Hi all,
Has anyone used a Hammer sliding table saw?
I can’t quite afford the true Felder at this point.
But I do need and accurate slider with dado capacity.
If you own one or used one and can let me know what you
thought of it, I would greatly appreciate it.
Best,
Tom
You Don’t Know. You Don’t Want to Know. You Aren’t Going to Know.
Replies
IronDog
I'm taking delivery of the Combo machine in late March. Before buying it I researched it quite a bit and had about 2 weeks intermittant experience with it in several different shops. I think it's a superb machine. What specific questions do you have?
I suggest you contact Hammer and get their demo DVD video.
Rich
Hi Rich,Thank you for the reply.
Primarily I am interested in the action of the sliding table.
I have an old SCMI entry level slider and the table always has some play in it due to the design.Did the Hammer sliding table feel accurate in its movement?TomYou Don't Know.
You Don't Want to Know.
You Aren't Going to Know.
Tom,
At the risk of gushing, I can tell you that there is absolutely nothing to wish for beyond the operation of this saw. The Felders are bigger machines, designed for constant use in production shops. The Hammers are also production machines, on a slightly smaller scale.
Other than that, they are many, many times more robust and accurate than anything you will experience with a typical cabinet saw in the American market. There is absolutely no play in the slider or deflection under the most extraordinary loads you could ever impose on it. You could lock a log on the slider and use the machine as a sawmill to cut repeated, microscopically-thin slices, all day long, if you wanted.
It changes (for the better) the way you approach crosscutting or ripping any kind of stock.
Rich
Rich,
If I may ask, how does one make a parallel rip cut on a Europena slider such as the Hammer?
I assume in the same manner as on an American TS, that is, by using the rip fence. But I'm wondering if the slider mechanism gets in the way.
I suppose that my question behind the question is that I'm wondering if the Hammer is only a better method of processing panels or if it is truly better than a TS in every respect i.e., in processing solid stock.
Monte
Monte,
It's better in every way. The engineering and forethought to accomplishing tasks rapidly, intelligently and safely is light years ahead of the typical North American table/cabinet saw design.
There are actually several ways to parallel or straight-line rip on the sliding table machine.
Of, course, one can use the rip fence in exactly the way one does on a "standard" table saw.
But once you do it on the slider, you wont want to bother with "standard ripping." For sheet goods, a "reference" side is held to the back (cross cut) fence of the slider. The back fence is perfectly square to the direction of travel. The first slice squares the cut edge. Then the rip fence is used as a stop block. This is one of the most "eye opening" aspects of using the saw - recognizing the "rip fence" as a precision, versatile, positioning device for almost all cuts (ripping or crosscut). The fence is slid in its forward and back travel so that its rear end is just foreward of the front most teeth of the saw blade (the work is never trapped between the blade and the rip fence), then set, side to side, for the dimension of the cut.
The sheet is then repeatedly brought against the rip fence for "measurement position" and held to the rear crosscut fence of the slider for each cut.
That's one way to use the slider.
It may be a little hard to picture, but actually, neither sheet goods nor solid wood need be held against the rear slider crosscut fence to accomplish parallel ripping as the rip fence can act as both a measurement stop block and to align the piece parallel to the blade before lockdown on the slider and cutting.
There is a limitation as to the minimum width sheet or solid goods one can lock on the table in this way for parallel ripping (a non-parallel rip could be made on a piece as narrow as 1/2"). Eventually the piece becomes to narrow to hold in the clamp and table "shoe" and still register against the rip fence stop block. Probably about 3" is the limit. If a rough edge needed to be trimmed parallel to an existing edge on such a piece, that would require a standard pass using the rip fence.
The difference in perceived effort, and real difference in accuracy and repeatability using the slider to lock down and control the sheet (or solid stock), and having the cut piece freely drop away from the blade at the end of each cut, vs pushing a sheet through the blade against the rip fence all the way, with the need to control both sides of the cut piece, all the time, with one's hands, is remarkable.
