Hammer A3-26 experience

[Picktool]

How'd ya get the K3/A3 inside the frame? Lifting method?

What would be a good way to get these machines off the pallet if
you have no overhead lifting apparatus? asides from walking it....

Im just dropping the crates in the garage and I guess i'll go from there.
Yea, no planning on this one for me.

Not the best pic but you can see my custom rolling base I have on my k3 and have exactly the same on my A3 i'v not had any stability problems and my floor isn't in the best condition

 

[Mbconstructionjoinery]

Positioned in the frames with a Pallet truck, wooden chocks and brut force lol was a bit of a job but very doable with 2 people. If you have over head lifting gear there is a correct method for slinging each machine and this is shown in the user manual. If you dont have lifting gear then pallet truck a timber ramp make it easy to get them off the pallet again this is shown in the user manual but if you look up Felder on you tube there are video demonstrations from removing from the pallet and all the stages of set up for most of the hammer machines.

 

[JSlovic]

I'm about to join the club- my machine is in Delaware awaiting shipment to my new shop.

One question for the current owners is my new shop is over my garage.  To get the A3-26 up there I have three options: manhandle it up a flight of stairs, take the tables off and hoist thru a hole in the floor or take the sashes out of a window and bring it in slung under the fork of a material lift. 

I'm leaning to #3 but would like to hear other opinions. 

Thanks

 

[RKA]

Along the same lines, I have to go down 10 steps into my basement.  The steps are close to a 45 degree slope.  Are the tables easily removed/reinstalled to make this more manageable for two people?  I'm looking at the A3 31 which adds another 100 lbs. 

 

[travisj]

In reference to lifting the machine onto a mobile base, I have used portable engine hoists for similar situations.  Cheap and easy to rent.

 

[TomGadwa1]

I sacrificed the mortising feature to allow my hydraulic lift to have a stable mounting. I bolted a piece of two by twelve to the frame of the A3-31 using the holes which were for the mortiser. Next I mounted the sliders to the two by. I used slides that came from slot machines. These slides were for the coin hoppers which are pretty heavy. I used two slides and mounted them to a lifting block. The lifting block has a space for a bottle jack milled into the caster support plate. The caster support plate is in turn mounted to the lifting block. As the jack is pumped up the piston pushes against the wedge shaped piece that is attached to the two by on the A3-31. It only needs to be raised about a 1/4 of a inch to move the unit. It is stable and safe to move. Once lowered my lifter is equally as stable as the HAMMER stock setup. My back thanks me every time I use this great machine. Regarding the K3 the frame thing depicted above looks really nice. My criteria is I do not want to be drilling holes in my new machine. My lifter setup meets this. If still interested when I am back from road trip I can take more detailed photos.

 

[suds]

I was looking at the Rockler All Terrin mobile base as a solution to easily move the machine around my garage.

 

[rljatl]

I also have an A3-31 on the way and have purchased the Rockler All Terrain.  Having second thoughts about it.  Wondering if four swivel locking casters would be better?

 

[Picktool]

Well... my N4400, K3 & A3 are now set inside after this mornings delivery.
Rented a pallet jack from the orange store to help move around. Worth it.
I have pics to show how I managed getting off the pallet being theres not
many. Oh yeah, I had to clear a 2" hump, so no stairs for me.
I'll be back tomoro with some pics. Pooped out for now.

 

[suds]

Be glad to see how you managed. I have a slight downhill 275 foot driveway to wind down to a pad of exposed concrete. I thought the SuperMax 19-38 was a chore!
I wish I had the room for the 31. How have you guys who have the 26 felt about not having the 31?  Especially with such a close price between the two.

 

[Mbconstructionjoinery]

Be glad to see how you managed. I have a slight downhill 275 foot driveway to wind down to a pad of exposed concrete. I thought the SuperMax 19-38 was a chore!
I wish I had the room for the 31. How have you guys who have the 26 felt about not having the 31?  Especially with such a close price between the two.

