You do have to spend some time setting the saw up... blade, fence, etc. But once done, the saw is great. Fairly compact which is Nice kzread.infoUgkxXh-4_3-ZT1fFWP91ZV7iVqzElr0lEb-a I did get an Incra Miter Gauge which takes some setup as well. The stock miter gauge can be adjusted in the miter slot with a little painter's tape... this tightens up the side to side play a lot.

Hi Preston, I enjoyed this detailed video. I have used more commercial sliding saws that are goodcfor full plywood sheets but I liked how you explained the advantages of your saw. Any sliding saw is a huge safety feature. Keep up the vids and detailed info. Happy I subscribed. -Andrew

Brilliant, honest review. Well worth watching.

Thank you for this insight. Honest reviews by owners are what we need.

Hi Preston, good video. I also had the same issue will the rip fence not being parallel to the blade. The way I was able to fix the problem was to adjust the nuts on the bolts that connect the rip fence rail to the saw. I have a C3-31 but the rail is attached the same way as on the K3. By adjusting the nuts in or out it will move the fence towards or away from the blade. You may only have to adjust the two outer nuts and not mess with the two inner ones. I also used a One-Way Multi Gauge and was able to adjust the fence so there was .005 clearance at the back of the blade per Forrest Blades instructions. The Felder tech people instructed me on how to do it. It was a little intimidating at first but it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. Felder makes great machines and I really like mine but, they should look into redesigning the fence so it would be easier to make adjustments like the old Biesemeyer fence. Like you, I'm part of the WW Guild so if you have any question let me know.

Thanks a lot for very extensive and precise review. Spot on when i need of critical reviews for this product

Preston. Great review & very accurate. Like Pete, I have the Felder K700 P. For all of your reasons on the accuracy and tweaking, I chose the Felder. The X-Roll slider and heavier trunnion have a better feel as well. I almost bought the Saw Stop but decided against it. It’s a great saw & heads above all the saws in its class but I needed a 12” blade and scoring and the slider on the SawStop doesn’t have a very large travel. I don’t have any need for the mobility kit on that particular machine but SawStops is much better. Like you, I love the versatility of the Hammer/Felder add ons. I have the F rail brackets on my other tools and I can add or delete items as needed. Your shop looks awesome! Chris

@prestonhoffman5695

5 жыл бұрын

Chris, Thanks for sharing about your K700 experience. It gives me more confidence to upgrade to the Felder line when the time comes. I was also looking at the K700 series, since that line looks like a true upgrade from a hammer machine.

Excellent job on this review. Thanks for sharing. If you have a floor jack, it would save you from using the handle shown at 14:00 They are cheap at any auto parts store, if you don't already have one and are so very handy to move heavy items around. Ease of lift and control during movement, without the violence and strain you have to do now with the cheater/leverage bar you have now. Thanks again. Well done.

@prestonhoffman5695

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the suggestion. I will have to look into that.

I have had a Sedgwick 315 for decades. They still make it. It came perfectly set up and has stayed that way. It is very substantial. After watching your video I think I made the right choice. None of your negatives surprised me. I use the micro adjuster on the fence all the time. The slider mechanism has no play still after 30 years. The fence is parallel to the blade and the slider is also parallel. It is quiet and powerful. The kick stop is such a good feature.

@Canada1608

4 жыл бұрын

Same for my old SCM SW 16 slider, amazing 30 years old tool

Preston, I appreciate your desire for spot on accuracy. In that same vein, did you know that you can adjust ordinary framing squares to be exactly square? If the legs are too close together - acute angle - you can spread the legs farther apart by dimpling the inner corner (where the legs meet) with a center punch. Conversely, you can correct an obtuse angle by dimpling the outside corner. The dimpling may slightly bulge the metal on the edge so it might require light cleanup with a file. To test your square, to begin with, just lay it against a known good straight edge, draw a pencil line along the perpendicular leg and then flip it 180° and draw a 2nd line. If the 2 lines do not exactly line up, you'll see that and you'll see if the legs are acute or obtuse. :)

I have a Hammer B3 with a 2-meter slider. I think you can make lateral adjustments to the rip fence by adjusting the nuts on the bolts that attach the steel bar along the front. My rip fence was fairly close, but I rip by using the slider with the rip fence clear of the blade, so I haven't needed to make that adjustment. Nice, thorough video.

@prestonhoffman5695

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for commenting. I have heard of that method of adjusting the rip fence and I have considered using it. My only concern was bending the bar to accomplish it and it being out of cal at different rip capacities. The truth is, it’s probably bent to some extent anyway. I think tightening some bolts here and there should be fine.

Great review Preston. I bought one of these in the early 2000's. I agree the rip fence is a pig of a thing and hard to get cuts square. Probably should have got the outrigger table I think Bob Reed below has. in his comments.

Thanks for a balanced and professional presentation. I will certainly think twice about buying Hammer but can I stretch to Felder is the question!

@prestonhoffman5695

3 жыл бұрын

I will say that I have gotten better at calibrating this machine over time (just posted a video on it), so my enthusiasm for the machine at this price point has gone up. It really does a good job and I do recommend it overall. That being said, I really wish I had a Felder! I do love having a slider and can’t imagine going back to a Taiwan saw. I’m glad you found it helpful.

Thanks for your video. It's great to see more Felder/Hammer users from the US. You guys make great videos. I own Kf700s and have an AD 741 jointer planer coming in a couple of months. I run a one man custom shop, so I opted for the felder 700 series as it a great combination of footprint and quality. Expensive stuff but as it is my livelihood, I need my machines to function and be low maintenance - and felder is great for that. Anyway, thanks again, would be good to hear your thoughts on the A3 41 for reference. David

@prestonhoffman5695

5 жыл бұрын

I certainly hope to do a review of the A3-31. I wish I had the AD 741, but the A3-31 does really well for what I need.

Definitely a useful review! Thank you, good job! That Felder trains the distributors on how to set up the saw is useless when buying over the Internet and delivery takes place hundreds of km from the nearest dealer. Stupid excuse. On the other side, doing it yourself will make you able to do it again and, seemingly, you'd have to do it again anyway sooner or later, so i's OK by me. Strange that it fails to stay aligned though...

Hey, Nice and honest review of your experience, But I want to add to the discussion that some (the most important ones) of the "flaws" are perhaps, because you want to use it as a combination between an american cabinet saw and a European slider. You're supposed to use the slider for both cross and rip cuts. Therefor the slider can be slightly higher than the cast iron table (because it is only to support the off-cut). It is actually intentionally higher to reduce the drag when sliding the table. I have the C3 31 hammer combination machines with the outrigger and I never use the "rip" fence to do ripping, only for the planner. For ripping I use a fritz & franz jig (have a look at the extremeWoodworker youtube channel). It allows me more accuracy and it is easier and safer to rip to smaller sizes. For the parallel guide coming out of alignment, on my previous machine (a low budget brand) I had the same issue and that is why I went for the outrigger with the parallel guide on the front of the machine, never had a problem since. In my personal opinion, the only true downside is the footprint it has but if you can accommodate it, it is superior to a cabinet saw (if you make the full mental switch of using it as a slider)

@prestonhoffman5695

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the feedback. I have gotten a lot of feedback that the outrigger table is the way to go. That’s definitely going to be in my next upgrade.

Great review. I hope Hammer product engineers see this and take heed.

@prestonhoffman5695

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks! Yeah, there is definitely room for improvement and I think the fixes just require a little better engineering as opposed to better materials if that makes sense. I don’t think the better engineering would rise the price too much, but it would make their product all the more attractive.

@sound1345

4 жыл бұрын

@@prestonhoffman5695 Exactly. I've never understood why so many manufacturers completely change their products year on year, motivated by what looks nothing more than marketing, rather than make incremental improvements on existing products. (actually I do get it - $$$) but it's building a house on sand.

I have a K3 (79x48) purchased April 2017. Mine came bundled with the Outrigger table 1100, which is fantastic. Dead nuts every time I use it and the stop always sets the fence perpendicular. Easy on/off the machine and perfectly repeatable each time. For me this was a MUST HAVE. Also included in my purchase was the same "mitre-style" cross cut fence you have and it is "Mickey Mouse" compared to the Outrigger table 1100 with the 51" crosscut fence. Felder accessories are awful expensive and the Outrigger table 1100 is $1095. But still probably worth it, if you crosscut alot. I wouldn't buy the machine without it.

@prestonhoffman5695

5 жыл бұрын

Bob, Thanks for the comment. I always wondered if the outrigger table would up the game on accuracy, but I never made the plunge, because I was concerned I would be wasting my money. That’s good to know in the future. I’m still debating if I will upgrade to a Felder some day, but it’s nice to know I might just be able to purchase the outrigger.

@rodsheridan7048

2 жыл бұрын

@@prestonhoffman5695 Hi, I added the outrigger to my B3 a couple of years after purchasing the saw shaper. Most of the time it hangs on the wall, but when you need it is a gamechanger and goes on and off the machine without tools or calibration.

