Hammer A3-41 - Honest Review and Tips to Make it a Bit Better

[@calexandruful]

I have this jointer planer for almost a year. Would I buy it again? No freakin' way. The calibration process is a pain, the tolerances for the outfeed and infeed tables are huge (for ex the outfeed table has a hollow in it the measures 0.15-0.20 mm) and the worst part after a couple of weeks of use you have to re-calibrate it because the tables move (dont know why this happens and i've tried everything). I hope you enjoy it cause i'm not :P

[@AndreaArzensek]

Thank you for your feedback. I made this review one month int having the machine. Sadly, now I experience the same problems you have and they are frustrating. I have contacted Felder and they asked me to measure the tables with straight edge which I did and my hollow was 0.14mm for the infeed and 0.12 for the outfeed which is out of the tolerances. They have immediately ordered new tables and they will come in about a month to me. Worryingly, I've seen another video where one other guy complained for the same reason and in his video's comment section one guy had the tables changed but the problem persisted. I can say that I'm really frustrated and disappointed in Hammer machines. The only one that works is the N4400 handsaw (for now). I upgraded my K3 winner to Felder K700 and that is completely different machine in build quality. I wasn't looking for something even better, I just wanted machine that does what it says it will do.

[@markoddo9414]

@@AndreaArzensek any update here? I am about to order an A31 and now am concerned about these defects. Thanks for any additional feedback

[@AndreaArzensek]

Hi Mark, I'm still waiting for the tables to come. I think they make them in China and due to Coronavirus they are quite delayed. This is not good for me or for reputation of Felder, but that's the way it is. I will probably remake the video if the new tables don't make this machine work as intended. But then I will not be as nice to them because this has crossed the boundaries of my tolerances of waiting. Best regards from Croatia

[@markoddo9414]

@@AndreaArzensek thank you for the reply - I am speaking to the USA sales representative tomorrow and will pose these defect issues to him to see what he says. I am really tired of these companies having major components made in China and not having strict quality control - especially at these prices! Good luck with your replacement tables - hopefully this corrects your problem. Btw, I love the stone work in your shop - looks awesome.

[@AndreaArzensek]

Thanks Mark. Let's see what happens. Our workshop is a 400 year old house in Croatia. We had to clean and point those walls but it was worth it 🙂

[@11211lcb]

Brilliant workaround for the wooden insert in the blade guard!

[@AndreaArzensek]

Thanks Leon. It is a fantastic add on that costs few scraps and 5 minutes of time to make. Now that I see it works really well and I use it always when edging, I will make a nicer one.

[@richardhouse8364]

Your small handmade blade guard is a great idea that I will copy!

[@AndreaArzensek]

Thanks, you will love it. I use it all the time and it takes less than 10 seconds to switch. I made new with rounded top so it is more comfortable to use. I also added two magnets so I can place it onto the machine. Greetings from Croatia

[@toolsconsumables7055]

Dear Andrea, It's one of Hammers option to allow it's customers to choose between the regular3/4 bladed roller cutter &/ the helicoidal with indexable cutters. It gives a far superior finish due to it's slicing action as opposed to the chopping of regular cutter which emulates chisels or axes on a wheel, not to mention that slicing generate less noise & thus kinder to your ear drums in the process. It also means your extractor can accumulate more dust before changing as it occupies less volume. I am delighted that you & your brother are now ready to do battle with the right equipment. Very well done. Kind regards.

[@AndreaArzensek]

Very well said Dilip. This machine is great. I hope my table saw case will be resolved as well. Cheers

[@debandmike3380]

Hammer = buyers remourse. for the protruding rear cover, cut it and put a hinge on it so you can flip it up when the fence is back.

[@Slovenianwoodworker]

Much better choice than before.. This is proper mashine. Good luck

[@AndreaArzensek]

Thank you! It is a fantastic machine. I think we were unlucky with the K3 saw. Still not resolved though.

[@russellnentwich8745]

Man I am so glad I read the comments in this video. I was just about to buy the same machine. I have the paperwork on my desk for the preorder payment. I saw the same jay bates video too which persuaded me to get one. Apparently the table issue is a common one.

[@AndreaArzensek]

It seems so, now we got the Felder AD 741 which is superior in every single way. But! I will not post the video review of it for at least 6 months because I want to make sure it works as expected. For now I can tell it is a very different machine from Hammer A3-41. But also it is almost as double in price (it has power drive and spiral cutter).

[@TernaryHound]

Thanks for the video, and thanks for always producing content in multiple languages!

