imput from owners of Minimax FS 30 J/P

[kelly logan]

Minimax sale in March is $3395 on FS 30 J/P delivered.
What are your opinions on the FS 30 J/P machine?
Is the machine pretty noisy when planning a board?

[Mike Hollingsworth]

I had an FS30 before getting my MM combo which basically has the FS30 attached. Yeah, they're noisy. Music to my ears.

[John Morrison60]

I have an FS30, but I installed a Byrd head.
It is quieter with the helix head, but was not particularly noisy with the Tersa head.
If you are used to a lunch box planer, you will be very pleased.

I installed the Byrd head strictly because I work mainly in figured cherry, and I wanted to eliminate
any tearout if I could.

I think you will love the FS 30, It is very high quality equipment, a joy to use.
I think that the $3400 price delivered is the lowest price I have ever seen on a new FS30.

John

[dan lemkin]

I have the FS35 (14") and love it. The jointer table is huge, and very easy to use. The planer purrs, and sounds "solid" when in use. I wear hearing protection, and eye protection, and a respirator... so noise is not an issue. The biggest issue, is that these monsters make lots of chips, so you need a cyclone to avoid filling your filters with chips. Change overs do take a minute or so, and can be a little annoying. But for a small shop, it is a no-compromise machine.

I will consider replacing my tersa because of the ease of the insert changes. Tersa is very quick and easy, but if you chip the blades, you have to flip them... you only get two chips per set, and they are not too cheap.

I made a wixey mod for mine which is here:

https://picasaweb.google.com/zargnut/MiniMaxFS35AdaptionOfWixey510DigitalPlanerScale?au thkey=Gv1sRgCN7l88a3nJG8vAE&feat=directlink

[Steve Costa]

I have a 10 year old FS30. If you choose to get one be sure to buy a high quality straight edge because sooner or later the tables will not be coplaner. Ask me me how I know... I have spent several hours getting mine sorted out!!!! Also the tech support that was in Austin TX was terriffic. Once they consolidated in Georgia the tech guys there have little understanding of the older FS30s. Mine currently resides against a wall, is seldom used and is awaiting my next attempt to get the tables set up correctly. Once that is done it will be for sale.

[dan lemkin]

I have feared that, but at 2 years, they are still aligned. I have to admit, when I change over, I am VERY gentle to avoid slapping tables out of alignment. I happened to check the planer yesterday... Less than 1/128 out from right-left. Still much more accurate than I am.

The most annoying thing I have found is getting suction attached due to the wierd 5" ports. I eventually used Rocker quick attachment device and attached with reducing fernco plumbing adapters.

I also just priced blades... the shelix is $1250 for the fs35, and m42 350mm blades are $57.42 for four at simantech. Tersa has two faces per set. I change them about twice a year... so, not really worth it.

[Jim Becker]

The FS-30 is a fine machine. I own one of it's older, larger brothers and have been very, very satisfied.

As to noise, these machines don't "scream" like the portables do with their universal motors, but they are not quiet, either. (you'll notice that the noise level goes up with the required dust collection attached and turned on...nature of the beast.) As with any jointer & planer, hearing protection is not optional.

[mreza Salav]

The video on FWW site (of reviews of FS30) shows that the fence must be removed to change from jointer to planer mode.

Can an owner of this machine please confirm whether fence really must be removed or you can just simply slide it to the front?
TIA

[John Morrison60]

Yes, you can leave the fence on if you slide it to the front.
Then it will not interfere with the movement of the outfeed jointer table.

They probably discourage that because the end of the fence will extend out over the feed side of the planer.
It is not in the way of any normal operation, but it does look kind of ungainly when you are planing.
I used to remove it every time, now I seldom remove it.
I do check that it is fastened tightly before changeover.

John

[Tom Weaver]

Hey guys, I just received my FS30 Smart today. Ordered it with the special pricing recently offered. Now working on getting a plug wired up. Looking for suggestions for cleaning it up - they recommend Kerosene - what else will work? Thanks.

[Chris Fournier]

Paint thinner, mineral spirits, naptha etc. You will enjoy it, you must enjoy it!

[John Paul Cummings]

Hi
Just posted on another jointer / planer thread. I am also looking to buy a machine and was wondering about the New A331. I see this machine popping up all over the creek and was wondering what the thoughts are about it.
Thanks
JP

[Joe Mioux]

another happy fs30 owner. The sales price delivered is a good value.