Thanks for the honesty, I'm looking at a K3 or maybe a K500 somewhat soon. I'm thinking they gave you only one handwheel because you wouldn't usually keep one on the side. It'd hit you in leg as you slide the table past the blade. The solution for the Felder is having a handwheel with a folding handle, and it's a little disappointing they didn't think to do that here too. One word about the mobility kit, I have a Felder 510 bandsaw, and even though I rarely move my bandsaw, I bought it for that. After building mobile bases that use the same setup for other older tools (jointer, planer, lathe, and even a workbench) I kindof love it for wheeling stuff around during cleanup and putting things away. You don't have to mess with wheel locks or anything, just line it up, push down, and off you go. It'd be less of an issue with a shop that has more permanent homes for it's tools, with DC and floor mat setups, but for my multipurpose shop, I can clean and "jenga" my heavy woodshop tools back into the corner in just a few minutes.

@prestonhoffman5695

5 жыл бұрын

Grumpy's Workshop, You’re right about the mobility kit in that sense. It is nice if you have multiple tools of theirs. I would recommend the K500 for sure. I still think the K3 is a great tool, but I have heard so many great things about their upgraded slider that I would probably jump on that option. Best of luck with your purchase!

@prestonhoffman5695

4 жыл бұрын

That is definitely my next upgrade. I may even spring for the K700!

Very thoughtful and interesting - thank you. Good point about the relative height of sliding table and main table. As you mentioned, some machines have a slider that does not come right up to the saw blade and the slider must then be no lower than the main table; in practice, this tends to mean a thou or so higher. I share your desire to be spot on but woodworking machines are often not built to the necessary standard for this. Possibly you are a Felder customer with a Hammer budget? Power to you!

@prestonhoffman5695

4 жыл бұрын

I may be a Felder customer here shortly. Truth is, I have it dialed in really well right now, so I may just stick this machine out. Who knows.

Hallo Preston. Thank you for a thorough review. Just a quick thought, which may be of some help. To my knowledge, the Hammer / Felder machines are only assembled at the factory. With no intention to “true” it at all. With very good reason. The company expects their distributors, who sell you the machine, to commission it for you, after delivery at your premises. Felder offers training to their distributors for exactly that purpose. They also have all the equipment needed to do that for you. It takes roughly two hours for an “simple “ machine. From your review, it seems that this service was never rendered to you. I think that a lot of your concerns will go away once a Felder certified technician has sorted out your machine. Good luck and enjoy a great bit of equipment, which I think is amazing value for money.

@billystray7007

4 жыл бұрын

dont they generally charge for that service?

@gerardosmi2933

3 жыл бұрын

@@billystray7007 Depends on the distributor in your area, but if you buy directly from Felder this service is included.

Fellow American K3 owner here. Just wanted to say thanks for such a thorough review. I agree with much of your review if using the saw like an American table saw. The best solution to that is have both! Tall order for sure. Wish I could have both too. I cut my own trees and mill them for the grain and/or size available. This means I end up with long boards. The K3, paired with a chop saw, is phenomenal for ripping long boards. It was this capability that sold me on leaving the American table saw I grew up with. My wife likes the safety side of it. Sure, one can be equally as negligent. For the kind of cuts I do it is rare that I need to use the Fritz and Fran jig to get close to the blade. Good review! I just wanted to add a slightly different perspective.

Thanks for the review, there's not much detailed information out there on these machines. A video like this is 10x more useful than Felder's website.

@prestonhoffman5695

4 жыл бұрын

My pleasure. I hope to put more reviews out in the future.

Hello Preston, Felder does have a fine-adjust ripfence on the K3 winner and winner comfort lines. Theycan be ordered as an option for your K3 basic as well, you have to change over to another guide rail as well though..

Thanks for posting this. There's not much information on KZread regarding the sliding table saws. The Hammer unit is very nice. I have a Felder K700P with a 5' table, so it can cross-cut 4'. I'd love something for larger plywood, but man-handling that stuff is a pain. Like you, I prefer to do that work with my track saw. (Note if you get a K500, it's basically the same as a Hammer. K700 is where it gets closer to the other Felder and Format stuff). I do also do most of my rips on the slider, using the fence in front of the blade as a stop. The main reason for that is that my shed workshop is literally only a couple inches bigger than the full throw of the saw in both directions, so I'm already limited by how long a rip I can do. The Felder I got was also set up completely true and square from the factory. Not sure if you got a bum unit or if that's just the Hammer vs Felder thing. I do have a Hammer Jointer/planer and it was also fully setup and square from the factory. The fence on mine doesn't hop up like yours when tightening it down. Although it has a slightly larger head, mine is more similar than different, so I suspect you may have it a bit tight. I believe there are adjustment nuts in there that would also affect the toe in/out of the fence. I'll go out and check and take a pic and post it shortly. I did originally have the same type of dust guard you have. It actually did a better job than my current full-arm guard and collector. I do like that the riving knife and guard are now separate in the new setup, but the original guard like what you have is better in a number of ways (including not being in your way). I also have a scoring blade, but in everything I've done, I have yet to use it. Unless you work with a ton of melamine and splinter-heavy veneer plywood (like oak), it seems unnecessary.

@Psychlist1972

5 жыл бұрын

Short video here showing ripping on the table: kzread.info/dash/bejne/mZtqk6p-oZfAqdI.html

@Psychlist1972

5 жыл бұрын

Ok. Here's a video of my fence lock operation: www.flickr.com/photos/psychlist1972/43619255224/in/album-72157677010951444/ You can see it's super smooth and easy. Yours should be very similar. And here are some photos showing where the adjustment bolts are to change fence toe in/out. (I've never had to adjust them) www.flickr.com/photos/psychlist1972/43430260625/in/album-72157677010951444/ www.flickr.com/photos/psychlist1972/43430261085/in/album-72157677010951444/ You have the round bar for your fence, so you should be able to flip it over and out of the way of the table. That's also how you get access to the adjustment bolts. www.flickr.com/photos/psychlist1972/43430263645/in/album-72157677010951444/ Hope that helps!

@prestonhoffman5695

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the comments Pete. I think you confirmed a lot of my suspicions. I do like the Hammer line, but maybe the Felder K700 line would meet my expectations better. Your insight has been really helpful. Once I get home I am going to try and adjust the rip fence. Thanks!

@zotyar6829

5 жыл бұрын

@@Psychlist1972 ...the Felder K500 is absolutely not the same as the Hammer K3! Differs the footprint, the thickness of the sheet (Hammer is made from 3,5mm thick sheet, Felder 4,5mm), the quality of the sliding table, the thickness of the ripping bar, the table's rigidity, practically are totally different machines, based only on a similar drawing. K3 is better equipped for same money, than Felder. With same extra's, Felder K500 become with 40% overpriced than the Hammer. Only the motor is exactly the same!

@Psychlist1972

5 жыл бұрын

Zoltan, you're correct. My mistake.

Thank you for your honest review!

@prestonhoffman5695

4 жыл бұрын

You’re welcome. My pleasure.

Great honest review! Thanks!!

Great review; i got a similar saw but made by SCM - minimax in Italy. SCM is known in Europe as a competitor of FELDER and they both have the basic line MINIMAX and hammer.

@prestonhoffman5695

4 жыл бұрын

I actually looked into their equipment as well. It was a very close call. How do you like your minimax?

@sumandl

4 жыл бұрын

Preston Hoffman i love it!

Without the "outrigger" you only have 1/2 a european saw., maybe less. Adjust the fence by adjusting the round bar, you can attach a dial indicator to the slider and get it very accurate. It should be set it and forget it. You must have the fence clamp way to tight, this fence is not designed to use with things like the jessums. It would need an additional clamp the back. There is no clamp at the back because then you couldn't slide the fence extrusion back, that feature is key to how sliders work. Also with the round bar slide the fence extrusion back halfway, with the fence unlocked the entire unit can be rotated back and under the table leaving the entire right of the blade clear for cutting with the outrigger. In seconds! Dados heads in saws are not a thing in Europe, in fact concealed blade dados cuts an illegal operation in many countries. With good reason. Hope this makes sense and helps. For all who want better, Altendor and Martin will be happy to help. :)

Preston, well done. I bought my Hammer K3 Winner about 5 years ago. I like the saw but the mobility kit sucks

@prestonhoffman5695

4 жыл бұрын

I’m glad you liked it. Most of my gripes are minor, but I do think it’s a great machine overall.

Preston , thx for the great video. Where did you get hold of the attachments for the Jessem wheels on your guide rail?Thx Ennis

@prestonhoffman5695

4 жыл бұрын

I don’t recall the exact supplier, but Amazon has a lot of that hardware. Here is an example of what I use, although I am not sure if it is the same size. www.amazon.com/PZRT-Sliding-Aluminum-Extrusion-Profile/dp/B07PHRXF8W

Hello Preston, interesting review thank you. I have similar issues in converting my mind to switch from cabinet saw dado slots to a sliding table. I have an older Felder bf6 with a sliding table and wanted it to cut super accurate which means that the rip fence, blade and sliding table need to be aligned perfectly. I found some set up information online which was really useful. The issue of aligning the crosscut fence with the blade was solved by adjusting the motor/blade assembly. Sounds daunting but not so complicated ! If you try and adjust your rip fence, it will affect the accuracy between rip fence and slider.

Easy to adjust lateral on the fence! The solid round stock that the fence rides on has two bolts through and you loose the nuts on front and back and adjust the round stock in or out to change the fences lateral adjustment.By pulling the right side of the round stock towards you will bring the fence to the right! A bit of fiddling it’s easy to do.I did it on a ALTENDORF saw which it similar 👍🏾

Very helpful thank you. I’ve just been to a Felder in house show here in the uk and took a video comparing the hammer range. The standard rip fence on the Hammer K3 DOES have squaring adjustment bolt heads, they showed them to me. However your fence system is the upgrade with a cast iron round bar I think? I planned to get this and assumed it would have the same adjustment but you are the second person to tell me it doesn’t!

