Jointer recommendations?

[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.