Comments on: Jointer-planer combination machines, part 6 https://www.rpwoodwork.com/blog/2014/08/20/jointer-planer-combination-machines-part-6/ inside the woodshop Wed, 03 Sep 2014 07:06:07 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.2 By: Rob https://www.rpwoodwork.com/blog/2014/08/20/jointer-planer-combination-machines-part-6/#comment-137747 Wed, 03 Sep 2014 07:06:07 +0000 http://www.rpwoodwork.com/blog/?p=3104#comment-137747 You’re welcome, Sean.

Keep in mind that my review is only about the A3-31. While I like it a lot, I am not able to compare it to the performance of current competing machines.

Regarding the Hammer/Felder spiral cutter, it seems like a good idea but I had already installed a Byrd Shelix cutterhead on my DW735 planer when I bought the Hammer. The Byrd is great. Please see my series on it with info on segmented cutterheads in general: http://www.rpwoodwork.com/blog/tag/byrd-shelix-cutterhead-series/

If you are interested, please ask Hammer for the details on the Silent Power cutterhead design. The Byrd carbide cutter segments meet the wood at a slight angle to make a shear cut and also have slightly rounded cutting edges. These features help in almost completely eliminating tearout.

I use Hammer’s cobalt HSS “system” conventional straight blades my A3-31. It’s really hard to put number on the longevity of the edges, and it would depend a lot on the types of wood you feed it, but my overall sense is the edge durability is very good.

Rob

]]> By: Sean https://www.rpwoodwork.com/blog/2014/08/20/jointer-planer-combination-machines-part-6/#comment-137739 Wed, 03 Sep 2014 05:21:40 +0000 http://www.rpwoodwork.com/blog/?p=3104#comment-137739 Thanks so much for taking the time to write this series of articles on the A3 31 Hammer, I have been looking into purchasing one for a while now. One question, what are your thoughts on the Silent-POWER spiral cutterblock instead of the stock 3 blade cutter? Have you had good experience with the 3 cutterblock? How long are the blades lasting you? Thanks so much for your time,
Sean

]]> By: Rob https://www.rpwoodwork.com/blog/2014/08/20/jointer-planer-combination-machines-part-6/#comment-136845 Sun, 24 Aug 2014 00:44:13 +0000 http://www.rpwoodwork.com/blog/?p=3104#comment-136845 Thanks, David. The Felder AD741 is about $10K, so I’m sure it is made to higher standards than the Hammer A3-31, which is to say it must be one awesome machine.
Your IWF experience echoes what I’ve heard others say. It must be incredible.

Rob

]]> By: David Sewell https://www.rpwoodwork.com/blog/2014/08/20/jointer-planer-combination-machines-part-6/#comment-136837 Sat, 23 Aug 2014 22:55:07 +0000 http://www.rpwoodwork.com/blog/?p=3104#comment-136837 Hi Rob,

After following this series with interest since the beginning I thought I would share my experience at IWF this week in Atlanta. Even though I live here I usually can’t take time from work to go for three days (four if you include Saturday) but this year I was in a position to, so I did hoping to see the Hammer A3-31 live. If you’ve never been it will blow your mind. There must be 3 dozen or more manufacturer’s of large industrial CNC machines, and they all were running in the exhibit hall.

Felder was there but they did not bring any Hammer products. They did have the AD 741, their 16″ Jointer-Planer, and it seems to be every bit as well designed and made, or better, as you describe for the A3-31. It was not plugged in but I still got a very favorable impression. The German sales rep spent 15 minutes with me even though I told him that I would not be in a position to buy for several years, (I need to build a new shop to have the space) and he even gave me a complete hard-bound catalog of all their products (heavy).

All in all, glad you introduced me to this line of machines.

Best, David

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