Rich
Excellent explanation Rich.I have put a hold on the machine and should close the deal tomorrow.
Have to have it shipped from Florida to my place in Baltimore.I think its a really good deal.
Has dado capacity, separate scoring motor, 49" rip capacity.I'll send some pics when it arrives!TomYou Don't Know.
You Don't Want to Know.
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Good deal!
Even though you don't need to be sold, get the Hammer DVD. You'll like it!
My combo machine (spelled "Kombo" on the sales agreement) has the next larger slider, the "Comfort" configuration - 79". I'll be posting pictures too. Especially ones of me muscling the thing off the delivery truck's lift gate with a pallet jack into my garage!
Rich
I love my hand tools, but drool over that machine at the wood show each year. The sales bloke has been around for a while and seems to know every owner in Canberra personally - aparently he has been known to drop in and go over set-up after you have had it for a while just to make sure you are happy.
Not in my budget - which is probably why i dont own any big iron stuff.
dave
If you don't mind my asking, was the Hammer combo less than $10k?
I have been pricing Felder combos and I can't get those machines below $15. Maybe I should be looking at Hammer.
TWG,
The Hammer Combo was $11k, delivered, with the Comfort slider (79"), dado-ready, slot mortiser, rear-tilting shaper, 12"jointer/planer, mobility package (very nice), scoring assembly, 12" blade, extra hold downs and shoe for the table.
Bragging rights, priceless.
I didn't get but a short glimpse at the Hammer combo Rich.. time constraints as the IWF is a show that takes at least two days to see it all. The combo's make sense especially if you are restricted in space. I am curious as the to table length of the 12" surfacer? The only draw-back I see to a combo is most I have seen has that great 12" jointer but with a table surface too short for the length of stock I bring in the front door of my shop from my supplier.
BTW.. in an earlier post to me, you mentioned that at one time you were in Hawaii. That lit a mental light bulb as to a Rich that used to post here several years ago that was retired (I believe retired) originally from Philly. Could that be you and if so.. what was the old user-name that you used? I can't seem to get a handle on remembrance of that user-name by Rich in Hawaii. Old age setting in no doubt! :>)
Regards...
Sarge.. jt
Sarge, The Jointer table is 55" on the my machine. There are extension also available of 18 and 31" that can be attached on either or both ends. Rich
Thanks for the reply, Rich. I don't get home from my part time work till around 11 PM EST and the spend a few hours in the shop. I could have gone to the web-site and looked, but sometimes web-sites don't give enough detail to get a "big picture".
I got by nicely with a Sunhill 55" for years (Same as Jet 6" but with 3" extensions on both ends of the table) with friction surface stands on both ends for long stock. Just upgraded to a Steel City 8" with a 75" table and good-bye extensions and set-up.
That is very clever of them to offer extensions. If I were in the market and just read it had 55" capability, I would probably pass and move on to another. But with the option of the two lengths you mentioned that would constitute a pliable choice as a long bed jointer ranks high on my priority choice. Dado capability is low for me as I don't do them on a TS period.
Again.. the Hammer is well made machinery, IMO. The Felder is extremely well made machinery! But.. we that are not commercial don't need a Peterbilt to haul rough stock and machines home to the shop from the supplier.
Hammer on and enjoy... ha.. ha...
Sarge.. jt
Sarge,
I rarely work with stock longer than 6' so I think the 55" bed will be ok. I'll find out soon and get an extension if I need it.
Re the "screen" name, yup lived in Hawaii for 15 years, grew up on the east coast. Rich14 will do for now. ;)
Rich
Morning Rich..
The 55" should be fine as it was for me on the 6' stock as I usually size it down to project size before I go to the jointer. I often get offers as I did recently to surface stock for others. I have a cousin that had downed about 1000 linear feet of pecan on his property. He took it to a local sawmill and had it ripped. But he has no surface preparation equipment and offered me 1 linear foot for every linear foot I prepped for him. Deals I can't refuse.. as I sold part of my bounty and paid for the new SC 8" and a re-con Uni-saw to boot.
