Felder CF741

[babywoodpecker]

hi fellow woodworkers, this is my first post and i am after some advise please.

after extensive readings of different combi machines i have almost set my mind to the felder cf741

has anybody had any experience with this machine, if so can you please leave your good/bad points for the machine.

also i have searched on the net for a used machine and not found one as of yet.
can anybody point me in the direction of a used one as i cant afford the price of a new one.

thanks.

 

[ProShop]

hi fellow woodworkers, this is my first post and i am after some advise please.

after extensive readings of different combi machines i have almost set my mind to the felder cf741

has anybody had any experience with this machine, if so can you please leave your good/bad points for the machine.

also i have searched on the net for a used machine and not found one as of yet.
can anybody point me in the direction of a used one as i cant afford the price of a new one.

thanks.

You'll be lucky to find a used one anywhere, they're like gold dust. They haven't been the biggest seller, mainly due to price, A new one has just gone up 12% so the s/hand value will rise also. Also people that buy them tend to keep them. Your looking at about 12K plus for a new one .. 8) . What few come to the market can fetch around 70% to 80% plus of a new one's value.

I have used one in the past, I nearly bought one :shock: . I have owned it's stable mate the KF700 saw/spindle, a very nice machine.

They do require setting up if you find one and Felder charge a fair bit, unless you have the equipment to do it yourself. Just to transport it you have to split the machine into 2 parts both mechanically & electrically.

And FWIW Felder's customer service is just simply awful imho.



Hope this helps

 

[catface]

Hello Babywoodpecker,
last year I was looking at getting a combined saw/moulder in the k700 line from felder uk (im in Essex, UK). I liked the machine but didn't like the people or their attitude. THis was the second time I've nearly bought from Felder uk but been put off by attitude. I was also swayed by comments from others that claimed the after sales service from the uk dealer was pants.
I decided that the best way forwards if I was to get a Felder machine, was to buy direct from the maker ie. deal with them directly, then hire a van & go get it. For new secondhand machines there are some dealers in Europe who have these machines from time to time (if you Google for Felder you should find some of these dealers). You could look for a machine this way & transport it yourself. (You dont say where you are so i am assuming uK).
In the end family commitments meant that I didn't have the time to go this route ; there was also the spare parts issue - I hand't established that felder head office would be willing to sell parts direct to uk customers ie. not via Felder uk branch. Otherwise, you cannot service the machine.

Hope this helps, regards, Catface.

 

[Max Power]

Hi, I have been the very happy owner of one for 18 months . The only negative point I could raise would be the 3 months or so wait for the machine to be built but you then have the option to speck the machine to your requirements. I have had .one service call for a minor item and it was carried out within the same week. I have bought numerous accessories since then and have never had cause to complain. the machine itself is the Rolls Royce of combinations, so dig deep you wont regret it.

 

[babywoodpecker]

thanks for your comments guys,
i might look into the hiring of a machine and traveling to collect.

:shock: 3 month delivery. they mush have a high demand.

or slow workforce :lol:

 

[ProShop]

:shock: 3 month delivery. they mush have a high demand.

or slow workforce :lol:

They only make machines that they have orders for + showroom machines.
3 months has been the norm for years .

 

[ProShop]

Hello Babywoodpecker,
last year I was looking at getting a combined saw/moulder in the k700 line from felder uk (im in Essex, UK). I liked the machine but didn't like the people or their attitude. THis was the second time I've nearly bought from Felder uk but been put off by attitude. I was also swayed by comments from others that claimed the after sales service from the uk dealer was pants.
I decided that the best way forwards if I was to get a Felder machine, was to buy direct from the maker ie. deal with them directly, then hire a van & go get it. For new secondhand machines there are some dealers in Europe who have these machines from time to time (if you Google for Felder you should find some of these dealers). You could look for a machine this way & transport it yourself. (You dont say where you are so i am assuming uK).
In the end family commitments meant that I didn't have the time to go this route ; there was also the spare parts issue - I hand't established that felder head office would be willing to sell parts direct to uk customers ie. not via Felder uk branch. Otherwise, you cannot service the machine.

Hope this helps, regards, Catface.

Hi Catface,

Nice idea, but Felder took back all the dealers/franchisees etc some time back now, so Felder UK etc is wholly owned and more importantly run & tightly controlled by the parent company "Felder Austria".



..

 

[74extiger]

When I got started out in Woodworking, I was interested in Felder. I visited the homes of owners in the Los Angeles area and asked them the same questions you are asking. For two years running I have taken classes at the Felder showroom in Northern California. So I have seen and operated about 8 of the machines.

I ended up buying a powerful saw of another make. As a hobbyist, I couldn't justify the cost. Combination saws are a European creation, built that way because of space confines. They are not nearly so popular (cost is a factor) here, but you do find folks with the Saw/Shaper combo only, or the Planer/Jointer combo. Most owners are professional shops, though they have a private following.

Here is what I have learned about the machines. After delivery, set up is quite finicky and you would be well off to get assurances from the dealer of his assistance. You need a trained technician. The machines are first rate. Assuming money is no object here, a wise option is the digital drive on the Jointer/Planer. It requires about 80 turns of the hand crank to transition from Jointer mode to Planing. That will wear you down.

Order a sliding table length appropriate to the materials you'll work with. These machines can assume the proportions of an aircraft carrier. And tooling produced by Felder is costly. A shaper cutter can easily run $1000.

The engineering and manufacture are excellent, with few complaints. There is a forum in North America dedicated to Felder Owners. Known as the FOG (for Felder Owner's Group), this congenial gathering can be found under the groups section of Yahoo.com. If you decide to buy, you'd be well-advised to buy the operating/set-up guide by David Best. It is talked about a lot on the Fog.

Used ones appear in North America on eBay perhaps monthly. Most are K700 Saw/Shapers. Not the full combination machine. Prices run at about 70% of new retail cost.

Good hunting.

Gary Curtis