@Alastair_Freebird

5 жыл бұрын

kzread.info/dash/bejne/hoN5s7yfc7fLqaw.html

@prestonhoffman5695

5 жыл бұрын

There have been a couple folks that pointed out to me that I could adjust the round bar, but it just doesn’t seem like a good solution for me. I have to admit that it did come to me pretty square though, so I think the parts are well machined. I do recommend their equipment, but I may lean towards recommending the Felder line.

Hi Preston, Thanks for the careful review. I also have the K3 48x48 and agree it has clear shortcomings. I guess I was expecting "Festool" quality, but that it's not.... I added a DRO to compensate for the lack of a crosshair on the rip fence (strange that it lacks that) and I also find the rip fence to be "clunky" in general. I was wondering what, if anything, you do for overhead dust collection, or do you find that collecting from below and capping the port on the blade guard works well?

@prestonhoffman5695

4 жыл бұрын

Sorry I didn’t respond to this sooner. For overhead dust collection I just use my dust extractor. I would use my dust collector but the extractor has better static pressure for such a small port

Preston, it should be stated is that your saw is admittedly going to be limited when choosing a short sliding table length. The Hammer line does have longer options that DO provide a larger margin of safety. And that is what you are talking about when you consider buying a sliding table saw in the first place. Yes they are VERY expensive, but there are reasons for them. With the advent of CNC tables now able to handle full sheets of material, they are in the same price points, and realistically, would make a better choice in most cases. Still, an upper professional Felder multi model DOES present a viable choice for that shop that isn't quite there yet for running a professional cabinet shop, but it all depends on how QUICKLY you need to produce parts. They all will do the job at a certain price point. BUT, comparing an upper saw, or a CNC to your small table Hammer, is really not a fair comparison. Your saw is far and above your typical saw found in most garage shops around here. Consider yourself lucky on your selection, for the tasks you use it for.

I have the K3 with the long slider and the 1100 outrigger. My slider was out of adjustment when I got it too. I spent hours trying to get the slider into tolerance and I finally gave up and called in a Felder tech. Had I only been dealing with calibrating the slider I likely would have kept at it. I had also purchased an A3-41 at the same time and it was out of calibration too. Apparently I almost had the slider calibrated because the tech had is set in about 20 minutes. The A3-41 took him hours to get set though. The A3-41 already needs some adjustments after only a short time. I need to check everything on the K3 too. I've got a couple of cuts recently that are not quite square. Everyone I talked to who had a Hammer said their machines came off the pallets ready to go too. Maybe Felder just had a bad run. I bought my machines when Felder was having their anniversary sale a few years back. The only way I know of changing the angle on the rip fence is to adjust the bar it rides on. It is a little bit of a pain. I don't have my slider set flush like you do. I have it set to what the manual suggested. I'll have to look into making it flush. Do you feel that your work drags on you while cutting? Just to put it out there, I sprung for the Hammer dado set. I'm quote happy with the results.

@prestonhoffman5695

5 жыл бұрын

Matthew Hall, I have no problems with having it flush. There is hardly any friction with wood on cast iron. I think flush is the way to go.

Thanks for this review. I was in the market for a new table saw a while back and considered the felder K3 (same you have, but I wanted one with the outriggers). In the end, I just went with a SawStop cabinet saw. My shop is small (200 sq ft), even the small K3 would have occupied a larger footprint. Had I gone with the outrigger, well, goodbye shop space. Even though the slider feature was a *huge* sell for me, I would have treated the K3 as nothing more than a cabinet saw with a slider since I work mostly with hand tools and started getting into power tools to help with repetitive tasks. I didn't realize that the saw's mobile base was that chintzy, the ICS mobile base from SawStop rocks a lot and I can swivel the saw no problems. I do move my saw frequently since it's a small shop. I'm glad I went with the SawStop setup I have. :)

A trad cabinet saw is great for cutting sheets into trapezoids, but to cut squares and rectangles fast and accurate you need a sliding panel saw like this

Very well articulated, ty!

You should try moving the crosscut fence to the leading edge of the slider. You would than be pushing your work against the crosscut fence. I believe it would stay in calibration better. This is the way most sliders are set up. I use my cutoff boxes on my regular table saw this way.

@riverbuilder2251

4 жыл бұрын

Gary BAUMANN you are incorrect

@garybaumann5637

4 жыл бұрын

@@riverbuilder2251 Nope.

Your video echos my sentiments on the k3. Was wondering how you levelled your sliding table? I had a similar experience with my k3 and I have never been happy with the tuning of the sliding table. I have watched a couple videos where they use a machine level...don't own one of those. How did you access the middle bolts on the sliding carriage? I had a Felder tech. give me a process for levelling the table but it didn't really work. Any info would be appreciated. Thanks.

@prestonhoffman5695

4 жыл бұрын

Jon, Leveling and overall calibration of the table deserves a KZread video in and of itself. Unfortunately, I don’t have the time to film that project, but I hope to some day. I really think the sliding table owner community would benefit from it. That being said, I would like to give you some pointers, or at least an overview of my process when tackling it. 1) the first step is to level the sliding table. This allows you to focus on one problem/dimension at a time, but it will definitely take some patience and tweaking. Start by loosening the top nut for all six support bolts to the sliding table carriage (6 bolts total, but 3 nuts for each bolt). Slowly adjust the leveling nuts (top nut) as needed while checking for flushness between the sliding table and cast iron top. Once it’s level, tighten the top nut 2) Next step is to ensure the sliding table travels parallel to the saw blade. Loosen the bottom two nuts on the 6 bolts mentioned above and gently tap the sliding table while testing for parallelism with a dial indicator (I like to use a dial indicator secured to the crosscut fence). Once you’re satisfied with parallelism (I usually get it within .001” over the length of the saw blade), then slowly tighten the bottom two nuts at each bolt (use two wrenches). 3) Next is to square the crosscut fence to the blade. to square up the crosscut fence I just use my woodpeckers 18 inch triangle or use the 5 cut method. The woodpeckers triangle is the easiest. For me, but the 5 cut method works well too. I hope this helps. Feel free to hit me up with further questions. Best of luck.

I had a quote on 20th October 2021 for a Hammer "B3 Basic saw spindle machine " the cost is £6282. And I only had the basic upgrades for a DADO stack.

Thank you for posting this video Preston. I’ve watched several times at certain points to help in dialing in my new K3 Winner. I’ve got my slider and tables about as level and co-planar with the cast iron table as I can get. My one issue I can’t seem to overcome is the squaring of the rip fence. I’m about a 1/16 out from the front of the blade to the rear of the blade. You mention that there isn’t any way to laterally adjust the fence, but that you shimmed it. Can you describe what you did?

@prestonhoffman5695

4 жыл бұрын

Jered Wilson, First, make sure your fence rail is as close to 90 degrees relative to the saw blade path as possible. I then just shimmed the fence with UHMW tape where the aluminum extrusion couples with the iron fence mechanism. It works ok, but it’s not my favorite setup. I really think getting the metal rod positioned well is key. The shimming should just be for fine adjustments.

@varsitynoodle

4 жыл бұрын

@@prestonhoffman5695 I appreciate the quick response. Hopefully this get me close enough to get going

@davesmulders3931

3 жыл бұрын

@@prestonhoffman5695 Look at 10:59. These nuts that fix the bar that the fence glides on? Adjust them until the fence is parallel.

That is one clean workshop!

Thank for this. Looking at buying the same saw. S

@prestonhoffman5695

3 жыл бұрын

No problem. I will be posting a calibration video on this saw shortly. Check it out to tune up your new machine.

Perfect review, no bs! I’we been looking at this saw, I can’t go to a showroom to see it here in Norway, so this is great. First I was looking at a Laguna Fusion 3, the only american type available here in Norway. The F3 costs 4100usd and the K3 winner comfort starts at about the same. After the accessories the K3 will be more expensive, but a great valued saw compared to the Laguna. I am like you, I want everything to be perfect and stay that way. So Im seriously considering a Felder K500 pro, with a 2050mm slider. This way I can make all my cuts with the slider, and dont have to worry about the height differance to the cast iron. Thats my idea atleast. But the Felders startprice is double, at 8700usd. And ofcourse also overkill for a hobbyist like me. My question is, have you tried a Felder? Is it wort double the price? And what do you think about my idea of a 2000mm slider and outrigger and doing all the cuts with the slider? I only work with solid wood, typically making chairs and tables.

@prestonhoffman5695

2 жыл бұрын

I would definitely consider the Felder if it’s in the budget. That being said, I have learned a lot about this machine over the years and it’s doing really good work for me. I would still buy it again, but the Felder seems like a great option too, especially with the quick connect/disconnect of their support tables. I also posted a calibration video that I think may be helpful if you end up with a slider.