I suspect that even with the 75" table, there will be times that I have to go to the Rigid flip top surface stands with what I do. Nothing is perfect I suppose. :>)
Good to know that Rich from Hawaii is live and well in Arizona. I was absent here for about 2 years and with the screen name changes.. I never saw a post from the old screen name and Arizona didn't click. I wondered as you know how it is with us "getting old farts". Expect the worse and hope for the best! ha.. ha...
Regards...
Sarge.. jt
Rich:Your reply to MonteB is very helpful me. I have a Felder CF 741 and was wondering how to maximize the benefits of the slider. When I went to Kelley Mehler, we used the slider for cross-cuts and the fence for ripping, in the traditional manner, thereby relegating the slider to a glorified cross-cut sled.I have saved your comments to pdf for future reference. I also need to thank you publicly for the help with band saw adjustments.Thank you for making your knowledge and experience available in this forum.Hastings
Hastings,Very glad to help.Are you anywhere near Austin? When I went to check out the MiniMax machines, I met one of their salesmen and instructors, Sam Blasco. Great Guy. He's a woodworker, a fiction writer and runs a series of instructional workshops, or schools. He teaches all the machines, but mainly bandsaw, shaper and sliding table saw. He has tons of jigs, templates and special workholders for all the machines. Of course, he uses Minimax machines, but what he teaches is not unique to that brand at all.That's where you can REALLY learn about this kind of equipment.I don't know if Felder/Hammer has such teaching activities.I have Sam's email address at MiniMax-usa.com. I don't know if he would want me to post it here, but you could certainly reach him through the minimax web site to find out about his classes.Here's his website with a very interesting project:http://homepage.mac.com/postcromag/PhotoAlbum7.htmlRich
Rich:Funnily enough I talked to Sam when I was looking at combination machines and I met him briefly at IWF. I still check the Minimax users group from time to time. I really liked the Minimax product, but given the amount of money involved, I thought the Felder was just a cut above.I did not realize that he runs classes so I will look into that. He seems quite the renaissance man.While I'm not that near Austin, it's not too difficult a journey from Mobile, AL where I live.BTW, as a Hammer owner, do you belong to FOG (Felder Owner's Group)? It has been an invaluable resource for questions about my machine. The owner's manual is limited, so, for example, I couldn't calibrate the powerdrive on my planer without the assistance of FOG.Hastings
Hastings,Technically I'm not a Hammer owner (yet). My machine is due for delivery in late March. I'll find out about joining "FOG." (awful name!)
Yep… it is awful! And, not to be confused with the other FOG— Festool Owners Group!I bet you're excited about the impending delivery.Hastings
Rich,
That really was an excellent reply. For the first time I understand why the European fences are so short and what their complete function is. No one had ever explained that to me before. Not even the salesmen that were trying to sell me when I asked them. Thankfully and finally these type saws are gaining popularity among us serious woodworkers with the one man home shops. Thanks Again!
Danny
Danny,You're welcome. I highly recommend you request the DVDs that both Hammer and MiniMax offer (free). They're really fun to watch, but I warn you, they may tempt you to create a large dent in your bank account!Rich
Rich,
I've actually got them and have been considering a purchase since the beginning of last year. Moneys not the issue, It's just that I wasn't sure I'd like it, since I'm pretty attached to my Powermatic 66. But I'm fairly certain now that If I do purchase a Hammer or Mininmax this year that I'll just keep my Powermatic as a backup or for a dedicated dado setup.
Danny
Danny,"I'll just keep my Powermatic as a backup or for a dedicated dado setup"Not once you've used the Hammer dado head! Or experienced the accuracy of dadoing a piece clamped firmly on that sliding table.Rich
I don't have it IronDog, but I did go over it quite extensively at the IWF in Atlanta last fall when comparing it to Laguna and Rojek for Brownman who couldn't see it personally. It's a very well built machine, but............