[@AndreaArzensek]

Thank you Nick. I shold ditch the English language since most of my audience is from Latin America but I still like making them in English. Cheers

[@stephendixon8575]

Thank you for sharing this and your other video on the Hammer Machines. I was really shocked to hear how badly treated you were by the company that supplied these machines to you regarding the B3 Winner machine. I am in the UK and am considering buying both this planer/thicknesser (or the A3-30 version) plus the same N4400 bandsaw and the B3 Perform saw/Spindle moulder combination unit. Fortunately Felder can supply to me direct and they offer a delivery and commissioning service so the machines are set up and calibrated on site for me by Felder, so hopefully I would not have the same worrying issues you had with the delivery or the saw unit. Look forward to seeing your video on the N4400 bandsaw. Thanks for sharing 👍

[@MoscaWoodworking]

really happy for your purchases and the new shop. In general, I also prefer the US safety fence, the European one we use is a bit uncomfortable. I really really like the analogic readout for the planer. This optional is not available on my SCM jointer/planer

[@AndreaArzensek]

Thank you very much. Since we made that little wooden guard it is much more comfortable to use the machine. Analogic readout is fantastic and very reliable. We love that feature.

[@sethhamilton5824]

I joint with the fence closer to the back to avoid walking around the silly guard.

[@AndreaArzensek]

I prefer the fence closer for two reasons. 1 it is much more comfortable, 2 safety reasons. You can make a shorter guard easily out of wood

[@sethhamilton5824]

@@AndreaArzensek I haven’t found I really have to reach with it towards the back, but I’m tallish. I will eventually buy a spare guard to shorten.

[@laurentduverge7851]

Hi Andrea, Thanks for your review. I have just purchased a second hand A3-41 JP which I am in the process of setting up. Can I ask you what was the little magnetic gizmo you used to stop the fence from flexing in the video. I have never seen anything like that. Regards, Laurent.

[@AndreaArzensek]

It is called MagSquare, I'd go with a bigger one (400 I think). Greetings from Croatia 😊

[@KIIJJY6969]

great video man, I inherited an old elektra beckum (metabo) combo machine. Seems to have the same general drawbacks, I completely gave up on it as a jointer cause of the adjusting, snipe from the short beds & awful fence. I now use it solely as a thicknesser which it excels at. It annoys me even though I was given it, cant imagine how mad I'd be if I paid as much as you did. No matter the brand they always seem to be a very well designed thicknesser with a half assed jointer, bolted on top.

[@jeffj2495]

Nice review. And very nice combo machine.

[@AndreaArzensek]

Thanks! 👍

[@SMWChanel]

Nice videos i am very enjoy with your video 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍 well done for you "Greetings Wood worker"

[@AndreaArzensek]

Thanks!

[@LgosseuxDbois-TheWoodpecker]

Super nice review. It seems that you really enjoy your jointer/planer. I also really liked the fact that you told us the actual price. I can see that it's the same price here for the non helicoidal head. those must cost around $1000cdn dollar more I guess. Every day I dream of buying a jointer/planer like that. especially when I have to sand 4-5 hours after I surface my wood.

[@AndreaArzensek]

You would definitely benefit from a new jointer/planer like this one. The finish is fantastic from the machine and only 120 or 220 sanding is necessary. The spiral head is quite expensive but considering many, many benefits it will actually save you money at the end. The silent power head addition cost us €730. If I upgrade the machine I will always look for segmented cutters. Cheers

[@LgosseuxDbois-TheWoodpecker]

@@AndreaArzensek Thank you. I have to think about this... The Hammer jointer/planner looks a bit better that what I was aiming for, but it's $2000cdn more than the Rikon I have my eye on. Like I can see, your machine here is over $1000cdn more expensive that what you paid... And being retired I can't rely on overtime to pay for extra toys... Life is hard, but it could be harder, I don't complain, I'll just go with the bears in the wood and live happy... BTW if you go to the Woodpecker FB page you'll see the kind of bear I have around my cottage :)))

[@AndreaArzensek]

Go for a Rikon, I see that they look like quality tools. And bear will be happy as well :)

[@foobar3590]

What did you use as adaptor from dust collection hose to machine? Is it just pressure fit on the machine?

[@AndreaArzensek]

125mm Drainage pipe connector at 45 degrees. Cheap and great fit on the outside diameter of the dust ports. Rubber gasket (o-ring) on the connector makes for easy taking on and off and it holds good. Flexible hose (120mm) is attached with hose/pipe clamp (that took some fiddling and lubricant to fit) All available at hardware store and dirt cheap compared to original parts (I saved more than 70 euros). I'm extremely happy with this solution and it is very effective.

[@foobar3590]

@@AndreaArzensek Thank you very much for the details. I’ve tried to locate the Rockler quick change adaptor (of Jay Bates fame) in Europe, but no luck. Your solution seems perfect and I’ll definitely give it a try.

[@alexfridi8663]

Hi, nice review. What is the name of the small device you put to fix the fence? Thank you!

[@AndreaArzensek]

Hi Alex, I actually have problems with the tables and at the time I didn't know that. I contacted Felder and they will replace my tables. The small piece is called MagSquare 165, it is quite tiny but very strong. I glued #400 sandpaper to the base and now it can't slide. If I were to buy it again I'd go for MagSquare 400 since it is a bit bigger. But this thing is awesome if you have cast iron surfaces in the workshop.

[@alexfridi8663]

@@AndreaArzensek Hi, thank you for your reply. I ordered same mashine and it will be delivered in June. Now I am little bit concerned. Hope our mashine will be fine.

