New Axminster panel saw

[nevo]

Finally got p305/3200 and was'nt dissapointed what a machine espically at the price 2,961 plus vat. It took about a day and a half to put togeather but it was all set up at the factory, all i needed to do is bolt it togeather. The only bad points would be the instruction book was not great , the cast iron table was not polished and the tech services in axminster was,nt great when i needed info. Besides all that it cuts well all the settings done in the factory were spot on as i have gone through about 20 sheets already with great results. All in all you would be mad to get anything else, even if this machine only lasted a year it would easly pay for itself.

Nev

 

[OPJ]

...even if this machine only lasted a year it would easly pay for itself.

...Well, at that price, I'd hope it would last a bit longer than twelve-months!! :-D ;-)

Sounds like you're very happy with your new toy - but, where are the photos?! ;-)

 

[nevo]

Olly , Im having problems with my camera ill post photos when i sort it out.

Nev.

 

[anne]

Hi Nev, glad you're pleased with it!
I am still deliberating (eg arguing) with my business partner, who would go for this one, but I'm swithering towards
the baby Minimax classic, which we have actually seen in action.
Roughly equal on price, though Ax looks to be more for yer dosh on paper, but unknown track record.
We wont be using this daily for hours at a time , but accurate trouble free performance is still the most important factor,
and at least 15 years use.
Thanks for posting your comments, if we dont make a decision tomorrow I'm going to toss a coin!
Anne

 

[Karl]

if we dont make a decision tomorrow I'm going to toss a coin!
Anne

It's the way to go - if it doesn't work out, then you can blame Fate. :lol:

Cheers

Karl

 

[Doctor]

Finally got p305/3200 and was'nt dissapointed what a machine espically at the price 2,961 plus vat. It took about a day and a half to put togeather but it was all set up at the factory, all i needed to do is bolt it togeather. The only bad points would be the instruction book was not great , the cast iron table was not polished and the tech services in axminster was,nt great when i needed info. Besides all that it cuts well all the settings done in the factory were spot on as i have gone through about 20 sheets already with great results. All in all you would be mad to get anything else, even if this machine only lasted a year it would easly pay for itself.

Nev

It's about what its like in 5 years time, my guess is it will be inaccurate, bearings worn and tilt and rise and fall mechanism's clogged with dust.
But you seem happy to buy one a year. :lol:

 

[anne]

Hi guys,
Karl, good point, but it will be me that gets the blame!

Nev, the P305 is 600kg, MiniMax SC/3W is only 300kg, I am wondering how there is such a difference. The
P30 (next to P305 in Axminster brochure) is weighted with concrete block - is the P305 the same?
(The MM is only 2.2m sliding table, and is only 3hp while the p305 is 5hp, but I wouldnt have thought that would account for 300kg difference)
It sounds like you were on your own when it came to assembly - had you done much of this stuff before or was it all new to you?
(If we go for the MM, we will get tech help included with delivery and also Saw Centre help on the phone or 40 minutes away in Glasgow)
What other machines did you look at before choosing this one? It sounds like you were 'buying in the dark', did you have previous knowledge of OAV machines (I think OAV is a new line, Axminster seem to withdaw lines of machinery fairly frequently, which makes me wonder about quality/reliability )

Thanks for all the useful comments, the best advice comes from the people who use these machines, so I'll be contributing
my tuppence worth too!

Anne

 

[nevo]

Anne.
There is no concrete blocks in the p305, it all steel. If you have the room get at least 2.5m , and a good dust extractor. I also got the overhead crown guard it works well.
Yes ,i was on my owne but i had a pallet truck and a 2 ton lift ,i needed it.
I went and looked at all the big names Altendorf, Robland, Felder, etc but the cost was crazy, you could get a good car for that kind of money. My old saw was made in Taiwan and its still going strong after 10 years but its too small now , i will still use it as it takes a 1" dado blade. So why change. I wasnt sure about the quality before i bought it , but it ended out fairly good.
Good luck, but take a good look at the p305 before you buy.

NEV.

 

[anne]

Hi Nev, sounds like it is better quality than you anticipated.
Was the assembly straightforward then, even with the poor instructions?
When it says 'self assembly', what parts was it separated into when it arrived?
Was it a day and a half just to bolt together, would a panel saw novice (or two) manage it?
Anne

 

[nevo]

Anne.
I was wrong about the concrete weight, there is one block under the access door for the motor.
It wasnt too bad putting it togeather , thats looking back on it now. Two people would be good. Sliding table and extenshion tables had to be put on. Over head crown guard and all the small bits, the manual helped but it was slow going.
Have you made your mind up yet.

Nev.

 

[pisti]

Finally got p305/3200 and was'nt dissapointed what a machine espically at the price 2,961 plus vat. It took about a day and a half to put togeather but it was all set up at the factory, all i needed to do is bolt it togeather. The only bad points would be the instruction book was not great , the cast iron table was not polished and the tech services in axminster was,nt great when i needed info. Besides all that it cuts well all the settings done in the factory were spot on as i have gone through about 20 sheets already with great results. All in all you would be mad to get anything else, even if this machine only lasted a year it would easly pay for itself.

Nev

Hello Nev.
How is your axminster panel saw works since? I have tired to find a smaller version of panel saw for smaller cuts, as my large saw is 5.5Kw and it is not fun to fire it up (regarding the high current) for small cut what can be done by smaller machine.

so then I found the axminster PS 315 with 1650 mm sliding table, it is reasonably well priced. which is enough and it is powered by 2.8Kw motor.

So generally my question is after many years of use what did you discover, pro and cons. Did you do any services since? Parts availability and cost?

Thanks for your time.
Regards,
Pisti,

 

[RobinBHM]

Nev hasnt logged on since 2011, so you may not get an answer!