Combination machine buying advice

[kab]

I want a decent table saw/planer/thicknesser/spindle moulder.I would like a Hammer C3-31 but it's a bit pricey for me.
What is the esteemed opinion of you fellow sawdust/firewood makers?Must be single phase and new or second hand,preferably with wheels.

 

[beech1948]

Kab,

If the excellent felder is a bit too much to afford then you can buy secondhand Startrites, Lunar or even Kity. However the Lunar and Kity will lack something in stiffness and rigidity.

The second thing is that you need to consider the size of the envelope you need for a combi. If you are going to feed in 8ft long timber (2440mm) then you need a 5m long run up to handle infeed and outfeed. Similarly using the planer and thicknesser. The spindle moulder will need at least 1.5 meters in front and 2x whatever the max length of your wood both front and back.

You quickly get to a minimum space of say 5mx3.5m-4m to work the combi.

Third thing is whether you will be using some settings, changing them and going back to previous settings. If so then you will need to find a way to accurately measure the settings on your combi eg some digital scales.

I have a Felder combi CF740 pro which sits in a 5x4m space. Its been excellent as would be the Hammer but I needed to change my working methods and sequencing a little.

Thats why so many people buy separates.....its simpler, easier and can take less space. You probably don't need the spindle moulder right off if ever so a saw + planer thicknesser would work fine and can be positioned alongside each other if needed. Maybe exchange the spindle cost for a used bandsaw eg Startrite.

Hope this helps. I'm not trying to put you off the combi just trying to be realistic

 

[kab]

Thank you for your reply.I hadn't considered Startrite I must admit.I have been looking at Axminster stuff and your comments re: spindle moulder are something to think about.

 

[heimlaga]

Let me ramble a bit to expand the perspective......

Elderly SCM or l'Invincible combinations are usually very good quality and usually cost a good bit less than a new Felder. I know two people who have bougt old l'invincible combinations and both say the machines are excellent. I have tried one of them and liked it. Very well built. Their only weak point I have ever heard of are the hinges for the planer tables. One has to check that the planer tables don't droop before purchase. If they droop there is probably some way to fix it. I doubt they ever came as single phase so you may end up doing some modifications.
Theese machines kan be put with the back up against a wall if you don't use the mortiser. The planer and thicknesser are worked from the same side as the table saw and spindle moulder.

There were some old British combinations called Dominion. They have a very good reputation but I have never had the opportunity to examine one closely.
Wadkin also made some combinations in the past.
The Germans made some grat combinations in the past but I don't remember which maker it was.
There was also a company in Copenhagen whose name I cannot remember but they made some very nice machines.
Theese combinations all share the same drawback. They require a fairly wide workshop with working space on all sides of the machine.

I have an old Stenberg KEV600 combination and like it a lot. It is super solid and very compact for it's capacity. The footprint is only 1 by 2,3 metres. The weight is somewhere around 1500 kilos. The planer/thicknesser is 610 mm wide and the table saw has a 400 mm blade powered by a 5 HP motor. The spindle moulder is 3 hp. Made in Sweden. Unfortunately I don't think Stenberg exported much to Britain.
Swedish style combinations from makers like Stenberg and Jonsered and Sajo are very different from all other combinations in that they they are long and narrow and intended to be worked from the front side only. Many were sold without the optional mortiser on the back and this mean that they can stand with the back tight up against a wall. Excellent space savers in a long and narrow workshop. The Swedes never made any single phase machines as every home and farm has three phase power in Sweden.

My humble oppinion is that a separate table saw/spindle moulder and a separate planer/thicknesser may take up less space in some cases while a four in one combination may take up less space in other cases. It all depends on the shape and proportions of your workshop and the exact locations of doors that can be left open when working long boards. There is nothing like a "one size fits all" when fitting the best possible machines into a given number of square metres. All theese various types of combinations have been developed for a reason!

Choose the type that fits you best!
Good luck!

 

[dzj]

The previous posts covered most of what is important.
A fellow I know removed the xyz table of the mortiser and made a separate/ standalone machine from it.