reason I was thinking about this today was that I was cutting dentil molding and leaning over the saw for a long time and actually wishing that the blade was not so far back.

Thanks for your feedback Erica. I’m always trying to improve so this feedback helps.

Hi Mark, thanks. Yes I believe it does have that now on the current model.

The cabinet is different as well. It's thicker steel on the F3.

@@ToolMetrix Thanks ;-)

Hi Daniel, I don’t think there’s clearance. You could remove the aluminum and fasteners if you want and use it as a regular fence as an option but I’d rather keep it as a European fence.

Hi Dave, Thanks for the feedback. It's interesting to learn about the more aggressive breaking mechanism in the UK. I like that idea quite a bit. I'm surprised to hear your question about using a dado, however, as I was under the impression that saws that are sold in the UK did not include an extended arbor because dado stacks were forbidden there. It sounds like that is not the case? Has there been a change, or was I previously misinformed? I'm not aware of any dado that would be specifically designed to operate with a more aggressive brake, but if anything I would think that a wobble style dado would be more apt to work ok because it would be lighter. I don't really care for that style of dado, but if weight is the concern it might be an options.

@@ToolMetrix There are a number of machines on the market now with longer arbours but the supplier is prohibited from saying it can be fitted with a dado even though they know people do. Thanks again for your thorough reviews. Dave

Very interesting! Thanks, Dave.

Hi Aaron, I didn’t measure but I moved it easily through a 35” opening. Hopefully that helps.

Thanks Jim.

Hi Stephen, Great question. Yes I did dust collection hooked up. The dust collection design on this saw splits a 4" feed into a 2.5" and a 1.5" line, plus a small hole into the cavity of the saw. To me, this design assumes that the user has a small dust collector and wants to get some collection above the table and some from beneath the blade. For a typical small shop environment, that's probably a reasonable common denominator assumption. Splitting down to the smaller lines like this delivers some air flow for all three members, but there's only so much to go around. It catches some but not all of the dust. For those who have a bigger dust collector, what I'd suggest is to run a 6" drop to the duct to the saw. From there, replace the internal 2.5" hose with a 4" hose, extending that inside the cabinet to the shroud around the blade. From the 6" main duct, branch off a wye (not a "T" as it currently is), and run a 2.5" line to the blade guard, with an adapter right at the guard. Might have to add a support wire from the ceiling to handle the additional weight of the 2.5" line; not sure. If I had an underpowered dust collector (1 - 1.5 HP) I might decide to replace the internal 2.5" with 4" and put a cap on the port that is used for above table collection. To me it's most important to capture below the table to keep the inter-workings of the saw clean. This probably requires 350 - 400 actual CFM. If you are pulling a fair bit more than that, then siphoning some off to run to the above guard collection is a great idea. Dust collection is a tuning exercise, and it's tough to have a one-size-fits-all configuration. This one provides a good "out of the box" starting point that can be easily modified by a user to take advantage of whatever capabilities their dust collection system has. Others might not agree with my philosophy on this, btw, and might prefer to get some dust capture both below and above the table. I currently use an old Unisaw and it's about as bad as it gets for dust collection. I made a 6" port and connected it to the back of the saw, and it collects from the entire cabinet. It takes a LOT of CFM to keep that saw clean inside. I don't currently have above table collection, but I'd like to. I really like the shroud that this saw uses, because you don't have to collect from the entire cabinet, but it's also important to balance the hose size with your dust collection system to maintain the best possible extraction.

Hi there. I run a 2HP with canister filter, would you just run 4" inside and drop it down at the shroud? I use to have a second 4" drop from the ceiling and reduced it to 2.5" near the blade guard. Maybe that's the best approach based on your suggestion. Do you think 2hp would be enough?

I would do it exactly like you are saying. I would first try without any collection above the table. If you get decent collection then I’d try above the table as well. I think you should get decent collection that way on both top and bottom. If not, I’d skip the top collection and just get everything you can from below. If you’re not getting good collection below I’d either figure out how to modify the shroud to accept 4” with no reduction or I’d collect from the entire cabinet with a 4” (not ideal).

