Jointer recommendations?

[Corey Pelton]

I searched through a bunch of old threads, but didn't really find what I'm looking for, so figured I'd ask.

Anyway, I currently have a G0490X on back order, but I'm getting tired of the waiting game. The impatient person that I am, wants something asap. What would you guys recommend?

I'm not overly concerned budget wise, so speak from the heart (and experience). I've been checking out the Laguna and Powermatic 8" parallelogram set ups. I have zero experience with either company, but
I've heard some negative comments about Laguna (mostly customer service related). Laguna's main office is about a 10 minute drive from my house, so I plan on popping in and having a chat.
Powermatic seems solid. I'm open to hearing about any manufacturer, strengths or weaknesses.

What do you guys think? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

[Rod Sheridan]

I would buy a 12 inch combination jointer/planer.

Hammer/Minimax/Felder.

I gave up on my 8" jointer about a decade ago, went with a Hammer A3-31. Saved shop space, had more capacity, better features.

regards, Rod.

[Jim Becker]

I have to echo Rod's recommendation, but if you really want to go with the 8" and you are that close to Laguna where you can slap folks up-side their heads if there's any issue... ;)

[Ric Flanders]

Check into both Baleigh and Oliver. The Baleigh has the largest fence/table of all the 8" jointers, is in stock and offers a helical head option. I have an old Powermatic 6" machine and love it but need to get a bigger machine someday and the above machines are my favorite choices right now.

[glenn bradley]

The difference in price would buy a lot of wood if you do not have money-making commissions pending that demand the expense. However, you are not alone in being annoyed at Grizzly's back order condition. Laguna has managed to swing in and out of favor due to their . . . shall we say, interpersonal relations issues over the years. Right now their pendulum has swung to the "unhappy" side of its arc. This long-running issue of hot and cold support and service keeps me away. But, this is just me; I do the same for JessEm and both companies have very nice products. I just can't deal with non-responsive sellers. :rolleyes:

Given that, I would lean toward the Powermatic if it is available for immediate delivery. For the extra dough you get a nicer, although non-mobile, base and a lower horsepower rated motor. I have never read that the unit is under-powered by any means and there is more to a motor than a horsepower number. The PM's used to have a better fit and finish than most but, the units I see on the floor now are at the level of any Jet or Grizzly machine. Availability seems to be the key here. If you are in Orange County there are a couple of PM dealers nearby. I would go lay hands on the Laguna and the PM and decide from there.

[Rick Moyer]

You don't mention if you have a planer or not. If not then I would consider Rod's suggestion if you have the $. I opted for a used DeWalt planer and new Grizzly 8" as they were significantly less expensive than Rod's combo machine, although I think his A3-31 would be great. ($1000 at the time, vs. $3000).

[Rick Alexander]

I got the Oliver about 6 years ago. Couldn't be more satisfied - just does what it was suppose to do. It's the 8 inch with the byrd head. It's probably made with the others overseas but it does seem to have a nicer finish and everything works flawlessly. I got it at the IWF convention here in Atlanta one year as a floor demo special.

[Don Jarvie]

+1 on the combo unit if space is an issue. A 12 inch combo will take care of everything.

[Mark Carlson]

My 1st choice would be the A3-31 j/p. If not I'd be looking at the powermatic. I'd also keep an eye out for an older used jointer.

[Peter Kelly]

Check Craigslist around you. There's a (16") Minimax FS41 Elite available if you're willing to drive down to San Diego. There's also a 12" Tanner jointer available out by Palm Springs that's right in your price range. Made in New Zealand, looks pretty intriguing, likely a lot nicer than the Grizzly.

Lots of options in Southern California..

[Jeff Heath]

Hard to beat a vintage cast iron machine.

From this for $400.00

382904

After approx. $200 cutterhead and motor bearings, $65 for new knives, $200 for regrinding the tables, and $40 for paint. Call it $1000 or a little less, including a week of my work and gas money to pick it up.

382905

Very hard to beat the quality of the vintage cast iron machines. Unlike the new machines today, the cast iron used back then was better quality (not recycled), was set out for seasoning for a very long time, instead of being machined in less than a few months, and is just thicker and heavier. A large reason why guys have problems with a lot of the newer machines made today is due to the lack of quality in the cast iron, and mostly because of the lack of seasoning for extended periods of time before final machining.

Jeff M., who is the owner of Northfield Machinery, the only North American manufacturer of industrial machinery still in business, told me that they allowed the castings to sit outside for 10 years or longer before machining them into a finished machine. It matters in the quality of a machine like a jointer or planer, where movement of a couple thousandth's makes a big difference.

