New jointer season? I think so.


bleedinblue

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I mentioned it in the other thread, but while I was waiting (two days, but one was Sunday) for a question from customer service, the sale on the Hammers ended.  Customer service responded Tuesday, apologized, and said she would work up an offer for me.   Two days later and she hasnt recontacted me with the offer she was going to prepare.  Maybe Felder doesn't want my money. :angry:

I've mentioned it ad-nauseum here, but I kind of demand good customer service where I spend my money.  

Maybe I'll do separate machines after all. 

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Wow i find that hard to believe that a company when presented with "shut up and take my money" didn't respond with "Oh yes please". I guess they have a problem with your money.... their loss.

Jet and powermatic will have a sale here in a couple weeks what are you thinking? Jet wedgebed 8"? with 10% off that's pretty affordable.

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I used to lust after the Hammer/Felder stuff, but I've just read way too many horror (not hyperbole) stories about not only their customer service, but just trying to get the machines initially set up & calibrated, & even getting the needed documentation. Once that's all done people seem happy with them, but I'm just not willing to go through that kind of stress & grief to get there. I'm with @bleedinblue on this. 

There's a combo in my future, but it will come from someone else.

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35 minutes ago, Chestnut said:

Wow i find that hard to believe that a company when presented with "shut up and take my money" didn't respond with "Oh yes please". I guess they have a problem with your money.... their loss.

Jet and powermatic will have a sale here in a couple weeks what are you thinking? Jet wedgebed 8"? with 10% off that's pretty affordable.

Probably a Jet 8" with HH.  I need to research how hard the tables are to calibrate though.  That part has me nervous.  

Not sure on planers.  Probably grizzly, but I have to pay sales tax on grizzly machines so that minimizes the savings from other brands. 

29 minutes ago, drzaius said:

I used to lust after the Hammer/Felder stuff, but I've just read way too many horror (not hyperbole) stories about not only their customer service, but just trying to get the machines initially set up & calibrated, & even getting the needed documentation. Once that's all done people seem happy with them, but I'm just not willing to go through that kind of stress & grief to get there. I'm with @bleedinblue on this. 

There's a combo in my future, but it will come from someone else.

Yeah man...coincidentally she emailed me just a minute ago and offered $80 off the shipping price.  No mention of the $900 off sale that I missed out on while waiting on her responses.  I'm less than impressed.  Twelve inches of jointer capacity would be amazing.  Eight inches and helical heads would still be a big improvement over what I have now. 

Stand alone machines obviously have their advantages.  I may even save a little cash..maybe that can go to Benchcrafted ;)

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54 minutes ago, drzaius said:

I used to lust after the Hammer/Felder stuff, but I've just read way too many horror (not hyperbole) stories about not only their customer service, but just trying to get the machines initially set up & calibrated, & even getting the needed documentation. Once that's all done people seem happy with them, but I'm just not willing to go through that kind of stress & grief to get there. I'm with @bleedinblue on this. 

There's a combo in my future, but it will come from someone else.

I have never had an issue with my Hammer or with their customer service but you're right their manuals suck and that's putting it mildly! Most the equipment manufactures could learn from Sawstop their's is hands down the best manual for anything I have purchased in the last decade.

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19 minutes ago, Mark J said:

   

Fortunately the sales are nearly upon us 'cause I don't think your wife will take back that deal you made☺.

She was actually unhappy when I told her I might not buy the Hammer, lol. 

Customer service must be reading this.  Looks like they're going to honor the sale price.  Gotta make decisions. 

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Like Paul, I've had good service from Hammer. The rep I dealt with (Marvin Green in Sacramento) calls me couple of times a year just to check in. 

I balked at the space requirement they listed in their literature, even taped it out on my floor to make sure it would be workable. Now that it's in I wonder why they require so much. I have the A3-41 and it needs 14" behind the machine frame, even with the fence all the way to the back edge of the jointer. I can only assume it's for servicing the machine. If you have the mobility kit that becomes a non-argument.

 

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@bleedinblue, I signed the paperwork to order an A3 31 today and they honored the sale price. I did reach out before the sale ended but didn’t actually talk to anyone at fielder until after as they took a day or two to call me back. Send me a PM if you want my rep’s contact info

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I've found talk of how good my rep is in two or three posts in various locations...but man, I'm not feeling the warm and fuzzies.  24 hours average response time and she's not listening to what I want.

