Hofman not the dovetail machine maker but the jointer planer slot mortiser company.

[Patrick Walsh]

Joe you really made my day today with these pictures. I noticed them mid day after getting back from a small local trade show myself geared toward general contractors that do home renovations. I couldn’t help but think man I wanna get on a plane to Germany in the worst way this show stinks..

I’m so torn between the two machines, Hofman and Martin. The facts are I can only get a Hoffman machine into my elevator with the standard size tables. I’m really torn as I would love a 24” machine but fear I will be disappointed without a long infeed table. I can get the Martin machine with extended infeed table to fit in the elevator as mentioned prior.

I did ask my Martin rep about removing a table and I was told not a chance. And that it was and idea.

The Hofman shapers is a thing of beauty! The planer would make a excellent addition to the jointer next year after I come up for air from the jointer purchase.

A co worker brought up the topic of resale value and it really got me thinking. I have no intention of ever selling this machine but you just never know. I have only ever seen one used Hofman for sale and it was a very nice 20” machine 2008 I think and it sold for $9900. I can’t help but feel the Martin will command a higher resale value.

I am half inclined to give the Hofman a try and for whatever reason the machines excites me a bit more. I find this strange as Martin to date has always been my pinnacle. Maybe it’s just the allure of having something different, I don’t quite know.

However the flip side of my thinking is the lack of being able to have a extended infeed table on the Hofman coupled with the known quality of the Martin from everything from the fence ridding on bearings to having actually stood in front of a few t54’s and seen with my own eyes and felt with my hands the striking difference between a Martin and everything else makes me feel like the Martin Is the safer bet.

Who knows. If I can get the Hofman rep to package a planer and jointer maybe I can convince my boss to buy a machine also then the decision would be much more easy.

Anyhow enjoy the show. If you do find yourself in front of a t54 and don’t mind taking a few pictures. And maybe a 60 series saw

[Martin Wasner]

Do you have to use the elevator? Can you use a boom lift, crane, or telehandler to get it in through a window?

If the longer tables are what you want, I'd look for some other possibilities.

The motor on my dust collector pooped the bed on Monday. My forklift goes to 15'6", unfortunately the motor is at about 17'. Ended up borrowing an engine hoist and strapping it to the forks to get some more height. It was sketchy, but it worked, and we had it reinstalled by the end of the day Wednesday. Some times you gotta get creative.

[David Kumm]

There are a couple of Martin jointers on Woodweb. Have you looked at them? Dave

[Darcy Warner]

The just under 8 foot total table length on my 30" jointer has served me just fine for years. I don't really do much edge straightening on it, that's what the mattison 404 is for.

[Joe Calhoon]

The long tables are nice for architectural Woodwork and doors where you can be working on large pieces. We bevel assembled doors on ours a lot. We have a SLR and the infeed jointer table on the T90 is over 6’ but find the 10’6” tables on a the jointer very useful. The 2000mm infeed and outfeed of the Hofmann would be nice but I won’t be making any changes at this point

[peter gagliardi]

And if I was in the market for a new longbed jointer, access would not stop me from getting exactly what I want, spending that kind of $$$$$$.
But like Joe, I probably am not changing any time soon.

[Patrick Walsh]

Martin,

I know it can be done as I’m told a former tenant years ago moved a shop into the same space my boss now rents with a crane.

I used a crane to move a machine up and over my house and onto a platform so I could then get into my personal shop. I have a garden of mostly large rare specamin trees and can’t barely fit a pallet jack throught the path that meanders through it all. It was pretty easy for the most part other than the fact that your average crane operator does not often understand fragile machinery that can’t just be lifted wherever they want. It took everything I had in me to remain patient and explain you can’t just lift these machines up however you want but only by very specific points. He wanted to hear nothing about it.

The following year I had a few 7k lb mature trees planted on my property again with a crane but another operator and the bone head dropped the boom to the ground taking down my chimney, clipping my roof destroying a very expensive fence and killing a very rare hard to find once in a lifetime specamin tree on the way down. Since, I’m kinda crane shy to say the least.

My days of being creative and taking risks with with very expensive machinery or purchases I can barely afford and or have worked 70hrs a week for months or years to afford are over.

Even propping the ,aching up on some kind of brace in the elevator sounds like asking for trouble to me. I can just see all kinds of things going wrong there. I don’t know maybe the forklift can lift one end up onto a platform from outside the elevator easy enough. But maybe it can’t, or maybe the machine tips over or, or ,or. I just assume not risk it.

[Patrick Walsh]

David,

I did notice those thanks for mentioning. I called on the one clean one in TN but it is sold. The other one has been for sale for a long long time and looks to have seen a hard life. I’m not really interested in a used machine as machines are something I just have no interest in taking a risk on. I just assume pay more for piece of mind ‘hence Martin/Hofman”.

I would had been open to the machine in TN but I would had flown down so I could run a few boards over it then trailers it home myself.