Just thought I'd share another option.....

These were made in sizes ranging from 8" to 36" cutterheads. I have owned an 8", 12", 16" (this one shown) and a 24". Great machines that once tuned, require minimal maintenance.

8"
382906

12"
382907

24"
382908

[Corey Pelton]

Thanks for the replies.

I'm always wary of combo machines, seems like too many things that can go wrong, but I'll look into them for sure. Plus the switch over is a pain that I'd rather not deal with. Also the tables are a lot shorter, which is something I'd like to avoid. I do have a Dewalt 735 planer, and it does pretty much all I need, but I could easily sell it if I go the j/p route.

Believe me, I scour Craigslist like a drug addict! I've seen all the ones around me, but frankly, I have no way to pick them up and get them into my garage. So I've given up the idea of buying used. It's just too much hassle.

Space is definitely a major concern, and the ability to move it around as needed. Probably should have mentioned that before, hah. That was one of the reasons I choose the Grizzly, since it has the mobile base built in. Laguna has the same setup, but Powermatic doesn't, which turns me off to them a bit, as their mobile bases look rather bulky. I have a feeling a PM would eat up too much space.

[Rod Sheridan]

Thanks for the replies.

I'm always wary of combo machines, seems like too many things that can go wrong, but I'll look into them for sure. I do have a Dewalt 735 planer, and it does pretty much all I need, but I could easily sell it if I go the j/p route.


Space is definitely a major concern, and the ability to move it around as needed. Probably should have mentioned that before, hah. That was one of the reasons I choose the Grizzly, since it has the mobile base built in. .

Hi, it's certainly not an issue on the better machines, manufacturers have been building them for a very long time.

A combination machine saves you money and space, and they're available with manufacturer supplied mobility if you wish............Rod.

[Dave Cav]

I won't get into the combo machine debate, or the name brand discussion, but I will say that if you're working with reasonably large pieces of hardwood, bigger is better. I had a 6" import machine for a few years, hated it, hardly ever used it and did my edging on the table saw with various work-arounds. Eventually I got an 8" Grizzly with a helical head and that changed everything; every piece of rough lumber got edged and sometimes faced, and it made cleaning up lumber much easier. Then I found a 12" Delta Invicta. It originally had Dispoz-a-Blade knives in it. I eventually upgraded to a Byrd head and put a feeder on it. That changed everything again, and I can work with much larger/thicker stock much easier. It's a relatively big, heavy jointer, but I have it on a mobile base and it's not too hard to move around.

Go as big as you can afford and find room for.

[Peter Kelly]

Thanks for the replies.

I'm always wary of combo machines, seems like too many things that can go wrong, but I'll look into them for sure. Plus the switch over is a pain that I'd rather not deal with. Also the tables are a lot shorter, which is something I'd like to avoid. I do have a Dewalt 735 planer, and it does pretty much all I need, but I could easily sell it if I go the j/p route.

Believe me, I scour Craigslist like a drug addict! I've seen all the ones around me, but frankly, I have no way to pick them up and get them into my garage. So I've given up the idea of buying used. It's just too much hassle.

Space is definitely a major concern, and the ability to move it around as needed. Probably should have mentioned that before, hah. That was one of the reasons I choose the Grizzly, since it has the mobile base built in. Laguna has the same setup, but Powermatic doesn't, which turns me off to them a bit, as their mobile bases look rather bulky. I have a feeling a PM would eat up too much space.I own a bit newer version of the FS41 Elite in the SD CL posting and would certainly recommend it. As Rod mentioned, there is little that can go wrong with the better machines.

If you look along the bottom of the photo of the one in the listing you can see it has wheels so relatively easy to move around with the supplied pinch bar. Moving it is as simple as rolling the machine on and off a lift gate which can be rented from Ryder or Penske.

[Jeff Heath]

I like having the ability to move machines around my shop, too. What I don't like is the expense, or the cheapness, of many of the mobile bases for woodworking and metalworking machinery. One of the benefits of a quality machine is its mass, and thus, the ability to dampen vibration. A mobile base can be very limiting in that regard, as it makes a machine a little less stable, and allows it to vibrate more.

Because of that, I decided to just make all my machines in my shop mobile by owning a $50 pallet jack off of craigslist. I also added a $75 2 ton engine hoist, which folds up quite nicely inside a 24" X 15" space when not in use. I have machines upwards of over 10,000 lbs. in my shop, and I can move every single one of them with 1 (or sometimes 2 needed, and I added a 2nd pallet jack 2 years ago) pallet jack, and lift most of them with the hoist. I have picked 2700 lbs. of bandsaw up in the air with my engine hoist, carefully rigged with lifting straps, which cost about $8 apiece.

