Calling all Hammer Owners

[Patrick Harper]

Hi Patrick, I have an A3-31 J/P and a B3 Winner saw/shaper.

4) I have an FS Tools dado stack for mine, the Hammer one works well also.


Regards, Rod.

Rod, how much does the FS Dado stacks run? I've hard a hard time finding pricing. Are they made specifically for the Hammer/Felder arbor or do they need modification? The Hammer dado starts at $485 and goes up to $722.

[Jeff Monson]

Hi Patrick,

I can vouch for Hammer as a company, the customer service and quality of the machines are top notch.

I have owned a A3-31 hammer and moved up to a Felder AD741. I did have the extension tables for my hammer unit, they did work ok but there is no substitute for longer beds. The Felder machine is much larger (I will attach a photo) so if real-estate is an issue....but the bed length is great.


I have a 9' slider on my saw, at times I actually wish I had a smaller slider as it is also a giant of a machine. When it comes to sheet goods, then I'm happy I have the extra capacity.


I have a Forrest dado stack for my Felder saw, it is bored to fit the machine. Cost wise it was much more effective as you only have to buy one set vs. 2 sets with a Felder stack. It does an amazing job BTW.


Accessory wise, really depends on which machine you choose to go with. I personally don't care for the Hammer mobility kit on the J/P. I made my own. A digital handwheel is a must if you choose the A3-31 or A3-41.

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[Patrick Harper]

Jeff, thanks for the response. Do you ever use your slider to make tenons?

[Rod Sheridan]

Rod, how much does the FS Dado stacks run? I've hard a hard time finding pricing. Are they made specifically for the Hammer/Felder arbor or do they need modification? The Hammer dado starts at $485 and goes up to $722.

I know that answer.

It's $305.50 Canadian which is about $20 US..............Rod.

[ian maybury]

Another here with a Forrest dado - they bore to suit Felder and Hammer. Not cheap. but it's been excellent - easy to adjust, rock solid, tight/accurate and so far has stayed sharp..

[Patrick Harper]

Another here with a Forrest dado - they bore to suit Felder and Hammer. Not cheap. but it's been excellent - easy to adjust, rock solid, tight/accurate and so far has stayed sharp..

Ian, it has to be cheaper than the $700+ Hammer dado set.

[Patrick Harper]

I know that answer.

It's $305.50 Canadian which is about $20 US..............Rod.

Haha, thanks Rod!

[Rod Sheridan]

Haha, thanks Rod!

You're welcome, I just bought one for a friend so I knew the price..........Rod.

[Jeff Ramsey]

I'm considering a Hammer now, along with MM. The Felder showroom is in Wilmington, not too far from me, so I'll be traveling there. I'm going to upgrade my Delta planer/jointer to a combo. Then upgrade my Unisaw to a slider, possibly with an integrated shaper/moulder. My eyes were opened to the possibilities when Jim Becker was nice enough to host me for a tour of his shop. I'll follow up after my upgrades are compete.

[James Baker SD]

I upgraded to a pair of combos replacing 4 machines. Working out of half a garage, the space savings more than makes up for the loss of time converting. Plus having a slider (saw and shaper) plus a jointer as wide as my planer are things I would not give up now.

[ian maybury]

The saw spindle combo seems to work well - in that it seems to deliver a considerable space saving for minimal operational inconvenience.

It's been said already, and it takes a bit of getting used to in terms of set ups and requires some extra equipment - and there's cuts i still find myself making off the fence. But having a slider adds reliable straight line rip capability to a saw which is a valuable extra. Great ease of working and safety. The edge of the slider is often a very handy reference to measure from too.

[Jeff Monson]

Jeff, thanks for the response. Do you ever use your slider to make tenons?

Yes, I have and it works great for that task. I use my dado stack and the short crosscut fence with the stop blocks. Very quick, very repeatable and accurate.

[Chris Parks]

I doubt that anyone who has made the change to a European slider would go back. I added a digital readout to the rip fence and combined with the optional fine adjustment it is a winner. No tapping or nudging the fence into position just get it close and adjust with the fine adjuster to the required position. I am surprised how little I use the rip fence since I have gone to the Fritz and Franz method, it is both accurate and quick and does not require you to read the scales for measurement thus taking away the prospect of an error.

[Patrick Harper]

I doubt that anyone who has made the change to a European slider would go back. I added a digital readout to the rip fence and combined with the optional fine adjustment it is a winner. No tapping or nudging the fence into position just get it close and adjust with the fine adjuster to the required position. I am surprised how little I use the rip fence since I have gone to the Fritz and Franz method, it is both accurate and quick and does not require you to read the scales for measurement thus taking away the prospect of an error.

Can you elaborate on the "Fritz and Franz" method? I did a quick Google search, but came up empty handed.

[Chris Parks]

Here you go https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqzVglze9Nk

The audio is German and the video quality is lousy but you will get the idea