Am i crazy..

[Patrick Walsh]

Im about to put a deposit down on a Felder AD741 with silent cutter head, power feed and Euro comfort guard.

The other option was the Hammer A3-41 with silent cutter and digital/manual height gauge.

I also considered Minimax but i in the end i want the silent cutter.

So the question is am i nuts to spend 4K more to have the Felder machine over the Hammer?

[John A langley]

If you can afford it no

[Jim Andrew]

If this is a hobby shop, and you look at your machines as an investment the answer is yes. But, if you realize you are not going to get your money back on resale, and can afford it, it is ok to buy what you want.

[Larry Edgerton]

If the Minimax has a Tersa head they are very quiet. My 520S says 78DB in the manual, you can talk in a normal voice when it is running. Both very nice machines so it would be a tough call.

[Patrick Walsh]

I don't just want the silent cutter because it is more quiet. I work with a lot of figured wood. This is mostly my motivation for the silent cutter.

The noise reduction is a very nice added bonus.

I guess i wonder if the electronic height control and planer thickness read out are just something to break.

i don't see the machine as a investment at all. I figure i will take at least a 3K hit on either machine in the event of resale!

If the Minimax has a Tersa head they are very quiet. My 520S says 78DB in the manual, you can talk in a normal voice when it is running. Both very nice machines so it would be a tough call.

[Larry Edgerton]

I would put a Tersa up against any head as far as figured wood goes. I routinely work with some of the worst woods known to man and have no issues. I also have a Byrd head, and the Tersa does a better job.

My planer has a readout, and at this point I would have a hard time getting along without it.

[David Kumm]

There are lots more build quality differences than the digital table controls. Much heavier internals, better grind on the tables, etc. There are solid differences among every company's models as the price increases. Sometimes they get downplayed so as to not lose a sale of the lower end but they are significant. You will be happy once the pain subsides. Dave

[Patrick Walsh]

This is not the first time i have heard this.

on the other hand i have not seen the result a tersa cutter leaves in person. I have seen the finish a spiral cutter leaves in person. Although it also is not perfect it does not produce the tear out i am used to and the sanding required to get it perfect is negligible as the imop the the lines it leaves behind although there are nothing.

I hope i still feel this way six moths after inoen the machine?

.

I would put a Tersa up against any head as far as figured wood goes. I routinely work with some of the worst woods known to man and have no issues. I also have a Byrd head, and the Tersa does a better job.

My planer has a readout, and at this point I would have a hard time getting along without it.

[Patrick Walsh]

The fit and finish was clear as day to me in person. I was able to look at and use both machines.

My only thought is the Hammer machine is nice enough i cant really see the need for more.

The hammer is kinda akin to a BMW 3series with no options and the Felder a BMW M5 loaded.

i really just want the Felder machine and thats the only real justification i can come up with for spending the additional 4K...

There are lots more build quality differences than the digital table controls. Much heavier internals, better grind on the tables, etc. There are solid differences among every company's models as the price increases. Sometimes they get downplayed so as to not lose a sale of the lower end but they are significant. You will be happy once the pain subsides. Dave

[Peter Aeschliman]

i really just want the Felder machine

You have answered your own question, my friend. I assume you wouldn't have started this thread if you didn't have the cash, so I'm ignoring that piece.

Remember that this is a hobby and hobbies are about enjoyment. Thus, the justification should be based on expected enjoyment, and that can come as much from perception as it can from actual functionality.

To extend your car analogy, both the 3 series and the M5 have seats. I assume the M5 seats are made of nicer material, and simply knowing that may give you more enjoyment. It's not an issue of functionality- both hold your butt in place!

[John Sanford]

The digital height doohickey's are very handing for when a project goes sideways, and a new piece has to be milled 2 months after everything else was milled. IF you keep track of such things, it is far easier to repeat the prior settings than it is with a manual analog height indicator.

[David T gray]

i was at same point as u going between fs-41 and felder 741 or the hammer with silent head. i went with the minimax and bought a mm24 with the savings. here is a pic of quilted maple zero tear out of any kind this is with the hss knifes the machine came with, more or less brand new knifes but u could always keep a set around for certain woods.


IMG_0058[1].jpg

[William A Johnston]

What is the difference between a silent cutter head and a typical spiral head? I have a spiral head on my jointer and its really quite compared to my straight blades on my dewalt planer.

[Peter Quinn]

The first time you have to do a complete knife change on the segmented head you may be asking your self.....what have I done. The guys with the tersa heads will be done in under 5 minutes, it will take you significantly longer. It may be years before you need to change inserts, but when the time comes, it pretty much sucks. Every minute up to that point it will make very much sense from a usability standpoint, and when its over you can carry on in the knowledge that the last 3 hours of your life have not been wasted. To extend the car analogy a bit further, neither the felder nor the Hammer is IMO a BMW...more like a VW and a Audi. If you want a BMW call Martin. There's always a bigger fish. Myself, I'm using a 72' F150 with rusted floor boards, three different colored fenders and a high performance cam. It gets me to work but my friends duck down low when we pass pretty girls.

I kicked the tires on both hammer and felder a while back and my conclusion was like yours, the Felder is the way to go across the line if money is not an obstacle. Its sort of my home shop dream machine really, the thing I'd buy if I were not a wood worker and did something more profitable! So I say you are not crazy at all, and I look forward to living vicariously through your purchase. Enjoy it! PS..the shapers are nice too!

[Patrick Walsh]

Jeez,

That looks pretty good!

Maybe I'm just used to junk hobby machines hence my piss poor results and fear of tear out. Regardless working with extremely hard highly figured woods i change my Dewalt lunch box blades every time i start into a new project with a pile of rough lumber. Pretty much the same on my vintage 6" jointer. Maybe both machines are just extremely under powered for what i ask of them? Anyway i get sick of buying blades!

I have considered i could get two machines or close to it for the price of the one Felder machine. The fact is i also need to purchase a whole shop dust collection system. I am currently a Festool user whom has gotten by with a track saw, band saw, router table and job sight table saw to date.

I just picked up a used ICS SawStop for a very very good price. I have wanted a shop full of actual shop tools but the Festool stuff just fit the bill to date as $$$$ was a concern. Plus my Festools multitask as im a finish carpenter and make a living with them also.

Spending 10k plus on anything for me is a big deal as i only make $65K a year before taxes. Much like my approach to my work "perfection" i also expect the same or as close to it from just about everything in my life. Im not really the corner cutting type hence i just buy the best and buy it once.

After i take delivery of this machine in August i can buy the dust collector the next month. Then i can start saving for a spindle shaper or wide belt sander. Point is i can barely afford the machine but i can afford it. When i take delivery of it the machine will be payed for in full.



The reality is i

i was at same point as u going between fs-41 and felder 741 or the hammer with silent head. i went with the minimax and bought a mm24 with the savings. here is a pic of quilted maple zero tear out of any kind this is with the hss knifes the machine came with, more or less brand new knifes but u could always keep a set around for certain woods.


IMG_0058[1].jpg