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Thread: Combo jointer / planer recommendation

  1. #16
    Join Date
    Sep 2013
    Location
    Wayland, MA
    Posts
    3,656
    Couldn't be happier with my SCM FS41 Elite S.

    Well, perhaps. I would rather have had the Euro guard rather than the enormous porkchop, and I wish the height adjuster had pre-set stops so you didn't have to stand there pushing the button to move the table up and down for changeover. But it joints and planes perfectly. Mine has the segmented spiral cutter head, which works great for me and the highly figured wood I like to work with.

  2. #17
    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Becker View Post
    Jamie makes a good point...as part of your research, check on lead times with each manufacturer for the machine(s) you are interested in as they are all good tools and the "tool in hand" is the best tool.
    My prediction is that lead times will continue to be a challenge through 2022. For better or worse, things will be much easier once we (consumers) accept the fact that this is the “new normal”. One of the other reps and I were talking about this recently: We both feel like we’ve been pushing rocks uphill for the last six months with regard to convincing customers that no, this is not some sales gimmick or used car tactic. True: It was the case in the past that if you told us, “Oh, I’m just gathering info now but want machines in my new shop in 6 months”, we could reply, “Great: Call me when you’re ready”, and you would have a machine. Well, those days are gone and if you truly want one of these machines, you need to be doing something about it NOW. And folks still seem to be in denial about that fact: “I’ll wait take my chances”, etc. Guess who loses? You. So, I guess the point is, there was a time when you could be casual about making decisions like this but the reality is, now, you must be serious.

    Straight talk, regardless of who you are looking at:

    -“I’ll hold out for a used machine”: Then you will likely never own one. The very few that do pop up, sellers seem to be treating like the housing market and think their machine is made of 24K gold or something.

    -“I’ll wait til things settle down and then make my decision”: Fine, but realize that will probably be 2-3 years down the road.

    -“I’m worried that if I place an order, it will keep getting pushed back and pushed back”: Valid concern but there is literally nothing any of us can do about that, so the sooner you accept it, the sooner you get your machine. We (US reps) get weekly updates from the US Export Manager in Austria. The word he uses is “parked”. There are entire containers of A3’s that are mostly done or could be done in short order but those containers are parked, since the various suppliers we source out bits and bobs like fasteners, knobs, aluminum extrusions, etc, from, are slow/late in getting those things to us. Felder has the manpower to get the machines built in a normal timeframe but there is literally nothing we can do to hurry things up. It just is what it is.

    So, my suggestion to anyone in the market, no matter the brand, is to frame this process as “getting your spot in line” rather than “having my machine”, then plan backwards accordingly. In my opinion, to think of it otherwise is setting yourself up for disappointment. I hope this all makes sense.

    Erik
    Ex-SCM and Felder rep

  3. #18
    Thanks for the insight folks! Seems to be a fair number of Hammer fans - glad to hear that the qa/qc issues may be isolated. To Erik’s point, I totally agree - the used market for large woodworking tools is insane here. Why I decided to look new.

  4. #19
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Kansas City
    Posts
    854
    My FS30 is my worst quality tool in my shop. But it is also the most expensive, so I have that going for me.

  5. #20
    Well said.

  6. #21
    Combo Machines in that 4-7k price range aren’t made to next level industrial grade tolerances. They are designed for the weekend warrior or semi professional.

    There’s a lot of hit and miss. One person gets and awesome machine, and the other gets one that isn’t. Which is why reviews vary a lot. Someone has one to .002 and the other guy has a .12 dip. A 1000 pound machine ain’t a motorcycle. You can’t take it to the dealer and have them check it out. It can be very frustrating for woodworkers who plunk down that kinda money.

  7. #22
    Quote Originally Posted by David Jurincie View Post
    I am very disappointed with Jet. I ordered a Jet JJP-12HH planer/jointer the first week of January and every time the estimated delivery date nears, they push it out again. The last date was June 12th and when I called Woodcraft, they just moved it out a month and a half to July 29th. I Ordered several pieces of equipment in January including a wood mill and every other manufacturer (Woodland Mills, Saw Stop, JessEm) has been able to hit their estimated time within a few weeks.
    I had a Jet JJP-12HH and it was great! I ordered an A3-41 in June of 2020, with a fall delivery date. My buddy bought my Jet and has been using it weekly since.

    Covid. Delivery on the Hammer was changed to December, then early spring, then May, then June. The boat has finally come into port; however, I'm out of town for a month, so I can't even schedule delivery until July. Felder/Hammer (and lots of worldwide suppliers) are waiting on parts from upstream. Travel Trailers are being purchased right now with a delivery date into 2023! Lots of units sitting on the side of the production lines, waiting on small parts from other vendors.

    If you order the Hammer or SCM right now, you'll be lucky to get it in 6 months. But if you wait?... It could be much, much longer.

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