Things I like and don't like part 1
In this video I will be sharing my thoughts on the Hammer A3-41 Jointer Planer combo machine after using it in my shop for over 1 year. I will answer the most commonly asked questions I have received during that time, share my likes and dislikes, as well as share my opinions on who I think a jointer planer combo machine may be good for.
#woodworkingtools #jointer #planer
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Your set-up video was great and gave me a lot of confidence when I put my jointer together. Thanks!
really good evaluation about the combo vs separate machines.
Informative, to the point and answered with fact based on your actual hands-on experience. Thank you.
You’re welcome
I have been using that exact machine for a few years now, and I love it!
Great machine
Nice explanations. Thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome
Sweet machine, would love to get one in the future. Thanks JB!
👊🏼👊🏼
I have this machine coming soon. I really appreciate your honesty and detail review! Thank you. Watching your previous reviews and how detailed they were, make me make my decision to get one. Yes, there is a high price tag, but like you stated you have two high quality machines in one. Thanks again for what you do for all of us!
Keep an eye out Friday. I have a part 2 to this video coming out talking about some other key areas.
@@bentswoodworking Can't wait, Thanks!!
Excellent overview!
Thank you Jason, the A3-41 has been on my radar for years finally ordered one this past summer when I moved to a new location with a 780 sq ft 2 bay work shop where space is at a premium, it finally arrived a month ago but then I had knee replacement surgery so all I can do its look at it unassembled still on the pallet and yes I sold off my 20" HH planner and 8" jointer in anticipation for all of the reasons you stated. Funny thing is I gave away my pallet jack before hand not knowing I'd need it to get this thing off the pallet.
I’ve had the A3-31 for years now - must be close to a decade - and I love it. I did have an initial problem with it, but they sent out a tech and got it working and it has been perfect since. I LOVE the digital height gauge and that is what sold me on it - I’d absolutely recommend getting this. A few quick notes: 1) I have 2 aluminum infeed/outfeed table additions, and never use them. They are finicky to install and level and really not worth it for most things. I don’t think I’d buy them if I were to do it over. I don’t need them. 2) Mobility kit is ok - can only move forward and backwards or in a wide turn radius, but really, how often does one really need to move a jointer/planer? Mine is fine. The weld broke on it early on though, but I just stuck some bolts through. They wanted to replace it for me under warranty but I had repaired it and it worked fine so I never bothered to swap it. 3) The cutterheads last a really long time (helical). You get a great quality finish on figured wood. I haven’t had to replace any cutters yet (just rotate). Definitely worth it. 4) Dust collection is pretty good - and j/p’s do not put that much fine dust in the air. You do get shavings on the planer table so blow it off after using the jointer so it doesn’t affect registration. 5) I agree with Jason about the fence. You can get it square, but not when it’s all the way back. I check it for square each time, and usually it holds it, but not always. Just don’t try to set it when the fence is back all the way. 6) I use mine on a 30A circuit (it’s about 4HP), and have never had the breaker trip. I did my own wiring so it wasn’t a big deal. 7) It’s one of the quietest tools in my shop when running w/o stock going through it. It just sounds like it’s high quality. 8) Prices are very negotiable - the list price is just a starting point. It’s like what buying a car was like in the 80’s. 9) Get the dust adapter since it’s a slightly weird one (120mm) - it’s cheap and they will probably throw it in as part of the negotiation. The digital height gauge makes it very easy to replicate height if I need to go back and mill up some more stock later. 10) It is a bit slow to transform it back and forth from Spaceball One to Megamaid, but I just plan for that and do all my jointing first, then all my planing. For what I paid, I couldn’t have gotten a 12 inch jointer alone, nevermind a combination j/p. I don’t entirely understand that. I did the same thing Jason did - priced out 12” jointers and realized it was cheaper to just get the combo machine than to get the 2 separately, aside from the space savings. I’ve never found the 12 inch limiting at all for the jointers. For the planer, once in a great while I wish I had more, but I just use a router on rails in those cases, which is essentially unlimited capacity anyways.
Wow thank you so much for sharing that for everyone!!!
great video Brent! I don't joint parts that long so this is perfect for me. great overview!
Glad you found it helpful
Great video! Thanks for sharing.
I have the A3-31 and its by far one of the best purchases I’ve made for my shop. It’s one of those tools that is just a pleasure to use.
It’s definitely an enjoyable tool to use.
Great Review
I've owned a Robland X31 for around 18 years now and it takes the "combo" concept even further (5 in 1). The jointer planer combo on it is worth the total price of the machine and works almost identically to the Hammer. Add to that the sliding table arbor saw, shaper (I've never used) and mortiser and it's a huge bargain and all in one footprint. Euro machines are just in another class than any domestic machines I've encountered.
Okay, this comment sent me off on a 1 hour detour wondering if the Robland would be a good fit for me. Here I am back again looking that this.
I have the same machine. I love it! I got a great deal around Christmas of 2020 (just under 6K with all the accessories I wanted). I make signs on my CNC, being able to joint up to a 16" board really comes in handy for my purposes. Your first video about this machine went a long way to helping me pull the trigger on this, so thanks.