At the time that machine was availible I was actually looking to purchase a t20 or t26 shower with tenoning table. I had a deal fall through and could not find another suitable machine “shaper” to purchase. At the same exact time a used jointer my boss purchased a number of months ago started acting up again. After a number of repair techs trying to repair it to no avail then one telling me he knew the previous owner of the machine and that it had been a problem since it was purchased new I decided to hold off on the shaper and buy us a jointer.

I will get the shaper at some point but only when one shows up again out of a small one many shop in excellent condition or I will but a new Hofman or maybe even panhans if I can figure a way to import it and get it under power. I’m told I can use a transformer but I don’t really understand how to do this work myself. I want a high quality tenoning table and am not much interested in paying $40k for a Martin t-12. I’m not really much interested in spending $40k on anything but am willing to spend good money on a high quality used machine if it comes to market and it’s history is known. I’m also open to the entry level Hofman machine as I want a largely manual machine. The only problem with the Hofman machines is the lack of a true tenoning table.

[Patrick Walsh]

Darcy,

I have had many a repair tech that can’t be bothered to setup a jointer properly and or are struggling to do so suggest that if what you want to do is joint long boards than a slr is the tool for the job.

They might be right but as of now we don’t have the room for a slr or really the use to warrant the room.

[Patrick Walsh]

Peter,

Previously that would have been my mentality also. I just can’t figure out exactly how to make it work. It does feel like a ton of money.

Previously the Martin was the machine of my dreams with the extended infeed. It wasn’t until people made mention of Hofman all its cast iron and being just as nice as mMartin of not nicer that really got me thinking.

Well that and the 24” capacity and 2000mm infeed and outfeed. After I made a cardboard template of that machine to see it’s footprint in my shop and then my elevator I was pretty sold on that machine. Well until I could get it in the building.

[Jeff Bartley]

Patrick,

So you're buying a jointer for your employers shop? If so, I'd figure out how to buy the jointer you really want. How long do you plan to let it live at your employers shop? How long do you plan to own it?

Can you tell us what jointer your boss has now that has been trouble from the start?

Thanks for letting us live vicariously!! It's so exciting to see machines like these.

One more question: what heads are available for the Hofman?

[Patrick Walsh]

Yes Jeff that's pretty much exactly what I'm doing.

To offer some perspective on the matter.

We are a small four man shop, one of us being a full time finisher. The boss sells installs and generally deals with all those things us guys that just want to build are not naturally inclined towards.

So it for the most part me and one other guy that will use the machine. The other guy building has been working in a shop since trade school and takes care of things and poses general respect for and consideration of others things namely expensive machinery.

The boss is a very very good guy,l. He does his best to take on interesting work for us. He generally gives us the freedom to build design come and go and work at a pace that suits us so long as we are being honest and he is making money. I'd say we have it pretty darn good. It's kind of like a small family, one hand washes the other and I really don't think anyone at weeks end does any better than the other including the boss. Overtime is generally unlimited and on the books and sub contract work offered and but only if we are interested. It's a very good situation fir a working guy like me. I feel reciprocating and helping as I can is theblesstvi can do.

The facts are at best he would buy a new scmi machine and imop that's terrible idea.

If I go my machine will come with me. Neither me nor my employer have any intention of me going anywhere. I'm quite happy we're I am and he is quite happy with me. You just never can say though but it's simple I will own the machine.

I have a shop at home outfitted fully with felder machines. If the need shall ever arise I will slowly replace those machines with the German machines. My plan is hopefully to move in the next couple years building a live work type dwelling with at least a 3-5K workshop space. If and at such a point I would probably bring my German machines home and sell my felder stuff. Who knows though as I work 70hrs a week and have zero time to use my own shop. Hence the machines I want to work on might as well be at work where I get to use them.

The machine we have at work is a 16" casadei.

[David Kumm]

Patrick, what motor voltages and hz will Hofmann offer? I would think if they have a US distributor they should source 60 hz 480v at least. A transformer is an easy wire up. I would want an isolation transformer with a 480 wye tap and some extra taps to adjust the output up or down to match your input voltage range. I'm assuming you either have 208 or 240 delta in the shop? Dave

[Jeff Bartley]

That sounds like an awesome set up Patrick! I'd be inclined to get everything you need in one shop so you can make the best use of your machines.

And I'd look into insurance on whichever machine you go with.

Where are you in Boston? I lived just outside Watham for a summer many years ago.

It interesting to consider different working markets: you either make a ton of money and pay a lot to live or make little and pay little. But it seems like when you're in the middle of a really high market the machines you can afford go up in value too. I guess that's why some folks around here commute into D.C.!

[Patrick Walsh]

David

I only make mention of voltage converters in reference to say sourcing a new shaper from say panhans whom I believe dues not have a us distribbutor.

Not sure exactly what we have in our shop but I believe it to be 240.

It would be very easy to find out as we have a house electrician that's been servicing the building since the beginning of time.

Patrick, what motor voltages and hz will Hofmann offer? I would think if they have a US distributor they should source 60 hz 480v at least. A transformer is an easy wire up. I would want an isolation transformer with a 480 wye tap and some extra taps to adjust the output up or down to match your input voltage range. I'm assuming you either have 208 or 240 delta in the shop? Dave