Here's some food for thought, for those that have stayed away from the bigger quality machines because they deemed it difficult to move them. It really is quite easy.....

Here's a pallet jack and some cribbing making a 1800 lb. jointer mobile

382910

And here's an engine hoist lifting it off a trailer.....with ease. Just pull the trailer right out, and set it down nice and easy.

382911

Sounds like you've already made up your mind about which way you want to go, and I'm not trying to convince you otherwise. I'm just sharing what I've learned over the past many years, and $50 for a pallet jack, and another $75 for a hoist is a heckuva lot cheaper than $150 mobile bases for each and every machine in the shop......by a long shot. My pallet jack is rated for 5500 lbs., but it will lift and move my 6500 30" planer by itself. Past that weight, I bring in the 2nd jack. Most machines discussed here are much less than half that weight.

[John TenEyck]

It's only a hassle to bring a used machine home if you let it be. For the cost savings you normally get buying used you can afford to pay a moving company to pick it up and deliver it to your door. Problem solved. And with a used machine you pretty much know what you are buying if you can see it run. Whatever damage there is is visible, not hidden inside a crate, and the price you pay reflects any issues, or you walk away. There's no dealing with customer service; the original owner did that.

And you have a space issue, so you should definitely consider a combo machine. Minimax owner here, one built in the '80's. Bought it used; still runs like new. Change over from one function to another takes less than a minute and the tables are always flat and coplanar. The tables are plenty long enough at 60 something inches to comfortably handle 8' lumber. I'll take wide over long any day. I started with a 10" wide J/P, now this one is 14". If you use much rough lumber 8" is going to seem very narrow, very soon.

John

[Jim Becker]

Plus the switch over is a pain that I'd rather not deal with.

I can honestly say with a straight face, that the changeover is neither a pain nor time consuming. It take me about a minute and a half....and that's if I'm loafing. :)

[Corey Pelton]

Ok, seems I'm off base with the change over complaints. And, table length is probably adequate for most of my work (10 ft boards at most). My experience with change over machines is mostly Jet bench top j/p combo, and that thing was a nightmare, hah. Sold it with in a couple months of having it, hence why I'm in need of a jointer again. I'm of the mind of sticking with quality, but if I don't have to bust the bank, I won't. I know people have complaints about Grizzly machines, but I've had good luck with mine so far.

Hammer's fence seems to be a bit of an issue, and for the price, I wouldn't expect any issues with such a thing. MM machines look very comparable (Classic and Elite). Looks like they also have a "silent" cutter available. I do prefer the quietest machine I can get, as the Dewalt is the single loudest machine I have.

[Rod Sheridan]

Hi, there aren't any issues with the Hammer fence that I'm aware of, they work just fine.

I've owned both generations of the jointer/planers for a decade now...........Regards, Rod.

[Jim Becker]

Corey, I'm going to also suggest that unless there's a really, really special reason why you need to process a really long board, like that 10 footer you mention, don't do it beyond just skimming it to see what you got. Then mark it up for smaller pieces with chalk for project components (leaving a little extra of course) and then flatten and thickness. Table length then becomes almost a non-thought. I the rare moment I need to do a longer board for some reason, I'll use a little external support just to help insure I can handle the workpiece safely and securely, allowing me to stay focused on the machine table. It really is rare that we have to fully mill really long stock outside of special needs.

Please don't rule out a quality J/P combo if you can fund it because of concerns about changeover and table length. While separates are pretty necessary for a production shop, I believe that most of us who work alone can enjoy impressive jointing capacities and great space utilization with these machines.

[David Kumm]

If you go the J-P route, do your homework and understand that build and condition are huge when buying. I don't own one so I have no personal experience ( I'm mainly an old iron guy ) but I participate on both the Felder and MM forums and J-P issues are common topics of discussion. Not a warning in any way, but don't go into any machine without studying some. Dave

[Corey Pelton]

I took up Peter's suggestion about Craigslist, and contacted the owner of the FS41 Elite. Going to go have a look Saturday. Anything I should be on the look out for that would make me walk away? Anything about this particular machine that's a pain or has been improved in later versions? Not sure about year of manufacture for this yet.

[mreza Salav]

I have a minimax FS350 J/P that have taken apart into pieices twice and put back together when we moved twice. It is an excellent machinr and aside from the initial setup i had to do each time i didnt need to touch that again. Change over takes a minute or two but I am quite happy with the width. Wish it was wider!