Who did you order this machine from?
Really useful video so thanks for posting.
You’re welcome
I really liked the thoroughness of this video, Jason. In fact, you always do a great job of giving us a very descriptive review. My shop is in its beginning stages, and I am not in the position to purchase a tool of this size and capacity. Although I enjoyed the ability to dream a little after your video description, I certainly hope I would need it at some point in my woodworking growth. Felix
Stick with it Felix and you will. I never thought I would be in this position.
Adjusting that planer bed like a graceful ballerina :D Thanks for the video!
🤣🤣
A little comment... I have the C3-31 and love it... want to share an experience : a month or so using the planer, I found the boards were starting to be difficult to run through. Now, I am not an experienced woodworker, and some (or all) of you may know where I'm going with this but I was very discouraged at that point. The solution was simple and not so obvious for me : waxing the tables is paramount! I run hundreds of board-feet a week now and before every big job, I wax the tables and the machine runs like new again. I thought waxing was important but I didn't expect it to have so much impact. I run a 220V powerfeeder on the jointer and again, no problem as long as I wax the tables (about once or twice a week). I make my own wax as I have found car waxes or many paste waxes don't hold up that long (many contain anti-slip agents I suppose)... recipe for wax are simple and readily available online (turpentine, carnauba, canning wax etc...) Lessons learned. Thanx for the review.
Agree with you about waxing. In addition, if you run a lot of soft wood through the machine, I suggest that you regularly clean the rollers and beds with acetone; this will shift any resin buildup which can cause binding/slipping
@@chrislaing7153 Yup, early on with my A3-31 I didn’t realize this. The planer wasn’t feeding well. I often will use construction lumber and joint and plane it to precise dimension, and all that pitch/resin builds up on the rollers. Just clean them and it’s good as new again. Wish someone had told me that early on!
A very important point. I also wax the planner table as the machines I use are separate much better performance. STORY Some years ago I was hired by a school board to go over their machines. All the machines were J A Faye Egan and dated in the late 30's The planner was large about 30 inches if my memory is right. I discovered that very many of the old grease fitting had never been greased ever! The top steel roller was destroyed . I later learn the the school had replaced all the oak wood benches from the outside stadium and one of the football coaches had run the boards through with the nails in them. I never replaced but installed all new grease fittings and left the roller for someone else as I just could not bring myself to do it. On some of the other machines like the two jointers I took the beds to a place In Cinti Ohio and had them resurfaced. The machine they used was like a story and a half high and a man sat in the top in a captains chair while the bed were bolted firm and flat as this machine passed over them. I enjoyed most of this job.
I use TreWax. It seems harder than Johnson’s wax. A can lasts for years. Wipe a light coat on the cast iron beds and let it dry to a haze. Buff the haze off. Sometimes I repeat the process if I think life the surface more slippery. Also provide ps modest rust prevention.
Thank you. A very considered review of this machine. I am considering the 10inch model for my amateur shop.
I really like the 10” model. It’s a great machine!
Good review, very thorough ! I have Magports on my dust hoses & C3 combi machine, it makes switching over real easy.
They are awesome to use for sure
grat, great video. very informative 👍first time on this channel and subscribed.
Ive had the hammer and the bigger Felder, couldn't gstand the fence on either. The Felder fence just cantilevered off the infeed table, so the machine went up against a wall, which was lovely, but I had to get the fence machined to stay at 90degs.
Thank you sir. Great video!
Glad you found it helpful
Excellent, excellent video. Very helpful.
Glad you found it helpful
It's a helluva machine and after watching your vids a few time I assume it's nice cause you seem to have all top of the line equipment, which in its self is outstanding...I just don't know if I would want a combo..seems 1 machine that's dedicated to that task is the way to go..hence why I'm here right now...thank you for your time and knowledge....
You forget to mention you can also get a meter extension with support foot for this machine. I find it useful for both my A3-31 and N4400 bandsaw. Having 2 400mm extensions and one 1000mm extension give you options for both machines and maximise your space saving/support options.
I have the SCM Minimax FS 41 C and love most things about it... I actually have the Tersa 3 knife head, and think that it's quite a bit quieter than my lunchbox planer with segmented head- certainly when it's running. Finish is good, and it's easy and super fast to maintain. VERY smooth machine. When it's running you cannot hear it at all with the dust collection running. It, too has a 5" connection (2 of them, in fact). I used a rubber fitting from Home Depot. I think it's a 4" cast sanitary pipe to 4" pvc adapter, and it fits perfectly. I'm wondering what is the weight of the Hammer? The Minimax weighs in at a touch under 800 pounds. The tables are split. They don't lift together. I have to remove the fence to swap to planer mode which is the biggest drawback, but I'll say almost certainly that the minimax fence is heavier duty than the Hammer. There is also a dust collection port for planer and one for jointer, so I have to swap the hose over. In all, I don't mind the changeover. It's fairly quick and a small trade-off for the results rendered. The SCM porkchop guard sucks. I wish I could say it differently, but that's how I feel about it. Overall quality of the machine is top notch and came out of the crate ready to rock and roll as far as setup. Fence was perfect 90 degrees, tables super flat and coplanar, everything as you'd hope for. You can't beat the 16" capacity in a small shop, that's for sure! Great job on the review!
