And, of course, there's this new option from Grizzly.
http://grizzly.com/products/16-Jointer-Planer/G0660X
Haven't heard anything about it, but looks interesting.
Member
And, of course, there's this new option from Grizzly.
http://grizzly.com/products/16-Jointer-Planer/G0660X
Haven't heard anything about it, but looks interesting.
Where will you be when you get where you're going? -- Jerry Clower
Moderator
Ben, nice find...and it looks like it has a Tersa-like cutter head, too, at least from the reversablity standpoint. (There is no indication if centrifugal gibs are used or if they lock in with screws) The only thing I see as a little strange on that 16" machine is the method for fence attachment.
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The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...
Contributor
I have the Jet J/P. The scale on the planer bed is solid and there is another scale on the planer bed elevation wheel so between them I guess You could get good repeatability. The planer bed has to be lowered about 6 1/8" to 6 1/4" in order to flip the dust hood so a 6" digital read out may not work. This needs an 8" capacity digital read out.Originally Posted by Steve Dewey
I realize that I'll be cranking away- I want to know if I can get back to 3/4" repeatably - Ie - is the scale accurate? - is there alot backlash in the system requiring me to approach from the same direction so it doesn't drift etc.?
HTH
Curt
Last edited by Curt Harms; 03-12-2008 at 6:31 PM.
Contributor
Hi Steve,
I think ultimately, these machines will all accomplish the same thing, the major differences as stated above are fit and finish, and ease of use. I have an older Minimax J/P combo in my shop in Worcester, MA, and a newer Felder in my home shop near Exeter, NH. Please feel free to send me a PM if you want to swing by and check out either machine. The MiniMax is a great machine. I am not so crazy about the fence, the guard, or the very poor dust collection, but the machine cuts well and changes over quickly from one operation to the other. On the MiniMax, the planer bed only needs to be lowered to 3" to convert back to jointing, whereas on my Felder and on most other combos, the bed must be lowered to about 7.5" - this only involves an extra 20 or so seconds of cranking, but it can be annoying if you need to go back and forth several times from one operation to the other. The Felder machine has the "Euro" style jointer guard, which although seemed strange at first, I now find much easier and safer to use than the "Porkchop" style guard. The fence is great as well and can be removed very quickly and easily if need be, but it does not need to be removed to convert to planing, unlike many other combos. The felder also allows you to add on auxiliary tables to lengthen the jointer tables when needed. This is very quick and simple to do and effectively allows me to double the length of the tables when jointing very long boards. The planer also allows for the addition of extensions for the outfeed. The Felder is super accurate and creates a flawless surface. I highly recommend it. I purchased mine second hand at a significant savings over a new one, but it was still very expensive. Although I am not a full-time furniture maker, I do sell several pieces a year on commission, and for me the benefits of the Felder outweighed the cost, and the machine has certainly paid for itself.
Again, if you want to check out either machine, feel free to PM me to come by and take a look.
Best regards,
Matthew
Contributor
Moderator
Matthew, I have a bridge guard on my MM FS350...and would never use a "pork chop" guard again on anything close to that width. And I love the bridge guard...so comfortable to me when I'm face jointing after a few minutes of learning curve on the first day.
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The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...
Member
I agree, that is a unique fence system, Jim. I'm surprised they didn't integrate a mortiser as well.
Overall, it's a beast. They certainly are going to sell some units.
[OP]
Member
Spoke to Felder today - Current Pricing on Hammer A3 31 is $3,000 plus shipping ($380 to Mass - seems high but diesel is $4 a gallon). They are expecting a price increase ~10% April 1st due to high Euro. Sales rep is going to try to pair me up with someone in the area that has said machine.
Now - what's the over/under on days (weeks?) in the doghouse for bringing home such a nice piece of machinery w/o first consulting the CFO??? Actually not sure I've got the bravado to spend 4 figures w/o authorization.
Last edited by Steve Dewey; 03-18-2008 at 4:31 PM.
Dewey
[OP]
Member
Matthew - just saw your post - thanks for the feedback & the invite. As I mentioned above, I'm hoping to check out the exact model.
Dewey
Member
FWIW I also own the Hammer A3 31 and I'm very happy with it. I also have the "digital gauge" which really is an analog readout, but it is *very* accurate once you calibrate it and 100% reliable and repeatable.
I assume you could achieve the same with the Wixey but haven't tried it, so don't take my word for it :-)
Other benefits (for me) are the add-on table extensions which will work for infeed and outfeed tables on the jointer and outfeed for the planer.
Oh, the knife change is *very* easy and quick and the knifes are sharp on both sides so you get double mileage for the money of a knife exchange.
I bought mine with the optional 5.5HP motor, but I doubt I really need it. I haven't heard it struggle with any of the stuff I've thrown at it.
Also the mobility kit is very nice and makes it easy to move around if you have the need for that.
Member
Steve,
I own the A3 31. There are a few things I wish I had known prior to getting it. One, I REALLY wish I had opted for the DRO. Two, I would have also ordered the dust fitting when I got the machine.
The knives are a breeze to change, 5 min and you've got new cutters running. Looking at the video, the tersa's may be a bit faster still.
The height was too low for me and my used up back, so I constructed a platform to raise it. But I do this on nearly every machine in my shop.
The assembly manual blows, especially the fence assembly instructions, but it ain't rocket surgery and I had little trouble figuring it out.
It's a sweet machine which gets much use with nary a hiccup so far.
Moderator
Stan, the machine didn't have a dust port on it "standard"?? I'm not sure how a J/P could be used without it! Could you post a picture of how dust extraction is handled on the A3 31?
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The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...
Member
I have the C3 31 and it certainly has dust collection for the J/P, so he must mean something else.
Member
I believe he means the 120mm molded plastic elbow. I didnt order one with mine, but soon did once I started using mine. The dust collection is very similar to other J/P. A straight connector out the end of the cutter head cover. The pictures in the promo all show an elbow. The elbow slips on and off without any connections.
The fence does flex a little, so I added a mag switch to mine for working larger stock. The felder versions have stiffer fences.
Brad
Member
Steve,
I have a MiniMax FS2. It's their 520mm or 20.5" J/P and as I understand it the MiniMax, Hammer, Felder, and other Euro J/P combo's you may purchase a mortise table accessory. I don't believe you can on the Grizzly, and perhaps also the new Jet offering. Very handy for loose tennon joinery.
I have had other Euro J/P combo's and this FS2 from MiniMax is wonderful. It's simple, robust, and stable. I love it.
Rye Crane
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