Preston I am in the process of tuning up the alignments of my k3 slide. I am having trouble removing a.010” crown in the center. I have tried multiple patterns of adjusting the levelers. I can get outside edges coplaner but the center bolt by the blade is difficult to actually move. I think the sheet metal tab is moving and not the slider. What tolerances at each set of studs did you end up hitting and how much variation did you see while moving the table. I can get something pretty close to for 90% of travel then it trails off in the last 4” of travel. Any thoughts or tips would be greatly appreciated. Stan

@prestonhoffman5695

5 жыл бұрын

Stan, I often calibrate the sliding table flush with the cast iron table at both ends. I suspect that if I moved my sliding table through a full stroke I would find some inconsistencies at different points. I used to put a lot of effort in trying to make all these points perfect, but I actually found it didn’t make a difference in the final product. As long as my sliding table is flush with the cast iron at both ends my cuts still turn out really good and square. Obviously, the next important thing to do is make sure the crosscut fence is square with the blade (that is a different animal). I hear the best solution for crosscuts is the outrigger, so hopefully you have one. Lastly, I would really just try some different cuts and if those cuts turn out well then you’re set. I don’t think you need machinist like tolerances, although I do like to get them when I can. Best of luck with your woodworking! If it is still driving you crazy I can take some measurements of what I have in my shop and post them here.

@StanBlaszczyk

5 жыл бұрын

Preston Hoffman thanks for the input. It helped frame the goalposts. I also ended up getting the alignment manual from felder (after I finished) if you are interested.

Thanks for your honest review which I believe echoes the sentiments of other owners. I was wandering how this saw goes with traditional cross cut sleds as favoured for box making - given it lacks the usual two mitre slots? One area of disappointment for me as a potential K3 owner is Felder have not “upgraded” the dodgy cross cut stop as standard. And expect the customer to fork out for an accessory. A second is the plastic hand - wheel design surely Felder can do better than this at the price point? The Saw Stop provides two superbly finished hand wheels that are permanently fixed! I am inclined to hold out for a good used K700 or Altendorf

@prestonhoffman5695

5 жыл бұрын

Brian Rowland, I think holding out is a good idea. I think the Hammer line has an incredible opportunity to offer a lot of value. They just need to figure out a way to machine/build an even more precise tool. I will say that the upgraded crosscut stop is a huge improvement, but even the fit and finish of that stop could be better. I have been told that the outrigger table solves all these problems. To answer your first question. I think the miter slot on the sliding table works really well, but it does require modifying your jigs.

@brianrowland9993

5 жыл бұрын

Preston Hoffman Thanks for your quick response. I am pleased the Hammer T slot works Ok - but expect alignment of the slider is critical to get precise results. I was surprised your slider came from the factory so far out of adjustment - my two Felder machines (FB510, Hammer A3/41) were fine The problem with waiting for a good used Felder is that K700’s are hard to find and most pro saws are around 3.2m. Altendorf and SCM are also options(!).

@enzoist1

3 жыл бұрын

@@prestonhoffman5695 It seems like some of the Hammer value proposition gets lost in translation (or transit). The basic K3 (31x31) costs less before tax in Austria than a 3hp/36" SawStop; around $2,900. My question is, how would you judge the fit-and-finish at that price point?

@rodsheridan7048

2 жыл бұрын

Interestingly I like the fact that the saw and shaper angle adjust handwheels are removable because when I don't have the outrigger on my B3 I walk into the darned things if I don't remove them The shaper elevation wheel I replaced with the aluminum one with gauge, very handy on a shaper.

All of the short crosscut fences across the Hammer, Felder, and Format 4 lines are a pain to keep calibrated. It’s a universal complaint. However, the outrigger & fence are superb. Rock solid reliable. If you plan to upgrade at some point, I’d suggest going no less than a 700 series. The KF700, which includes a shaper is a very good value.

@prestonhoffman5695

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks for filling me in on that industry detail. Other comments that I have gotten have suggested the same thing. I really need to look into an outrigger, but I will probably just wait to upgrade. I was looking into the 700 series already, so it’s nice to get some confirmation from guys that have used this stuff before.

@HybridWoodworks

5 жыл бұрын

Preston Hoffman if you are thinking of upgrading, I would wait on the outrigger. No sense dumping a ton of money into a saw you might sell. You might consider joining the Felder Owners Yahoo Group. It’s an archaic format, but they guys who contribute are generally at the top of their game. Very high end equipment owners with the skills to match. You would fit in well. -Ed

Thanks for your review. Would the Felder overcome some of your objections?

@prestonhoffman5695

3 жыл бұрын

I think it would! I was also told that the outrigger solves a lot of other problems. I have since become more proficient at calibrating the table saw. I am really happy with it, but I will probably move to a Felder some day. I love having a short stroke slider.

do you still have your old crosscut fence adjustable flip stop? I have one of those sliding tables (equivalent to grizzly) you talk about and it doesn't have a 90 degree stop - drives me nuts, as I've used the K3 and love the flip stop, even the old one. I'd be happy to buy it off you!

@spackelter

5 жыл бұрын

Hello You can have my old one. Just reimburse the shipping costs. 😊

Spot on, thanks!

Interesting looking work bench, can you give us a run through on it sometime?Cheers.👍🔨📐🇨🇦

@AegirWatches

4 жыл бұрын

Rubio split bench by the looks

Thanks for the video

Preston, how did you modify the Jessem clear cut CS to your cross cut fence or did they fit on the "small height" side of the fence without modifications

@prestonhoffman5695

3 жыл бұрын

I only had it on my rip fence, and yes, it did fit with only minor modifications on the “small height” fence. I may have needed to buy some t-nuts for that, but they were cheap. I don’t recall the size though. It’s easy to figure out though.

Great video. I only occasionally need a slider to break down sheet goods for cabinets while most of my work is small scale and requires a lot of small modified sleds. Is it worthwhile just to be able to crosscut 24" wide sheet goods- (I rip the sheets to width with a guide but want to crosscut the 2 x 8' piece on the saw)...but then cutting a 100 1/8 x 3/8 x 4" pieces on this saw might be overkill!...thoughts?

@prestonhoffman5695

2 жыл бұрын

I think it can be helpful. I think the best thing about the short stroke slider is the accuracy and not having to store a lot of jigs around the shop.

@LiloUkulele

2 жыл бұрын

@@prestonhoffman5695 Thanks for the reply! (I hate it when posters never reply). I am located in Mexico so getting equipment across the border is a ton of paperwork + a 16% tax. I just read that Felder has offices in Mexico. If they can deliver to my door then its a done deal. (I shopped Sawstop w/ a slider attachment and the price is almost comparable not including international shipping. Thanks again!

I agree with you review on the pros and cons of a slider. I have a hammer k3 79” comfort. It has the forward fence and it is rock solid. I have never used the rear fence. Changing to a slider is a change of thought process, but once I accepted it I have not looked back. My table is close to coplaner but I want to calibrate it here this winter as there is a slight deviation I have noticed. My biggest gripe is the lack of a indicator line on the rip fence. I struggle with parallax like crazy when sighting a bump stop measurement. I am contemplating on adding a digital scale on the rip side.

@prestonhoffman5695

5 жыл бұрын

I have heard great things about the forward fence (outrigger) and intend to purchase one with my next upgrade. I have been told it solves all the problems that I have been experiencing. I also agree that a cursor for the rip fence would be a much appreciated upgrade. Thanks for comment. It’s been helpful to read about other people’s experiences.

@rodsheridan7048

2 жыл бұрын

Yes, my B3 has a cursor on the rip fence, can't imagine being without it. You could add one and just move the scale over.

I just purchase the Hammer C341 combo and my question is what size is your dust collection hose at the base of the machine and what size is it at the blade? Did you buy any special adapters?

@prestonhoffman5695

5 жыл бұрын

It came with a 4 inch hose inside the cabinet. I routed a 5 inch hose from my header down to the saw to maximize airflow over a long run. I don’t have a special adapter for my 5 inch hose connection to the saws cabinet. Instead, I just wound some felt tape around the cabinet port to make the port accept a 5 inch hose. It works well, but I did have to jury-rig it.

This is probably a stupid question, but have you tried using blue locktite on the set screws and bolts for the crosscut fence and table adjustment? It might help it to stay in calibration longer or permanently.

@prestonhoffman5695

3 жыл бұрын

I have not tried. It’s certainly not a bad idea, but the new flip stop really has improved the calibration issue. I hope future iterations have a way to lock the crosscut fence in place though.

Hello, thanks for the videos! I am just to buy a k3 basic, almost changed to winner after see your video... but...no...well i have a question... which dado blade you use in k3? felder one or other brand? thanks! i had to take the hammer axis options to insert dado, is it right?

@prestonhoffman5695

3 жыл бұрын

I have the Forrest dado king.

I bought the K3 winner without outrigger due to budget restraints. When it arrived the delivery person had placed the ratchet strap over the cast iron table and secured the pallet to the truck like that. Needless to say the cast iron table was somewhat out of true as a result. FELDER make sure that everything is running perfectly parallel and true before leaving the factory. They document this process and send the documentation with when purchasing it. This is why it’s covered with small stickers that have the saws number on them all over it. They use them as a check system. Maybe it became out of true during shipping. Still a fantastic saw though even if their customer service is horrifically terrible.

I'm debating between the sawstop and the hammer saw/shaper B3 comfort. You still happy you bought the hammer? Support and responsiveness in NA seems really weak. I think the Hammer maybe the better machine but Sawstop maybe the better choice in NA. Would love your thoughts.

@prestonhoffman5695

4 жыл бұрын

A very fair question. If you go with Sawstop than get a 3 HP machine at a minimum. I have debated going back to the SawStop, but I don’t think the SawStop handles larger materials well. I love how I am able to attach large boards to the sliding table with little to no effort. I used to use an Incra miter sled, but it is cumbersome to use with the SawStop. There’s just not enough cast iron table space in front of the saw. Even the wood whisperer had frustrations associated with crosscut sleds going out of calibration or just being frustrating to use. To be honest, at this point I would only sell my Hammer so that I could buy a Felder. That being said, if you go with a NA table saw then please by a SawStop. The SawStop is the only thing that makes sense for a NA saw. Best of luck to you.