ToolMetrix as an FYI, I retook your advice and ran another drop from the ceiling for the over blade guard. Still horrible so I sent an email and just got a phone call from Laguna. They have redesigned the blade shroud apparently, and are sending a new one out ASAP so I can add it to the saw. So if you have an F3 I would suggest calling for the new shroud!!

That’s great to know. Thanks!

Hi Jim, yes it does. Standard equipment.

The riving knife moves with the blade so the height is adjusted with the handwheel. I don’t remember if/how the gap between the blade and riving knife is adjusted.

@@ToolMetrix Thanks for your answer! Yes I know it moves with the blade... but mine sticks above the blade and as you know it should be aprox 2 mm below it. I can´t seem to find a way to adjust this. I think I will end up grinding the riving knife. Thanks again!

Hmmmm...yeah, got it. I’d suggest calling Laguna before grinding it, but grinding it should be fine too.

Definitely 👍

I believe that they only come with the F3. I doubt that they would be necessary on the 37" version. Would be easy enough to attach some legs if you wanted to though.

Hi Phillip, I don't remember for sure, but I don't think it has to. I'd suggest confirming with Laguna.

@@ToolMetrix Ok, thanks

Hi Robert, thanks for watching, and for sharing your feedback. The F3 that I had here did not have any such pin holes, but it's possible that the UK version might be different. I'd suggest checking with Laguna or their UK reseller. Cheers, Paul

I’d rather have it a couple inches back but it didn’t prove to be a problem when using it. If necessary the fence can slide forward to effectively position the blade further back.

Hi Ed, the extension is a composite material; not plywood. I don't believe that it was MDF, but unfortunately I no longer have the saw in my shop and I can't check it for you. As I recall it's 3/4", and it's a fairly large span, so yes you could install a router insert but I would reinforce the table to prevent sagging over time. The photo on the thumbnail is of the 50" version that I had in my shop, and that model comes with legs. The 36" model doesn't have legs to support the table.

Thyank you -again - paul - Very helpful!!

My pleasure, Ed.

That will fit.

I think that the reason for the forward positioning is so that the operator doesn't have to reach so far over the table to push something past the blade, which could be a safety factor as well. I'd rather have more runway. It didn't seem problematic to me in my testing, but the challenge would be in ripping large sheet goods where the runway helps you to get the sheet aligned properly before engaging the blade. The fact that the fence extends forward mitigates this situation a lot, but even with the fence fully extended I didn't have as much runway as on my Unisaw. For me it's a factor to consider but not a deal breaker. It's just something to get used to.

@@ToolMetrix Thanks for the reply. If one did use a lot of sleds, would you think that the Laguna still compares favorably with the Harvey Alpha or the Grizzly G0899 which both have a traditional blade placement and a European fence? Not only in terms of safety, but also frustration-free use? Are they in the same class as the Laguna?

I found the fence to be solid and accurate. I have no rear support on my unisaw Biesemeyer fence either and it’s extremely durable and accurate as well.

Sounds like a good plan. I've heard a lot of good things about Vega fences. Yes, keep the dream alive! :)

Yikes! Never heard of a belt melting like that. You’ll want to contact Laguna about a replacement. I’m just a RU-vidr.

I'd suggest contacting Laguna at www.lagunatools.com to see if they can ship to Brazil.

@@ToolMetrix yes meu sonho ter um torno deste porte,legal demais...

I didn’t notice anything concerning in that regard when I had the saw here. I was impressed by the fence.

Hi Randy, That's a long time. Very difficult decision. The continuous slip is frustrating, and it's a symptom of lockdowns a stimulus checks that are driving the demand through the roof. I don't have any insight on what the actual lead time might be, although it's clear that people are buying these tools faster than Laguna can make them. If all of three tools were available immediately, I'd take the Fusion and 14bx over just the SawStop for even money. But with an indefinite waiting period, I'm not sure what I would do. Sawstop makes a fantastic saw. The only downside that I see being expensive false positives on the brake system that cause unplanned downtime, and an inability to use smaller blades. (I like to use a 7.25" blade on my table saw as much as possible) On the positive side, it's a super high quality saw, and I love the dust collection on the SawStop. I think their design is about as good as it gets in terms of capture. So, I guess it also partially depends on how badly you need a bandsaw in the near term. In a typical year I probably use my bandsaw more than my table saw, but that is because I rough out bowl blanks, cut up logs, and do lots of resawing and some curvy stuff. But, some people can get by without a bandsaw based on their approach to building. Unfortunately, I don't have a clear recommendation for you, and I'm sorry that this is dragging on like this.

