(It's here!) Just ordered a Hammer A331!

[mattbyington]

After a few months of debate - just ordered a Hammer A331. So excited.

Should arrive in early February they think.

Went for the spiral silent block carbide cutter head and moveable base.

Will post pics when it comes!

Big thanks to Ryan from the Felder group for answering all my questions.

Matt

 

[rmhinden]

Cool!  Now you will also need a dust extraction system

 

[travisj]

Congratulations!  I have their mobile base and the Silent Power cutterhead on mine as well.  I love it as I’m sure you will once it arrives.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[mattbyington]

Thanks both!

Yes, going to get the Dust Right 650 CFM from Rockler

Matt

 

[rljatl]

Congratulations!  I have their mobile base and the Silent Power cutterhead on mine as well.  I love it as I’m sure you will once it arrives.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Me too.  Love mine.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

[macrutt]

Matt ,

Congratulations , I have a MiniMax FS30 Smart .
Do take a long look at this dust collector,https://www.oneida-air.com/dust-collectors/personal-shops/mini-gorilla

Take care George

 

[TomGadwa1]

I have that machine and it is a fantastic unit. However their mobility solution is a joke. I wound up making my own that was inspired by the sawstop setup which utilized a hydraulic piston to raise the weight of the saw. Turns out that the A3-31 is in the same weight range as a defect sized table saw. So I figured that something based on a hydraulic like the Sawstop setup would be ideal for my use. I have a Youtube video on my setup called Save your back. Trust me the stock setup is hazardous to your health if you value your back!!  Before I implemented my hydraulic lifter each time I moved my A3-31 with the old crappy stock setup my back hurt for days and days.  After my system was installed not only do I have no more back issues but if I want I can turn the unit around within its length. If you are in a small humble shop as am this is a huge benefit. I know you will be happy with your decision!! Don't forget the mechanical digital readout hand wheel for the thickness setting. Great accurate repeatable results!

 

[RKA]

To put a finer point on one of the issues Tom raises...the factory mobility option will only move the machine perpendicular to the planer beds, which means you need a clear 5 ft swath to move the machine.  I think it was really designed to back the unit away from a wall and push it back again.  If your shop set up requires moving it the other way, there are lots of machine mobility platforms that can accomplish this.

Congrats on the new acquisition!  This should open up some options for you!

 

[Grev]

Congrats on your purchase.  I actually had the A3-31 and K3 Winner on order earlier in the year, but held off because I was looking for a small shop to lease at the time and didn't want to have them delivered to home and then move them.  I've decided to go with the Sawstop PCS now, but the A3 is still on the list. 

 

[deepcreek]

Matt ,

Congratulations , I have a MiniMax FS30 Smart .
Do take a long look at this dust collector,https://www.oneida-air.com/dust-collectors/personal-shops/mini-gorilla

Take care George

I have the Minimax FS30 Classic.  It produces copious amounts of shavings in planer mode.

Definitely invest in a good dust collector with easy bag changes.  I have a 30 gallon Oneida and it fills up FAST.

Recently, I was planing some 8/4 stock down to 6/4 for a countertop and filled up five bags in one afternoon.

 

[travisj]

I will second that the “digital wheel” is worth it.  Expensive for what it is, but repeatability is awesome.  I stated in another thread that I have been making drawers for a cobbled together outfeed table (reusing scrap plywood).  I planed what I thought was enough 12mm oak, but I have had to go back and mill more on three different occasions.  It was nice to be able to quickly and easily mill up 12mm and 11.5mm boards that perfectly match the stuff I had done weeks ago.

As for a dust collector, for a jointer/planer it is mostly “fluff”, not fine dust.  I am contemplating a large Clear Vue cyclone, but I’m not sure where I could fit it inside or outside of my shop space.  The route I took was to build a cyclone.  I modified a Harbor Freight dust collector with the large Oneida Dust Deputy and a 30 gallon drum.  Including the remote and aforementioned parts, I’m into it for less than $300.  It works well with my SawStop and my A3-31.  I also use it as an oversized vacuum to clean up the shop.  I would definitely recommend my setup as a somewhat inexpensive solution.  The Hammer does fill the drum pretty quickly though.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ben_r_]

Congrats! Just got mine not too long ago. Havent even gotten it all setup yet. Still on the pallet. Beast of a machine. Weighs a ton!

 

[mattbyington]

Thanks everyone for the replies! I will definitely get the digital readout then!

Matt

 

[egmiii]

I'd suggest getting the gauge in metric if your comfortable with it. The imperial version is a bit harder to read when dealing with fractions. I briefly had both and preferred the metric version.

 

[online421]

congrats... quality gear is addictive and make you do more work happily. I am going to order a Profil 45 Z in 2020

it seems my AD951 was only delivered yesterday.... but it was 5 months ago already!!

View attachment 1

 

[egmiii]

I bet 2020 can't come fast enough for you! If I could get a 45 Z to fit through a 35" door, I'd buy it tomorrow. Problem is it has to fit through two 35" interior doors then travel down a finished staircase to my basement. Took me over a year to figure out a rig to get an AD941 down, but it eventually got done.

 

[RKA]

I bet 2020 can't come fast enough for you! If I could get a 45 Z to fit through a 35" door, I'd buy it tomorrow. Problem is it has to fit through two 35" interior doors then travel down a finished staircase to my basement. Took me over a year to figure out a rig to get an AD941 down, but it eventually got done.

Care to share the details around the process of getting the AD941 down there?  I was going to hire someone, but I’m not too confident they will heed instructions not to handle the machine by the beds.

 

[egmiii]

I’ll need a little time to dig up the best photos and to outline the process. What I did was likely a huge engineering overkill, but I didn’t trust anyone else to do it properly. I called quite a few places. The riggers who were capable, didn’t want the job, and the movers who wanted the job, weren’t capable. 1400 pounds is no joke to move across a tile floor and down a staircase.

 

[RKA]

[member=11423]egmiii[/member] Thanks, much appreciated!

 

[CarrieCarpenterChick]

Congratulations!!!

I’ve had 2 A3-41’s in my shop. The first was bought used and was a straight knife head. Loved it but took my local tech 2 days to adjust and level it out. Used that for 2 years then opted for a new one with the spiral cutter (sold it for more than I paid for it). I did the imperial dial but not fond of it. I’ll definitely be ordering the metric one this month.

FYI- mine weighed 967# we got it off the pallet by disassembling the pallet from underneath!  A couple small floor jacks, walking it down an inch each side. Crazy stuff. Couldn’t find a small pallet jack anywhere.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk