Suitability of Jointer-Planer Combo Unit for Compact Storage

[Scott Bernstein]

I have read several threads re: Jointer-Planer combo units on the forum, but I did not come across any that directly addressed my particular question...

I currently have a Grizzly 6" floor-standing jointer and the DeWalt 735 13" benchtop planer. Both of the units work as advertised but the 6" jointer is simply not enough anymore and I'm looking for something bigger - both in capacity and overall length of the tables to support larger pieces. Since I purchased the 6" jointer I have upgraded my garage with 3 220V outlets, so I am ready for something more substantial. My shop is in my 2-car garage so space is at a premium. As things are arranged now, I could fit a jointer with tables up to 76-78" overall length in the spot where I have the 6" jointer now. However depth is important too when the garage is not being used as a woodshop - I'd like to keep it less than 40" from the wall, since one car still has to fit in there.

I am considering either a single-purpose 12" jointer (say, Grizzly, Laguna, or Powermatic) or a Hammer A3-41 16" planer-jointer combo unit. I hadn't really considered the 12" combo unit since I already have the 13" planer. A stand-alone 16" stand-alone jointer is probably too deep and too long for my space. But the 16" combo unit has tables a little shorter and provides the 16" planning capacity in a relatively compact package. The option for a mortising table doesn't really interest me too much as I already have a hybrid pantorouter and a Festool domino. However the option of adding extension tables onto the infeed/outfeed tables of the Hammer could come in really handy. Are the extensions comparable to the increased overall table length of a stand-alone 12" jointer?

So...on the Hammer A3-41 you have the blade guard in the front of the machine and there is also a blade guard that is somehow attached to the fence on the back side of the machine. With these guards fully extended they stick out quite a bit. My question is how are these guards arranged during storage to minimize the overall depth of the machine. Can they be removed entirely when not using the machine?

Would love to purchase the Felder 16" combo unit but I just can't justify the price increase for my hobbiest garage shop. I also still need to purchase a real dust collector... I think one major perk of the Felder version is the powered planer table, but I will likely hold on to my 13" DeWalt planer and continue using it. If I need to plane something more than 13" I will use the combo machine for that. Most wood that I have purchased comes in pieces 4-10" wide rarely 10- 12" and never >12". The 16" capacity might come in handy to joint or plane wider glue-ups, whole cutting boards, and the like, but I doubt I will ever have the need to joint an individual piece more than 12".

[Doug Dawson]

If you had a 12" stationary planer (even as part of a combo) you would quickly lose interest in the DeWalt.

[Greg Parrish]

For storage you could pull the fence all the way forward and swing the eurogaurd arm down over the side. That would compact the unit more.

[Jamie Buxton]

I have an a3-31. I discarded that blade guard behind the fence. My whole body is in front of the fence. I’d have to reach over the fence, and down, to contact the blades. I think that guard is a leftover from when the J/P is part of a 5-function machine, and you might be coming at it from some other direction.

[Jim Becker]

Fence attachment/adjustment type matters for depth on a J/P if it needs to be stationary. The type on my older SCM/Minimax FS350 has a round bar that extended behind the machine when the fence is set to the widest capacities. That's not an issue if you have your machine mobile and pull it out for use because you can slide the fence forward for no additional footprint for storage.

Don't forget that a capable dust collector is not optional with a J/P, so that has to be considered in your space requirements.

[Rod Sheridan]

For storage you could pull the fence all the way forward and swing the eurogaurd arm down over the side. That would compact the unit more.

That’s what I do with mine.......Rod

[ChrisA Edwards]

I went from two similar machines to the Hammer A3-31. I had the DeWalt 735 and a Jet 6" jointer.

There is no comparison in cutting power between the Hammer and the DeWalt, the Hammer never bogs down.

I store mine up against a wall when not in use. I opted for the PortaMate 3500 to allow me to move the machine around.

I bought a couple of the removable extension tables that can be added in about 30 seconds to the in feed and out feed of the jointer operation and to the out feed of the planer.

Here's a pic the the A3-31 with the longer extension table