@@ToolMetrix thanks so much for the fast good response. I think I’ll continue to wait. Thee F3 is supposed to ship on the 8th.

🤞🤞🤞 here’s hoping!!!

Hi Terry, yes, there is a single 4" inlet connection, and the hose for the blade guard collection branches off from there.

Awesome. Let me know what you think. Cheers, Paul

The F3 is belt driven. I believe that you can remove the anti-kickback pawls or flip them out of the way. I'm not sure about the Jessem hold downs, as I don't use those. I think the SawStop would likely have better dust collection if you have a big enough dust collector to take advantage of the larger internal hose. If you use the F3 with a large DC, I would replace that internal hose with 4" all the way to the blade shroud. I haven't looked at a Harvey so I can't compare that one.

Just the access panel on the motor side

I believe so but I don’t recall.

Get started on that channel, man! I love the vision. :)

There’s a full kerf knife that comes standard and a thin kerf available as an option. I don’t recall the exact thickness of the full kerf but just shy of 1/8” I believe.

It has one drive belt, which is pretty common these days. I have an older Unisaw which uses 3 drive belts.

Hi Djuro, I never got to play with the 2019 model so I don’t know what all changed. Would be best to ask Laguna about that. My understanding is that dust collection was improved in 2020 but I don’t know what else.

The Laguna Fusion 3 Mitre Gauge is not anything special for EU customers, because of some "supply chain issue"...you'll need to spend another 80+ euro to get anything near the class the US customers get in their package.

Thanks, Jim. I appreciate your chiming in with this helpful information. Cheers, Paul

Hi Ed, I'm not aware of anything, but it's possible that something out there would work.

@@ToolMetrix Thank you - Is the extension plywood and laminate surface that may be possible to install a router insert in either the 36" or 50" extension?

All three are belt driven.

Sorry I no longer have the saws. I’m guessing you can find that information on the Laguna website.

You’d have to ask Laguna that question. I’d be surprised if sawstop would license the technology at this point although that was their initial intention. And sawstop makes it tough for companies to introduce flesh sensing technology. They shut Bosch down in the US and nobody else has tried to my knowledge.

@@ToolMetrix Now that Festool owns SawStop, they have SawStop safety feature in their Festool TKS 80 saw.

That’s great to know. Thanks for sharing!

This saw is well made and powerful. You would never have any problem with hardwood. Great saw for a hobbyist or a professional.

Good question. Unfortunately I’m not familiar with the market in that area. Woodcraft and Rockler are both good options around here. I know that you have Highland WW there but I don’t know if they’re a Laguna dealer. Sorry I’m not able to help. Cheers, Paul

Hi Jim, . I did notice that. I think it’s a safety thing. Less distance to reach as you guide a work piece past the blade. If you’re ripping something big the fence can slide forward to provide a bit more runway. I didn’t have any problems with it. Could make it a bit trickier to rip a full sheet of plywood, or other large pieces that are a bit unwieldy, but I didn’t try that.

Hi Jerry, I've heard similar feedback from others. I didn't refer much to the manual during my assembly (it was the third table saw I assembled within a few weeks, so it was pretty familiar), so I can't really comment on it. It's a shame to have so many gaps in the manual, and I hope that you've passed along your comments to Laguna.

It will fit through that

@@ToolMetrix Thanks 😁

@@diycharger1760 No problem. That's the same size as my shop door.

Hi Randy, the scale is only accurate with the fence in the high position.

Hi Tubor, thank you for your question. It is belt driven.