Hey Preston where did you purchase the mounting support for that fit the side groove for the jessem clear stock guides?

@prestonhoffman5695

4 жыл бұрын

I just made the support from some scrap material that I had around. It was pretty easy, and I definitely recommend building one if you want to use the stock guides with the high fence.

@dwgar1322

4 жыл бұрын

Preston Hoffman What about the screws and the U shaped nuts that allow you to also use the fence laying in its side where did you purchase those? Thanks for the quick response.

@prestonhoffman5695

4 жыл бұрын

dwight Garcia, They are aluminum extrusion t-nuts. I don’t recall what the thread size is. Best of luck.

@dwgar1322

4 жыл бұрын

Preston Hoffman Thanks

I have a chinese copy of this machine, a Woodfast ts315, it works brilliantly, it cuts perfectly, and it cost me ONE QUARTER of the price of this saw you have. I have had none of the issues you have had, none. It has two handwheels too, the angle adjustment one has a gauge built in that shows the exact angle of the blade. Also, you can adjust the parallel of the rip fence to the blade by adjusting the big bolts that hold the round bar it traverses on in and out as necessary, then do the lock nuts up. My previous saw was an Altendorf wa8x, and I reckon this little Woodfast I have now gives it a run for the money it costs.

@prestonhoffman5695

4 жыл бұрын

That’s really interesting! I always wondered what kind of performance folks were getting from the Chinese manufacturers. Did you obtain the saw through Alibaba? Do you mind sending me the link?

@riverbuilder2251

4 жыл бұрын

Preston Hoffman I bought it from a local major machinery house that had it as a shopfloor demonstration saw. There’s a couple of distributors over here in Australia, I haven’t heard of Alibaba though.

@riverbuilder2251

4 жыл бұрын

Preston Hoffman Here’s a link : www.woodfast-group.com/products?cid=465

@prestonhoffman5695

4 жыл бұрын

Yeah, that Asian version looks legit. It’s hard to find these different brands. It does go to show you how much we can be marketed to. Thanks again for the link!

Preston, since you have done it already... What is the best way to adjust the slider height with the nuts and bolts? I wanna set it even with the table too. Where do I start? Upper, lower nuts?. Any assistance is appreciated.

@prestonhoffman5695

5 жыл бұрын

Yalin Canik, I loosen all 6 lower nuts. I then adjust to get the height correct. Once that is done I adjust to make sure the slider is moving parallel to the blade. Small adjustments when tightening seems to work best.

@yacanik

5 жыл бұрын

@@prestonhoffman5695 Thank you. That took a while but worked great. Do you also have a system how you aligned the solid steel bar to ensure the fence is aligned properly to the blade?

@prestonhoffman5695

5 жыл бұрын

Yalin Canik That part was a little tricky and I don’t think there is a built in mechanism for that. Some folks suggested that I adjust the cylindrical fence rail, but I am concerned about introducing a bend (even though it would only be a slight deflection). The method I ended up going with was shimming the fence bar using tape (UHMW tape). It is an un-refined solution, but it works.

If you adjust sliding table to be flush with cast iron table, how do you make the crosscuts? With such adjustment the crosscuts may be difficult to do as there will be a friction between work piece and the cast iron table

@prestonhoffman5695

3 жыл бұрын

I have not noticed any friction with my crosscuts. I am sure there is some though. It’s pretty negligible though.

I have the same saw, and also the same jointer/planer. I would agree with most of the review. Getting the slider co-planer with the cast iron table is a real challenge, but can be done. I had a problem getting the fence to lie flat on the table, as it seems you do as well. I do like the saw and actually did buy it twice, my first one was ruined in Hurricane Harvey. The fact that you can do away with cross cut sleds with an accurate and easy to set up cross cut fence is a big plus. I bought the 48" slider and the hold down clamp for the slider so I can cross cut a 4' panel if I need to. The 3 hp motor and 12" blade is more than you get on most comparable cabinet saws. You will most definitely need dust collection for this saw, and don't try to get by with a shop vac, it won't cut it.

@prestonhoffman5695

5 жыл бұрын

Ed Stengel, In general, it is a great tool. Like everything, there is room for improvement, but I think the saw offers tremendous value at the $4000 price point. Based on the comments I got from other folks I think a lot of my issues would be resolved with an outrigger table, but I will probably wait to upgrade to a Felder some day before getting that.

I know it's late (so someone probably already told you). But in case I cant find it in the comments because it isn't there... The lateral adjustment of the fence is done with the nuts of the bar. You just skew the bar until your fence is true to the blade.

@prestonhoffman5695

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you! Someone did fill me in on that calibration, but I appreciate you helping me out. That’s the best part of KZread, so many folks helping out to answer questions. Thanks again and have a good one!

Could you tell me please, which motor is in your table saw? On the European market exist 2 options for the 3 phase, 4HP and 5,5HP input power (S6 40%). In the US-configurator i do find only the 4HP version. I also discover an other interesting aspect, such the Pete Brown's Felder K700 saw, the type-sticker is published with output power, S1 100% data! Everywhere in Europe, all Hammer-Felder machines contains data-stickers with input power's data's on S6 40%. Interesting aspect. :)

@prestonhoffman5695

5 жыл бұрын

I have the 4 HP motor. It seems to have plenty of power. I don’t know much more than that about it though.

@StanBlaszczyk

5 жыл бұрын

S6 rating is common in euro and Japanese machine tools as well. For woodworking s6 is likely ok due to intermittent use.

Dear Preston, i am curious about your opinion regard the A3-31, because i am planning to buy a planer thicknesser and i cannot decide yet the size. The 31 or the 41's. Maybe you could help with a few aspects as in case of the K3. It is enoughly strong to carry 12" wide solid wood boards? Does it keep the cutting height adjustment? -it doesn't have any knob to could lock the setting as in case of Jet JPT12. Does it worth the money? Thank you.

@prestonhoffman5695

5 жыл бұрын

Zoltán Rendi, It is worth the money and it is arguably the best tool in my shop. I with I had the A3-41 because the jointer beds are longer on the A3-41. I have the spiral cutter head for it as well and it’s a great addition. I strongly recommend the digital height gauge too. The Hammer J/P planer bed does lock down, but maybe you missed that while watching other reviews. The tolerances are very good on their jointer planer (+/- .001). To answer your question directly, the jointer planer can handle 12 inch wide hardwoods with no issues. It has plenty of power. The only downside is the jointer has short beds and can’t joint longer boards as well as a jointer with longer beds. The jointer portion does not have a lock down (the planer portion does) mechanism, but I have had no problems with the jointer beds drifting. It is a reliable machine. The jointer beds came to me ground true and co-planer.

@zotyar6829

5 жыл бұрын

...thank you for the detailed answer. Regard to my question about the locking mechanism, it does referred to fixing the depth of cut. Jet does have a knob to lock it, Hammer/Felder doesn't. The jointing table certainly could be locked. Cool shop, cool equipment, cool videos!

@rodsheridan7048

5 жыл бұрын

Hi, if you mean planer table height, then yes the A3's have a table height lock knob.If you're talking about the jointer depth of cut, no there isn't one, and it's not needed, the depth of cut doesn't move unless you move it.

@martinr2962

5 жыл бұрын

I have also been using the a331 for three years. Youcan buy table extensions (400 or 800mm) in order to work with longer panels. But even withoout the extensions I managed to get good results with pieces of up to 2 meters of length. The 341 is way more expansive and of course has a quite large footprint.

@brianrowland9993

5 жыл бұрын

I purchased the A3/41 instead of the A3/31 and very happy with the decision. The A3/41 was a canceled order so I got a good deal - it provides a serious bed that more than covers my needs. It is a more substantial build with a more robust fence. Go for the quiet and superbly engineered spiral cutter. Definitely get the digital gauge for the thicknesser.

I was under the impression that the Felder Group will send a technician to do the initial set up. Does anyone else know about this? Also if occasionally you have say a longer piece then the throw of the table to rip down you could make a jig and a slider to go in the groove as you do for a bandsaw.

@edstengel2495

4 жыл бұрын

@McFets I had a problem with the locking mechanism on the slider shortly after I bought the saw. If you own one and have the same problem, it is due to turning the knob the wrong way, which results in loosening the nut that attaches it to the slider, you should only turn it clock wise. The only way to fix the problem is to remove the slider completely. Anyway, they sent a factory rep to fix the the stop since the saw was brand new. While he was there he he leveled the slider to the cast iron and dialed in the cross cut fence to perfection. I was very happy with the service

Fantastic review. Did you consider buying another model, for example from Robland ?

@prestonhoffman5695

3 жыл бұрын

I did not. I really do like the Felder line of equipment, so that will probably be my next upgrade option, but I am liking my Hammer.

@zengafreezelight

3 жыл бұрын

@@prestonhoffman5695 I take your attention to answer. Did you consider the B3, or not because you already had tupi

@prestonhoffman5695

3 жыл бұрын

@@zengafreezelight, I did consider the B3, but I have a dedicated router table with a ton of bits. I also just got a CNC, so a spindle has limited function in my shop. They look awesome, but the cutters have to be really expensive. Also, I don’t like a lot of setup in a tool. I like it ready to go, so the spindle looked cumbersome to me.