Great video! A couple of things I thought of. The digital height gauge is awesome and a must have as an accessory. The outfeed bed is easily adjusted up and down. All my jointers outfeed beds are a couple of thousands lower than the cutter head. This gives me a perfectly flat edges, ie no spring joint effect.
Hello Mark, if you have the "conventional" or the standard planer that use an angled ways on either end to adjust the height of the tables, then what you described is correct. But on these style of planers it is adjusted on the infeed table by the angle of the table, Jason was mistaken by measuring/referring to the outfeed table in video when talking about the "Spring joint". All the Best, Chuck
@@toolchuck My J/P is from 2011 and had no idea there was a new style. I didn't understand what Jason was talking about in that section. I'll need to look for videos on that. Thanks for the info.
There were a couple other things I would have liked to cover including the gauge you mentioned
I was curious about the blade guard getting in the way as well, so I'm glad you mentioned it. I've also watched a lot of Jay Bates' videos and he has the same jointer/planer (I think). To me, it seems better than my "pork chop" guard, because I often find the pork chop doesn't swing shut like it should so there's always this little area of exposed cutter head whizzing around in there searching for random fingers to eat. The guard on your unit seems to keep the cutter head covered a lot better. Any inconvenience during use seems like a small price to pay for full length fingers. 😉
It’s extremely nice once you get use to it. I have a part 2 to this video coming out Friday and I address that specifically.
Awesome information
Glad you think so!
Excellent video ...thanks a lot ..it's obviously an excellent machine for light duty work but not very industrial . For that I would have to upgrade to Felder range and that's a huge price increase .
I’m a little confused as to why you didn’t go over the flatness of the beds. Probably the most important aspect of a jointer. There’s been a lot of quality control issues as far as flatness. A couple YT videos guys outfeed beds were out of flat up to .012. I’d say anything over .003 is unexpectedly
Because it isn’t something that people have asked a lot of questions about. Nor have I felt the need or seen a reason to do so.
@@bentswoodworking .003?? Even NASA does not work to such tolerances. To talk such numbers in the context of woodworking is just weird. If you could plane a piece of wood to a tolerance of .003 it would not be the same at the end of the year or after any significant change in temperature or humidity. The only important dimensions are the relation of the cutter to the outfeed and thicknesser table and the relation of the fence to the outfeed table. That is what dictates the shape what you are producing.
Love your videos. Super informative. I think 16 inches is plenty for a planer width. That's a pretty wide piece of lumber. Even a cutting board that big is hard to imagine. Most of what I do would never exceed that capacity anyway. If it did, I could set up a router jig pretty easily. Or use my drum sander.
I have never found it to be an issue with this machine. I usually only run one board through at a time.
felder makes a table extension for the planer table... you have to make your own attachment point for the planer table. I used a piece of steel with two attachment holes to attach the felder table to the hammer machine
Great video Jason. I’d like to bring up the mobility concerns with using the dolly vs 4 castors like my setup. The dolly does work but most time scan be cumbersome and awkward. The castor’s allow you to navigate in any direction to properly place the machine where you need it. Moving on a diagonal is nice.
Agree, a Bora Portamate 3550 worked out very well on my A3-31 and much heavier AD-531. All the Best, Chuck
@@toolchuck I went with Liftmasters castors. I have them in my workbench and bandsaw.
Yeah your caster are cool!
good video. i have the exact same machine and had the same issue with the fence. after talking to a felder technician it worked out for me. you let the screws where the fence attaches loose and adjust until you get it square all along the length, then tighten. maybe give it a shot ;)
Thanks I’ll give that a try!
Great video, Jason. I’ve had the Jet JJP-12HH for a few years and love it, although it’d be nice to have more than 12” capacity on the planer. I assume the smaller Hammer is pretty similar?
Yes, but honestly I never had an issue with the smaller capacity. I usually just plane a board at a time.
@@bentswoodworking So far it would just be for cleaning glue-ups, like a 14" side-grain cutting board or an 18" serving tray. I use my 19-38 drum sander, but having the planer option seems like it would be nice too.
I was interested to watch your video because my new Chinese iTECH 216 machine is almost identical in features to your Hammer! You bemoan the fact that it takes a long time to change planer to thicknesser functions - I found that putting a socket on my cordless drill spins up that wheel in no time 🙂
Ah - I have just seen that there is a dial in the middle of your handwheel - mine has a digital counter beside it and a bolt in the middle which I can spin with my drill.
That was a good and informative video. Thanks Jason. It would be helpful to me to know if you paid for it yourself or if Felder provided the machine or a discount. That information helps round out any review. Thanks again.