@@ToolMetrix Thanks for the reply. Best regard. Tibi

Hi Matt, I’m a huge fan of any good quality tools. I like setting them up, taking measurements, and using them. I have an open invitation to any tool company that has an interesting product to send one out for evaluation. If I find it to be a worthy product I make a video. Sometimes I don’t. Not all companies will do this because my audience is modest in size, but some, including Laguna, will if they like the in-depth approach that I take. I don’t have any sponsors, and I’m not loyal to any brand. I currently have stationary and bench tools in my shop from Delta, Grizzly, WEN, Bosch, Ridgid, Oneida and Woodmaster. I’ve also owned and used several other brands over the years. I do appreciate your comment and take it as a reminder that I need to maintain a better balance in coverage. I do know that, but sometimes I just go with the flow. Cheers, Paul

Hi Christopher, I just dug through the raw clips from when I filmed that video, and I found the db test. It maxed out at 84.9 decibels, which is not bad for a table saw.

thanks so much for getting back to me i really needed that information very nice off you to take your own time to look that up for me @@ToolMetrix

so if noise is a concern would you recommend the fusion 3 instead as its 78db which is fairly quieter. thanks again

My pleasure, sir. Thanks for watching.

They all get a lot louder when they are cutting. If noise is a major factor I’d suggest using a 7-1/4” blade on the saw if you can. That’ll make a huge difference , both when cutting and not cutting. Different is HUGE. Check out my “best saw blade” recent video.

I did not have that one in the shop for very long so I can’t comment on longevity. But hopefully someone else can chime in.

@ToolMetrix so that probably tells me that you did really like the saw much and thanks for the info ☺️

@anthonypalazzolo6181 I loved the saw, actually. But I am a tool reviewer, so I have tools coming through my shop all the time. I don’t have money or space to keep them all. I can’t actually keep most of the tools that I review.

@ToolMetrix ok I didn't realise that sorry so I wouldn't make a mistake if I bought the f3 eventhoug I was looking at the SawStop contractor model but in a much expensive cost and towards the end it was another $450 d for the wheels after I was getting the update fance and the cast iron wings all up was over 45k tha sort of turned me off and the f3 I was saving much more I can still bu the SawStop for that money but at the end I coudnt justify all the value and the compartment I do understand about the safety features but at the same time there's other tools that you can chop your finger off Thank you for the response and I enjoy your videos cheers 🍻

@anthonypalazzolo6181 no I don’t think you would be making a mistake. Both are good saws so I think it mostly comes down to how much the sawstop brake system is worth. If you use a blade guard it probably doesn’t matter much.

Seems heavy enough. Virtually vibration free when running. At 400 pounds it’s not going to move if you bump it.

@ToolMetrix I'm considering buying this but am nit sure of I sure get this one or the grizzly. My brother in law has a grizzly and I know they are solid but the aren't in stock now and the dust port is on the wrong side for me.

Thanks x 10! 🤣

​@@ToolMetrix Hey Paul, I was wondering if i could maybe get your advice. I am kinda stuck between the F2 & F3 Table Saw. I am a Canadian & I currently rent a basement. I have full access to a 2 car garage by myself. The landlord knows I will be doing woodworking. The garage is not wired for 240v so i would have to bother my landlord to hook up a 240v breaker & outlet. Soo is there a big enough difference to stick with getting the F3 (240v) ? or will i be happy with the power & usage of the F2 ? Price is not that big of a deal. im planning to cut all types of hardwood and soft wood for furniture... tables, desks, art..

The F2 has plenty of power, so it really depends what you are used to. With a good blade, it will rip through 4/4 and 6/4 hardwood with ease. You'll have to take it slower with 8/4, whereas you can plow right through 8/4 with the F3. My main saw is a 3 HP cabinet saw, so I definitely noticed the difference when I was cutting on the F2. That said, I'm not a production woodworker, so I would have absolutely no problem doing everything that I make on the F2, and I'm sure I would love it. If you are used to a more powerful saw, you can install a smaller diameter, and thinner blade, and the saw will feel more powerful. A LOT more powerful actually. For a LOT more detail on the advantages of a smaller blade, take a look at this video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-_uJWWg-aawA.html . So, all that said, if the difference in price isn't a big deal, a 3 HP cabinet saw is a treat to use, so don't let me talk you out of the F3 if you have the itch. You'll also want to get a sense for which one would ship sooner because both of these saws have been backordered a lot lately. They literally seem to sell them faster than they can make them.