Dear Preston, firstly i would like to ask about the lengths of this sliding table, how as i know the Hammer offer just 3 sizes: 78", 49" and 31". I think your is the 49" long. Do you talk about 10ft and 8feet long sliding table possibility on Hammer sliding table saws? Are not available. Your model has 48"x48" surface size? Thank you.

@prestonhoffman5695

5 жыл бұрын

Zoltán Rendi, You’re right. The largest Hammer K3 is the 78” and I own the 48 x 48. The 48 is cut capacity of the slider (it may be an inch more). To go larger you would need to jump into the Felder line.

@StanBlaszczyk

5 жыл бұрын

Hammer has the k4 perform with a 110” slider. It’s got the felder design base but it is not the xroll carriage.

Thank you for the review, you covered a lot of the pros and cons really well. Do I see a hammer A3-31/41 in the background? If so, how do you like it? I just got the A3-41 and have yet to get it set up.

@prestonhoffman5695

3 жыл бұрын

Honestly, I love it. I currently have the A3-31, but I have thought of upgrading to the A3-41.

@TimSchoffelman

3 жыл бұрын

@@prestonhoffman5695 did you have to adjust it like you did your table saw to get everything straight?

@davesmulders3931

3 жыл бұрын

@@TimSchoffelman I have a A3-41 running for 4 years. I think I calibrate/check calibration once a year. Most of the time there's nothing to be done. One important thing to keep in mind is not to crank the handles when you tighten the beds down. Just light and consistent force is enough to get the play out, and keeps you from misaligning the beds. Anyway, machines do need attention every once in a while. They go out of calibration over time because of temperature fluctuations. Any fastener/contact surface has a tiny amount of creep every heat/cold cycle. They amount to larger deviations over time. Also when you use it a lot, parts like bearings wear, and vibrations will move fasteners/bolts and friction fits. Get to know your machines so calibrating goes fast and easy. I must say however, that the A3-41 needs less re-calibrating than the Hammer K3 (well B3 in my case).

@TimSchoffelman

3 жыл бұрын

@@davesmulders3931 thank you for sharing, it's really helpful. Do you have to grease anything, or just check alignments?

@davesmulders3931

3 жыл бұрын

@@TimSchoffelman Well my unit came greased pretty well from the factory (or dealer). In fact so greased that it dripped white fat on the floor the first week of use. I have not greased it since. Things like the bed shaft still have enough on them. However, I do oil the beds regularly with some Japanese machine oil. Mostly used for hand planes, it works very well on cast iron to keep it clean, prevent and even remove rust, and doesn’t leave traces on the wood. I think most would use paste wax, but i find the oil much easier to apply for a good even coat: just spray and wipe down with a dedicated oiling cloth or paper towel. I say dedicated because it saves oil to use the same cloth or towel for the entire surface. After all you want the product on the machine, not in your towel :) I’ll call my Hammer dealer today and ask the technician about the greasing intervals and what points to grease. Never given it thought as it doesn’t need it yet...

Good review, Preston. I've had the same saw for a little more than a year now. My experience is similar to yours, but I would still buy the saw again. As to alignment of the rip fence. The large round bar that the rip fence rides on is attached to the saw with four large bolts. The two on the left attach the bar to the cast iron table; the two on the right attach it to the sheet metal extension tables. Loosen the two on the right. By making slight adjustments to the two on the left you can change the alignment of the large bar with respect to the table, which also changes the rip fence angle. As to alignment of the slider. I haven't done that but want to. When you removed the factory preset tow-out of the slider with respect to the blade, did you loosen the 6 slider mounting bolts and "simply" tap the slider the achieve parallelism with the blade?

@prestonhoffman5695

5 жыл бұрын

Gene, Thanks for the heads up on the rip fence. I will certainly need to try that method out. As for gaining sliding table parallelism I did just as you said. I loosened the 6 bolts and tapped the carriage as necessary to guarantee the sliding table was parallel.

@edstengel2495

5 жыл бұрын

@@prestonhoffman5695 I agree, adjusting the rip fence bar is the only way to make an alignment adjustment to the rip fence. I suggest using the right edge of the cast iron table as a good start for the fence alignment. Once that looks good, check the alignment to the blade. In my case the blade and the edge of the cast iron were square. Also, when you loosen the bolts to the extension tables, you may get those extensions out of level with the cast iron top. Best to check them for level before tightening the bar.

Preston, having a fun time drooling over this saw. My wife asked why I dont just buy it, I DIDNT HAVE AN ANSWER! one of the next things for me to do as a nerdy engineer who likes woodworking, is to put the saw in the 3D model of my 24x26 workshop and see how it may fit and nest into the rest of my equipment. I can't seem to find a 3D model of this saw, which is preferable, but i also can't seem to find any top down drawings of the saw with min and max travel in every direction so I can create a clunky 3D model of the saw myself. Do you have any thoughts on where this information may be available? thanks, loved the video.

@prestonhoffman5695

5 жыл бұрын

Daniel Allen, The cast iron top is ~39 inches long. The sliding table extends ~33 inches in front of the cast iron table and extends ~25 inches past the cast iron table. I hope that helps. Also, if you buy the saw then get the outrigger. I am told that’s the best way to go.

@MrMahfu

5 жыл бұрын

What modeling software do you use? I did the same thing for mine and I think I might have updated the model after I got the saw. I could post it somewhere if you are still looking.

Love the honesty in review. Would you review your A3 planer next? I missed out on the sale of that and had to go for a Grizzly instead and regret it but am still curious to know others opinions on this.

@Psychlist1972

5 жыл бұрын

I'm not Preston, but I have a Hammer A3-41 (16") It's a great planer. My only annoyance with it is the fence is super flimsy compared to cast-iron ones. The way it is held in place on the back is nothing to write home about. But you have to go way up the Felder line to get something better. (Like $12,000 900-series better vs the $5000 A3 41). The lower-end felder units have the round bar fence attachment on the side, though, which may be better. The extrusion on the end of the hammer table is pretty crappy, but it's really the behind-the-fence part which is a let-down. You can tell a huge difference between the build quality of it and my Felder saw, particularly when it comes to attachments. They're not a huge deal, but the ones on the Felder are more substantial and tend to have much more positive registration. If you are planning to use the mortiser, the mortising unit for the Felder is also much more substantial and feature-rich. I don't use the mortiser. It's also worth noting that the attachments are specific to the line. So Hammer attachments only fit Hammer saws and tables. Felder X-roll attachments only fit things with X-roll, etc. It would be nice to share them between the machines -- one thing that would drive me to purchase all Felder vs Hammer and Felder. It's more of a concern when you start talking shapers and saws, though, as the only possible shared attachments for this are outfeed extensions. Would I buy an A3 again? It's hard not to at the price for a glorious 16" width jointer/planer. But I would very seriously consider a Felder knowing what I know now. That said, again, the price delta is significant, and I could not have afforded both at the same time. As for actual operation, the Hammer A3 is awesome. The spiral head is quiet and cuts through everything you can feed it with far less tear-out than I've had in the past. Coming from a cheap 6" jointer and DW-735 planer (awesome, but LOUD), the Hammer is a joy to use, and it's nice to have a table wide enough to joint most everything.

@Psychlist1972

5 жыл бұрын

In case you're interested, some photos of the A3-41 in my tiny shop here. www.flickr.com/photos/psychlist1972/albums/72157677010951444

@prestonhoffman5695

5 жыл бұрын

I can second everything Pete said about the Hammer A3 line of jointer planers. I will try and post a review soon, but in the mean time there are a couple video reviews already out on the A3 series that I think are spot on (links provided below). In general, just so you know my thoughts, I consider the A3-31 to be the best tool in my shop. It came to me dialed in perfectly. m.kzread.info/dash/bejne/gWiCudl8cbSfd8Y.html AND m.kzread.info/dash/bejne/aXec3K2nga-zp9o.html

@prestonhoffman5695

5 жыл бұрын

Nathaniel Herring, You mentioned you bought a Grizzly and regretted it. Do you mine sharing your experience? I would like to share any info you have on a review.

