Comatic DC70 Power Feeder

[Ed Mazuronis]

I recently ordered a Comatic DC70 power feeder, (with Smart Stand) but was thinking of a last minute change to the DC40 instead. I've been told the larger wheels on the DC40 provide increased clearance when using pressure modules/feather boards under the feeder with thinner stock. Anyone here own the DC70 and willing to provide feedback positive or negative. Trying to sort out the pros and cons before it's too late.

FYI, This will be my first feeder. Just starting a hobby shop making furniture and cabinetry. It will be mounted on a Felder KF700s.

[J.R. Rutter]

I have a DC40. Unless you will be running short stock, the DC40 with the spacing of the larger wheels lets a cutter project slightly between them. You also have the ability to remove 1/2 a wheel as needed, or have a table saw blade project up between them for power ripping. I'm not sure why you would need feather boards with a feeder, but don't really see how the wheel size/spacing would affect how you would use them. Maybe I'm just not understanding exactly what you mean. I'm considering a DC70 for a dedicated sticking setup for cabinet doors to replace a belted feeder. Short stock feeding is the only reason to get it, IMHO.

[Ed Mazuronis]

At what length stock do you feel the DC70 would have an advantage over the DC40? I'm thinking I could just remove the center wheel on the DC70 if I needed a little extra space for the larger cutters.

My inexperience with feeders shows here, but I thought a feather board might be a more reliable way to help keep the stock up against the fence, instead of trying to get the perfect angle on the feeder to keep it tracking in that direction.

I'd be scared to straddle a blade and power rip for the same reason. But in theory it sounds like a great way to rip a lot of stock cleanly and safely.

Thanks for your help.

[Mark Bolton]

We just put two dc40s on and have other pf38 3 wheel feeders. I looked at the 70 with interest but would have to be running miles of super short parts (4") to make it worth while. The dexterity of the dc40 is as JR mentions. Using it on the table saw or shaper with ripping blade is handy. We have a pf38 dedicated to the ts and the 40s on shapers. The new 40s have a wing nut holding the wheels on so pulling a wheel completely or swapping for a pair of narrow or single narrow wheel takes seconds.

I'd stick with the 40 unless your working with tiny parts. Forget featherboards for anything standard.

[J.R. Rutter]

Like Mark said, short parts under about 6" is the only reason to get the DC70. The smaller wheels seem like they would have less contact area/torque to apply to the part than the larger diameter style.

The perfect angle is a grey area. I just feel with my fingers between each end of the feeder and fence and get ~1/8" difference, a bit more for climb cuts.

[Ken Grant]

I am still running a couple of the old 1 hp 3 wheel, 4 speed feeders (one delta, one powermatic, and a spare grizzly) I get on shop gear's website and drool over the Comatic DC feeders once in a while.

I am just curious what would be the downside of the DC 70 besides the cost? It looks like the wheels have 3/4" of travel on both the dc40 and 70. I would think a guy could just cut a 1/2" off of the center wheel or remove it if you wanted to straddle the cutter, like when running tiny moldings such as muntin bars for glass cabinet doors.

[Ed Mazuronis]

I’m not sure how many small parts I’m planning to send through. I’ll have to see where the hobby takes me. My instincts tell me if a part is that small, there is likely a better way to feed it through. An Aigner jig or something similar. But to Ken’s point, besides the cost, is there a downside? Even after removing two wheels to accommodate a monster cutter, you still have 5 left to move the material through. Equally priced, would you still strongly favor one over the other?

[peter gagliardi]

I don't have a small wheel feeder like the 70, but having used feeders for the last 20+ years, I know that the 40 is/would be more versatile for general millwork.
In my opinion, a 4 wheel feeder is the ideal setup. I recently got a 3 wheel on the newest shaper, and I am having a hard time liking it, much less loving it. Stock feeds much,much better with four wheels. Two on infeed, two on outfeed.

[Mark Bolton]

And with the 4 wheel you can pull off one and have two on the indeed side for conventional cuts or two on the outfeed side for climb cuts.

[Ken Grant]

Thanks for the feedback guys-can’t beat real world experience!

I am not doubting that 4 wheels is better then three, my question is, would 7 wheels be better then 4?

[Ed Mazuronis]

Seems like we all agree here that 4 is better than three, especially if you need to remove a wheel for tooling clearance. To address Ken’s point, if the 7 wheel feeder were the same price as the 4 wheel, would you go for it? Is there a disadvantage to the 7 vs the 4 besides price?

[Warren Lake]

have a track one, it can do things my four wheel cant and other way around,

[John Kee]

Being mounted to a swing bracket on a KF700, weight and versatility would be my consideration for a your first feeder. Unlike others I've had no issues with using 3 wheel feeders and currently use a F38 on my AD951 J/P and a Comatic DC30 on my F700Z shaper. The ease of movement and the ability to move from horizontal to vertical feeding were key to my choice. I find more of an issue with the actual compound used in the wheels being too hard and have in the past got better wheels for the F38, also going to do the same for the DC30. I also use Aigner Pressure modules in conjunction with the DC30 with no real issues until I get to thin stock. The 2 piece middle wheel helps with large cutters.

[Martin Wasner]

The perfect angle is a grey area. I just feel with my fingers between each end of the feeder and fence and get ~1/8" difference, a bit more for climb cuts.

I kick mine almost an inch from end to end on a four wheel. I like smashing the stock hard into the fence.


Most of the time with a four wheel, I've got two wheels on either side of the cutter. A dude that worked for me recommended putting a wheel on top dead center of the cutter on the panel raiser, and I thought that was a good idea. I have two on the infeed side, one on the cutter, and one on the outfeed. The idea being that it's smashing it into the table right where it counts.

[Darcy Warner]

I have 3 old festo feeders, a couple holz-hers, a delta, a grizzly and a northtech.

You will have to pry the festos out of my cold dead hands.