Check with the Felder guys (Hammer) and ask about putting dado capacity on it as at that time, it was extra to install. I think I remember an issue with the arbor being metric also and to get it to 1" bore to accept U.S. blades it cost extra to convert. Don't hold me to that part.. there was another hidden cost issue with it I questioned and that comes to mind. It could have been another Euro saw, but I know it was an issue and it wasn't Rojek that was the culprit on that one.
Just ask them what add-ons they suggest to do dadoes and take U.S. blades and that will clarify the issue. I just remember that with the added cost it took to get it to U.S. speed, it added quite a bit to the bottom line.
Regards...
Sarge.. jt
Good point. The Hammer sales philosophy is that everything is "a la cart" and the machine is configured as the buyer wants. The advertised price does not include a number of items which the buyer often feels should be "standard." The result is an unfortunate feeling of being hit with "hidden charges" and that the salesman is playing a "baiting game." That really is not true.
I experienced this, eventually to realize I was being somewhat naive. I had looked at the MiniMax machines, which have a different philosphy, and include many items in the package at the advertised price. I told the Hammer salesman I was annoyed with all the "optional" extras and asked him to quote me a machine similar to the "fully loaded" MiniMax. He had a quote in seconds, which was actually below the MiniMax price, with superior features. He hadn't been hiding anything, just needed me to tell him how I wanted the machine configured.
The dado capability adds cost to the "base price" of the machine. It's worth it. Get it. The Hammer dado head is another story. If you have a lot of work for it, get it. It's $600. But it's different from any other dado head, it's really a shaper style slot cutter and well worth the investment. I'm not getting it, as I don't need it right now. But my machine is dado capable and I'll get the head when I'm ready for it. Hammer says it "melts" the wood away. That's an apt description. It has to be used to be appreciated.
Rich
Edited 2/22/2007 11:01 am ET by Rich14
Rich and Sarge,The Hammer I planning on purchasing is used but in great condition from 2001. It has dado capacity. One concern I have is that the specs say its wired for 208v 3phase, my 3 phase runs at 240v.I'm having trouble finding out if thats a big deal or if it can be wired for 208 or 240.Other than that I'm ready to purchase!TomYou Don't Know.
You Don't Want to Know.
You Aren't Going to Know.
The machines can be wired any way you need them. Interesting that the machine you're looking at has a 3-phase motor. They come equipped standard now with single-phase 4 hp motors.
Call Hammer. They can tell you everything you need to know about the machine. The West Coast divison in Sacramento, is (800) 572-0061
Rich, the top Hammer models, the older Expert and the current Perform, come standard with 3-phase motors.
Life is what happens to you when you're making other plans .
Thanks. Obvioulsy I didn't know that (about the Hammer line).
I had originally specified the Perform configuration. I actually changed to the Comfort because I didn't have room for the larger slider (looking back I think I should have stayed with my original order!). I wasn't aware that the Perform would have included 3 phase motors. The salesman didn't mention it and the current catalog does not describe the Combo Perform to have 3 phase power. The B3 (saw-shaper) Perform and K3 (Panel Saw) Perform, yes, but not the Combo.
Of course, I have no access to 3-phase at my house. I guess I would have had to also get a 3-phase converter.
You are correct about the current C3 31 Perform having single phase motors according to the catalog. All the old Hammer Expert model machines had 3-phase motors.
Life is what happens to you when you're making other plans .
Edited 2/23/2007 1:15 pm ET by JerryPacMan
Yes Sarge, I thank you again for your efforts in checking these saws out for me. BTW I will be attending the AWFS show in Vegas this year, so if you need me to scope out anything for you just let me know. I may be ready to actually make this purchase by then as I'm still very much interested.
Danny
Edited 3/7/2007 2:07 am ET by brownman
Morning Danny...
You're quite welcome as glad to assist in any way... With any kind of luck I won't need anything by the Vegas Show. In the past 6 months I have purchased a new 18" SC band-saw, 8" SC jointer, a factory re-conditioned Uni-saw and just yesterday have a Yorkcraft 20" planer on the way.
