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Thread: Hammer C3-41P vs Felder 531P

  1. #1

    Hammer C3-41P vs Felder 531P

    I'm considering which of these two machines to purchase. Both options are configured to be fairly similar, 98" stroke, 3.0Kw motor, etc. The C3-41P is 16" planer,jointer vs 12" for the 531P. The 531P is 20% more expensive.

    What I would like to know is how the two differ in terms of quality, reliability, feel and convenience of the controls. I know the 531 has x-slide rollers, but I'm not sure what that will mean in practice.

    Is the 531P worth it in terms of quality? After seeing this review https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDyH-uFC4iE where the author had a variety of quality problems with the Hammer and ended up replacing it, I was concerned about the quality of the Hammer line. The creator ends up getting a 741, but I'm not sure how to compare the step up in quality between Hammer C3, Felder 531 and Felder 741. Is the 531 more like a 741 but smaller, or more like the Hammer?

    Any other considerations?

    I'm an amateur with a fairly large hobby workshop (44' x 30'). I have a 5'x10' CNC for panel cuts, so my intention for the sliding tablesaw is mostly non sheet goods. I've been putting off buying a table saw for sometime and have been making do with the CNC, Festool Tracksaw, Miter Saw, benchtop Planer. My hope is to get a tablesaw before I retire (in ~4 years), but will last a long time. This is mainly a hobby, and I might do some work for money in retirement, but my intentions is not to have a production shop. Machines to support a production workload is not a primary concern.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    May 2014
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    Ian ,I own a Felder K700S sliding saw. I may not have this correct but I believe the order of quality in the Felder /Hammer world is this. Hammer is the entry level, next step up is the 500 series ,they share internals with the Hammer line but have the X-roll sliding table. Next is the 700 series which is a step up from the 500, mostly heavier trunnion and beefier build, and larger motors. This is the sliding saw only models. I assume that the same number system applies to combinations. Felder has other more industrial higher levels of machines as well. Hope this helps. The X-roll table is smoother than Hammer's slider ,I would say it is desirable and a real pleasure to use.
    Last edited by Mike Kees; 05-09-2022 at 10:47 PM.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
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    Hi Ian, I work part time for Felder-Group Canada in support.

    I personally own a Hammer B3W saw/shaper and an A3-31 jointer planer, I’ve had the B3 for 12 years and the first A3 is 14 years old. Both have had a large amount of use, no. Issues, wouldn’t hesitate to buy or recommend either.

    I always tell customers that a 5 function combination machine can be great, however it requires working room on 4 sides,which can be an issue, however probably not for you as your shop is large.

    The other issue is that you need to have the machine in jointer mode (tables down) to use the saw, and the rip capacity is limited to 800mm, since you have a large CNC, this may not be an issue.

    The 531 has a Hammer saw and shaper assembly, with a Felder X roll table and jointer/planer.

    The X roll table is fantastic, the Hammer table works perfectly, and is accurate and stable however it’s not as nice as the X roll.

    The 531 also has a tilting spindle shaper, the C3 shaper spindle does not tilt.

    The other differences are the 531 has a nicer shaper fence, the Hammer fence is accurate and works perfectly, I use my shaper a lot, for me the real issue is tilting, I use that feature often.

    As to shaper spindles if you don’t have shaper tooling at present I recommend a30mm spindle as you can share tooling with the saw,such as Slotting and grooving tools or blades if the size matches. It’s worth having the MF spindle system to be able to change to a router bit or a different spindle size.

    There are a myriad of accessories you can buy at any time such as a tenoning table, curve guard, power feeder, hold down clamp, table extensions and digital mechanical indicators for spindle height or angle, all of which I’ve added as requirements grew.

    You do have make sure however that options which are factory installs are in your order.

    In short, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend either machine, good luck, have fun….Rod

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
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    Perth, Australia
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    Ian, I think it comes down to how serious an amateur woodworker you are, and how deep is your pocket.

    I have had a Hammer N4400 for 10 years, A3-31 for 7 years, and K3 for 4 or 5 years. They have run fault-free in all this time, partly thanks to the superb Felder preparation and support here. I am a pretty serious amateur of about 30 years experience and, while it would be nice to own the Felder range, this is really more curiosity than actual desire. I already feel very blessed with great machines that do all that I ask of them. In fact, many of the pro shops I visit do not own machines of this quality. They manage to turn out stupendous work on really average Chinese machines.

    Regards from Perth

    Derek
    Last edited by Derek Cohen; 05-10-2022 at 12:59 PM.

  5. #5
    Thank you for the response. It sounds like the 531 is a hammer with the x-roll table. Given that the C3 41 also has a 16" planer / jointer maybe the x-roll is not worth it. In the end I appreciate the feel of a quality mechanism, but if the Hammer slider delivers the equivalent quality of cut maybe the x-slide is not worth it. I wasn't planning on looking at the 700 line but I wonder about the quality of cut. In particular the claim that no jointing is necessary for panel glue up is enticing.

  6. #6
    Thank you for the reply. You mention that the rip capacity is 800m but both quotes have an option for a sliding table length of 2500mm. A rip capacity of 800mm would be a problem, not for sheet goods, but for boards.

    It's good to hear that your experience with hammer has been without quality issues.

    I haven't thought much about the shaper option, or the tiltining shaper capability since I've never used that. What do you find useful about this option?

    You mention the options that are available at ordering time. This is one of the things i've had trouble finding. I'll look into those. It sounds like those options can be added though, so maybe it's not critical to order them initially.

  7. #7
    Great to hear about your positive experience with Hammer. I realize that the quality of work I produce will probably not be much better with one vs the other. Both the Hammer and Felder lines are high end compared to the typical USA table saw. I was looking at the SawStop, but I currently think the benefits of a slider are worth it. I'm just looking forward to working with quality equipment and not having to find work arounds. I guess in the end it comes down to whether I want to put retirement off for a month or two to justify the cost vs benefit tradeoff.

  8. #8
    Join Date
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    Toronto Ontario
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ian Porteous View Post
    Thank you for the reply. You mention that the rip capacity is 800m but both quotes have an option for a sliding table length of 2500mm. A rip capacity of 800mm would be a problem, not for sheet goods, but for boards.

    It's good to hear that your experience with hammer has been without quality issues.

    I haven't thought much about the shaper option, or the tiltining shaper capability since I've never used that. What do you find useful about this option?

    You mention the options that are available at ordering time. This is one of the things i've had trouble finding. I'll look into those. It sounds like those options can be added though, so maybe it's not critical to order them initially.
    Hi Ian, options such as dado capability, scoring saw and sliding table length are ordered at the time of purchase.

    Accessories can be added whenever you have a need for them.

    The tilting shaper spindle allows you make bevels or change a cutter profile

    I’ve attached a couple of photos of me making an outdoor light with a top beveled on 3 sides…Rod
    09C133EF-07EC-481C-B8D6-2ADC2FE701A9.jpgB4046DE2-83BA-457D-86F1-B8F7C92C93F2.jpg

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