Yesterday, when she told me the sales price would be honored, she gave me the price for the spiral head.  I responded yesterday and said I specifically want the 31 with straight knives and said I was ready to make the order.  She just replied with the longest message she has sent me yet imploring me to get the spiral head, even if it means dropping to the 26.

Quote

Correct but truly our Silent Power spiral cutterblock is the heart of our jointer-planers.  It's what sets us apart from the competition.  This is a true spiral not a shelix or helical etc.  The cut quality is superior, 20x longer blade life, and it's astonishingly quiet... I promise you you will not regret the $780 investment but I can't promise that you wont regret not getting it and we do not offer a retrofit to add it later.  If you came to me asking for a spiral I'd have to refer you to Byrd to get a retrofit to their cutterblock and it would run you at least $1,000.  I'd rather sell you an A3-26 with the spiral than a straight knife A3-31... to me that's a better investment.  Hope that didn't come across pushy but rather passionate.

I'm not sure if I'm frustrated enough to drop her, or maybe she's right and I should consider the 26 with spiral head. 

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30 minutes ago, bleedinblue said:

I've found talk of how good my rep is in two or three posts in various locations...but man, I'm not feeling the warm and fuzzies.  24 hours average response time and she's not listening to what I want.

Yesterday, when she told me the sales price would be honored, she gave me the price for the spiral head.  I responded yesterday and said I specifically want the 31 with straight knives and said I was ready to make the order.  She just replied with the longest message she has sent me yet imploring me to get the spiral head, even if it means dropping to the 26.

I'm not sure if I'm frustrated enough to drop her, or maybe she's right and I should consider the 26 with spiral head. 

For me if I could swing the $780 I would do that but I would not go with the 26 spiral head vs the 31 straight blades. Full disclosure I have an A3/31 with straight knives and yes it is way louder then a spiral head but the cut is very impressive IMHO.

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Honestly, I get it.  The spiral head would be awesome, and I hate noise in the shop so the quieter operation would be fantastic.  I've even got the money.  This is just a massive luxury purchase for a hobby that makes zero cash in return, and pushing the envelope further and further isn't making me any more comfortable.

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2 minutes ago, Chestnut said:

Man idk. I could easily stomach a 10" jointer but i couldn't swing a 10" planer.

Same.

The limited capacity of the planer is actually mitigated with the drum sander though.  Last year for Christmas I made a pizza peel that was 15 or 16 inches wide.  I flattened it and thinned it down to a half inch on the drum sander.  It took a while, but it was easily workable.  I cant even say that I often plane boards that are even close to the capacity of my lunchbox now.  It's pretty rare.

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I talked to a local guy who sold a spiral head 26 last year.  He said he hated the combo machine and went to the 8" spiral head Jet jointer and a 15" PM planer and hasn't looked back since.  Maybe the Jet jointer and a Grizzly planer is the ticket.

She's taking the excitement out of the Hammer for me.  After psyching myself up for the 31, I don't think I'll be happy with the 26.

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Thats actually a pretty solid price on that machine. It was eventually discontinued and replaced by the 951, but that is a whole lotta machine. That is kinda close to you too, isnt it? Felder 700 is a good leap up from Hammer. 

 

I was posting it as a bit of a joke, but seriously, if you arent getting the service you think is adequate, then take those dollars somewhere else. Thats one example of where you could put them. 10hp VFD to convert that is probably $600ish. 

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Yup, it's probably less than two hours away.  Maybe considerably less, I'd have to map it. 

I'm considering other options more and more.  There's a "new" Grizzly 15" planer 45 minutes straight down the interstate from me on CL for $1250, I bet I could get it for $1000.  They say it's never been used but the beds look lightly rusted.  I'd need to get a cherry picker to get it in the pickup truck, but maybe I should.  Then when Acme or Jet runs their Thanksgiving sales, pick up the Jet 8" with HH.

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Tom,

do you think we have convinced him yet? Haha. I get it, that’s a bit above budget and maybe more machine than you want to move.  

 

Seriously though, VFDs are becoming a lot better with time. I remember a unit capable of providing 15-19 amps 3 phase used to be pretty expensive a few years ago. Now it’s $300 or less. Keep in mind, what they label as a 5hp VFD probably won’t cut it. I needed to use a 10hp unit for my 5.5hp jointer. 

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