My wife said I was over-due, but can only push that statement so far before the flood gates close. :>)
BTW.. you will like the Euro fence once you get used to it. I built one 4 years ago after learning about it from Sgain Dubh and would rip without one. The first thing I did with my new to me Uni-saw was build an adjustable one and mount it over the Biesemeyer. Shame.. shame.. shame on me. ha.. ha...
Regards...
Sarge.. jt
Sarge,
Sounds like your in toy heaven this year!Thanks for sending me your photo's of your Euro fence, but I did see when you posted them before. I just told the wife today that I really want to make the purchase of a slider this year and she pretty much gave me the go ahead as she knows I've been putting it off for almost a year now. She's so good to me! She knows I'm due since her last embroidery machine was over six grand, and she has three of them.Anyway enjoy those new machines and don't cut your fingers off.
Danny
Sarge,I hate to impose on you, but you seem to have "seen it all" at the IWF. I really like what I saw in the FWW review of combo J/Ps: 12" jointer (WOW!), longer tables, recovered floor space, etc. I like the MM because of the HD fence and 59" table - but wonder what you saw at the show and your impression of comparative quality. Also the review did not cover Laguna/Robland. I have a Laguna 14" BSD and am happy with it.Thanks for your opinion, FrostyP.S. MM has dropped their price by $800 - now $3,750.
Morning Frosty...
You're certainly not bothering me. I love machines and certainly not "shy" about talking them! :>)
I don't know about "seeing it all". I was only there for two days and it would take 4 days IMO to cover all ground at least. The is a monster Show in the Georgia World Congress Center that covers 4 connected buildings and two floor levels in each. Manufacturers world-wide use it to show their new "goodies" every other year.
I was kind of keying on checking out the Euro sliders for Danny (Brownman) as he does not have the opportunity as most to get to see the full menu available. But.. once you get in one of those show booths and love machinery as I do, you just can't help but notice all the goodies they have. :>)
I cannot be specific as again I was not actually focused on checking the Euro combos out specifically, but what I found was "all" were built well and the machining was good. Not machined as well as a Felder, but then again thousands of dollars under their price and the price of the other "very top of line Euro's". And the price reflects that of course.
I will point out that I flipped tables on a few J-P's and you are talking very heavy cast iron and requiring a fair amount of strength. Again the machining was good on all I saw. The design and features varied in degree's and that would require going over each manufacturer's spec sheets, etc. to find the best combination of what you personally want at a price that fits your budget.
The bed length on the MM you mentioned is important to me also. I bring in a lot of rough stock and I personally am more concerned with bed length than advanced cutter-heads, etc. If you get both, icing on the cake. I will also say that I am very impressed with MM in particular. Good machines and good customer service after the sale. I had a MM 16 BS on deposit till I ran into the SC 18" which was just what "I" needed at much less of course.
The biggest thing I found negative about any of those Euro lines, especially the sliding TS's was the fence and rails could be designed a little better. And I didn't say I felt they were bad.. but could better with a little more thought.
So.. what is my over-all impression of Euro Combo machines? I personally would rather have a stand alone if I have the space. But... if space is an issue, what more could you ask for other than a Combo that performs multiple task with a little effort changing over. And it will take a much smaller foot-print on your floor space!
Regards and good luck with your decision~
Sarge.. jt
I have had a Hammer B3 saw/shaper combo since last summer. It is a great machine and the slider is smooth but not quite as smooth as the Felder X-Roll slider. They redesigned the Hammer line a couple of years ago and it is a much better saw than the old line. The old Hammer rip fence was not very good and the slider action was somewhat rough. I would recommend getting a new Hammer if possible unless the one your are considering in around $2000.
I would also recommend the Hammer/Felder dado as it uses replaceable carbide cutters and does an excellent job. It is expensive but worth it. Also, it is bored with the Felder/Hammer configuration, a 30mm bore and 2/9/46.35mm pin drive spacing.