[Peter Kelly]

I took up Peter's suggestion about Craigslist, and contacted the owner of the FS41 Elite. Going to go have a look Saturday. Anything I should be on the look out for that would make me walk away? Anything about this particular machine that's a pain or has been improved in later versions? Not sure about year of manufacture for this yet.Great! I'd say bring a long straight edge to check the tables are co-planar. There should also be a Johnson bar type thing with wheels for moving it. Looks like a 2005-era machine but the hours are pretty low and it seems very clean I'd say the price is relatively reasonable.

This machine can accept a mortising table as well. These should be available from SCM.

[Jim Becker]

I took up Peter's suggestion about Craigslist, and contacted the owner of the FS41 Elite. Going to go have a look Saturday. Anything I should be on the look out for that would make me walk away? Anything about this particular machine that's a pain or has been improved in later versions? Not sure about year of manufacture for this yet.

There have been some minor revisions over the years, but it's essentially a "top shelf" machine. Like Mreza, I have the FS350 and it's been rock solid other than a bad switch right at the beginning many years ago. And I'll be jealous if you can score that FS41 Elite...there have been a few times that I wished for the 410mm/16" width over the 350mm/13.68" width I have. :)

[Corey Pelton]

I'm half debating with myself about the FS41 Elite, over say a new A3-31. The price (straight knives) isn't too much higher for the A3-31. Also, Felder's showroom isn't far from me, and I'd like to see what they have on offer. The quotes I've gotten back for a new FS41 Elite have been quite a bit below retail listings, so I take it the Minimax sale is still going on? Still, it's over 7K for the new MM, which would be nice, but I could get a drum sander plus the used machine, or even a new Hammer for cheaper. There's also a FS30 Smart owner I've been in contact with. Under 3K for the machine, and he swears its mint and was barely ever used in the 10 years he's owned it. Gotta say I'm always concerned with machines that sit unused for long periods of time. Like most things, I'm probably overthinking it.

Again, that for all the help, everyone. You guys are invaluable resource!

[Peter Kelly]

I think Felder builds stuff to to order so you might want to inquire as to what the current wait time is for an A3-31. I don't believe these are stocked in the US.

[Rod Sheridan]

I think Felder builds stuff to to order so you might want to inquire as to what the current wait time is for an A3-31. I don't believe these are stocked in the US.

Hi Peter, you would have to check to be sure.

In Ontario Felder bring in "standard" machines as stock and sell them, so you can often find the more popular configuration in stock........Rod.

[Curt Harms]

Jim gives good advice about board length. A rule of thumb that seems reasonable to me is that a jointer will surface a piece 1.5 to 2 times the bed length. The Jet JJP-12 I have has 55" beds so it should surface 82" to 110" boards. My experience says 1.5X is better, longer really needs additional support, roller stands in my case. I learned to cut boards to rough length then flatten them when soon after getting the Jet machine I flattened a bowed poplar board about 8' long. By the time I was done it was flat but both ends were about 3/8" thick:o. So now I skip plane to get an idea about grain and flaws, cut to rough length then flatten. It wastes much less wood. I'm working with rough sawn wood in case that's not obvious.

[Rod Sheridan]

One item I forgot to mention is that I have 2 lengths of table extensions for my machine, 16 and 32 inch.

The 16 inch tables use a quick connection system, the 32 inch use a quick connection plus a leg.

I mostly leave a 16 inch extension on the planer outfeed so the work doesn't fall on the floor before I get to it.

The Hammer also has an optional digital readout for height, it works great, no more measuring........Rod.

[Todd Zucker]

Jim is not exaggerating about how fast the A3-31 is to change over. Turn two latches, flip up the top, flip over the vacuum port and crank the handle about 30 times. Done. There is probably a real time video showing it from start to finish out there somewhere.

It would take me longer to get the Dewalt off the shelf, hook up the dust collector and adjust the bed height. But, if the Dewalt were permanently set up with dedicated dust collection, or if you have to switch between functions a lot during a project, it would be different.

The A3-31 is compact, mobile and quiet, and the extra jointer width is nice. You can also get extensions for the beds.

[Corey Pelton]

I spoke with a sales specialist for Felder, and it does seem they are pushed a month or two back on having stock. I just wish they were open on the weekends to swing by and give the machines a whirl. It's tough to run around during the week. Sam over at MM said new stock is now coming in waves, with the first wave hitting this month. Should be back to full stock by end of May. Really wish I would have caught that 30% off sale in December. I totally would have bit the bullet and snagged the FS41. Oh well. I think its all going to work out, though. I'll have something by next weekend.

