Help me decide on a panel saw

[tobyriches]

Hello all.

I have recently acquired a fairly large farm unit with 3 phase power, so it's time to step up my furniture making business and buy a sliding table panel saw. I'm looking to get a quality used machine and have around 4.5k to spend. I am hoping one of you lot might have some experience with some of these machines and be able to help me out.

Three saws on the short list, all from reputable dealerships, and all on budget (just).

Felder K500s. 2010 model, 2600 table, 5.5hp motor 315 blade 800 rip. This is the smallest, cheapest but newest saw. Have heard some really mixed reports about Felder, and this is putting me off slightly. The saw itself seems less 'built' than the other two.

Scm si300n 2002 model 3200 table 7.5hp motor 1500 rip. this is the oldest, but most industrial. It 'only' has a 300 blade but seems really good for its age.

Technomax (minimax) S350WS 2008 model, 3200 table. 7.5hp motor 1200 rip. This has more toys on it, like a proper overhead guard and useful workpiece clamp, it also has the biggest blade at 350.

I suppose I am leaning toward the Technomax, but just wondering on anyone else's opinions.

Thanks.

 

[doctor Bob]

Stretch the budget (or get lucky in an auction) a bit and get an Altendorf WA80. I'm biased as I have one but way better than your list.

 

[heimlaga]

I think you could get a 1980-ies Altendorf in good condition within the budget. I have used one in the past and that is the saw of my dreams.

The three saws you talk about are too new for me to know anything about them. However I would never get a table saw without a proper overarm guard unless I plan to retrofit the guard.

 

[RobinBHM]

I would forget a 2600mm machine for furnture making. A 3200mm machine allows you to cut all mfc jumbo sheets and any 10 x 4 sheets. It can also be used to straighten sawn hardwood boards up to about 3500mm

I bought a Robland 3200 machine new and have been very happy with it. It will take a 400mm blade and even a 450mm blade if the scoring saw is removed. A few niggles, but the primary functions like the sliding table and tilt are rock solid. Altendorf are of course market leaders but dont forget they do both fixed and tilting versions.

You need LOTS of space for a panel saw, about 6.0m x 4.0

 

[murdoch]

There is an altendorf wa80 2010 on ebay for £3400! I too am looking but this seemed too cheap so I didn't dare risk it. Here is the link, not sure if it will work. If I new all was good with this I would buy it in a heartbeat.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Altendorf-WA8 ... 2c907cddd9

 

[tobyriches]

The WA80 is the saw I would really like to get, but that one on ebay looks too good to be true. The seller says they are relocating to a smaller workshop, but the picture of the saw has other saws in the background. The saw is also in Cornwall, so quite hard to pop down and see it.

Finding a used WA80 is going to be quite hard too. I can't see anything in country at the moment. I have phoned round the dealers and I don't think I will get one for less than 6 grand all in, which is a bit more than stretching the budget.

I also want to get something now, the saw will hopefully start making me money as soon as it arrives, I don't really want to wait for the perfect WA80 to turn up, with orders mounting and only a Festool to carve up the panels.

Scott and Sargaent do have an old F45, but it looks like it looks like it's been really well used.

I might just have to do the 8 hour round trip of Stroud - Horsham - Milton Keynes - Leicester - Stroud, and have a proper look at them all.

 

[dejaa]

Hi

Personally I would recommend the Felder, although I'm less enthusiastic about the K500 series! These models were originally marketed as Hammer - the cheaper downmarket versions of true felder (K700 and up models).

I had a CF741porfessional (now sold as I had to fully retire to care for my wife with MS) which I could do just about anything on. The K700 would be the table saw only part (with/without tilting spindle moulder). I found that the accuracy of extension cross cut table and guide perfect every time it was re fitted. Also the height setting of the saw blade could be set to extremely fine limits. One complete turn = 2mm (if I remember correctly) which means with a the dial indicator option and judging the needle position by eye you can get to about 1/100mm accuracy!!, same is true for the tilt also the smoothness if the handle is to be experienced to appreciate. Actually all of there handwheel adjustments are the same 2mm per revolution which make fast adjustment very simple and saves time.

OK there are a few downsides to felder, since they don't stock anything in MK, anything you order has to come from Austria and of course costs £15 min for postage, but they ship quickly .

As for Minimax, Hmm, personally NO. I bought a minimax planer thicknesser to do a few jobs after the Cf went. Not even close to same quality. The handwheel blade adjustment was a course thread which meant I had to use the sliding scale to set height, not the same. Of course I can't directly say the table saw would be the same but based on my PT experience I would not recommend, despite what others have said.

Altendorf. My belief is that they have become the market leader from felder. Never used one, but if you can find a good one I would say better then the Hammer, sorry K500.

David

 

[doctor Bob]

There is an altendorf wa80 2010 on ebay for £3400! I too am looking but this seemed too cheap so I didn't dare risk it. Here is the link, not sure if it will work. If I new all was good with this I would buy it in a heartbeat.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Altendorf-WA8 ... 2c907cddd9

As you say tooooo cheap and in the top end of scotland, it's dodgy, lots of stuff comes up like this in the shetlands, etc.


