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Thread: Felder FB710 vs MM20 or MM24

  1. #1
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    Felder FB710 vs MM20 or MM24

    Not sure if I'm opening up a hornet's nest here (At least I'm not mentioning Sawstop), but I'm looking at bandsaws with decent power and resaw capability.

    I've got it narrowed down to the Felder FB710, Minimax MM20, or perhaps even the Minimax MM24.

    What are people's thoughts as to these options? Advantages, disadvantages to them.

    Not sure how many people have owned several of these, but any and all advice would be quite welcome. Thanks.
    - After I ask a stranger if I can pet their dog and they say yes, I like to respond, "I'll keep that in mind" and walk off
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  2. #2
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    I'm happy with the 20, I use the hell out of it without complaint. If you can afford the space for the 24 I would get it just to have the extra table.

    I thought I would never use 20" resaw but I've come close having resawed 19" wide veneers. Big slabs aren't too bad to resaw if need be.
    Bumbling forward into the unknown.

  3. #3
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    I own a mm20 and love it but a mm24 would fit my med bandsaw feeder better.
    Glad its my shop I am responsible for - I only have to make me happy.

  4. #4
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    All are good machines. MiniMax band saws are built like tanks and have been a major focus of SCM's MiniMax line for a long time. Felder has good offerings, but they are more recent to the bandsaw market, I believe. You can't go wrong with any of them, but I admit, I have a penchant for MiniMax tools.
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    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  5. #5
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    I have the MM24. I use it only for resawing. Built like a tank, but dust collection absolutely, positively SUX!

    I've added additional foam around the base, custom wood insert in the holder, etc. Nothing helps, it spews dust everywhere. Just something to consider.

    Even with the dust issue, I would not trade it in for a Felder.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Anthony Spotorno View Post
    I have the MM24. ...

    Even with the dust issue, I would not trade it in for a Felder.
    Why is that? What advantages do you see it having over the Felder?
    - After I ask a stranger if I can pet their dog and they say yes, I like to respond, "I'll keep that in mind" and walk off
    - It's above my pay grade. Mongo only pawn in game of life.

  7. #7
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    I don't have much of a dust issue with mine, aside from entering the cut. Once the saw is in the cut it works fine. I do, however have strong dust collection which at the moment is entirely dedicated to the bandsaw.
    Bumbling forward into the unknown.

  8. #8
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    I have a friend with a 710 who is an anal machine guy. He is happy with the 710 and actually went to the effort of testing the FB saws for tension. The 710 can tension a 1" Trimaster carbide blade to at least 25K which is my rule of thumb for a resaw machine. The 610 topped off at 20k. A MM 24 will also tension to 25K but I don't have numbers on the 20". There are other factors involved but tensioning is my most important. I am not a huge fan of Italian motors but they are at least equal or slightly better than the Chinese motors. There are some decent Asian motors and not all tell you where they are built. Look at motor efficiency. If less than 89% ( three phase ) or not listed, the motor is likely Chinese. US or Euro motors are usually 92+% efficient. Not a deal breaker but something to consider. All things equal, I'd take an ACM 740 or Centauro 700 over the FB but I think the comparison with a MM 24 is close and I'd probably take the 710 over the MM 20- but I like the 28" size. My go to saw is a 30" Oliver 217 which is a whole different level IMO. Dave

  9. #9
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    I have the MM24, and I have a friend with the Felder. Looking at the chassis I would guess they are both made by Centauro. I too found the dust collection lacking as commented by a previous poster. I replaced all the foam around the doors and added an a port in the top and it helped a lot. One dust port is not enough.

    i think my saw has more resaw capacity than my friends, but his came with a better set of guides. I think MM has since changed the guides, but that is one item I would compare to help determine which to buy.

    They are both built like tanks, that is for sure.

    Best wishes

  10. #10
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    I got quotes for both models, MM24 was about 1000.00 cheaper.
    Almost 6" higher resaw capability on the MM24.

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Travis Porter View Post
    I have the MM24, and I have a friend with the Felder. Looking at the chassis I would guess they are both made by Centauro. I too found the dust collection lacking as commented by a previous poster. I replaced all the foam around the doors and added an a port in the top and it helped a lot. One dust port is not enough.

    i think my saw has more resaw capacity than my friends, but his came with a better set of guides. I think MM has since changed the guides, but that is one item I would compare to help determine which to buy.

    They are both built like tanks, that is for sure.

    Best wishes
    Travis, do you happen to have a picture of how you added an additional port at the top?

  12. #12
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    IMG_0019.jpg
    My MM24 has some holes in it at the top that had rubber plugs in them. I used a a 2 inch adapter after taking one out. Kept from having to cut into the chassis.
    Attached Images Attached Images

  13. #13
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    Ok, I have those as well. Think they were to hoist the unit with a crane... I'll have to add a hose there as well. Tnx

  14. #14
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    What sort of dust collectors are you two using? One of my other woodworking friends commented the same issue with his saw, but I believe it due to a lack of CFM. IIRC SCM recommends something like 400-500cfm, but IMO that is not enough. I setup the collection so that it provides something like 1200cfm at the machine and aside from the spray that happens when I start the cut the great majority of the remaining sawdust is collected.

    I have been resawing stacks of white oak for drawers and at the end of a few hours of sawing I might sweep up around the machine from those starts but everything else is fairly clear, there is no noticeable dust in the air or anything of that nature. There is a bit of dust in the bottom of the machine typically but not so much as to be alarming.
    Bumbling forward into the unknown.

  15. #15
    I'm the guy Dave mentioned. I went through a similar decision process a few years ago and ended up with the FB710. I was upgrading from a Laguna LT3000 and needed a saw that could tension 1" carbide blades adequately. Every vendor claimed it 'could' do it but most were never able to provide actual numbers. E.g. stiffness of the spring, spring travel, realistic tension a given saw could achieve etc.

    Biggest piece of advice I can give is to make sure you see some of your candidates in person. I contacted Felder and Minimax who provided me with contact details of owners in my area. I saw the older version of the MM24, the FB610, MM20 and MM16 in person. All are nice saws, I liked the size of the 24" saws. The MM20 seemed a bit too small and not enough of an upgrade over the 18". I wanted to fit the biggest saw into my rather low ceiling. Footprint wise, there wasn't a whole lot of difference between the 24/28" saws and the 18". In the end it was down to a choice between MM24 and FB710. At the time MM24 was more expensive, not stocked in 3 phase. Most importantly it was a bit taller than the FB710 due to its 24" resaw height. So I didn't think it would fit and sales could not confirm the height with 100% certainty, go figure. I went with the Felder.

    One nice feature of all the FB series saws is the ability to add extension tables. Ones from Aigner or Felder work, but I also made my own. I use them all the time. Even with the huge table, extra support is nice. You can add something similar to any saw, but with Felder it came standard. I also preferred the ceramic guides over euro or ball bearing ones. This is probably more due to familiarity, coming from a Laguna saw. I can confirm that the 710 will tension a 1" carbide blade (Lenox woodmaster CT) to 25kpsi. Confirmed via 2 different Lenox tension meters. My 710 also came with DC injection braking and not a foot brake. I prefer the injection brake. Motor is 7.5 HP and the whole saw runs very smooth. If you have specific questions, please ask. Here are a couple of shots of the FB710 in my workshop:
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Last edited by Denis Kenzior; 09-27-2017 at 11:44 AM. Reason: typo

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