[Charles Coolidge]

Personally I would NEVER buy another G0490. I purchased one and a Byrd Shelix cutter head for it. Wow so many quality issues with that jointer, manufacturing flaws, design flaws, retarded assembly instructions it had it all. WARPED FENCE, side extension table not flat, depth of cut indicator stupidity, useless depth of cut stop bolt, no flats on the handles to tighten them, RAZOR SHARP shards of metal sticking out where the 220v power cord goes, blade guard not tensioned and no flat to grab hold of it e.g. channel lock pliers. I'm a Grizzly fan but this is not their best machine. Also there were several small dents in the outfeed table like it was gouged with a punch, this pushed metal up above the surface that had to be filed down level.

[glenn bradley]

I can honestly say with a straight face, that the changeover is neither a pain nor time consuming. It take me about a minute and a half....and that's if I'm loafing. :)

I don't have a combo but, can vouch for the "believed true by repeated assertion" as to the length of time required for some of our more simple actions in the shop. I read an article just yesterday where a particular 'one blade does it all' pitch for a bandsaw blade would save you the 15 to 30 minutes required to change a blade. 15 minutes to change a bandsaw blade? I would have to break for coffee for it to take that long. Tablesaw blade takes a little over a minute including putting guards back on. The point being that something may annoy you but, if you time it a few times the reality of the actual effort will probably lessen the perception of duress.

[Brian Holcombe]

If you plan your work flow, the changeover is really no problem. I only wise my machine had the electric up and down for the table that the 3ph version of it has.

Anywho, I have a FS41 Elite S J/P. I'm pretty happy with it. I had a problem with the motor but was happy with the resulting fix which was that SCM air freighted a new motor to me direct from the factory in Italy. I was not a happy camper when the issue happened but I'm very happy with the response. I have three minimax machines, two of them current production and happy with them.

I have one Felder machine and it's also pretty good.

[Corey Pelton]

So, I bought the FS 41 Elite! Everything checked out. Machine is in amazing condition. Ran a few test cuts in both jointer and planer mode, and it produces an unbelievable finish. Now, here's the problem. Getting from SD to my home in Irvine, hah. I have a booking ready to go on uShip, but man, the price sucks, but it includes inside pickup and inside delivery. So the expense is understandable. My original thought was to rent a liftgate truck and do it myself, but after seeing the machine, and the driveway I have to get it down, not to keen on that idea. It's doable, but the labor and anxiety of getting it home safely, always make me question doing it myself.

Anyone have a reasonable freight shipping company they've used before?

[Jim Becker]

Corey, congratulations on your J/P score! That's a nice machine and I'm sure you'll enjoy it. It sounds like you made a good decision to have it professionally moved. That's a lot of machine to handle and this way, any mishaps are insured. (Be sure it's not by weight, BTW...you want it to be covered for what it's worth)

[Corey Pelton]

Thanks, Jim! I'm very much looking forward to getting it set up and going. I added the value of the machine as the insured amount, so should be all covered.

[Mike Heidrick]

All my freight has not included wjite glove service that you are wanting. That being said my best freight quotes come from calling freight shippers directly. Look at the sems around you all the time and call them.

[Brian Holcombe]

I rolled the Elite S up my driveway with the help of the driver, my father, and a pallet jack. My driveway is pretty steep. I pay for lliftgate so I paid $500 to have the machine delivered

[Bill Space]

Personally I would NEVER buy another G0490. I purchased one and a Byrd Shelix cutter head for it. Wow so many quality issues with that jointer, manufacturing flaws, design flaws, retarded assembly instructions it had it all. WARPED FENCE, side extension table not flat, depth of cut indicator stupidity, useless depth of cut stop bolt, no flats on the handles to tighten them, RAZOR SHARP shards of metal sticking out where the 220v power cord goes, blade guard not tensioned and no flat to grab hold of it e.g. channel lock pliers. I'm a Grizzly fan but this is not their best machine. Also there were several small dents in the outfeed table like it was gouged with a punch, this pushed metal up above the surface that had to be filed down level.

Wow! I guess the pendulum swings to both sides...:)

I am totally satisfied with my G0490X...reading your experience took the wind out of my sails, Charles.

[Charles Coolidge]

Wow! I guess the pendulum swings to both sides...:)

I am totally satisfied with my G0490X...reading your experience took the wind out of my sails, Charles.

That this long razor sharp shard at the bottom of the square tube sliced my hand open didn't help. My luck with machines is I either get an awesome machine that's near perfect or a total lemon.

383336

[Corey Pelton]

Oh, man :( Sorry to see that happened, Charles. As for Grizzly, my one Grizzly tool (G0513X2 bandsaw) is awesome. Love that machine. But, with Grizzly it does seem to be luck of the draw.

