Combo machine into basement? Which one?

[Kevin Groenke]

I can't get any personal work done at work anymore, so I'm considering setting up shop in my home's basement.

The back door and basement stairs are 30" wide, there is a chimney at the bottom of the stairs, it's going to be hard to get anything "substantial" down there.

I'm rather spoiled with "industrial" equipment at work (SawStops w/sliding tables, 20" spiral planer, 12" jointer, 17" resaw, sliding miters, etc...) so I'm not going to "settle" for "home-shop" equipment.

I'm pretty methodical in my work so I'm thinking a combination machine may suit my needs but those stairs are going to be an impediment. I've only ~12'X24' of space for equipment down there, so individual equivalent machines may not fit. Most work will be solid wood free-standing pieces.

Does anybody know how small of pieces a Robland X31 or similar machine "breaks down". I'm not afraid of taking things apart and they generally work (better) when I'm done, but is this is a crazy idea?

Are there any other particular combo machines I should be looking at? (Kity, Rojek, Felder, MiniMax?)

The slot mortiser, sliding table and 12" J/P on the X31 are particularly appealing. I'll probably be getting a dust collector, bandsaw and drill press as well. Planning on using scrapers, shaves and planes rather than sanders in order to keep the dust down.

Thanks,
-kg

[Jeff Mackay]

I'm pretty sure the Robland needs 32". I had a 32" doorway in my last house and it barely fit through the door. I had hoped to be able to lower it into the basement without lifting the table. Actually had a tow truck lower it in through the cellar door. But once down there in 6'x6' room, I couldn't budge it. Had to take the tabletop off in that tiny room. Oh well.

Good luck!

Jeff

[Greg Wease]

I don't think you could break down a combo machine small (and light) enough to get it into your basement. My Minimax weighs ~1100 pounds assembled and the conveniently removeable items might save 300. The Robland may be a bit smaller but not appreciably. It would be an extreme disassembly job to get it through a 30" space. Maybe it isn't as tough as I'm envisioning but I'm in San Diego so I don't even know what a basement is!

[Jeff Mackay]

Maybe a better option would be to get two machines. A tablesaw and a separate 12" jointer/planer? You'd have no trouble getting them through the door.

[Joe Jensen]

I just checked and the Felder 500 series and 700 series combo machines can be disassembled into two parts for a min opening of 31.5". I couldn't find a spec on the Hammer and if it can be split in two for transport.

Can you remove the door and jam to get enough clearance? It would be easy to do and the door jam would not get dinged up that way..joe

[Mike Archambeau]

I just checked and the Felder 500 series and 700 series combo machines can be disassembled into two parts for a min opening of 31.5". I couldn't find a spec on the Hammer and if it can be split in two for transport.

Can you remove the door and jam to get enough clearance? It would be easy to do and the door jam would not get dinged up that way..joe

The Hammer C3-31 combo can be separated at birth into saw/saper and jointer/planer. The factory will do this for you. When you get it in place, you level it up, connect the wires, and bolt it together. Call Geoffrey at Hammer in DE. He has arranged this scheme for some buyers, with good outcomes. The C3-31 combo can be had for under 10,000 dollars.

http://www.hammerusa.com/

Good luck with your shop

[Rod Sheridan]

Hi, I have a Hammer A3-31 jointer/planer and a Hammer B3 Winner in a basement shop smaller than yours.

The A3 is much narrower than your stairway, the B3 is about 30" wide except for the two tilt hand wheel shafts that stick out an additional 1.5"

I believe that the C3 combo machine saw/shaper is smaller than the B3, Hammer would be able to confirm that for you.

In a small shop the A3/B3 may be a better option than a C3 due to equipment placement issues.

I really like both of the machines that I bought, you won't be sorry you bought them however research your requirements very thoroughly.

It's easy to add accessories to these machines, however options are best factory installed.

As others have indicated the C3 can come apart, you may have to order that as an option where it is built to have the electrical connections come apart via connectors.

Regards, Rod.