Edge Bander

[James & Zelma Litzmann]

Could anyone recommend a good edge-bander for a person just starting out building cabinets?

Thanks,
Zelma

[Jim Becker]

You may want to provide more information relative to expected volume and how much automation you desire so folks can give better recommendations. There are many choices for this kind of tool.

[Kevin Jenness]

The best edgebander is one that comes with a tech to set it up and a tech at the end of a phone line to help you keep it in adjustment. There are many brands and price points but a machine that sticks banding on reliably and trims it so you don't have much if any rework is necessarily complex and finicky.

[Jeff Roltgen]

As a one-person shop with occasional need for an edge-bander, Safety-Speed 72GP has been decent for me. Look for used - I got one for less than half the cost of new. It performs about as good as a well-worn high-end European model my old landlord let me use on occasion. (Granted, it really was rode hard and put away wet - buffers weren't working and in general, it desperately needed a tune-up.) Just understand that some time will be spent dressing and detailing: sharp chisel, mineral spirits for glue clean-up, and a 1/16" round-over in your trim router.
I'm assuming you already realize a higher level of finish than that coming out of the machine will command a budget big enough to buy a nice car.

I started with a Virutex hot-air hand held, which is quite common, but I'd recommend you hold off to get something with a glue pot if you can manage. Iron-on grade veneer edge-banding has a habit of curling up/coming loose after a couple courses of water-based topcoats hit it. Moreover, with a glue-pot, you are wide open for material choices; wood veneer, solid and textured plastics to match the latest trends in wood-grained melamine and HPL. Plus, there is a world of difference in durability between the pre-glued polyester vs PVC for the standard smooth HPL/melamine matches.

If $4-10k is beyond budget constraints, you may find a portable hand -held is a good way to go. It certainly is a lot less floor space consumption!
Was about to spring for one until I happened upon the safety-speed. Obviously, it's all manual trimming with the hand-held, but advantageous when it comes to curvature. You can even get wood-toned glue colors with the cartridge-style, like Festool's hand-held edgebander.

Any models you've already researched?

[Erik Loza]

Could anyone recommend a good edge-bander for a person just starting out building cabinets?

Thanks,
Zelma

Zelma, edgebanders are one of those pieces of equipment where there is no single best suggestion. MANY, many variables to consider: Type of tape, type and volume of work, power and dust extraction considerations on the customer’s end, new vs. used, and obviously, budget. For all these reasons, there are probably just as many dissatisfied bander owners out there as happy ones. If you want, message me here or email me at e-dot-loza-at-felder-dash-group-dot-com if I can offer any advice. No sales tricks, just straight advice (feel free to search my comment history here on Sawmill Creek). I have sold lots of edgebanders and am located in Texas, by the way.

Erik

[Bobby Robbinett]

Depends. Will you be doing frameless cabinets or just banding adjustable plywood shelves and drawer box parts? Edge banders are the most delicate machine there are and they tend to be temperamental and easy to mess up. With that being said, I would never recommend a used edge bander unless it was meticulously maintained and you understand the machine and it’s adjustments and maintenance requirements upfront.

I would say that with edge banders, the simpler the better. I would not recommend a big machine starting out. If you are just a small 1 or 2 man shop and you are mostly just handing shelves then get a $15,000 new basic level machine. SCM, Felder, MiniMax or any other manufacture besides Laguna or Grizzly.

[Walter Plummer]

Not sure what machine you may need but I will second the temperamental nature. I have worked in shops with larger automated machines and my observation is they like to run all day every day. Seemed like when they sat for a while it was a pain getting them running smooth again.