Well after much thought and research I finally decided to invest in the HAMMER A3 31 Jointer Planer Combo unit. It appears to be a solidly built machine. I like the idea that the jointer tables move as one when changing operation modes. I went for the MANUAL (meaning no electronics to reset and turn on each time) digital readout for the planer table height adjustment setting wheel and also the silent cutter head option. Throwing caution to the wind I opted for the wheel kit too. What the heck you only live once, right? So the machine is being loaded into the shipping container in Austria as I am typing this. Then it is trucked or railed over to the seaport to have a three week cruise over the pond to presumably New York or Boston Harbor. Then it comes to Hammer headquarters in Delaware. After that it will go over land to Dallas and then ultimately to my humble shop in south texas! Heck this piece of equipment will be way better traveled than I ever have been. If your still reading this I apologize for the exteneded details but I am can you tell excited about this machine and the capabilities it will add to my shop. Now I have to wait until the middle of May for my baby to arrive! Incidentally once I get the unit dialed in I will have a gently used Dewalt 735 planer with DRO stand and extension tables on the market. I will make someone a good deal on the setup.
HAMMER A3 31 Jointer Planer Combo Machine
- Thread starter TomGadwa1
- Start date
Frank Pellow
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Congratulations!
I hope that you like your machine as much as I like mine. I've had mine almost a year now and I wonder why I bothered with the Delta jointer and Delta planer that it replaced. The upgrade to the Hammer combo is one of the best purchases that I have ever made.
I hope that you like your machine as much as I like mine. I've had mine almost a year now and I wonder why I bothered with the Delta jointer and Delta planer that it replaced. The upgrade to the Hammer combo is one of the best purchases that I have ever made.
kevinvandeusen
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Wow, guess I am lucky, I ordered mine last thursday, and it is being delivered tomorrow! Only 1 week. Would have come tuesday except for good friday holiday.
They build to order machines and do not always manage inventory in the warehouse. My guess is that they did not have one at the time you purchased but had one come in after the fact and for whatever reason your name goes on the machine at the time you order so if it is in the factory and gets shipped, that is the one you are getting. Also, these can get tied up in customs. Mine was several weeks later than originally planned and then when I got it I had shipping damage of all things. Had to get replacement parts that was a pain. But that was all forgotten after I got it working and it runs awesome. It has worked pretty much trouble free for 7-8 years now and I have jointed and planed thousands of board feet of lumber.
Scot
Scot
kevinvandeusen
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Just finished unpacking and cleaning up the beast, she sure is pretty! Sorry for the guy waiting, the way i see it, you should have got mine!
kevinvandeusen
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No, too much grunting and sweating to get it in position to want to put it back on the pallet. I am a nice guy, but not that nice!! Got it off the truck, and in the shop by myself with only a ramp and comealong, and inginuity !
kevinvandeusen
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Oh yeah, gloat, ran a piece of rough cypress, it is smooth as silk!
Wonderwino
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I ordered an A3-41 that is supposed to be here in late April. They only had the Silent Power cutter available for it unless I was willing to wait until June to get the 3-knife . Anybody have the Silent Power? Is the quality of cut any better?
kevinvandeusen
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Will take a pic later. Installing a bird head on it next week, and wixey digital thickness gauge! Pimp my j/p!
For the best cut on figured woods would you go with a Byrd or Hammer's Silent Power cutters?
Someone mentioned that Byrd has the best cut because the blades "shear like an angled handplane".
See the reply by Christine on this thread
Does anyone here have an opinion on that?
Obviously Hammer's silent power should be quieter, but I'm looking for best cut.
Someone mentioned that Byrd has the best cut because the blades "shear like an angled handplane".
See the reply by Christine on this thread
Does anyone here have an opinion on that?
Obviously Hammer's silent power should be quieter, but I'm looking for best cut.
Also, does anyone have any thoughts on whether the Byrd blades might be cheaper to replace?
Or perhaps more readily available in the future(should Hammer's Silent Power head be phased out for whatever reason)?
I worry to much...but I'm debating purchase of j/p and want to make the right decision on cutter.
One other thought is whether A31 is designed with Byrd cutter power requirements in mind (read somewhere that it is not and that is the reason they developed the silent cutter heads).
Of course, I could drop another $500 on a "liftetime supply" for silent power cutterheads...and then only the quality of cut concerns would be important.
Christopher
Or perhaps more readily available in the future(should Hammer's Silent Power head be phased out for whatever reason)?
I worry to much...but I'm debating purchase of j/p and want to make the right decision on cutter.
One other thought is whether A31 is designed with Byrd cutter power requirements in mind (read somewhere that it is not and that is the reason they developed the silent cutter heads).
Of course, I could drop another $500 on a "liftetime supply" for silent power cutterheads...and then only the quality of cut concerns would be important.
Christopher
Wonderwino said:
I just ordered an A3-31 and it's due in late April, must be on the same ship as yours. And I ordered a FB 510 bandsaw also due in late April (originally I wanted the Hammer N4400 bandsaw but it wasn't available until June...so my wife forced me to upgrade to the Felder bandsaw....isn't she sweet).
I'll post any info on delivery schedule changes if they occur.