I did pay for the machine and I was given a discount when I bought it. The machine was not given to me by Felder. This video was not tied to any arrangement with Felder.
I like how you presented the changeover from jointer to planer. That is exactly how each guy in his shop would probably do it and that didn't take much at all. And, hey if I'm out in my shop, I'm not out there to be in a rush anyway I go there to enjoy it. Thanks for this demo. As I'm watching the video I'm looking at your shop floor and did you have epoxy installed on it and do you think it's holding up to the machines being rolled around on it as I'm thinking of doing mine
I do have a polyurea coating and it’s amazing. Very durable
To add a data point, I ordered mine before the holidays when it was on special, apparently at the port currently, should be here soon and it was $6789.
Any thoughts on a-31 vs a-41? Also curious what dust extraction system do you use.
Impressive machine, out the my budget. I am Argentinian , and here, this machine is impossible to pay. In Argentine we say this is EL SUEÑO DEL PIBE (this could be translated as a pipe dream). GOOD summary and descriptions. Thanks
Glad you found it helpful
Felder/Hammer prices are highly negociable and there are a few yearly rebates. I got mine for 35% less than the website advertised price. I had to be patient, took almost 10 months but it was worth the wait. I love it and it is the only way I could fit both machines in my shop and still have room.
The space saving was definitely my favorite aspect
If your fence isn't 90 degrees in every position have you checked that the fence bracket is completely even across the width of the table? I believe it has to be set 17mm below the top of the table. The fence is a little wonky and I swear it goes out of square just by looking at it, but otherwise it gets the job done. For the most part I don't edge joint on my A3 anyway because I own a sliding table saw (Hammer K3). Separately, I removed that back bracket on mine probably 2 years ago. Yes, the cutters are exposed when the fence is placed in the closer positions, but I store my A3 against the wall and not having that bracket there just makes it that much easier.
I’ve got a feeling an uniformed comment in response to that Toyota/Lexus comparison will end up on the next get Bent. I have a metalworking business and wood is my hobby/possible future venture so space is a big deal. That’s impressive jointing capacity for the price. Great video.
I hope all the trolls come out! 🤣
@@bentswoodworking I'm NOT one of them. Follow you religiously and hang on your every word. Love your channel and perspective. Keep up the great work! John
Just got my Hammer a3-41 in January, it’s amazing and the “finish” from both the jointer and planer are flawless. I have the Silent Power Spiral cutter. One thing to note if you have a unheated shop/ garage or a a shop that you need to heat up in the winter ( like I do)-the operating temp has to be above 50 degrees Fahrenheit otherwise you will trip your circuit breaker. You can get it started below 50F but it takes a couple of tries and then runs fine once “warmed up”. The manual mentions this also. Second, although the machine is quiet, mine has a high pitched whine. Not sure if it’s from the belt or just my machine but listening to other a3 31/41’s on KZhead it seems to be the norm. Last, for those limited on space this machine is a must. I have a 19’x19’ garage that I need to park a car in. When not in use I keep the fence all the way to the front of the planer bed and this allows you to keep the machine close to the wall. However, you still have to move it forward to use it but for me it’s no deal breaker. Overall, I would buy again.
Thank you for sharing!!
my shop is currently 35 degrees Fahrenheit and the machine works fine i didn't know that this was a thing
Did you experience much snipe on this machine in planer mode?
@@rw7532 No I don’t. I have the “ table extensions” and when I used them on the planer it caused snipe. I do lift a little when the board is exiting the planer though.
@@rwoodard2 thank you
Thanks for the great review. How do you like the dust collection? Do you find that you get a build up in the part that you flip over, so when you move from planing back to jointing, and a bunch of chips come out? I have the same one, and I am changing the hose to a 5” hose. Keep up the great work! Stay safe!
I’ll get a bit but nothing that is too crazy.
@@bentswoodworking I just changed my dust collection hose to 5”, then to the 6” main and now it is next too nothing. Worked quite well actually. Stay safe
In preparation for a move that never happened, I sold my Hitachi F1000A Separate jointer and planer with one motor, and no changeover between modes. It would also work without dust collection, which it appears that this one can't. I constantly regret selling it.
I own the jet 12" combo, and for the most part it is solid. The surface finish is definitely not ever glue ready though, as I get odd wavy patterns in my faces that I have never been able to resolve. (I should note I also own a Dewalt lunchbox and it's finish is flawless save for some board snipe if I do not run extra material through to fix). Overall since I own both machines, I use my combo as a dedicated jointer. But the switch over process is roughly the same, I would say it takes 45-60 seconds to switch.
I had the 12 inch Jet as well. I hated the fence. Cheap aluminum. Had trouble keeping it square along it's entire length
Maybe adjust the feed roller pressure if talking about planer
Yeah, my wife is still trying to get her SUV in our garage. I bought a massive sliding table saw to keep her at bay.