Life is what happens to you when you're making other plans .
Hi Jerry,This one is a 2001 machine, 4500 smackers.
If you think the slider action is actually "rough" then
it wouldn't be any better than my old SCMI.
I haven't put a deposit on this yet.
Now I'm in a quandry!TomYou Don't Know.
You Don't Want to Know.
You Aren't Going to Know.
Tom,
Have you actually used the machine? If you can't test it first, I recommend a clear statement in the sales contract that you can return it at no cost to you whatever, if there's anything lacking in it's performance.
The bigger Felder machines have a more robust roller mechanism under the sliders, but I could tell no difference in the smoothness comparing to the Hammer (current models). And while the Felder is a bigger, stronger mechanism, the Hammer is still a very capable production machine, by any measure.
Are you buying from a private party or a Hammer dealer?
Rich
Edited 2/23/2007 9:17 am ET by Rich14
Rich, the machine is in Florida.
So no way to test it out.
Hence this line of discussion.
I would be purchasing through a dealer.
I will ask to communicate directly to the seller.Thanks,TomYou Don't Know.
You Don't Want to Know.
You Aren't Going to Know.
I don't want to sound negative as I have no idea what the used market is on that machine, Tom. But.. I will give Rich's comments a second that the newer Hammers have been up-graded to work out earlier kinks. That by no means says it was a bad machine as it is was not.. but I would want to be absolutely sure the machine is in top form before I spent that kind of cash "sight unseen". There are some heavy shipping charges involved also and a two way trip even if you had a return clause would be rather steep.
I personally won't buy a machine "sight unseen" and that's the reason I have never purchased Grizzy even though lauded by many. Grizzly only makes it to the larger shows as IWF in Atlanta and the Expo in LV every two years. I did finally get to go over their line last fall, so that has changed as their jointers are well done especially for the price.
But.. if you have checked market and are stealing it at that price.. you could probably sell it local for what you paid if it doesn't meet your end expectations. Just a few thoughts to be considered.. Ask the dealer making the transaction about warranty and return if not satisfied!
Good luck...
Sarge.. jt
I see that it is a K3 L Expert with a 9' slider that sold for $7629 according to my old catalog. This was the top of the line Hammer and it does have what looks like the X-Roll slider according to my catalog. I have not seen the machine that you are considering but it does look nice with a long slider and dado and scoring options are an extra. I have seen the SCMI and MiniMax saws and I though the new Hammer line sliders were smoother but the X-Roll sliders are excellent.
I have and old quote for a Hammer K3 winner with a 79" slider, dado and scoring that was $6000. This is a tough decision because the saw you are considering looks like it has a 9' X-Roll slider. Maybe the 3-phase motor is a deal breaker.
Life is what happens to you when you're making other plans .
I called Felder and to get the current model with dado capacity, separate scoring motor, 49" rip and a few of the other options would cost over 9k and I would still have to pay for shipping.TomYou Don't Know.
You Don't Want to Know.
You Aren't Going to Know.
I gave you my quote for a K3 winner and you are correct that the K3 perform would be about 9K. The K3 perform is the top Hammer model and has the longest slider in the Hammer line and comes standard with a 3-phase motor. I would say that since it looks like it has an X-Roll slider and you can deal with the 3-phase power it is a pretty good deal. The saw looks to be in excellent condition.
Life is what happens to you when you're making other plans .
Jerry, Thank you very much for your info. it really helps with this decision. I was expecting it to be an X-roller slider, I'm glad you think it is.
Everything is looking good, they are going to put me in touch with
the owner so I can ask him questions.BTW- I use this place called uship.com for machinery shipping.
Might want to check it out if you need something from outside your area.
To move it from florida to Baltimore will cost me 550.00 and it will be in a covered truck.TomYou Don't Know.
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I could be wrong, but I think the X-Roller mechanism is found only in the Felder line, not the Hammer. Let us know what you find out from the owner. I don't think you will be disappointed with it either way.