Yeah, the whiteglove service costs an extra $350, but the aggravation it saves me is worth it. Plus, like Jim said, if anything were to happen, it's on the delivery company, and not me.

BTW, if anyone is interested in the Grizzly G0490X jointer I have on backorder, I'd gladly transfer the order over to you, if Grizzly would allow it. Would definitely save you a few months wait at least. PM me if you're interested.

[Frank Martin]

Corey, congratulations on your purchase. I am sure you will enjoy the machine. Even though it costs a little more to get the while glove service, I would have done the same to avoid pain and risk.

[Darcy Warner]

All my freight has not included wjite glove service that you are wanting. That being said my best freight quotes come from calling freight shippers directly. Look at the sems around you all the time and call them.

I have tried to set up accounts and deal directly with several freight companies.

I get a better price from the same company using my freight broker.

[Brian Holcombe]

I've gotten really good pricing from U-ship and they've gone to bat for me on a couple of after-the-fact adjustments that shippers have made (even when my measurements were spot on accurate).

[Andrew Joiner]

So, I bought the FS 41 Elite! Everything checked out. Machine is in amazing condition. Ran a few test cuts in both jointer and planer mode, and it produces an unbelievable finish. Now, here's the problem. Getting from SD to my home in Irvine, hah. I have a booking ready to go on uShip, but man, the price sucks, but it includes inside pickup and inside delivery. So the expense is understandable. My original thought was to rent a liftgate truck and do it myself, but after seeing the machine, and the driveway I have to get it down, not to keen on that idea. It's doable, but the labor and anxiety of getting it home safely, always make me question doing it myself.

Anyone have a reasonable freight shipping company they've used before?
Doesn't Minimax arrange shipping? I read a story on woodnet that might be worth reading about a minimax delivery that went really bad. With Grizzly I think they take back the machine if packaging indicates damage.

[Corey Pelton]

Oh, sorry, Andrew. This is a used machine, not new. Though I would love for SCM to arrange it for me :)

[Edwin Santos]

Hi, there aren't any issues with the Hammer fence that I'm aware of, they work just fine.

I've owned both generations of the jointer/planers for a decade now...........Regards, Rod.

Hi Rod,
Maybe this is off topic, but I have an A3-31, about two years old and I have issues with the fence. Specifically, if you get it set to a perfect 90 degrees, and then loosen the knobs to move the fence in or out, it will never stay at 90, instead I have to keep a small machinists square nearby and fiddle with the fence a bit to lock it down back at 90 again. Once locked down it stays, until of course I move the fence again. I always chalked this up to the design where the long arm off to the side registers to the extrusion mounted to the end of the infeed table. I don't think this is as robust as a fence that moves back and forth on machined dovetailed ways. If there's something about this I should know, please educate me. Thanks
Edwin

[Rod Sheridan]

Hi Edwin, when I have seen this it was due to the mounting rail not being parallel to the table, try adjusting that, and don't use the knob on the back cover guard.

Let me know how it goes please.......Rod

[Mark Carlson]

Hi Rod,
Maybe this is off topic, but I have an A3-31, about two years old and I have issues with the fence. Specifically, if you get it set to a perfect 90 degrees, and then loosen the knobs to move the fence in or out, it will never stay at 90, instead I have to keep a small machinists square nearby and fiddle with the fence a bit to lock it down back at 90 again. Once locked down it stays, until of course I move the fence again. I always chalked this up to the design where the long arm off to the side registers to the extrusion mounted to the end of the infeed table. I don't think this is as robust as a fence that moves back and forth on machined dovetailed ways. If there's something about this I should know, please educate me. Thanks
Edwin

Hi Edwin,

I have the older A3-31. This is what I see. If I adjust the single knob that adjusts the fence forward and back on the rail. No problem the fence stays locked at 90. If I adjust the knobs that allows the fence to move left and right, and i might see a problem if I move the fence to far to the left so that theres not enough fence behind the knobs. I make the left right adjustment when I go into planer mode and tilt up the beds. I'm good with this adjustment so long as I leave enough fence behind the knobs, about an 1in. I'm very happy with the fence although the newer fence appears to be better with the mounting point in the middle. I wasn't sure what adjustment you were talking about.

~mark

[Edwin Santos]

Rod and Mark,
Thank you for your advice. I spent some time tinkering with the mounting rail and the fence detent screws and now the fence is staying at a consistent 90 degrees when I move the fence in and out. Based on the lead Rod gave me, the way I did it was to slightly loosen the mounting rail nuts and use gentle hammer taps with a dead blow mallet until the error difference was split. After a few iterations, I found parallel in this way. I think ignoring the knob on the back cover guard is helping also.

