Felder X-Life bandsaw guides

[Doug B]

Just wondering if anyone has experience they would share of the Felder X-Life ceramic guides on either a Hammer or Felder bandsaw, I’m thinking of upgrading my Hammer 4400 & this is one option.

 

[johnnyb]

custard had em and reckoned they weren't any better than bearings. I priced em up and even the felder sales chap said at that price I wouldn't bother!

 

[johnnyb]

the other day the pinion gear shattered...bloody diecast

 

[Doug B]

custard had em and reckoned they weren't any better than bearings. I priced em up and even the felder sales chap said at that price I wouldn't bother!

Dan dm’ed me to say Custard had said this, I found a post of his that refers to them but he doesn’t say whether he has the X-life or the ceramic direct replacements for the standard guides.

 

[Doug B]

the other day the pinion gear shattered...bloody diecast

Look on the bright side the spares for my N4400 took 4 days to arrive from Austria as opposed to 18 weeks for my previous Axminster bandsaw.

 

[Peter Sefton]

I have had both the Felder ceramic and Hammer bearing guides, I prefer the bearings myself. I found the ceramic big and bulky and sparked. If I were upgrading I would swap out my Hammer bearing guides for Panhams.

https://www.scosarg.com/panhans-apa2-bandsaw-guide-size-1-upper
Cheers

Peter

 

[Doug B]

I have had both the Felder ceramic and Hammer bearing guides, I prefer the bearings myself. I found the ceramic big and bulky and sparked. If I were upgrading I would swap out my Hammer bearing guides for Panhams.

https://www.scosarg.com/panhans-apa2-bandsaw-guide-size-1-upper
Cheers

Peter

Thanks Peter, would you happen to know if the Panhans are a fairly straightforward swap on the N4400?

 

[Peter Sefton]

Thanks Peter, would you happen to know if the Panhans are a fairly straightforward swap on the N4400?

Hi Doug, sorry I haven't fitted any myself just considered doing it, I think they should be fairly straight forward, might be worth talking to Scot and Sargent or Calderbrook for advice.
https://woodworkmachinery.co.uk/products/panhans-apa-bandsaw-guides
Cheers

Peter

 

[Jacob]

Still have the same guides on my heavily thrashed Startrite 352, since about 1977. The back guide is TC tipped and shows little signs of wear. The sides are plain steel blocks which have worn. Have trued them up a bit several times and have filed out the bolt hole so that they will close on the blade. Shrinking away but should see me out!
PS just 3 components and no moving parts.

 

[Spectric]

Take a look at Mikes modifications, if you have the will then anything is possible.

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/thread...ide-upgrade-using-rikon-tool-less-kit.124508/

 

[yetloh]

I have had both the Felder ceramic and Hammer bearing guides, I prefer the bearings myself. I found the ceramic big and bulky and sparked. If I were upgrading I would swap out my Hammer bearing guides for Panhams.

https://www.scosarg.com/panhans-apa2-bandsaw-guide-size-1-upper
Cheers

Peter

It's not clear to me what the Panhams offers over the standard bearing items on my Felder. Can someone enlighten me please?

Jim

 

[Peter Sefton]

It's not clear to me what the Panhams offers over the standard bearing items on my Felder. Can someone enlighten me please?

Jim

The quality of the components/engineering in the Panhans is higher than that on the Felder/Hammer. If you already have Felder/Hammer and you are happy with them that's great. I bought a N4400 back in 2005 but I found some components on the newer version are not quiet the same quality-I am a fussy .....

Cheers

Peter

 

[Doug B]

Still have the same guides on my heavily thrashed Startrite 352, since about 1977. The back guide is TC tipped and shows little signs of wear. The sides are plain steel blocks which have worn. Have trued them up a bit several times and have filed out the bolt hole so that they will close on the blade. Shrinking away but should see me out!
PS just 3 components and no moving parts.

Yep my old Elu Bandsaw has a similar set up & works great which was why I was wondering about the X-Life as they are ceramic blocks instead of steel.

What I can’t afford to do is have the bandsaw out of action whilst I get things re-engineered so some sort of direct replacement would be ideal.

 

[yetloh]

The quality of the components/engineering in the Panhans is higher than that on the Felder/Hammer. If you already have Felder/Hammer and you are happy with them that's great. I bought a N4400 back in 2005 but I found some components on the newer version are not quiet the same quality-I am a fussy .....

Cheers

Peter

Thanks Peter,

My Felder is about the same vintage as your Hammer. I went to the Milton Keynes showroom thinking I would probably buy the Hammer but I stood alongside the Hammer, put my foot on the base and my hand on the top of the cabinet and pushed; I was struck by the amount of flex in it, the Felder version was rock solid so that is the one I bought. I know most of the stresses are not in that plane but even so.... Has it made a difference? Who knows, but I have been very happy with it and the guide system seems very robust. Of course, at that time both lines were Italian, not made by Felder and I assume that may still be the case. My Felder is near enough identical to the contemporary equivalent Startrite.

 

[Hornbeam]

I have the GL456 guides from Conway Saw company. They are very solid and easy to adjust. They were on there when I bought the saw (Multico 600) 20 years ago and havent needed to change them
https://www.conwaysaw.co.uk/product-category/band-saw-guides/top-bottom-bandsaw-guides/

 

[Jake]

My Felder is near enough identical to the contemporary equivalent Startrite.

ACM more than likely (my Startrite 401 has ACM plastered all over the manual).

Mine was bought s/h with the ceramic guides. I like them, zero effort to set up, do get a bit of sparking off the rear one with a new blade sometimes but that usually down to not having tensioned it enough or being impatient and pushing the feed too hard. Not sure I'd pay the extra for them.

 

[ScottandSargeant]

Thanks Peter, would you happen to know if the Panhans are a fairly straightforward swap on the N4400?

Send me a picture of your support post that has current guides and I will let you know… normally dead simple
P