Combination Machines Five-Function Machines Are Heavy Duty and Save Space, but Are They Worth the Price?
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W161CH.qxd 2/5/03 1:18 PM Page 52 TOOL TEST Combination Machines Five-function machines are heavy duty and save space, but are they worth the price? BY ASA CHRISTIANA 1. TABLESAW A large-capacity sliding table running next to the blade sets this saw apart from American- style cabinet saws. Less space, better machines Space savings aren’t the only ben- efit of European combination ma- chines. Each of the five individual tools will represent an upgrade for most small shops. 2. JOINTER A 12- or 16-in. jointer will mill a flat face on most 3. PLANER of the lumber a furniture Combination machines also include maker encounters. a heavy-duty 12- or 16-in. planer. 52 FINE WOODWORKING W161CH.qxd 2/5/03 1:18 PM Page 53 ost American woodworkers know very little about European-style combination machines—except for their Mhigh price tags relative to other small-shop equipment. It has been 22 years since the last review of these machines in Fine Woodworking, so this article also provides a general introduction to them. I have defined combination machines as five-function, three-motor, heavy-duty units. The smaller multipurpose ma- chines such as the Shopsmith are a breed unto themselves. All of the machines covered include a sliding tablesaw, a shaper, a planer- jointer and an add-on horizontal mortiser with a sliding table. A real-world shop test. To try out each function as well as Six brands—Felder, Hammer, Knapp, MiniMax, Robland and Ro- the changeovers from one to the other, Chris- jek—are currently imported into North America, with a multitude tiana made a frame-and-panel door on each machine. of models and configurations. To keep the price tags as low as possible and to be sure I was comparing similar machines, I ordered the 12-in. planer-jointer The fact is that this combination of machines would represent an units, as opposed to the 16-in. size that most brands also offer, and upgrade to most small shops. The sliding tables—which run right a sliding table stroke that could handle a 48-in.-wide panel. I opt- next to the sawblade and offer long strokes and accurate crosscut ed for the bolt-on mortising unit but passed on the scoring blade fence systems—are more comparable to an industrial sliding table for the saw and variable speed for the shaper, among many other such as a Martin than they are to the add-on sliders available for options. As outfitted, these ma- American-style saws. A sliding tablesaw can make precise joinery chines range in price from cuts and crosscuts on solid or panel stock without the need for $6,000 to $15,000, with four of auxiliary sleds, jigs or work supports. Also, it can make a long, them priced under $9,000. By straight-line rip on rough lumber. These sliding tables also work the way, there are deals to be had on all of these (10% off or with the nearby shaper spindles for operations like tenoning. more) at major woodworking shows and through in-house You also get a shaper with 3 hp (or more). Yes, shaper cutters are promotions. Check company web sites. more expensive, but they accommodate custom knives and can take a much bigger bite than router bits can. The panel-raising cut- Common misconceptions ter I used to test these shapers was able to take at least half of the As an editor at Fine Woodworking, I had heard a lot about these cut in a single pass, while leaving a smooth finish and little-to-no machines before I tried them. While there certainly are a few breakout at the end of the panel. Shapers also feature precise drawbacks to them when compared with single-function ma- height adjustment. Once woodworkers go to a shaper, they usual- chines, some of what I had heard turned out to be false. Here are ly find it difficult to go back to a router table. the two biggest misconceptions, in my opinion: Myth 2. Slow conversions are a deal-breaker—The only nec- Myth 1. The combination machines are expensive when essary conversions are from saw to shaper and from jointer to compared with the five single-function machines bought planer. The saw-to-shaper conversion involves fastening the individually—The machines in a combination machine don’t shaper fence to the table, so it takes a bit longer, but it’s not an compare directly to the machines in most shops. Most small shops operation you will have to do often, because shapers typically I know don’t have a sliding tablesaw, a 12- or 16-in.