Thank you again, I now have no complaints about the Hammer A3-31 fence.
Regards, Edwin

[Rod Sheridan]

Edwin, nice to hear that it worked out for you, it's a great jointer/planer..............Rod.

[Corey Pelton]

I'm trying to figure out which 240v outlet I'll need for the FS41 Elite. This is my first 240v machine, so i want to make sure I don't fry anything, hah. Anyone know which it might be? I have a 14-50r 60 amp circuit, but I'm not sure if I could use an adapter to make the plug work?

[Peter Kelly]

So, I bought the FS 41 Elite! Everything checked out. Machine is in amazing condition. Ran a few test cuts in both jointer and planer mode, and it produces an unbelievable finish. Now, here's the problem. Getting from SD to my home in Irvine, hah. I have a booking ready to go on uShip, but man, the price sucks, but it includes inside pickup and inside delivery. So the expense is understandable. My original thought was to rent a liftgate truck and do it myself, but after seeing the machine, and the driveway I have to get it down, not to keen on that idea. It's doable, but the labor and anxiety of getting it home safely, always make me question doing it myself.

Anyone have a reasonable freight shipping company they've used before?That's awesome, glad to hear it worked out. I believe it needs a 30a 240v circuit.

[Brian Holcombe]

Mine requires a 240v 30a,

[Jim Becker]

I'm trying to figure out which 240v outlet I'll need for the FS41 Elite. This is my first 240v machine, so i want to make sure I don't fry anything, hah. Anyone know which it might be? I have a 14-50r 60 amp circuit, but I'm not sure if I could use an adapter to make the plug work?
Should likely be a 30amp 240v three wire circuit. If you want to use the existing circuit, you can either re-terminate it with a 30a recepticle (but the wire size for a 60 amp circuit may be a challenge doing that) or put a plug on the cord on the machine (or you make up) for the FS41 Elite that matches the recepticle.

[Corey Pelton]

Thank you, Peter and Brian! And special thanks to Peter for posting the CL ad info. I wouldn't had bothered searching that far out otherwise.

Oh, sorry, just saw your reply, Jim. I was wondering if I could just chop the old plug off and rewire to the 14-50r plug type. I scheduled my electrician to come out and branch me out another outlet, to be safe.

[Jim Becker]

The new circuit is a good idea regardless and cleaner, but yes, you can just re-terminate an existing cord with a plug that matches the outlet as long as the circuit and outlet are a least a minimum of the machines required circuit amperage.

[Corey Pelton]

Got her delivered this morning! Delivery was easy as could be.
383819
And here’s the plug. Says 20a, but the plug looks like its fairly new, so might be a replacement.

383820

[Charles Coolidge]

That 20 amp plug looks suspect. I found a spec on this machine that listed it at 4.8 hp that is 220 30 amp circuit territory. There should be some specs listed on the motor plate, 4.8 hp is about 3.53 kW.

On this subject, having assembled many twist lock power cords by hand, and given how ridiculously expensive the twist lock cord ends are now, I was happy to find that you can just buy twist lock extension cords now on Amazon with molded on plug ends, brilliant!

[Jim Becker]

Yea, that's the wrong plug for a 30 amp machine. :) The 30 amp version "looks" almost identical, but is slightly different in size and will be marked as 30 amps.

That machine looks GREAT!! Congratulations!!!

[Corey Pelton]

Yeah, I was quite suspect at that plug, hah. My electrician confirmed it's not the correct plug. He'll be replacing it Monday. I'm spending the weekend cleaning the machine, and repainting the welds on the added casters. Excited to get this setup and put to good use!

[Tom M King]

Be sure to tin (harden) the ends of the wires, that go under the lugs in the plug, with rosin core solder. Just putting the stranded wires in there is not a really good, long term solution, especially if the plug gets moved around much.

[Charles Coolidge]

Tinning the wire is a bad idea and tinning ground wires is prohibited. A 220v 30 amp circuit can easily get hot enough to melt solder, a clamped tinned wire connection might seem tight until the solder is melted then the wire may fall right out. Ditto for soldering on crimp connectors vs crimping. Tinning wires is fine in electronics where there's not enough current to melt the solder.