I’ve had a DJ-20 (Brazilian mfg) w original heads (not Shelixed - yet) for 20+ years. Regarding the fence comment in your vid, I move my fence constantly to get better knife wear. I’ve looked at the Hammer Combo at my local Felder, wasn’t my cup of tea (overall Felder wasn’t my cup of tea (slider) but that’s another story). After thinking on it, I just prefer dedicated purpose machines…if one goes down I can still work. If I need wider boards planed/surfaced/jointed than can be handled out in the shop, luckily the local hardwood supply I buy from does so as a service…all 4 sides. They’ll even do wider shop done glueups if desired, though never have needed that. Their machines are a lot larger than anything I can fit in my 20x40 space 😉. So just saying for others, check with where you buy your wood if you haven’t already. They may offer services that are less expensive than purchasing a feature that you would rarely or just occasionally utilize. If on the other hand you need very wide pieces planed/jointed a lot…go for it! As always YMMV. Just sharing. Nothing more. Nothing less.
I just ordered mine on sale, with the digital elevation knob and my total came to $6,800 after shipping.
Worth noting, they make an 'A' model of this machine. The A3-41A. The A variant is jointer only. I wanted a wider jointer (came from an 8") and actually went through exactly what Jason described at the end. Look up a reputable brand with a 12" jointer and you are approaching $10K. My hammer 16" with the spiral head was 6k as of 2 years ago when I bought it.
Great point
I want to make a comment regarding the setting of the out feed table relative to knife height. I ran a shop decades ago and that height is always best final set with the machine running and while joining ops ongoing. I believe the lifting force of the cutter is why the table (Static measurement) requires a hair lower. Spring force, might best be described as a resultant to cutter force. Also, these really are facing an d planning combination machines. Edge jointers are always going to require the sweetest of adjustments. Make mine a 6in powematic. Gurley maple, reverse grained oaks, I never got to operate one of these new helical carbide cutter heads. I may retrofit my old machines before buying a compact dual purpose. Keep all ten! Blessings.
Thanks I had never heard of spring force adjustment and was really confused when it was mentioned in the video. The light bulb came on!
Good video! I have the same machine
Glad you found it helpful
Maybe I missed it (I kept getting interrupted), but how is the dust collection? Does it perform well on both the planner and the jointer functions? Thx
It is very effective with the setup I have.
Nice jointer plainer
Thank you so much for such a honest review, I’m in the market for a 16” combo machine and I found a great level of quality variation (and price reflecting it accordingly) that has me perplexed given some cheap models can cost thousands of dollar less for the same capacity. Would you recommend avoiding cheap entry level machines or it just comes down to personal budget and preferences? Is it a waste of money to go cheap on a 16” combo?
I can’t comment on other machines as I have no experience. I would rather buy the brand that I believe would be the best, even if that requires saving a bit longer
as an old mentor of mine once told me "buy the best you can possibly afford and you only cry once, when you pay the bill"
Quick question. I’m about to buy in a 341 but will only use it as a jointer. Do you think it’s worthwhile looking at a jointer only model from another company or sticking with Felder. I owned their A3 26 and it was fantastic. No where can I find a 16 inch jointer capacity for under $10,000.
Great looking machine. Thanks for walking us through. The only scary thing I saw was putting your finger at the hinge to flip the safety stop out of the way.
You still have to tilt it forward a good amount for it to come down. No real danger there.
I have a 1980's Mini Max FSB 35 J/P combo (350 mm wide 3 blade cutter) and the switch over on this older machine took a few minutes but the drive for the planer drive wheels failed twice and the part needed to be shipped and not returned for several weeks so I bought a Powermatic 15 with the Byrd head. I have thought about getting another J/P combo as I do not use as much rough sawn wood as I used to and do not need the capacity of the two but could use the floor space that one machine affords. I think a 10 inch J/P machine would be enough capacity for my needs. I found a rip jig for long boards and a good rip blade I get great glue joints on long boards eliminating the need for long jointer beds.
I prefer to rip my boards as well when they are long. Lot easier than managing long boards on a jointer.
I have had the the A 3 31 for 3 or 4 years. I only have 2 complaints. The fence was very difficult to get square after delivery and technical support was pretty much useless. I had to use brass shims to get the fence perfectly square to the bed table. Second complaint is trying to order accessory parts on the USA website. Very difficult to match correct accessory to your model. Otherwise, the unit works great and can run for hours.
waiting for the decibel and how loud it is, halfway through the video so I hope you get there. 3/4 way through now so it does not look promising for this information but can you compare it to the noise of the sawstop cabinet saw running not loaded with wood, thanks so much!
