I'm sure this type of question has been beat up around here but figured I'd ask opinions for myself.
I am about to pull the trigger on a Minimax FS-30CX from Elite Metal Tools. After doing a little more research I keep getting tempted by the Hammer A3-31 with their spiral cutter. In all honesty I think the Hammer has a slightly cleaner look to it but that is by no means a reason to pick that over the Minimax. In my past I have always heard great things about Minimax from a friend of mine that owns their bandsaw and tablesaw therefore my first place to look for this combo machine was Minimax.
I can get the Minimax shipped to house for $4500. I literally almost pulled the trigger on that price last week but hesitated and asked Felder for a quote on their A3-31. When looking at their site it appears there are no machines in stock so would have to wait 4-8 weeks for the Hammer, according to their site. I haven't received a reply on the Hammer yet so don't know how their price is going to compare. But I will say if I buy the Minimax I won't have to wait 4-8 weeks to get it.
Does anyone here have any experience with the Minimax FS-30CX or the Hammer A3-31? I assume there will be much more experience with the Hammer but am not sure what the reasoning behind this is. I'd love to get some opinions on which machine I should pull the trigger on. I assume I'll be happy with either but which machine will I ultimately be more happy with?