[Randy Heinemann]

If you're looking for a good solid 8" jointer with a helical head, I would recommend the Jet 8" (HH model). Mine is about 5 years old. I did have a problem with the cooling fan on the motor but the company that owns Jet sent a local third party company out to service and nothing else has gone wrong. It does a great job both edge and face jointing. I rarely encounter boards wider than 8" so I find I can face joint just about all the boards I buy. If I need to flatten something wider I have found a place that will drum sand or plane it for a reasonable price. So, I highly recommend the Jet. I don't believe you get that much more with the Powermatic - same company - little better fit and finish - more cutters on the head which didn't seem to make much difference when I tried them before buying.

The combo machines are very desirable, but with a basement shop, I just couldn't get it down into my shop without problems.

I have never regretted buying the Jet. Even an 8" jointer greatly improves capability to flatten and joint boards square.

Having sais all of that, I always recommend buying the widest jointer you can afford. If you don't already have a good planer, then a combo machine may be a great choice.

[Rick Moyer]

Got her delivered this morning! Delivery was easy as could be.
383819
And here’s the plug. Says 20a, but the plug looks like its fairly new, so might be a replacement.

383820


If you're looking for a good solid 8" jointer with a helical head, I would recommend the Jet 8" (HH model). Mine is about 5 years old. I did have a problem with the cooling fan on the motor but the company that owns Jet sent a local third party company out to service and nothing else has gone wrong. It does a great job both edge and face jointing. I rarely encounter boards wider than 8" so I find I can face joint just about all the boards I buy. If I need to flatten something wider I have found a place that will drum sand or plane it for a reasonable price. So, I highly recommend the Jet. I don't believe you get that much more with the Powermatic - same company - little better fit and finish - more cutters on the head which didn't seem to make much difference when I tried them before buying.

The combo machines are very desirable, but with a basement shop, I just couldn't get it down into my shop without problems.

I have never regretted buying the Jet. Even an 8" jointer greatly improves capability to flatten and joint boards square.

Having sais all of that, I always recommend buying the widest jointer you can afford. If you don't already have a good planer, then a combo machine may be a great choice.

He has already purchased and received machine as noted^

[mreza Salav]

Congratulations. That's a great looking machine.

[Corey Pelton]

Thanks, everyone! Had her up and running today. Everything is running great.

I posted up my DeWalt 735x on Craigslist and it seems its going to sell pretty quickly. Going to miss that thing a bit, hah. Hopefully my arm doesn't fall off from cranking this thing up and down :)

Speaking of which. I really want to automate the crank. I've seen a few threads on the subject, but not sure anyone succeeded at it. Any info would be greatly appreciated!

[Jim Becker]

The solution to the "Cranking" thing...batch process lumber. :)

Some folks have been able to utilize a cordless drill/driver to raise and lower a planer bed...it's a matter of getting something on the center of shaft that you can drive with a socket.

[Brian Holcombe]

The cranking is pretty annoying, but it's a small price to pay.

[Steve Smith Springfield]

I use my Festool tracksaw to get that straight smooth edge. If shop space is an issue then seriously consider this as an option.

[Corey Pelton]

Steve,

I use my Makita track saw for that all the time. Works like a charm! Though I do need to buy a longer track sometime soon.

As for the FS41, I had contacted SCM about the Euro style guard, and they said it's no longer being produced. :( So I guess I'm stuck with the pork chop. Not that big of deal, but I was interested in testing out the euro style one. Oh well.

[Peter Kelly]

I think the FS41 Elite bridge guard is made in France by a third party, not SCM. I believe it's the same as the one as the Hammer A3-31.

[Jim Becker]

I think the FS41 Elite bridge guard is made in France by a third party, not SCM. I believe it's the same as the one as the Hammer A3-31.
Yes, many of the manufacturers use the same bridge guard source rather than reinventing the wheel.

[Rod Sheridan]

Steve,

As for the FS41, I had contacted SCM about the Euro style guard, and they said it's no longer being produced. :( So I guess I'm stuck with the pork chop. Not that big of deal, but I was interested in testing out the euro style one. Oh well.

Hi Steve, it's hard to believe that they sell their machines in Europe with the pork chop guard.

You could always buy one from Felder and install it...............Rod.

[Peter Kelly]

My guess is that they just aren't shipping any to the US anymore. Could always ring up Felder and see if they'd sell you one for an A3-31.

[Mick Simon]

Regarding cranking, I have a Hammer A3-41. My simple and cheap solution may not be the sexiest, but it took 20 minutes and $12, including paint.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veJPpksmW8w

[Corey Pelton]

Regarding cranking, I have a Hammer A3-41. My simple and cheap solution may not be the sexiest, but it took 20 minutes and $12, including paint.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veJPpksmW8w

This looks right up my alley, Mick! Did you machine that part or could it be bought online somewhere? I'd love to give that a try.