Jason, congratulations on a very very well done video. Unfortunately I couldn’t disagree more about the hammer brand and quality. I’ve been a professional furniture maker for over 47 years and I now run a school called the Ebanista School of fine woodworking in Seattle. We bought one of the hammer, 16 inch planer, joiner, combos, and we ended up selling it because it’s a very inaccurate poorly made machine and way over priced. The fence is incredibly flimsy and not even flat, but rather warped from the casting process. When I called the representative from Felder. He yelled at me and said well nobody can make a good fence it’s not possible. I suppose that was his rationale for just supplying an adequate machine . I didn’t like his reasoning being that nobody else can do it either, so why was there a problem with his? A flimsy and inaccurate fence is not a small thing. Yes the combination machines in general are a very wise solution to small space. But for a school, we don’t have time to switch the machines around, and when I’m working professionally, I don’t have time for that. If you have a small shop in your backyard or garage, a combo machine is probably a smart move. but NOT a Hammer. good news about the hammer jointer planer combos? They’re not the hammer tablesaws which are far far worse. There are so many poorly thought out connections andinaccuracies in the machine that I find them very overrated and very overpriced. To me it’s like paying for a Porsche and getting a Ford Taurus. What’s the point? The other problem with the hammer machines? After they make their long journeys from Europe, they come in bad shape. I’ve had six students buy some of the machines and not a single machine yet has come that didn’t need adjustments or parts fixed or a fair amount of work to get them working. Hammer says it is not their fault because they have to ship them, but you can pay them $1000 to have someone come out and fix your brand new machine. You call that quality? I do not. The only good news I can think of from this is that theoretically, hammer should start lowering their prices. Because most people I know who have them are trying to get rid of them. Please note, this is a criticism of hammer machines, not your videos. They’re beautifully done, very clear, and fun to watch. Kudos.
I have had my A3-41 for 5 years and I use it almost every day, it is fantastic quality works flawlessly and produces a great cut. The only thing I don’t like is that I have to crank the bed up and down I wish they had the motorized bed like on the FELDER model.
That would be sweet!!!
I had the a331 and now have the ad941. The motorized bed is nice but you replace your hand movement with a pause waiting for it and wondering why there isn’t a quick button. It still takes the same time. However having an electronic scale does make dialing in easier.
I think doing a “short” on using the guard would help a lot of people. I used to have a pork chop style with my old jointer and I absolutely feel much more comfortable and safer using the European style found on my combo machine
Keep an eye out for my video Friday. It’s a part 2 to this machine and I cover that in the video 👍
Do you see any snipe issues with the planer with that short of a bed? Or do you use the extensions on it to help? Interesting machine. I think it would be great for a 1 man shop with prior planning as you pointed out. Probably not great for instances where you need to go directly from jointer to planer with multiple guys working as you pointed out. Personally not in love with the fence. 16" wide for planing is enough in most cases, however when doing solid wood cabinet fronts, having 25" is a huge time saver in production.
If you are referring to snipe on the thickness planer, then no for a short answer. As Jason said he, as well as others install an extension on the outfeed of the thickness planer to keep boards from dropping on the floor, but this also helps to reduce snipe on the end of the board. But the pressure rollers on the Hammer and Felder, can be adjusted pretty easily to your liking to reduce or in most cases completely eliminate snipe all together. All in all, it's pretty impressive. All the Best, Chuck
I have the same but older and I have the 3 cutter head and I wonder about the spiral head in very hard wood I am doing Cumaru with cross grain I wonder your experience for the spiral head thanks
regarding the outfeed table height, putting a ruler on the outfeed table over the cutter header, rotating the cutter head (by hand) have to move the ruler for around 1 or 2mm ... there is a knob below the outfeed table to set up it correctly. Also regarding the comparision between hammer / felder and format 4 ... it is not only a question of accessories, but the build construction, the strength of the machine body, .... Hammer uses more aluminum (extension table rails, ...) where felder and format 4 have cast iron / steel rails,... But do not be fooled, the hammer "entry level" machines are really struddy and good machines
Our men's shed which is a small workshop purchase N4400 bandsaw an A326 jointer/planner and a K3 table saw The K3 is brilliant , the bandsaw does everything we ask for the A326 is also a very good machine we are lucky that Felder shop is very close to us .2 issues that we have with the A3 are checking that the fence is square with top regularly , have broken the plastic bolt that secures the sliding guard the spray we got from Felder makes a big difference to the operation of the planner
I need to get some of their spray myself
What is the ‘spray’? Is it listed on their website?
@@bbattles1031 Called Supergleit about $30.00 Australian for a small spray bottle
@@gordonshearston7590 Silber Gleit is another product sold by Felder which I find works much better than Super Gleit. Silber Gleit comes in a 1Kg can, much more economical and it lasts longer on the tables
Hey Jason! Felder/Hammer, where do I start? Well first off, my Rep just called me out of the blue yesterday just to see how I was doing, you have to like that! The spring joint Jason isn't measured or adjusted from the outfeed table, it done on the infeed table. And it is done by its "angle", not it's height. That's right, the board actually rides up and over the cutting head. My experience with my A3-31 was an exception to the rule, but Felder's service was stellar and never left my side. I ended up trading up for a Felder AD-531 and couldn't be happier. Even though the AD-531 and the A3-31 look alike and that it might be a rebadged Hammer, it isn't true. It is a completely different machine, way more robust in every aspect. I recently received my Felder FB-510 bandsaw, and it's a beauty! Anyone looking at any of these machines can buy them know you are getting a quality product that Felder stands behind. All the Best, Chuck
Thanks for sharing Chuck! That bandsaw looks sweet.