-wide jointer or get less use than tablesaws, planers and jointers. The planer-to- a sliding horizontal mortiser. And many don’t have a shaper, not jointer conversion involves raising the tables, cranking to mention one with a sliding table. If you do the math, most of up the planer bed to the needed height (it must be these combo machines are actually less expensive than five single- lowered for jointing to allow the dust hood to function machines of the same quality and capacity. be flipped) and then flipping the dust hood and 4. SHAPER 5. MORTISER Absent from many shops, this heavy- A horizontal mortiser can duty tool can do many things a router make accurate, identical mor- table can’t, and do them faster. tises quickly and easily. Photos: Kelly J. Dunton JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2003 53 W161CH.qxd 2/5/03 1:18 PM Page 54 MACHINES UNDER $9,000 he Hammer, while overall a T nicely made machine in its price range, arrived with two major prob- lems. For starters, there was severe vibration in the saw unit, resulting in very rough cuts. A company spokesman said this was due to a defective motor, so I tried another machine. I got much better rip and crosscut results, but the quality still was rough. The other problem was damage to the steel tracks in the sliding mortising table, which resulted in a bumpy ride. Hammer sent a new table that moved HAMMER smoothly. There were smaller as- C3-31 COMFORT sembly problems that needed at- tention, too: a loose height- Source: Made in Austria, adjustment support block on the distributed by Hammer USA (800) 700-0071 saw unit and an internal dust hose has too much flex, due to its placement on a long, weak arm. The www.hammerusa.com fastened in the wrong position. mortising table doesn’t travel quite high enough to center a bit in 3 The Hammer also has a few de- ⁄4-in.-thick stock, but this can be remedied by inserting a scrap Price of model tested: sign problems. The rip fence, spacer between the workpiece and the table. Unlike the Rojek $8,790, with which pivots to become the joint- and MiniMax, the Hammer does not offer reverse rotation on its mortiser option er fence, flexes under pressure shaper spindle, which would allow cutters to be flipped for safer Weight: 1,200 lbs. and has three closely spaced orientation of certain workpieces. Also, using the five jack bolts Minimum width: 43 in. clamp levers, which were annoy- underneath, I was unable to get the sliding table level throughout ing to deal with. The splitter also its stroke with the central saw table. The pivoting rip/jointer fence is a problem. The closely spaced The crosscut clamp handles are fence excels hard to tell apart, at miters. There and they get in are many posi- each other’s way. tive stops (holes) Also, the fence has for common significant flex. angles. hose. But once I got the hang of it, this you. However, size and weight may be process took only about 30 seconds on Watch it on the web deal-breakers for your shop. You need a most of these models. And, as many users For more on combination machines, floor that can support a 1-ton machine and have pointed out to me, you can organize go to www.finewoodworking.com. a doorway wide enough to get the machine your workflow—a benefit in itself—to re- through. Check the minimum width for duce the overall amount of changeovers. I found the planer-to- each. All machines are available with a single- or three-phase motor. jointer conversion to be a bit annoying at times, but I would make the tradeoff if space were a big consideration in my shop. What to expect when ordering a machine If you want these five core woodworking functions in one Unless a manufacturer has the exact model and setup you want sit- space-saving unit, one of these combination machines may be for ting in a stateside warehouse, you will have to wait at least a 54 FINE WOODWORKING W161CH.qxd 2/5/03 1:19 PM Page 55 his is the latest version of Mini- T Max’s combination machine. In many ways—fit and finish, ease of tune-up and ad- justment, quietness, American-style jointer guard, Tersa cutterhead for easy planer-jointer blade changes, among others—this was the most refined design in its price range. Its lightweight (but MINIMAX strong) shaper fence assembly was CU300 SMART easy to take on and off the ma- Source: Made by SCMI chine. Like the Rojek, the MiniMax in Italy, distributed by accepts a full dado head and offers MiniMax USA a router option, but top speed on (866) 975-9663 the latter is only 9,000 rpm—not www.minimax-usa.com enough for most bits.