@@ToolMetrix Thanks a lot man. I really appreciate your comment and honesty. I still have about 3 weeks to decide which one i want before I can pick one of these bad girls up! Im pretty sure there is a store just a few blocks away from my house called "Federated Tools" in London, Ontario Canada. They have them in stock on their website but I'm not 100% sure if they have them inside their building or if they just pass the order on to laguna. I wont be able to find out until our city's LOCKDOWN is lifted on May 19, 2021. P.S. Iv never used a Table-Saw before lol.. as a matter of fact, as a guy who just turned 30 iv only used a mitre saw about 3 times. Thanks to COVID iv been studying Woodworking (Tools & Projects) for about 6-7 months... IM READY TO START MY CRAFT.

You're in for a great time! Best of luck as you dive in to your new hobby. I got my first table saw for my 30th birthday. I've been having a blast with it ever since.

Not very much in terms of the usable features from my perspective. Maybe some infrastructure components but I didn’t really examine I from that perspective, partly because I don’t have a sawstop in my shop.

enjoy it!

Максим привет.Если пользуешься пилой,то скажи пару слов о своём приобретении.

@@user-df2ij4lv5d, приветсвую. Да что рассказывать.Пила хорошая, мощь.Пилит все вообще как масло, ровная столешница, удобный удлинитель стола, червячная передача отличная, углы точные, парралельный упор хотелость бы двухсторонний, но это можно решить купив профиль.Работает очень тихо по сравнению с другими, удобно перемещать.Комплектация не такая как в вилеоописании. В щелом хорошая.А,вал 16й.Недостаток один,опилки много остаются в тумбе, потом призодится выгребыть руками.Узел крепления мотора чугунный, отличный и точный до тошноты.По работе лучше вориора или белмаша на голову, ремень силиконовый, качественный.

@@user-vi3zj7qt8w Максим спасибо большое за ответ.Интересно было узнать,что за аппарат от непосредственного обладателя.Больше всего интересовал именно узел крепления мотора,так как он принципиально отличается от других этого класса.Удачных Вам проектов и конечно хороших заказчиков!

@@user-df2ij4lv5d,я из-за узла и взял.Очень надежно и качественно в этом вопросе все сделано.Может из-за этого и работает так тихо.

Hi James, good suggestion. I'm thinking about doing a table saw tune-up video where I include that item. It's very easy on this saw; you just loosen up three bolts under the table, leaving one of them mostly tight but loose enough to rotate the table, then carefully test alignment to the miter slot using a dial indicator as you make tiny adjustments until you have it right. It didn't take long at all on this saw.

Not that I’m aware.

@@ToolMetrix I was just kidding but I did just order a 52 F3 thank you for that segment it was great definitely helped me make up my mind

Awesome! Thanks for the feedback, Vui. Let me know what you think of the F3. Cheers, Paul

Thank you for your question, Umid. I'm not aware of what distribution is available for this product in the Iraq market. Please contact the sales team at www.lagunatools.com to see if they have any sales outlets there. I am not affiliated with Laguna. Cheers, Paul

@@ToolMetrix شكرا هوايه

على الرحب والسعة يا صديقي

Not sure what you are asking

I learned that the hard way...twice now. Luckily in both cases I only lost a little bit of my nail and I DON'T wanna do it again. I've been considering a SS, but I think Laguna might just have em beat although I'll probably have to settle for the 2 model since Uncle Sugar ain't gonna help out on the 3..

Great points

Ya I’ve had a few close calls at the table saw myself... had a bad kickback on a twisted 2x4 that turned a couple of my fingers into hamburger... fingers were fine it just didn’t look pretty for a few weeks. Luckily I only had the blade barely higher than the thickness of the material. SS are great saws and I’ve used them a bunch

Yikes! Yeah, kickbacks are nasty. I’ve had a couple. Not good.

Ok.

What doesn't look good? I am in the market for one

Any particular aspects of the saw that disappointed you? I haven't heard many negative reports from owners.

I'd agree...especially if you live in Europe, like I do. It was terribly disappointing to hear the hype, and then find out (because we live in the EU) that we don't get their new blade guard, we don't get the separate riving knife, we don't get the "improved mitre gauge", and the right side extension table doesn't come with legs!...all disappointing discoveries after receiving the saw.