hello, can you tell hoe wide and tall the space is the lower part of the base? I have a small pallet jack and was wondering if it would fit under it to pick it out? thanks
nice video and i agree if you have space constraints its an option. However anything that is a "combination" you have to make sacrifices. I looked at that very machine as i had a three car garage. I went by their offices and looked at it in person. Nice nice nice. However that deck is heavy. You are young that will change... In the end i went a 12" jjointer & 20" planer. In today's world (sadly) a big enough board to warrant that deck for jointing is almost non existent any more. Also in my experience the longer the infeed the better. I did want the larger planer due to panel glue-ups. I have mine back to back to go to next step in process to maximize workflow. Nice equipment but i would never do this unless space is the constraint. Nice machine don't get me wrong but neither is great. Cheers
Should also mention that I had to hire a tracked Bobcat with forks to move pallet from garage to back of house to the daylight basement workshop. Best $250 I ever spent.
This is my first time watching a video on your channel, so I don't know much about you. That being said ,this jointer / planer is an awesome machine! If you're just the hobbiest in woodworking, I just wouldn't be able to justify spending 7 grand for it! However, if you're an actual professional woodworker, then you've should have purchased this a long time ago! Lol!
What’s the Amp draw on this machine?
Just ripped off the 5" dust boot on mine and put a 6" on. Collects way more dust with a 6" flex.
I had been looking at the 26 for months now, where can you select to order the silent cutter though? Any plans to get the add on mortiser?
I believe you can order it with the silent cutter head. And no, I have no plans on adding the mortiser
“Six to nine months”….. well done!
I have a A3-31 and I have one big problem: when I am jointing lumber generally with sections from 6x6 cm and smaller, in maybe 50% of the cases I am not managing to plane and square the faces properly and I usually get to taper them or even making them worst than they were before jointing. What I am doing wrong? I can't understand... I don't have any issues with thicker materials or with normal boards. Please help! Thx!
I have a felder combo machine and it has a guard with “breaks” in it so you can fold it down out of the way. Maybe check with your felder rep if it can be added to the hammer?
Thanks for the info 👍
Hi, the Comfort Guard doesn’t fit the Hammer.
Did you ever consider a combination saw with table saw, jointer, and planer combo. If so why did you choose not too. Thanks Mike
I did not, not sure if I would like to have all those machines combined
I have the machine as well and I think the fence is absolutely the weakest link...frustrating for the price. Go review.
Just a note to anyone using a single phase machine, you need to hold the on off button down for a few seconds to charge the capacitors up when starting the machine.. they'll die prematurely if you don't.
Never heard of this, is it mentioned somewhere in the manual? Do you need to hold down both on and off together then release them and then press the on button every time you operate the machine or only after long periods of inactivity?
@@alessandrosuppini943 Hi ya, When the Felder man was setting my machines up, he explained that single phase motors are fed by huge capacitors which lep on start up. He simply told me when starting a machine to not simply press the button and release to turn on, but press and hold for a few seconds. Only on start up. Not when turning off. This is becasue (apparantly) the charge in the capacitors dissipates over time. I can't see why it wouldn't be the same for all single phase motors, maybe it's because the were 4kw? But either way, I just do it with everything now - 3 phase, single, just hold for a few seconds - I think of it like helping it get up to speed. HTH, M.
@@mattcable6379 do you hold both buttons together or just the “on” one?
@@alessandrosuppini943 The single phase motors do not have a centrifugal starting switch so you have to depress and hold the start button until the machine is up to speed.
@@alessandrosuppini943 only "on" !
I think the fence is the biggest problem with this machine and I have been toying with the idea of making a new one. It just cannot be trusted, and like you pointed out, if you move it then there is a huge chance it is no longer square.
Curious if anyone here who has as Hammer or other combo has considered the SCM Minimax? I am bit on the fence on this one versus the Hammer.
Minimax, good machines, don't know about service, etc.. But one of the reasons I didn't buy a Minimax is you have to remove the fence to change over to the thickness planer mode because of the split tables that swing away from each other. All the Best, Chuck
After so long with both this model and the A3 26 model you had before, price point wise, would have stuck with the 26?
If I didn’t want the extra capacity yes
I’ve been considering a combo machine for awhile and the Hammer is at the top of my list. I know Jet also makes a similar machine. Curious to know if you considered the Jet and/or have any experience with it?
Hello, the Jet and Rikon share similar accessories and are believed to be the same machine. Both are notorious for needing adjustment to the infeed table for the "Spring joint". The tables and hardware are not robust to say the least. On youtube you can search, if it's still out there, of a guy that was given one but ended up giving it away because it was such a pain. And I'm not a Jet hater, love my JDP-17 drill press and JWL-1221-VS Lathe. All the Best, Chuck
I have no experience with it personally and actually didn’t even consider it when I was looking
I've had a JET JJP-12 12" Planer/Jointer since 2015, it's worked out quite well for me. The boards do stall sometimes, so I'm always ready to push or pull them. Other than accidentally ruining a set of knives a few years ago, there's been no maintenance issues. I'm not sure what the advantage of the helical head is. I changed all three blades in about 30 minutes, for around $100 - super easy and they're still sharp. I have a a surface planer for my CNC with carbide inserts like the helical head - the four of them is enough to change, vs how many dozen on the helical head cutter.