@mythicislepro

5 жыл бұрын

I have the Grizzly G0634XP. It is a 12" combo machine with a sprial cutterhead. Honestly, it gets the job done, but where some tools/machines make you want to get out in the shop and do what you love because of how well they are made and how much easier they make the task, the Grizzly is not necessarily a machine I would put into that category for several reasons. 1. Setup from factory is WAY out of whack. Anytime someone gets a 750lb machine shipped on a truck and delivered, some calibration is a given. That being said, I was unpleasantly surprised to find the machine so far out of parallel and coplanar that I basically started from scratch. 2.Difficulty in adjustment. This is really where I found out how difficult to adjust (especially in super fine increments) this machine is as compared to a parallelogram style jointer. It became a two person job, one to make adjustments and one to check straight edge and yell "STOP" when it was good. With the parallelogram style, all adjustments can be made from the front of the machine with an allen key, but with this particular machine one has to on some occasions move from the front to the back, check it, and then repeat this process over and over again, all the while praying the end is in sight. 3. Crappy machining/parts. The locking knob on the outfeed table will cinch up just to the point where it feels like there's a bit of friction on it, but not rock steady. Any further and the threads just give out on the locking bolt. Not a super confident locked down feel, which means you really have to babysit the thing when jointing and have damned good technique. Pulleys that come with the thing are also noisy and pretty slack from factory. All in all, nothing about this machine feels hyper accurate or very high quality, and although anyone with good technique can overcome these obstacles, it is necessary to be aware of some mechanical shortcomings going into it. 4. Planer feed rate. When in planer mode, the feed rate is set from the factory, and it is TOO FAST and entirely unadjustable. This seems like a majorly debilitating oversight in the design. With something like a beautiful spiral cutterhead, the thing has the ability to make gorgeous, glass smooth cuts free from chipout and tearout. This is made entirely redundant when the machines feed rate is set so high that it does it anyways. This is made apparent in the difference when using it and jointer and then planer mode. When jointing, YOU control the feed rate, and at a slower feed it does indeed produce lovely surfaces. Night and day difference though with the same piece when sending it through the planer. 5. Fence/Tablelift design. I didn't think this would be too much of a pain in the ass going in, but yeah it totally is. Removing the fence and flipping up both tables every time one wants to transition to planer mode because Grizzly decided to have the infeed and outfeed decoupled is so frustrating. I really wish they would have made it the type that the fence need not be removed and the tables flipped up together. 6. Dust Collection. Nothing about this seems like there was a lot of care put into design. Granted, if you're hooking up any serious 3+ HP DC to it, it's not a huge deal anyways because the DC will compensate. The dust collection hoods on both the planer and jointer side are cheap plastic and they don't really sit and lock down onto anything but just kind of float/bounce above the cutter head. This machine would be a messy one with a cheap DC attached to it. Those are my main qualms. Ultimately, I would purchase a different machine If I could go back in time, although now I've simply learned to deal with it and am still able to get good results knowing what I know. As mentioned though, for me sometimes the difference between being inspired enough to get out into the shop or put on another re-run episode of The Office is totally how much my tools and machines ARE NOT IN MY WAY. If things just work well, you don't think about them, you just do it.

Just commenting for the algorithm, I want one but it's too large for me. Enjoyed the review.

From what I was told was the hand wheel is removable because you would walk into it if you don't remove it.

@prestonhoffman5695

4 жыл бұрын

Scott Bennett, That is definitely true, although they do provide a hand-wheel for the Felder units that has a recessed knob. I think a similar feature could be implemented on the Hammer machines. The common reasoning behind not offering it on the Hammer is price point, but I just find that hard to believe.

Another Question: Have you had to replace your start capacitors on your Hammer? Mine is 6 years old and according to the Felder Tech guy the reason my saw will not start (We checked all the inter-connect safety switches) is because the start capacitor has failed

@prestonhoffman5695

2 жыл бұрын

I have not replaced mine, but I’m not surprised that component would need replaced over time.

@tedd1091

2 жыл бұрын

@@prestonhoffman5695 I pressed the start button and my saw blade moved about 1/4" and stopped. The Tech said that those start capacitors fail and that Felder keeps a supply on hand if I couldn't source it locally. If you like, I'll update you when I fix it

@prestonhoffman5695

2 жыл бұрын

Please do. I may purchase one preemptively.

I am new to woodworking. What should I buy? a combo machine or each tool separately?

@prestonhoffman5695

5 жыл бұрын

I think there is good value in a combo machine. I especially like the jointer planer combo machines. The changeover doesn’t take that long and you save a lot of money compared to buying the machines separately at similar capacity. I would recommend the Hammer A3-31 or A3-41 to just about anyone.

@rodsheridan7048

5 жыл бұрын

Hi Pierre, I have an A3-31 jointer/planer and a B3 Winner saw/shaper.For my shop layout the J/P and the S/S fit better than the 4 function combination. ( the 4 function is a big square block, my J/P is against a wall which saves space).

@joseceraia

4 жыл бұрын

You can buy anything as long as you do not buy Felder or Hammer. I have seen Chinese machines who are a lot better, believe it or not.

Is it possible to put a temporary 1/8 magnetic strip along the fence?

@prestonhoffman5695

4 жыл бұрын

As long as the magnetic strip is adhesive backed (aluminum fence) than you could. What are you looking to do with the magnetic strip?

@marzul454

4 жыл бұрын

Lay it on the table next to the fence to bridge the slider height.

If you're trying to hold tolerances to 1 thou, you must have a heck of a time trying to find saw blades that have little or no run out, correct? Also, I assume you must be using a dial indicator and, likely, digital calipers, right? I appreciate the breakdown of pros and cons of the saw. Thanks for sharing! :)

@prestonhoffman5695

3 жыл бұрын

I should have been more specific. I try to get about .001 over 12 inches or so. Even that’s better than I need.

@artmckay6704

3 жыл бұрын

@@prestonhoffman5695 You're just a precision machinist at heart :)

@prestonhoffman5695

3 жыл бұрын

I think you’re right. My outlook has changed some over time. That is, my projects still look good to me even if they aren’t perfectly square, so I try not to worry about it too much.

@artmckay6704

3 жыл бұрын

@@prestonhoffman5695 I love precision, it is satisfying but sometimes I don't mind utilitarian - does the job but isn't necessarily the prettiest. For me, and countless others who have suffered a few painful events, precision can be a refuge because it's something we have control over and being in control feels way better than being on the short end of some stick or another. Anyway, just a tendency I've noticed in myself and a couple of friends. That aside, traumas or not, many of us do love our precision. I've been watching some machinist videos and I've got to say their penchant for precision sure pays off - all of their stuff looks like museum pieces but they're just industrial parts. Who doesn't appreciate precision? :)

How about the minimax as an alternative to this saw?

@prestonhoffman5695

2 жыл бұрын

I’m not sure, but I will say this saw has worked out well for me in the long run. Yeah, there are improvements that can be made, but I got the cross cuts dialed in now. It’s super nice.

Thanks for taking the time to give such a thorough and honest review. What is the footprint of your K3 if put up next to a wall and arranged as compact as possible?

@prestonhoffman5695

4 жыл бұрын

It’s approximately 52 inch x 72 inch.

@adams5202

4 жыл бұрын

@@prestonhoffman5695 Thanks! I'm assuming those are the dimensions with the cross cut fence removed?

@prestonhoffman5695

4 жыл бұрын

That’s right. Those dimensions can be reduced if you go with a smaller rip capacity (they offer a 31 inch rip capacity instead of a 48 inch I believe). I did not include the dimension of the sliding table extension wing either.

Hi Preston, need some advice here I plan to buy Hammer K3 as well FYI I’m not a professional woodworker maybe you can call it serious hobbyists. As I speak with their sales guy he does not recommend me to take that HK3 as he mentioned the motor is easily getting hot and it’s not to be used 24/7 and they offered me Felder K700S with 35%ish discounted because it was a display unit. Well, in my case I wouldn’t use that often maybe 2-4 hours a day 3 times a week. Another issue is the electrical as it offered 5,5Kw and my workshop is not ready for that and It will cost me extra money(for longer period) and time if I buy that machine. My question is based on your experience using that K3 is it true that the machine prone to heat for daily used or it’s just their marketing strategy to sell that display unit as in my country that machine is not popular for hobbyist due to its luxury price? However, it’s still offer a good price and don’t wanna lose that chance by being grabbed someone else. My situation is either buying that Felder K700s and spent extra money and effort to prepare the electricity or grab Hammer K3 and add some accessories to match Sliding stroke of the K700s which eventually will have no much different in initial cost. Thank you so much in advance..

@prestonhoffman5695

4 жыл бұрын

You have an interesting situation. To be honest I have never checked the motor for heat, but I suspect mine does not heat up much. My saw only sees hobby level use as well. Honestly, a saw blade cutting wood does not put that much load on the motor. They are pretty powerful for what they do. You will probably be fine with whatever you decide. Of course, I would upgrade to the Felder if I were you. They are just better built machines with better resell value. I don’t know about your electrical costs in your country, but a difference of 1.5 KW is relatively negligible in the United States. You also have to keep in mind that the electrical ratings for these motors are for when operating at full load. Operation at full load hardly ever occurs on these saws. To reach full load you would have to cut 4 inch thick (full capacity of the blade) dense hardwoods. I hope this helps.

@rendraeky

4 жыл бұрын

Preston Hoffman Thanks for the advice man. Yeah that what I thought as well regarding the machine performance considering the price. Still deciding to which one will I choose. However, Your comment really build up my decision to which machine I would buy. I’ll let you know if I pick one of those. Once again thanks for the quick reply and sharing helpful information..

@rodsheridan7048

2 жыл бұрын

@@rendraeky My B3W has spent hours ripping hardwood with a feeder when making hardwood flooring, same for the shaper, no issues and those are much more robust tasks than hand feeding.

I know this is an older video, but what Forrest blade do you run?

@prestonhoffman5695

Жыл бұрын

I run several, but woodworker 2 is what I will frequently use

@horacionochetto8454

Жыл бұрын

@@prestonhoffman5695 Thanks for the quick reply. Is it the 10 inch 48tooth?

@prestonhoffman5695

Жыл бұрын

@@horacionochetto8454 I don’t recall the tooth, but it’s the 12 inch.

The fence is what makes a saw. That being said unless you had the scoring blade installed in that machine there’s no reason to pay the extra cost to own one. And yes I’ve owned one. Got rid of it and picked up a Sawstop.

The robo work bench looks great 👍

Dear Preston, it's passed almost an year since your last video on this channel. Will you prepared something for us or happened something causing this long absence on KZread? Thank you.

