Felder, SCM and ?????

[Mark Hockenberg]

All,

I'm still thinking about a slider. After readings threads on all the forums, the same names keep coming back - Felder, SCM, used Altendorf, etc.

I would be leaning toward a new Felder K700S, or SCM equivalent at lets say the $10,000+ range. Why don't I hear about other brands? Do these two dominate the market that much?

Cheers,
Mark

[Jim Becker]

Mark, in the North American marketplace, Felder/Hammer and SCM/Minimax get the most action and have for a long time, especially for the broad spectrum of hobbyists to pros that frequent forums like this. There are certainly a number of other players...even Grizzly offers them...but yea. And for the record, I'm exceedingly happy with my SCM/Minimax tools including my slider. But I would probably also be happy with tools from the Felder camp, too. I do like that I was able to use existing blades when I bought my slider and the "this is what you get" packaging. If you want to be able to select from a variety of options, that's where Felder shines.

[Jamie Buxton]

Here's a long thread from a couple of years ago about buying a Chinese slider. https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread....nture-(So-Far)

[Peter Kelly]

https://maksiwa.com/usa/sliding-pane...bms3200ir.html

Saw one of these at a partner’s shop down in Brasil a while back, seemed not bad, definitely nicer than the Chinese offerings. I remember seeing a price of around $8k delivered.

[Mike Wilkins]

Have had a Laguna slider for over 8 years with no concerns or problems at all. Mine is a 5' model due to the small real estate in my shop, but they have larger models with longer sliding tables. If some lottery winnings came my way, there would be a larger shop and a Martin table saw in the mix.
Don't overlook the used market as well.

[Stewart Lang]

I have a Grizzly slider and love it. I'd have no problems buying a larger one from them as well. I've also had some Minimax/SCM in the shop as well.

[Erik Loza]

Why don't I hear about other brands? Do these two dominate the market that much?..

Basically, yes. There are not that many European players in what we call the "Standard" or "Classical" (non-automated solid wood machinery) manufacturing sector these days. Much of that industry has re-focused on CNC equipment. There are a few other peripheral players still producing large, industrial sliders for commercial use, such as Altendorf and Martin, but if you want European and if you are in the budget range you mentioned, your choices are going to be Austria or Italy. Hope this helps.

Erik

[Todd Solomon]

I’ve owned a Mini Max and a Felder, and am on more of a budget now so just picked up a Hammer. Mini Max and Felder were top notch, you’d be very happy with either in that price range. Think about after the sale support as well, and availability of accessories. One advantage that both Mini Max and Felder have is a large number of users in forums that you can reach out to.

[Bill Kugler]

I don't know if there's a distributor in your area, but when I was looking for a slider/shaper combo, I looked at Hammer, SCM and Robland. Robland made some very nice tools, in a very similar price range to the other two. I ended up going with SCM because the shaper on the Minimax had few features I simply could not get on the Robland. But their machine was quite capable, and I gave it some very serious consideration before deciding.

https://robland.com/en/welcome/

[Jim Becker]

I don't know if there's a distributor in your area, but when I was looking for a slider/shaper combo, I looked at Hammer, SCM and Robland. Robland made some very nice tools, in a very similar price range to the other two. I ended up going with SCM because the shaper on the Minimax had few features I simply could not get on the Robland. But their machine was quite capable, and I gave it some very serious consideration before deciding.

https://robland.com/en/welcome/

They have been around for a long time, kinda languished, but are now part of Martin and that support should be helpful.

[David Kumm]

Used sliders are a bargain if you have three phase available. The Altendorf or similar saws, some made by Altendorf ( Holz Her ) use a roller system. SCM, Martin, Griggio, Felder, Casadei, Casolin, SAC, Paolini, etc, use ball bearings. Depends on your preference. Altendorf prior to 1995 had phenolic ways which can wear unevenly so you need to watch for that. Otherwise they are bullet proof. I bought an SCM SI 16 because there are so many out there parts can be found. $5-10 K gets a really decent industrial saw. 10K new gets a much lighter duty machine. Dave

[Dan Chouinard]

Where would one look for a used three phase slider?

[David Kumm]

Woodweb, CL, Facebook Marketplace, etc. There are also some decent dealers whose upcharge is reasonable if you don't know much about machines. There are risks of course if you don't do your homework but I see so many complaints about new machines, the risks don't seem so bad given the savings. You do need to understand something about machinery and three phase though. Not hard to learn but takes some time. The benefits are great though. Dave

[Mark e Kessler]

I have sold machines in the past here https://www.exfactory.com/

Where would one look for a used three phase slider?

[Dan Chouinard]

Woodweb, CL, Facebook Marketplace, etc. There are also some decent dealers whose upcharge is reasonable if you don't know much about machines. There are risks of course if you don't do your homework but I see so many complaints about new machines, the risks don't seem so bad given the savings. You do need to understand something about machinery and three phase though. Not hard to learn but takes some time. The benefits are great though. Dave

Thanks David. I have been making cabinets for 10 years in a small space getting by with a couple of traditional cabinet saws and a tracksaw. Moving to a much larger space with plenty of room for a slider. Would be using to process plywood and straight line ripping of solid stock. New space has 3 phase power.
Just had a conversation with a friendly guy from Martin who gave me a heart attack with price quote for a new machine. Need to find a used machine...