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Thread: Thinking about getting a Minimax FS 41ES - Thoughts?

  1. #16
    Quote Originally Posted by Peter Kelly View Post
    The FS 41 ES is available as 1ph but you won’t have the powered planer table as the up/down motor that drives it is only available in 3ph.

    The OP might want to consider the FS 41 E if this is an issue.
    On my quote it is the FS41ES with an option for Powered Planer Bed $890

  2. #17
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
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    Wapakoneta,Ohio
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    Would you be interested in 20" fs52es with a Tersa head?I had this built,and it showed up with a manual bed adjustment,and I ordered it with a powered bed adjustment,after a 7 month wait.They offered to make me a good deal on it,but I refused,so they built me a new one,to the correct specs that I ordered.The new one should be here soon (supposed to ship last month from Italy).I would guess they will make someone a good deal on this,since they let me use it while the new one is being made,and they can't sell it as new,even though I have only used it for 3 month's .I'm guessing they will be willing to take a loss on it,and not have to hassle with crating it back up,and shipping it somewhere else to store it.

  3. #18
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
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    SE PA - Central Bucks County
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    65,685
    Quote Originally Posted by Brian W Evans View Post
    Thanks for the tip, Peter. My porkchop recently required some epoxy to repair several cracks around the pivot point, too. Not thrilled with that.

    Edit: I just looked at that aftermarket euro guard and it says "unsuited to machines with swing away top beds." I take this to mean that it doesn't work with J/P machines. I can't see why it wouldn't work, but that would concern me, especially since I'd be ordering it from overseas.
    I have a standard Euro bridge guard on my FS350 and there's zero issue with it. It follows the outfeed side. I just flip it in the opposite direction before doing the pivot. So in this photo, a lever is released at the place where it attaches to the bed, the whole thing is pivoted toward that white door in the background and then re-latched. At that point, after pulling my fence forward, I can flip the bed back toward those shelves to convert to thicknessing mode. The FS-41 series should be similar If I'm not mistaken.

    Last edited by Jim Becker; 07-08-2020 at 1:00 PM.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  4. #19
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
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    Quote Originally Posted by Brian Cox View Post
    On my quote it is the FS41ES with an option for Powered Planer Bed $890
    This is well worth it, I know because I don't have a powered bed. At the time I purchased mine it was only available on the 3ph machines, so its nice that they made that improvement.

    I may see if they will sell the parts to me so I can convert mine to powered.

    Anywho:

    The factory mobility kit is easy to use and it tucks away when not in use, machines that are this heavy should be setup and leveled so it's actually a very good thing that the wheels tuck away when not needed.

    I have the ES and it's very much worth the added expense, IMO. It's nice and heavy. I'm not in love with the sheetmetal body machines, but IMO this is a nice machine and well made.
    Bumbling forward into the unknown.

  5. #20
    Quote Originally Posted by Max Neu View Post
    Would you be interested in 20" fs52es with a Tersa head?I had this built,and it showed up with a manual bed adjustment,and I ordered it with a powered bed adjustment,after a 7 month wait.They offered to make me a good deal on it,but I refused,so they built me a new one,to the correct specs that I ordered.The new one should be here soon (supposed to ship last month from Italy).I would guess they will make someone a good deal on this,since they let me use it while the new one is being made,and they can't sell it as new,even though I have only used it for 3 month's .I'm guessing they will be willing to take a loss on it,and not have to hassle with crating it back up,and shipping it somewhere else to store it.

    Thanks for the message. I am not interested. If I order one without power bed adjustment it will probably be a Hammer.

  6. #21
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
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    New York, NY
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    2,203
    Quote Originally Posted by Brian Cox View Post
    On my quote it is the FS41ES with an option for Powered Planer Bed $890
    Unless you’re intending to order a 3ph machine I’d double check with your dealer to make sure you’d be receiving a 1ph unit if you’re ordering that option.

  7. #22
    Join Date
    Jul 2020
    Location
    Seattle area
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    3
    Timely thread for me, as I'm considering this same exact machine. New forum member here. Setting up a garage shop in the Seattle area and for the jointer/planer decision, I'm trying to decide between 'forever' machines (which would be separates) and a combo machine that I'd use for the present but sell when I get a bigger shop space. As a general rule, I'd far rather get the crying over with early, but I don't know if separates are practical right now.

    Back to the FS 41ES: Brian, were you able to confirm with your dealer whether the powered planer bed is an option on the 1 phase machine? The SCM website doesn't indicate so, but it's not a great website to begin with, and perhaps they've updated the options?

    Adam

  8. #23
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
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    SE PA - Central Bucks County
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    Adam, you may very well find over time that the J/P will be your "forever machine". I can tell you that I have zero desire to give up mine for separates and it's been in my shop since the mid-2000s.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  9. #24
    Join Date
    Jul 2020
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    Seattle area
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Becker View Post
    Adam, you may very well find over time that the J/P will be your "forever machine". I can tell you that I have zero desire to give up mine for separates and it's been in my shop since the mid-2000s.
    That's encouraging, Jim. If I do end up going with the combo, I'm very much looking forward to the jointing width. Never had anything close. Will need to grow in discipline in my milling plans, as the changeover looks likes a bit of a bottleneck if repeated too often (hence the question about the powered lift.)

  10. #25
    Here is my build.

    1 MINIMAX FS 41ES JOINTER/PLANER COMBINATION MACHINE, TERSA

    R0.22.00 Minimax FS 41ES USA-Canada
    93.07.58 230 Volt
    93.12.15 Frequency 60Hz
    58.02.22 Rubber-coated feed roller on thicknesser outfeed
    58.02.23 Tersa cutterblock Ø 95 mm with 4 knives with rapid locking system
    58.02.50 Wheels for machine movement
    58.02.41 Additional overturning fence for processing of thin workpieces
    58.02.44 Powered vertical movement of thicknessing table with digital display
    58.03.37 Single-phase motor S1 3,6kW (4,8hp) 60Hz
    08.06.25 Triple wall

  11. #26
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    New York, NY
    Posts
    2,203
    Who quoted you? Elite Metal Tools or Reardon?

    I’d definitely try to add the Euro bridge guard. The above configuration only includes the aforementioned annoying plastic pork chop.

  12. #27
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Davis, CA
    Posts
    278
    I epoxied a nut to the center of the wheel that raises and lowers the planer bed on my Hammer A3 31. I then use a socket driven by my battery drill to raise and lower the bed rapidly, i.e., a powered bed. It sure beats doing it by hand when I switch between planing and jointing.

  13. #28
    I have the FS41E with the segmented head: very nice. I made a slight modification that makes the manual planer table elevation semi-powered: all you need is a cordless drill.
    Attached Images Attached Images

  14. #29
    Bernie: Great minds think alike! Phil


    Quote Originally Posted by Bernie May View Post
    I epoxied a nut to the center of the wheel that raises and lowers the planer bed on my Hammer A3 31. I then use a socket driven by my battery drill to raise and lower the bed rapidly, i.e., a powered bed. It sure beats doing it by hand when I switch between planing and jointing.

  15. #30
    So Tersa or Xylent ??? Tersa is about $250 less...

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