I really wouldn't choose a Robland, I've had one (new) it was awful, in accurate and always out of square.

 

[Jacob]

There is an altendorf wa80 2010 on ebay for £3400! I too am looking but this seemed too cheap so I didn't dare risk it. Here is the link, not sure if it will work. If I new all was good with this I would buy it in a heartbeat.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Altendorf-WA8 ... 2c907cddd9

Could be a rip off. It's happened before - some thieving R sole takes payment for amazingly cheap but mythical machine based on the Orkneys (near Thurso) and disappears without trace.
Note the low number of ratings (11) and no offer of Paypal for payment. Paypal is very secure and protects the buyer very well. But pay cash and it's gone for good if it's rip off.

PS I've reported it to Ebay as possibly frauduent

 

[RogerBoyle]

I have family that live up that neck of the woods
I have just got one of them to send him an email asking to view the Saw :twisted: :twisted:

Wonder how long the listing will remain :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

 

[murdoch]

Glad others think its dodgy too. On the day it was listed I spoke to him and he was a german chap who said he was selling for his dad who was downsizing and had owned it from new. I asked if he could send a copy of the original purchase invoice but he said they no longer had it. this sent alarm bells as i have to keep mine for 7 years!

A part of me nearly stupidly bought it thinking it could be a bona fide bargain but thankfully the sensible part kicked in.

Closer to the OP. I have had a 1990 wadkin cp32 since i set up in 2006 and it is a great machine. the build quality is really high and its never missed a beat or gone out of alignment. only paid £1200 and its probably still worth the same. I worked in 2 joinery shops and both had altendorfs, they really are the best and I think Bob is right when he says to pay a bit more if you can stretch to it. A high end machine will also hold its money where as the cheaper chinese just get thrown away.

 

[Wizard9999]

I have family that live up that neck of the woods
I have just got one of them to send him an email asking to view the Saw :twisted: :twisted:

Wonder how long the listing will remain :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

So, did he come up with any good excuses to refuse a viewing? Having been conned on eBay many years ago (eventually got my money back as payment was luckily through PayPal) I'm always keen to see the rip off merchants get caught out. But then of course maybe your relatives went to see it, it is genuine and it is on its way to you as I type :lol: .

Terry.

 

[RogerBoyle]

He keeps dodging the bit where he is asked for his address .
He has stated that viewing is strictly by appointment only and he has 6 booked in for the 28th Nov.
Wouldn't add us to the list
If it still not sold he will then give us a call...

Its a scam again

 

[deema]

Have you thought of a wall saw? Less room taken up, easier to handle the sheet material on and off, extremely accurate, compound angled cuts possible with the right saw. The only down side I'm aware if is that they take patience to setup initially to attain accuracy. Just a thought

 

[RobinBHM]

He keeps dodging the bit where he is asked for his address .
He has stated that viewing is strictly by appointment only and he has 6 booked in for the 28th Nov.
Wouldn't add us to the list
If it still not sold he will then give us a call...

Its a scam again

I hadnt realised such scams happened with woodworking machinery, although Ive always bought machinery through dealers not ebay.

Im intrigued to know how such a scam would work? Would anybody pay for a machine sight unseen? Or if the saw exists does the 'seller' take a deposit from perhaps a number of buyers, then dissappear into thin air?

 

[tobyriches]

The wall saw was never really a choice, I feel I need a table saw because I make a lot of fitted furniture and sloping eaves demand mitres and bevels, which a wall saw will struggle with. also I want to be able to use the saw to cut rebates and so on.

As for the Altendorf, the poster got in contact with me last night, I 'politely' told him that Orkney was probably a bit far to make a viewing, and no contact since.

And as for my final choice, well I have decided to save my money for other tools and have brought a used Ixes Forsa 7 Panel saw. It's totally entry level, but hardly used, 3 phase and comes with an extractor, all for a quarter of my original budget. It was also very local, a big help when spending that kind of money.

Thanks for all your help.

 

[RobinBHM]

It looks like a capable machine to me and you can upgrade in the future when youve more time to choose.

 

[Wizard9999]

He keeps dodging the bit where he is asked for his address .
He has stated that viewing is strictly by appointment only and he has 6 booked in for the 28th Nov.
Wouldn't add us to the list
If it still not sold he will then give us a call...

Its a scam again

I hadnt realised such scams happened with woodworking machinery, although Ive always bought machinery through dealers not ebay.

Im intrigued to know how such a scam would work? Would anybody pay for a machine sight unseen? Or if the saw exists does the 'seller' take a deposit from perhaps a number of buyers, then dissappear into thin air?

Guess that is why he is located in such an inaccessible location, he hopes somebody will pay up,without seeing the item just because they think they are getting an amazing deal.

Terry.