@prestonhoffman5695

4 жыл бұрын

Zoltán Rendi, I’m still active, but it has been a long time. I have been super busy at work, so I haven’t done much with my channel. I plan to do a review of Woodmaster drum sander in the near future, but I wanted some more time with it first. Thanks for being active on my channel. The main reason I started the channel was to share my woodworking with others. Also, it is incredibly informative to review equipment and share what we know about it. Have a good one and I hope to post something soon!

@zotyar6829

4 жыл бұрын

@@prestonhoffman5695 You are Always Welcome!

were did you buy your saw from in the us?

@prestonhoffman5695

2 жыл бұрын

I bought it directly from Hammer USA.

Awesome. Thanks for all the info. That one hand wheel thing is a real bitch. The guy here at Felder told me its so that its not in the way of the operators knee when moving the slider. I told him he was full of shit. Calibration issues are a bit scary and I can't believe there isn't a way to adjust the rip fence for parallel, insane. I still want one though!

@davesmulders3931

3 жыл бұрын

He said he couldn't find it, not that there isn't one. At 10:59, see the nuts? You adjust the bar with these nuts until the fence is parallel to the blade.

@rodsheridan7048

2 жыл бұрын

As an owner I always take the handwheel off my B3 if I don't have the outrigger on, because yes, I really do walk into the handwheel and it's not very comfortable.

Saludos desde Costa Rica bendiciones pura vida. Aquí son muy caras como podría uno para localizar algún lugar en usa que le puedan mandar a costa rica

@hecllr111

5 жыл бұрын

En México Felder tiene varias tiendas tal vez te puedan mandar a Costa Rica.

Hello, Preston. Thank you for sharing your review. I have a Hammer B3 Winner, A3-31 and the N4400 also. I really like those machines. I have the same problems with the B3 crosscut fence alignment. You reported that the movement of the panel of your saw was not parallel with the saw blade. I'd like to know, by kindness, how did you measure this problem? And how did you fix it? By trial and error? And I would also like to know, if you do not mind, what is your method for aligning the crosscut fence in the square with respect to the panel movement. Thank you !

@prestonhoffman5695

5 жыл бұрын

Werner Guerra, Both are excellent questions. First and foremost you must ensure the sliding table moves parallel to the blade prior to adjusting your crosscut fence. This may seem obvious, but it is essential. My method is pretty simple. First, I loosen the 6 bolts that I mentioned in my review. This allows you to move the sliding table around. It also allows you to adjust the height of the sliding table if you want it flush & co-planer with the cast iron top. Secondly, I use a dial indicator mounted to a Woodpeckers saw gauge ( www.toolnut.com/woodpeckers-sg-wp-saw-gauge.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIjJ3fs4Lf3QIVkLrACh2myATXEAQYASABEgIbAPD_BwE). This saw gauge is designed for cabinet saws, but it serves as a good mount for my dial indicator as well. I position the saw gauge so the butt of the gauge is against my crosscut fence stop, the side of the gauge is against the crosscut fence, and the dial indicator is touching the outer perimeter of my 12 inch saw blade. I hold relatively firmly onto the saw gauge as I push the sliding table back and forth until I get the same measurement from the front of the blade to the back of it. I will also manually rotate the blade from front to back to take a measurement from the exact same spot on the blade. I think this reduces error. When calibrating my crosscut fence I just use the standard five cut method. This method was introduced to me by William Ng when he was calibrating his crosscut fence (m.kzread.info/dash/bejne/h5Z7j9BmXa-sl7Q.html). I hope this helps. If you have follow up questions then please let me know. Best of luck.

@wguerra

5 жыл бұрын

Dear Preston, thank you very much for your clarifications. I checked my B3 and I believe I have no problem with the height and parallelism between the sliding table and the casting iron top. So I do not think I need to touch the 6 screws. My biggest discomfort is even with the squariness of crosscut fence. I already know the method of the five cuts, but I thought you used some big square, like the Woodpecker 1281 or the TSO MTR-18 for accuracy and speed. I got to use a laser pen attached to the farthest part of the crosscut fence pointing to a mirror fixed to the blade of the saw. So, if everything is in the square, the laser beam should return in the same direction as the laser pen. I think the crosscut fence square should be in relation to the movement of the sliding table. But if the sliding table is already with the parallel displacement of the saw blade, I believe this is a valid calibration, right? Thanks again and I look forward to your comments.

@prestonhoffman5695

5 жыл бұрын

Werner Guerra, I have never heard of that method, but it does make a lot of sense. Where did you hear of that technique? I do believe that would work, but there are some minor inaccuracy potentials. The laser pen would have to be manufactured/designed so that the laser is aimed perfectly parallel with the crosscut fence. I really think this is feasible, but without seeing your setup it’s hard to gauge how reliable your measurement set up is. It really is a brilliant idea though. I have used the Woodpeckers square to get me very close in the past, but the offset of the blade teeth make that calibration difficult. I have considered making or having made a calibration plate, but I haven’t done that yet.

@wguerra

5 жыл бұрын

Hi, Preston, how are you? Thank you very much for your attention. I do not know where I saw this method, but it also seemed very interesting to me. Yes, you're right. I would have to make sure that the base of the laser pen is parallel to the laser source. I believe there must be some laser source of that kind. I can not guarantee this parallelism in the laser pen I have. Is it difficult to find something in this sense? What I did in my experiments was to fix this laser pen in the crosscut fence and put a piece of paper around it to serve as the shield for the laser beam of return and so I can calibrate the fence. The five-cut method is very accurate, but I think it's very trial and error. Also has a lot of waste of material. I'm looking for a faster and more effective method. Tks!

@prestonhoffman5695

5 жыл бұрын

Werner, I really think you’re on to something. If you have a lot of success with it please post because I would love to see it in action. I recently purchased a 12 inch calibration blade from Forrest Saw Blades, so I am hoping that will assist me in the future.

I believe the reason for only having one crank is that one is in the walking path when using the slider and is recommended to be removed anyways, just my thoughts, I'd actually prefer it that way so I'm not hitting my knee!

@prestonhoffman5695

5 жыл бұрын

That is true. It would be in the way, but the Felder models have a recessed handwheel on the side to account for the walking path. It would be nice if the Hammer line had a similar design.

@whiskeyandwood4047

5 жыл бұрын

They do sell additional handles for just over $50, I think the felder ones just fold down on the crank portion and hang out of the way, not recessed, but its hard to tell from some of the pictures, a lot of the bigger felders just have a digital adjustment. All in all, I'd say its a good compromise, as you say it "cheapens" the saw, but thats why you paid less for it than the Felder too ;) Thanks for sharing your perspective on it! I've got the HAmmer A3-31 on the way and trying to decide if I want to give up my Sawstop to have a sliding panel saw in the shop

@prestonhoffman5695

5 жыл бұрын

I also have the A3-31. It is a great machine. You won’t be disappointed. The SawStop is also a great machine, so you have a hard decision ahead of you. I think it will really just depend on how much you want a sliding table for your saw.

@boncadenhorst

5 жыл бұрын

Removable cranks prevent accidental bumping and etc, but it’s nice to have more. As for the rip fence, there’s a method that works well as you are dealing with a steel bar that could flex when tightening. Start with the 2 bolts in the casting and get it right there (height, then angle by means of a rule/straight- edge against the crosscut fence referenced to front/back of rip fence) and allow tiny gap to the back to prevent back-cut. Once right, do the next 2 and you’re golden.. shims in the bin. For the locking lever on the rip, it’s pvc, so it will wear in (you can encourage this by removing the fence, pushing out the pin to release and file off a tiny bit of the flat part of the cam) Setup: blade-to-sliding table, then sliding table-to-crosscut (5 way cut is king for accuracy), then crosscut -to-rip. Any info, message me.. always happy to help

@boncadenhorst

5 жыл бұрын

Ps: dado is a possible retrofit👍🏼19.5mm max cutter and you can DIY

After having had purchased the Felder Format4 shaper and FD250 boring machine; I wanted a small slider to supplement the larger Martin slider. Felder refused to sell me the Hammer series saying I would not be satisfied. A man in Chicago I visited has the Hammer slider and it is OK for him in a garage. He did not get the dado attachment from the factory shipping and they told him it was not possible to add afterwards. I now see that attachment with mounting parts available as a kit from Felder. So there is a way to dado with a wider cut. I used a SawStop cabinet model and frankly was very disappointed with the features and general 1950's design. SStop is just not that versatile and why build a modern day saw with a sliding attachment that is too far from the blade. I would buy a 700 Felder saw with short slider and digital readouts but the dollar and space is not mine. A short bed sliding table saw is much faster than the larger sliding table saws. The design and machining of the Felder saws is such that maintenance of the ways with grease must MUST be maintained or you will regret work that you mess up due to the settings jumping on you without notice. The Felder shaper is good and I do like the accuracy. I have modified my Felder shaper and square chisel machines to improve performance.

Heard nothing but reasons not to buy this saw. Thanks for the info! I'll be looking at other saws. This is a clear pass.

Is that K3 "3131" (as seen on their web site)"

@prestonhoffman5695

2 жыл бұрын

31x48. I never use that much rip capacity. I would stick to the 31x31.

"the track saw is cheap" bombed my wallet to dust

@prestonhoffman5695

3 жыл бұрын

Dude, that is a fair comment. I should say it’s cheap in comparison to the table saw, but even then it’s still a $1000 setup if you buy a 10ft track.