Rich
Rich, if you have the 2003/2004 Hammer catalog and look on page 26 you will see what looks like the first generation X-Roll slider and had the same 6 year guarantee as the current X-Roll slider. While you are correct that X-Roll sliders are only on the Felder's. The slider on the previous Hammer Expert model is very close to the X-Roll slider that is sold now. The slider's on our Hammer machines is completely different as it uses ball bearings and the X-Roll uses roller bearings.
Life is what happens to you when you're making other plans .
Ask how smooth the slider action is. Also, in a old Hammer review, not the Expert model, their was a vibration problem. Ask if the saw produces nice clean cuts. Also, I replied to Rich with some additional slider info. IMHO it appears that the saw you are considering has a first generation X-Roll slider. Felder introduced the roller bearing (X-Roll) slider in 1990.
Life is what happens to you when you're making other plans .
Edited 2/24/2007 9:52 am ET by JerryPacMan
Edited 2/24/2007 9:54 am ET by JerryPacMan
Hi Jerry, I spoke to the owner, commercial shop but this saw didn't see much action so they are selling it. Apparently they keep a super clean shop and blow off the saw at the end of the day! I wish I kept my shop that clean. Anyway, he liked the saw and thought the slider action was tight and accurate. I think we have gotten over most of the hurdles. Just waiting for confirmation on the dado capacity.TomYou Don't Know.
You Don't Want to Know.
You Aren't Going to Know.
I do not see any mention of a dado or dado option in the optional equipment list in my 2003/2004 Hammer catalog. They do have an adjustable groover and enlargement cutter with a max cutting width of 15mm in the catalog. The Felder/Hammer dado option uses a different arbor. The inner flange can be removed and replaced with a narrow flange to accommodate the wider dado cutter set. I would call Felder and ask about the dado option on the Expert saw.
Life is what happens to you when you're making other plans .
Edited 2/25/2007 3:24 pm ET by JerryPacMan
Hi Jerry, You were right!
This saw does not have dado capacity.
Their listing was incorrect. So, back to the drawing board.
Looking at a true Felder but of course the price is much higher.Tom
You Don't Know.
You Don't Want to Know.
You Aren't Going to Know.
Brownman,
The Hammer reps pay attention to this site. I was contatcted after I posted message #6 in this thread by a rep who picked up a problem with my order just based on that posting. I'll share that issue here after I get my machine.
I wonder if your post will get you an inquiry from them.
Rich
Hope they do as I need to talk with them again to see if we can work out something.If I can get the right price I may just go for the Felder K-500. It's about $1100.00 more and I see that it has the X roller which is supposed to be their top of the line sliding mechanism. And it appears to have two turn handles instead of the one on the Hammer that you must remove back and forth for raising and tilting the blade. The thing I don't understand is why they don't include the 51" slider as standard equipment on the K500, but do on the lesser Hammer K-3. It's $360.00 extra on the K-500. And to have the slider anodized on the K-500 you have to pay an extra 200.00 when it's standard on the K-3. Must be some kind of European thinking we Americans just don't understand. So did you order your Hammer with the Euro blade guard? It's like $42.00 extra. What about a hold down for your fence? If you buy theirs its an extra 175.00 plus 42.64 for the nut to mount it on your fence. What about the small extension table that mounts in front of the fence and to the side of the slider, it's an extra 100.88 cents. And did you also get the edging shoe that mounts on the front of the slider so you can straighten board edges using the slide, it's and extra $71.76 . Hopefully you considered all these things before you purchased so you won't be surprised when you get your machine in March. Another thing you might want to consider if your doing buried cuts is you need to take off the Euro splitter that it comes with or purchase the standard splitter which again is extra $. Apparently, at least this is what they told me, is they can't sell the saw with a standard splitter or riving knife in the USA as it is technically not legal. So what features did you end up ordering with your Hammer?
DannyEdited 3/8/2007 10:48 pm ET by brownman
Edited 3/8/2007 10:51 pm ET by brownman
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