If you can squeeze the 31 in go for it as the extra capacity would be worth it, I would have went for that myself but then picked up the 26 brand new at a bargain price with all the extras I wanted direct from Felder uk and the 31 would have been a tight squeeze to be honest,  I also have a makita 310mm lunch box thicknesser for wider stock and can also set up a router sled if needs be so haven't had the need for the bigger machine upto now but it would still be nice to have.

 

[Mbconstructionjoinery]

I also have an A3-31 on the way and have purchased the Rockler All Terrain.  Having second thoughts about it.  Wondering if four swivel locking casters would be better?

The 4 locking swivel castors definitely gets my vote for best mobility of the machines.

 

[Jonnio]

Hi there. I have the a3 26. I wanted the quick change blades, which they are. I also got the dial thicknesser (uk term) thickness gauge which I was sceptical regarding its accuray but how wrong I was. Now all I do is wind the handle to where I want it and out pops the timber at exactly that setting. Its an analogue device which I think makes it more reliable.
The top tables are fairly short by us standards but ive manage 6ft lengths easily plus the odd 8ft.
Chip extraction is spot on as well as the flatness of the cast iron. The fence can be fiddly to set to 90 degrees but Ive not had to alter it for last 8 months when I first set it. I used a lab grade square too, din 875 000 if I remember.
I think for your space its a perfect machine.
You will love the quick change blades plus the thickness/planer gauge. Cheers

 

[suds]

From my cabinet to the wall in my garage I have a Vika table and that space is 57 inches in length.  I can see that the cabinet part of the machine would fit but it would leave hardly any wiggle room for the 31 table.  I believe the table is close to 57" plus anything that may be protruding off the end of the table.  Right now the Vika table and a 6" Rigid Jointer are side by side in that space and thank goodness I have a Mini Cooper or it just wouldn't work.  The 26 will fit fine and leave me room to work even with the cars in the garage and that's a real plus during the cold winters in eastern Washington state. 
I wondered about the HP difference between the two and if that was or should be a consideration.

 

[ATXStorm]

I purchased the mobility kit for my C3 31 and found out very quickly its not the best solution for moving the saw around the garage.  The three options I found for leveling casters are Zumbus Casters- $$$, Footmaster- $$ and Woodcraft- $.  I went with Footmaster GD-S Stem mount from Amazon.  I had to use a pallet jack and step drill bit to make the hole large enough for the ½ “ stem.  Moving the saw around is very easy but it is somewhat a task to level them. 

 

[cliffp]

I've got the A3-26. I have been absolutely delighted with it. If I had had the room I would have gone for the A3-31. In many ways I wish I had bought the spiral silent cutter blades rather than the quick change ones that come as standard though the standard ones have lasted ok.

I agree with Jonnio about the dial thickness gauge - it is amazingly accurate and well worth the money.

I bought the 400mm extension tables which are ok but probably not necessary. They are probably worth it for me as I have the N4400 which does benefit from their use.

I had the mobility kit but didn't find it very useful as you can only (relatively) easily move the machine in and out. I made a mobility base somewhat similar to the one Peter Parfitt describes here:


I definitely recommend the use of top quality castors that lock on all 4 wheels (I used the ones Peter recommended in the video).

 

[Picktool]

Here's mine for now. Ill edit afterwards.
Some pics have text that could tell a quick story.
Shop this morning.

 

[suds]

For what the Spiral blade runs I'm not sure it is worth that much unless the finish is that much improved.  From what I've read the standard setup is more than ample.  Noise is not a issue for me since I'm very hard of hearing and try and protect what I have left with ear protection.  I guess what is left is the durability of the knives vs the spiral and that may be significant.

 

[Max Fracas]

Noise is important to me because I have neighbors close by.  My current planer is so loud (a Dewalt 735) that I try to run it only when my next-door neighbor is out of her house.  So I'm planning to get the spiral ("silent power") cutterhead.  From what I've read (which could be wrong) you can't retrofit the spiral head to an A3 if you decide to get it later.  Not sure whether a non-Hammer alternative exists. 

 

[Picktool]

From what I've read (which could be wrong) you can't retrofit the spiral head to an A3 if you decide to get it later.

I was told the same, one or the other.