Nice saw Keith.
Nice saw Keith.
Glad its my shop I am responsible for - I only have to make me happy.
Thanks Mike,
I never fully understood how much of a difference there can be between the smaller band saws and the large models until I got the FB610. My last band saw was a Jet 18" and I was pretty happy with the saw but I had the feeling that the next step up would be significant and that was an understatement on my part. The difference in the Jet 18" and the FB610 is monumental. Part of the equation is the 1" blade which makes ripping lumber an easy task. When a saw frame is strong enough to tension a large blade properly its a whole new world
I'll take some pictures of the saw cut quality shortly and share them here.
.
Holy Moly!!! That's a beauty !!
I've had my 610 for just over a year and have been extremely happy with it. I upgraded from an older Laguna 16, which was a nice saw but underpowered with a 1 hp lesson motor. The Felder is a beast when by comparison, particular when resawing. I hope you enjoy your saw as much as I have mine.
I couldn't find steel runners to fit the miter slot in my FB610 so I made mine from Dupont Corian. I setup my CNC Router to cut several runners once I got the fit like I wanted it but the first one isn't showing any wear yet so the extras are on the shelf.
I'm still extremely happy with my band saw, it is enjoyable to use every time. I have now had plenty of opportunity to resaw several types of hardwoods and plenty of Corian. I did have to shim the fence to use it for resawing though and its a bit short for my taste so I will make a new fence just for resawing this Summer.
The OP states 5hp for FB610. The specs on website show 4HP
Have they reduced the motor size for this machine?
This is the information from the August 2013 invoice:
1X230V 60 Hz 5, 5HP (4 KW) S6/40%
It was sold to me as a 5 HP band saw.
Last edited by Keith Outten; 07-24-2017 at 11:45 PM.
I talked with Felder Sales rep yesterday. He states that the largest single phase motor available is 4hp. I don't think he was working there in 2013, it appears other options were available then.
Thanks Guys. I think I'll save up for a 510, don't really need the larger cutting width anyway.
Last edited by Joel Wesseling; 07-25-2017 at 9:28 AM.
Check the machinery exchange on woodweb. there is a S400 used for sale that looks pretty cherry. Dave
That s400 would do the job but no chance of me travelling across the boarder for it, and paying the exchange rate.
Max Blade Width for FB610
So, I've owned FB610 for 3+ years now. I wore out my 1" resaw blade!
The max width shown on the saw tension scale is 1-3/8" but specs on felder site state blade width as 1/4 - 1-1/8
Planning to order a few blades from R&D. 1-1/4" resaw blade is tempting, but is it a good idea for this saw?
Hope you can help.
I run a 1" on my FB540. I don't see much advantage to going wider and tensioning a wider blade would likely overtax the saw frame.
In my experience, anything over 1" for our average woodworking needs is just extra $$$ without much benefit. So long as your saw can get the blade into the correct tension range, that's all you need to worry about. Bandsaw blades are a consumable. Just order more.
Erik
Ex-SCM and Felder rep