ELU Combination Jointer Planer???

[Aaron Frank]

Hi All,

I just read an ad for a 8 1/4" ELU Combination Jointer Planer that is for sale in my area. It was manufactured in Germany by ELU for sale in the US by B&D/Dewalt. The machine is between 10 and 20 years old and is in good condition. I've heard of the ELU but haven't ever seen one in person. I should also note say that I have been dreaming of having a combo J/P (Robland, MiniMax, Rojek, etc.) for my basement shop for some time, so finding this machine is a real surprise.

SO, what do you all know about the ELU? Durability for a home user? Overall quality? Anything in particular I should examine when I go lok at it?

Thanks!
Aaron

[Jim Becker]

'Can't say I've every heard of the specific product you ask about. ELU was the original name on the big Dewalt plunge router...I actually thought that they bought ELU years ago.

My biggest concern for a product like this is going to be parts availability given its age and "uniqueness".

[Ian Barley]

Aaron

Without specifics of model etc I am gonna guess that this is a fairly lightweight ( in planer/thicknesser) terms machine - something like the one in the pic below.

Elu was a quality brand name in Europe. In practice it got subsumed into the DeWalt brand. I personally am not a fan of much DeWalt kit but the stuff that was built to Elu patterns was the best of it.

It would be wrong to bracket this machine with the combos that you mention in your post. Its capabilities are more in the spectrum of a lunchbox planer that's been working out for a few weeks. While many hobbyists get good service from machines of this spec they just do not work as accurately or as comfortably as bigger machines like those you listed. They do of course offer a different mix of features that may suit your needs. Basically I am not a fan because the jointer tables are too short for most requirements when jointing and the cutting capacity when thicknessing tends to be very low. I think that most current machines quote 3mm (1/8th). My own experience leads me to adjust this by the rule of thirds to about 1mm with real hardwood at any useful timber width.

There are a number of suppliers over here offering machines made to a very similar pattern (knock offS? who said that?) ranging from about £350 ($650) brand new. How much is being asked for this one?

[Aaron Frank]

Jim and Ian,

Thanks for your responses. Jim, I had read that ELU made some reputable routers, and I think that I first read about the ELU J/P on the FWW forum a few years ago.

With regard to comparing this machine to any of the machines I mentioned in my first post, I certainly wouldn't presume to think that this machine could ever be in their class (definitely not the Mini-Max!:rolleyes: ). But for what it is, I think it's a good deal: 8 1/2" jointer and planer; an extra set of knives; 9800 rpm (though I think that the seller may mean cuts per minute) and he is only asking $200 for it, and I'll get to try it out under power tomorrow morning. I should also mention that I currently don't own either a jointer or a planer, so this would be a big step up when it comes to having a full compliment of tools for my shop.

I will need to check into getting replacement parts, as this could be a deal breaker--though at $200 the investment is fairly reasonable.

Ian, I've seen the Dewalt machine that you pictured in your post, unfortunately it isn't available here in the States.

Thanks again.
Aaron

[Ian Barley]

Aaron

I agree - at $200 it is very probably a good deal. I posted the pic because it was the closest to the form factor of the J/P I was thinking of. The Elu that you are looking at is basically its grandaddy.

[Peter Mc Mahon]

Off topic but I remember seeing a ELU chop saw table saw combo. The machine flipped over to become the opposite tool. Pretty neat. Peter