MiniMax CU300 Classic

[FRITZ STOOP]

Anyone have or been around a MiniMax CU300 Classic? I work alone mostly, but have always steered away from combo anythings. I've always felt (not sure why) that adding components somehow diminished the quality or usability or even the quality of the the other functions. Erik at MM tells me the sliding table, motors, etc. are exactly the same as on the single purpose machines.

I started out drooling over having the MM sliding table saw (in addition to my cabinet saw} in order to make square parts out of big pieces, either plywood or edge-glued solid wood panels. I already own a planer (15") and a jointer (6") with a spiral cutter and the new combo is 12" for both, of course. I have a nice Jessem router setup, but no shaper.

Erik's point is once I've made the decision to get the slider, it is not that much more to add some very nice tool power, and save some precious space to boot!

So, if anyone has some experience with combos such as this, I'd appreciate your advise.
Thanks in front,

[Jim Becker]

While I didn't go full combo in my shop for both space and other considerations (I have the FS350 J/P combo and the S315WS sliding saw), I've been "around" the CU300 combos a number of times. Erik's not blowing smoke...many of the components really are the same as with the separates, just in a more compact format. The capacities vary with the particular CU300 model you go with. For example, you can get it with pretty much the same 8 1/2' sliding wagon I have on my saw. The cutter-head assembly on the J/P portion is the same Tersa head as on the separate J/P machines of the same capacity. Same for the mortiser. The integrated shaper is a very nice machine...that feature I don't have and sometimes wish I would have upped the anti to the saw/shaper combo, although not enough to have any regrets at all.

There are several 'Creekers with CU3xx and CU4xx combos from MM as well as combos from Felder and other manufacturers.

[tim rowledge]

I've had one since '03 and before that a Robland X-31. It makes a lot of sense in limited space. Having a shaper combined with a slider saw makes a great deal of sense anyway, since you get the slider to go with the shaper - and you won't get me to use a shaper any other way! The jointer/planer combo is also logical since you can get a 12" jointer with a Tersa cutter head as well as the planer. Pity the planer powerfeed can't be made to work on the jointer, but never mind. Adding the mortiser is useful too.
Sticking all five together makes a nice machine but I suppose if you have a bit more room than most it might be reasonable to have a saw/shaper and a j/p/m pair.

Quality wise I find it hard to imagine anything being significantly better without ascending to fantasy land. You might find it usefu lto join the Yahoo group for the minmax line - http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/MiniMax-USA/

[Brad Shipton]

I started with a 12" Hammer (Felder hobbiest version) J/P and it is a great space saver. Shortly after I ordered a Hammer saw/shaper with an 80" slider and have sold my US style tools. They have all the same equipment packed into one frame. The europeans do not sacrifice quality to meet market demands.

Consider the slider length for your use carefully as I understand it can be a nuisance and I have read some question the capacity of a 10' slider on a machine of these scale. Although you are looking at the minimax (SCMI) you may want to take a look at the Felder video they offer on their website. It shows an experienced operator building a table with one. You will have to logon, and they will call. Honestly, that is how I got sucked in

The primary mistake I made was not examining the machines close enough before buying. The euros use a lot of aluminium for fences, extensions and the likes. While this is lightweight, it is not as stiff as some of the items you will be used to. The fence on my jointer is not as stiff as I would like for use with the power feeder or when milling large stock, the shaper I purchased does not have a quick change spindle as the higher end models and the shaper fence on the Hammer is not as easy to setup compared to the felder.

Good luck.

[Mark Hubler]

From the current price of the Mini Max CU300 Classic, I can see why you would be interested. The CU300 Smart comes with a few more accessories, but it depends on what you plan on using the machine for. I would highly recommend getting the miter fence, but the rest of the stuff can be bought later. Some owners use Zambus castors instead of the mobility kit. A decent trim shoe can be purchased from Grizzly for about $30 (MM wants $75).

I bought a used Mini Max CU300 Smart about a year ago. I am not an expert on the machine... but here is what I know:

1. Prior to the Mini Max, I owned a Delta Unisaw and a few individual machines. Personally, if you have the space, having a few duplicate machines is nice to have. If you just have a combination machine, planning of cuts becomes more of an issue.

2. Having a sliding table is wonderful! I can easily divide up a sheet of MDF, by myself, without all of the handling.

3. Safety!!! My fingers are very far away from the blade. The work is clamped to the sliding table: no kickback; no pushsticks; no board buddys; etc.

4. I would have never dreamed of making chip-free cuts on laminate, before buying this saw.

5. Size and mobility. The footprint of the CU300 is just about the same as my Unisaw (with Delta Sliding Table). With my Unisaw, I found myself using the fence rails like a wheelbarrow to move the saw around - very easy to get the saw out of alignment. With the CU300, you pick the saw up from the bottom.

6. Power. Previously, I had a 3 HP saw, 2 HP Planer/Jointer and a 1 1/2 HP Shaper. Now each function has 4.8 HP.

7. Stability. I can easily put a 4x8 sheet of MDF on the slider, with 8' to the left of the blade, and never worry about the machine tipping over.

8. Changing the knives on the planer/jointer is very easy, repeatable, and fast. No magnets or jigs are required to remove/reinstall.

Here are a few resources:

A. Minimax european brochures http://www.sbwoodworkingmachinery.co...rtype=&sermod=

B. Felder demonstration and products video downloads (about a hour long and very impressive) http://www.woodenedge.com/felders.htm This video is a couple of years old. (Sometimes the connection speed is slow)

C. Hammer products video (previous model) http://www.woodenedge.com/hammer.htm Note - the Hammer demo is the same as the Felder demo.

D. Yahoo Groups for Minimax http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/MiniMax-USA/

[Justin Bukoski]

Fritz, I have a combo from Rojek and I can attest that the different parts are just as good or better than having individual machines. I have so much more shop space too. Get the combo, you won't regret it.