@@philaro5958 Phil, I'm glad to hear your Jet planer/Jointer is working so well. Some of the key advantages of helical cutter heads are the cut or finish quality, blade longevity, and chip size. There is no doubt that a good straight blade planer can produce a quality cut, but at times they can struggle with boards were grain changes direction. But helical cutter heads work great on boards when the grain changes direction, the helical alignment of the cutters allows them to shear as the cut. They really shine when planing boards like Birdseye Maple that is notorious for tear-out. Carbide is just plane harder than HHS and last a lot longer. Also, if you chip a HHS blade you must sharpen or replace it, on a carbide bit you can just rotate that bit to the next edge, four edges per bit. And a straight blade makes long stringy chips that can easily clog some dust collection systems, carbide bits produce small chips that are easily collected. But, if your planer is working and performing to your expectations and needs, then there would be no advantage to changing. All the Best, Chuck P.S. Can you elaborate on what you meant? "The boards do stall sometimes, so I'm always ready to push or pull them." Thx
I got a grizzly combo unit used. It took a bit to get the settings right but I like the machine a lot. The only downside to the combo is not being able to leave the planer at a set height if I need to go back to take a tiny bit more wood of a piece. But overall the grizzled has been great
So thorough. I have not seen any review like this on these machines before. I still wonder about the capacity. Floor space aside, I think 16" jointer capacity has a limited need for almost everyone, because lumber is almost always narrower than 8". A 20" wide planer on the other hand is very useful because one often planes glued up panels.
I have never had any issues because I almost never run more than a single bird through. I have a part 2 to this video coming out Friday where I cover more information
The planer platten length seems too short to avoid snipe. Have you had problems with snipe? If so, how did you solve that?
I have gotten snipe on this and every other planer I have used. I actually have a part 2 to this video coming out Friday and I talk about that specifically. 👍
As an owner of an A3 for 13 years, there is zero snipe. You can neither measure or feel any. Proper calibration of the roller pressure and table lubrication are required
Not that you use it but it’s actually a Mortise machine as well. It’s a add on to buy the jig but the machine comes ready to accept it. I love my machine and have the same grip about not milling enough material. Overall nice review. It shows that you’ve use this machine for quite sometime.
Yes, I don’t have any plans on adding a mortised nag attachment to mine.
Jason... So you're saying that as you move the fence forward and back, it goes out of square? I understand that you have identified the "sweet spot" where it is perfectly 90 degrees, but that seems like a design flaw...
Yes, but if I took the time to adjust it, it wouldn’t be this way. Honestly, it’s laziness on my part.
It sounds like the mounting rail isn’t set at 17mm below the table for the entire length. My machine’s fence is square in all positions
Great followup, thanks. This is definitely on my list of tools to acquire (and the dust collector you have as well). Any problems with snipe on the planer? You said it's 20amp circuit, 110v or 230v? ETA: I went and checked and answered my own question on the voltage.
I own a 400V A3 31 Silent Power and snipe is no issue at all, as long as you lubricate the tables well (I use the Felder-branded 'Supergleit'). At least - that is my experience….
The only snipe I have noticed is when I forget to lock down the planer table. It’s easily solved by not forgetting to lock down the tables 😂
20amp 220~240vac and you'll be all good! All the Best, Chuck
I have the A3 31 on a 240v. Felder advised me to use a 16A type C breaker. So far I have not had any issues with the breaker tripping. Although this is a dedicated breaker for only one machine.
@@derekrobertson1548 I'm curious, this shows up as a miniature breaker, is it installed in your main panel or locally at or near your machine? All the Best, Chuck
Yeah, Thanks for the info. However I am likely buyinh jet much smaller stuff.
Hi. I'm having mine delivered soon and wanted to build my own carriage . What's the exact dimensions of the base? (In cm if you could) By the way, great channel. 👍
I don’t have them off hand but that information is on their website. 👍
Are there extensions for the planer?
Yes - the extensions can be used for either the jointer or planer on both the in-feed and out feed sides.
And longer ones than Jason showed, they have ones that are 800mm or about 32 inches long with a folding/telescoping leg. I love mine, not cheap, but damn sturdy! And whatever system you have, the Hammer or Felder, the extensions work with other machines within their system, Hammer planer with Hammer Bandsaw, Felder planer with Felder bandsaw. So, the extensions I bought for my AD-531 planer work great on my FB-510 band saw. All the Best, Chuck
Did you ever check out the Jet combo?
I did not consider it.
Jason are you still using a Harvey G700 for dust collection? If so, how does it do with this machine? I am expecting delivery of an A3-41 next week and plan to get a G700 as well.