Power Feeder, what is it good for?

[John Sanford]

There is a Delta Power Feeder available locally on Craigslist (http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/tls/2198046838.html) for a mere $50. I don't have a shaper, which is the most common roosting location for powerfeeders. So I'm wondering, what other tools in the shop could benefit from this beast?

[Van Huskey]

Router table, jointer and or table saw. That assumes you have room, willing to drill the table and have a suitable substrate to attach it to. I didn't look close but it looks like a 1/8hp "baby" feeder.

[Sam Babbage]

I work in a high end production workshop and I can honestly say that I have never wanted a power feed on anything but a shaper (which ours obviously has one). I guess if you have no shaper and an amazingly beefy router table then it would come in handy for raising panels and such... Personally, I don't see the point of a power feed on a jointer or saw, operator feel/technique is more important on the jointer (assuming your rough sawn wood is as scrimpily cut as ours is) and on a saw with a riving knife and decent guard you can safely feed as fast as a power feed without the bother of setting it up. A power feed is not something you want to be moving from machine to machine (unless you are a set-up masochist) so unless you have a real need for it I would let it pass... I'd put the money towards a shaper!

[Rich Engelhardt]

So I'm wondering, what other tools in the shop could benefit from this beast?
Does it really matter?????
It's only $50.00!

Offer him $40.00 and see what he says!
:D

So what if you have no use for it?
Just slap it on the drill press and drive people insane with envy!
Start a new trend!
When people ask why you have a power feeder on a DP, just make up some wild story about how it's perfect for doing "meticulous demanding operations" and leave them scratching their heads!

[Curt Harms]

I've wondered if a "baby" feeder would be useful on a router table. People that have used one claim cleaner profiles and no 'bumps' you can get when resetting your hands with manual feed. Might also help with keeping fingers away from cutters when feeding smaller stock.

[John Coloccia]

If it goes slowly enough, I would love to have something like that on my bandsaw for resawing.

[Richard Wolf]

I saw a cabinet maker friend of mine make an edge bander with a baby feeder and a typical $300 edge bander. Worked great from some long edges he had to run.

[Brian Ross]

I have a 1/4 hp unit on a router table and it works excellent. As someone else suggested it is very hard to maintain an even down pressure on stock that you are feeding through a router table or shaper. I personally would be hesitant to put the unit on craigslist on a shaper due to its light weight. I have a 4 wheel 1 hp unit on my shaper. There is probably not a tool out there that will throw a piece of stock farther or harder than a shaper. It is a steal for $50.

Brian

[Curt Harms]

If it goes slowly enough, I would love to have something like that on my bandsaw for resawing.

Grizz offers one. http://www.grizzly.com/products/Power-Feeder-For-Bandsaws/H0796. T'aint $50 though.

[Rod Sheridan]

Lets list the things you could use it for

- router table

- table saw (I use mine for ripping small strips if I have a lot of them to cut)

- bandsaw

- pasta maker, (I've never tried this and my wife is giving me THE look)

I wouldn't use it for a shaper, it's too small however for $50 go grab it for your router table.............Rod.

[Harvey Melvin Richards]

I have a small Delta model, about 16 years old. I use it to rip narrow strips, edge wood on the router table, V groove polypro panels, run repetitive dadoes. I have also used it to climb cut dadoes in melamine for a chip free edge.

Anytime you have multiples to make, they can be very useful, especially in a one man shop.

They can also help hold parts tight to the table when using a Biesmeyer fence, something that is normally difficult.

[J.R. Rutter]

I bought a mini feeder many years ago when I was doing a big Koa kitchen. Running the final outside edge detail on the doors was quite a breath-holding marathon. The feeder was a huge help in keeping everything consistent: burn- and chip- and chatter-free. I later used it on a jointer set up for edges only to make long sessions easier.

[Van Huskey]

If it goes slowly enough, I would love to have something like that on my bandsaw for resawing.

If it is like most of the baby feeders it will go down to about 6-7 fpm, a tad fast but just a tad. I have been looking for one at this price range to try this. Grizzly makes a "no drill" holder for them for about $35.

[Scott T Smith]

I used to use a baby power feeder on a 3 hp shaper, and liked it a lot. The cuts were more consistent.

I currently use a 1hp power feeder that is shared jointly between a 5 hp shaper and a 16" jointer. Got to say that I really like it on the jointer when I am flattening long, wide boards.

[Chip Lindley]

This posting has been deleted by its author.

If you are not the lucky buyer, somebody else is now.

[Larry Edgerton]

I work in a high end production workshop and I can honestly say that I have never wanted a power feed on anything but a shaper (which ours obviously has one). I guess if you have no shaper and an amazingly beefy router table then it would come in handy for raising panels and such... Personally, I don't see the point of a power feed on a jointer or saw, operator feel/technique is more important on the jointer (assuming your rough sawn wood is as scrimpily cut as ours is) and on a saw with a riving knife and decent guard you can safely feed as fast as a power feed without the bother of setting it up. A power feed is not something you want to be moving from machine to machine (unless you are a set-up masochist) so unless you have a real need for it I would let it pass... I'd put the money towards a shaper!

Really?

I'm guessing you are a lot younger than I am. I have one on everything.