By small panels I am talking panels like this, some with flats of less than an inch. I do very little cabinet work, mostly furniture.
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My shaper weighs in at 3400#, a double spindle as well but with both motors being reversible so that's not it. These are too small to do with a power feed, so I have a fixture made for it and do it by hand. For me my results are better with the cutter on top and I do not feel it is unsafe, in fact quite the opposite. Everyone has their comfort zone and methods that work for them with the machinery available.