If you had £10k?

[Froggy]

Hi All,

Theoretical question - if you had £10,000 to spend on a bandsaw, table saw, pt and spindle moulder which machines would you buy?

Cheers, Froggy.

 

[marcros]

I think that I would look at hammer/felder, for no better reasons than you can use the table extensions across all machines.

 

[Froggy]

I think that I would look at hammer/felder, for no better reasons than you can use the table extensions across all machines.

But could you get all those machines for £10k if you bought Hammer/Felder :?:
You might second hand if you could find them, but new?

 

[marcros]

I honestly don't know, but for Hammer, rather than Felder, I think that you would have a chance.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

You might want to consider a universal machine for everything but the bandsaw. Felder for example and then add a Startrite for the bandsaw for about £1500 leaving you a budget of 8.5K for the universal.

 

[Paddy Roxburgh]

If it were me I'd spend a couple of grand on old Wadkin machines and 8 grand taking my daughter to the Great barrier Reef.
Seriously though, If I had some real money to spend I would spend it on a decent spindle, with power feed and quality tooling and decent wide planer thicknesser . I'm not really sure what advantage a new bandsaw would give me over my 1960s 24" Wadkin (which cost me £375 5 years ago). Same thing really with the table saw, although I might want to upgrade my AGS10 for something with a sliding table.

 

[wallace]

1940's wadkin all the way. Wadkin PK dimension saw, DR bandsaw, RM planer thicknesser, EQ spindle moulder

 

[Hornbeam]

Happy with what Ive got but retire earlier so I could use it more

 

[Sheptonphil]

Happy with what Ive got but retire earlier so I could use it more

Same here, just rekitted the workshop and retiring early later this year to live off the kids inheritance and enjoy my toys. :lol:

Phil

 

[Vann]

Theoretical question - if you had £10,000 to spend on a bandsaw, table saw, pt and spindle moulder which machines would you buy?

Wadkin, Wadkin, Wadkin, and Wadkin :wink: (like Wallace says). I had to pass on a 24" Wadkin RM PT recently due to lack of space (it sold for $250, ~140 quid ). http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing ... 1285265539

Cheers, Vann.

 

[transatlantic]

Does it make anyone else sad that it's still the old old OLD tools that get recommened?

We're living in an age where we can get wireless internet access on our touch screen mobile phones, yet we've forgotten how to make quality tools to cut wood

yes - I know there are still quality companies out there pushing new products, but in general, it's rather sad.

 

[marcros]

i dont think that we have forgotten how to make quality tools. As consumers, we now have access to tools a a price point that never existed before and we are not comparing like for like. It wouldnt be fair to compare a Charnwood table saw that costs a couple of days wages with a Wadkin which now costs a similar amount on the used market. It would be fairer to compare a new Sedgewick MB with the price of a new Wadkin machine, adjusted for time .

 

[novocaine]

jet and axminster then spent the rest on stuff to cut up with them.

 

[TFrench]

It'd be wadkin stuff for me too. Mainly because I enjoy the process of rebuilding things and bringing them back to life!

 

[wallace]

I think everything is created to a price even high quality machines like felder which have lost some quality on the finish and longevity compared to earlier machines. During the height of wadkin brass and aluminium castings were there plastics but even they succumbed to cost cutting and started down the plastic route for handles and such.
I vaguely recall some one working out how much it would cost to produce some thing like a PK dimension saw today and it was £25K. I think if us brits had more room in our sheds the price of second hand 3 phase stuff would be a lot more than it is

 

[Froggy]

Interesting comments, I expected a comparison of old and new. Although I said at the beginning that this is theoretical, it may be a dilemma I have next year if I'm in a position to start up my own business (a nice dilemma though!). But I am on single phase and most of the good old machines are 3ph, plus my abilities mechanically are somewhat stunted!! And I would expect to be 'tweaking' the older machines more the new ones (which should be under warranty anyway). And then there's parts. I have struggled in the past finding parts for my PT and this may be an issue with the older Wadkins for example. I have a friend who has a workshop full of old 3ph Wadkins and when I do bits in his shop it drives me crazy. He knows all the little faults of his machines and gives them a bang here or tweak there and carries on but I struggle with them.
However I have never worked on the modern quality machines like Felder/Hammer and so have no idea if they live up to their price. It would be nice to bob in to Milton Keynes and have a go on their toys!

 

[shed9]

In terms of Hammer, current list (inc VAT) would be;

£2,059.20 N4400 Bandsaw
£3,306.00 K3 Basic Table Saw
£2,990.40 A3 31 Planer Thicknesser
£3,632.40 F3 Spindle Moulder

So £12 short of £12k.

None of that includes delivery (yup they sting you for that) or tooling and trust me that will add to the cost significantly; think of saw blades for the TS and BS, SM cutter heads, etc. Then you need a wheel kit for the band saw along with the trolley wheel itself to move the kit around, I could go on, but absolute bare minimum to make basic cuts and just handle the machinery you are looking at at least another £1,000. To add to this, none of it even touches upon dust extraction and suitable wiring for high amperage.

Admittedly you can haggle with them but not much these days and you aren't going to get below £10k.

Don't mean to throw a wet towel at the discussion just adding some real numbers. There are many ways to acquire Hammer kit but I suspect with that budget not all of it is going to be show room shiny is all. They do (well they used to) trade their own old kit, so always an opportunity to buy old kit with a little hammer love thrown in.

However I have never worked on the modern quality machines like Felder/Hammer and so have no idea if they live up to their price.

Yes, in my opinion, no complaints to date.

 

[doctor Bob]

I started with
Panel saw £4000
Spindle £1000
P/T £1000
Rip saw £600
Speed sander £8000
Edge sander £500

I think I probably did another £5k on portable tools and start up gear.
A lot of it depends on what you actually intend to make, we were very keen to just concentrate on kitchens.

 

[Froggy]

I'm in France and as such get the Euro prices for the hammer stuff. Makes an interesting comparison as they are cheaper (by about £1k) to buy here which is unusual. The exact same items you listed Shed9 are
BS (N4400)- €2154 (£1830)
TS (K3) - €3774 (£3208)
PT (A3 31) - €3174 (£2698)
SM (F3) - €3798 (£3228)

That's using today's exchange rate.
£10k sounds a lot of money (and indeed is!), but when tooling up is doesn't get you the dream.

 

[Froggy]

I started with
Panel saw £4000
Spindle £1000
P/T £1000
Rip saw £600
Speed sander £8000
Edge sander £500

I think I probably did another £5k on portable tools and start up gear.
A lot of it depends on what you actually intend to make, we were very keen to just concentrate on kitchens.

Just had a look at your web site and your kitchens are spectacular! I think you should open a French branch, say ... around the Limousin area, and train someone up locally :roll: :roll: