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Thread: Comatic DC70

  1. #1

    Comatic DC70

    I've been looking for reviews of people who purchased the DC70 vs the DC40. The DC40 seems much more popular but its not clear to me why. The DC70 seems better in every way other than price, similar throw, more wheels.

  2. #2
    Join Date
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    I have a dc40 and like it a lot, but i dont have much experience with other feeders. Thus far ive used it to process 130-150 5/4 boards that were 10' long into ship lap for a timber frame shed roof and floor, and several small one off cabinet door projects. I dont think 7 wheels would be better on bigger projects, but i can see some advantage with feeding smaller parts that were only 7-8" long. Not sure if i could or couldnt do that with the dc40, but i did need pretty short rails for a small cabinet and in that case i made my stick cut on a longer piece of stock and cut out my 4-5" rails afterwards. What is the price difference? I would probably rather have the smart stand with a dc40 than the dc70.

  3. #3
    Quote Originally Posted by Patrick Kane View Post
    What is the price difference? I would probably rather have the smart stand with a dc40 than the dc70.
    Price

    $1395/$1895

    Quote Originally Posted by Patrick Kane View Post
    I dont think 7 wheels would be better on bigger projects
    Why do you think it would it would be worse for big jobs as both have 3/4 travel, the 7 just has more wheels and more contact area with the material.

    You can have the smart stand on both.

    I'm guessing it just comes down to price, but I'm wondering if there is another reason.
    Last edited by derek labian; 09-15-2021 at 11:42 AM. Reason: expl. of price

  4. #4
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    Oh i dont think it would be worse on long pieces at all. I just think the extra 3 wheels would be negligible in their workpiece results compared to the 4 wheel feeder. I had flawless results on the rebates i cut in the ceiling and floor boards, and the dc40 gave me ample support to feed one 10'er trailing the previous 10'er and have time to get around the machine to catch the completed workpiece. The 7 wheel model would give you a bit more support on the infeed/outfeed sides, but i dont think it would make a difference.

    If you have infinite money, then yes, the 7 wheel version has to be better. My point was, i dont think its that much better in most situations, and i would rather apply the $500 towards the smartstand, or a longer support arm, or extra narrow wheels etc.

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by Patrick Kane View Post
    If you have infinite money, then yes, the 7 wheel version has to be better. My point was, i dont think its that much better in most situations, and i would rather apply the $500 towards the smartstand, or a longer support arm, or extra narrow wheels etc.
    My guess is thats the same conclusion most people come to. Thank you so much for the insights!

  6. #6
    If this is for a combo machine, I would not look any further than a three or four-wheel feeder. Remember, you still have to manhandle that thing out of the way. Even the DC Comatics aren't light. One of my local guys has the 4-wheel Comatic on his KF700SP and loves it. Just about the right size and it's amazingly easy to flip over with the gas piston tipper bracket.

    Erik
    Ex-SCM and Felder rep

  7. #7
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    I have the dc40 on my felder combo, and even with the gas strut, its a bit of a lift. You can lift it with a finger to a certain point, but then the rest of the pivot is on you. I can see this being a struggle for some people.

    One thing i wish i knew was the standard dc40 stand's support arm is like 6-10" too short to adequately feed material through the saw unit. The smart stand or the optional longer support tube would rectify this issue. Something else to consider if this feeder is for a combo unit, get the longer arm.

  8. #8
    Shopgear description:

    The DC70 Power Feeder has 7 small rollers to accommodate short stock with the largest distance (center to center) being about 2-1/2" and the overall length of the feeder is similar to a 4 wheel feeder. The recommended minimum length of stock is 5" but shorter parts can be fed depending on the profile and material. A shop that manufactures little wood boxes (Pet Urns) successfully feeds 3" long parts without any wobbling or sniping. The DC70 also has a variable speed adjustment so you can dial in the exact speed you want from 7 to 86 FPM.

    Patrick,

    I didn't realize how expensive the Smart Stand was. The difference between the DC40/70 is $500. The Smart Stand is a $1000~ upgrade though. I see your point about spending that extra money on the Smart Stand. The DS400 (DC40 + Smart Stand) is almost $2500 by itself.

    I decided to save the money and go for the DS400 + the 50% off the poly wheels at time of purchase. (No such discounts for the DS700)

    Update: Shopgear contacted me about the DC70 this morning. One thing I didn't realize is that the DC70 already comes with Poly wheels so that cuts about $150 off the price making the difference just $350. I switched to the DC70 + Smart Stand.

    Derek
    Last edited by derek labian; 09-16-2021 at 12:47 PM. Reason: updated based on change in purchase

  9. #9
    likely a belt feeder does short lengths the best

  10. #10
    I have two DC 40's in the shop and if I could find a reason not to (other than price) Id probably have gone with the DC70's just for the ability to feed shorter parts which we do relatively often. Ive talked with people who have run track/belt feeders and they have a lot of complaints especially if you have to hard skew your feeder against an inboard/outboard fence and the track wearing heavily internally or walking off the drive wheels.

    The DC40's are killer and I cant imagine the 70 being any worse. Its a brutal cost to swallow up front. When we bought the two DC 40's with the smart stands the up-front cost was a pucker.

    RE the smart stand, consider your workflow. If its a single machine and you run a lot of vertical and horizontal fenced parts the smart stand is a no brainer but if you primarily run flat on the table I'd not be so concerned with the smart stand. Its handy for a single machine but even in that capacity your return point on the main column rotation may be always changing so the fixed lock isnt going to gain much. Also remember the smart stand is pretty massive if you have a standard feeder column to compare it to.

  11. #11
    Join Date
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    I have a combo machine with a tilt mount. I originally had a 3 wheel Maggie Steff and a conventional stand with the rubber tires. This was 11 years ago. An upgrade to poly tires really solved any slipping problem I had. when the Smart Stand hit the market I upgraded to a DC40 with a smart stand. Lots heavier. I had to swap the gas strut on my lift to a stronger one, I think the new one is rated 250 lbs. With the stronger strut its just as easy to lift. The DC40 four wheel feeder is bigger and a bit harder to tuck out of the way than the 3 wheel. I looked at the 7 wheel at the Vegas show and it's even bigger. I suspect it would be harder to tuck away when not using. I spoke with Comatic about the 7 wheel at the show there and they said it was really for shorter pieces so you have at least a couple of wheels on each part. I do not think you would gain much otherwise and I think it would be cumbersome to flip out of the way.

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