[@AndreaArzensek]

I hope your machine will serve you well. I will eventually make a video about the A3-41 again. Make sure when you get it to check tolerances on the tables with a straight edge. The ones made from aluminium are consistent enough so you don't have to spend a lot of money on them. I got one from Veritas and it is around 1m in length.

[@bigdogmn73]

Also where did you get that 45 degree dust port piece on your hammer? I like it!

[@AndreaArzensek]

That is a great question. It is from plumbing center. 125mm connector for drainage at 45°. It cost me something like €3.50

[@MagicAtticGuitars]

Thanks for making this review. I am just waiting to get my hammer machine. I would like to know where did you get the mag square. It looks like preety usefull tool. Thanks!

[@AndreaArzensek]

Thank you :) I got it from USA.

[@mihazajc]

Awesome! I have 31 version and i am happy with it.. love the caliper idea!😎 I also got the wheels and a rod to move it ... Makes it really easy to move in my really small workshop. Btw i was on my way to istra today but a beari g on my camper went to hell... Ill be there for two weeks so if i am near fazana lets have a gemist or.two!🙃🤪

[@mihazajc]

Oh btw where did you buy the mag switch?

[@AndreaArzensek]

Yes please, gemist is great. I bought the magswitch in USA through amazon. My friend sent it over.

[@nikboeh1]

@@mihazajc You can just buy inexpensive switchable magnetic arms for dial indicators on Amazon and umscrew the arm. Works great.

[@anhaoanh3558]

After a period of use, the table tip will no longer be accurate, right ?

[@AndreaArzensek]

Yes, this is why we upgraded to Felder AD 741. It is completely another league.

[@anhaoanh3558]

741 will top the misalignment of the table top, or will it just prolong the falsification time.thank

[@AndreaArzensek]

As for alignment I have no problems so far, but the machine is new so I cannot state yet. But I can say that its built is superior to A3-41. And when time comes to adjust, it is much better engineered than Hammer. Alas, the price is almost double for Felder AD 741.

[@dsdragoon]

I hope you got your table saw fixed.

[@AndreaArzensek]

Not yet, still working on it. There will be an update video coming soon.

[@SteveFrenchWoodNStuff]

I recognize that Mag Switch. And I love the dial indicator in the hand wheel; that's pretty cool!

[@AndreaArzensek]

It is thanks to you. I love that magnetic device. Very useful. Dial indicator is so convinient to use and it is very precise.

[@Psychlist1972]

Don't sand the tables. The reason european companies finish jointer tables like this is to reduce suction friction when moving the board across the top . The only thing I don't like about those tables is that they rust easily (I live in a very humid area), and because of that texture, waxing the table is a bit of a mess. I have all the same options as you. That spiral head does an amazing job on figured wood, and is super quiet. I also have the same concerns: lots of space used behind the jointer, the fence flexes, that latching arm at the bottom is difficult to know if it's on or off, etc. I should do like you and just write on it. Brilliant tip with the mag square!

[@AndreaArzensek]

Cheers Pete, It makes no sense that the outfeed table is finished much finer than the infeed table. Also the finish on the cast iron of table saw was done much better and on the bansaw is almost like glass. When table is waxed (which we do often) the wood slides best on the bandsaw's table and we haven't noticed any drawback with the suction friction. More yet on the rough table of jointer (infeed) it makes more effect as a sandpaper than a suction control. I will sand it and let you know if I made a mistake. The magsquare is a fantastic tool and we use it on the table saw as a stop when cross cutting and on the bandsaw for stop cuts. I'm considering getting a bigger magsquare but this one will do for now (they are not cheap). Cheers Pete

[@Psychlist1972]

@@AndreaArzensek Perhaps yours is different from mine. I know I had tried a Minimax jointer at a show some years ago, before I got the Hammer. The rep explained that the prominent circular finish (obviously from a fly cutter of some sort) was to reduce friction. Similar story from other euro companies (except Jet which had ribs following the length of the bed, supposedly for the same reason.) Of course most of the US companies disagreed with that. Interesting that there was such a difference in opinion on that, pretty cleanly split between US and European companies. Maybe it was all BS and just a way to save money during machining. I mean, these *were* sales people talking. :) The Hammer finish was a bit finer than the scm/minimax, but very similar. I have a cast iron outfeed extension on my Felder, and it also has that finish. But I've never really compared the infeed finish to the outfeed, nor have I noticed it in operation. I'll have to check it out and let you know. I have to clean it up again because I made the mistake of cleaning off the old surface protector a week back without putting a new coat on (I am waiting for some good machine wax), and it has surface rust all over it again. I swear if I even breathe near it, it gets rusty. So humid around here, even with air conditioning in the workshop.

[@AndreaArzensek]

Please check and let me know, I'm curious. I think it is for the economical reasons. But then again why the table at the Hammer bandsaw is so slick? I have same problems with high humidity and I wax the tables every time I leave the shop, that's the way it is. Maybe I'll place a dehumidifier to see if that changes the things. I also live by the sea which doesn't help with corrosion. Best regards from Croatia

[@Psychlist1972]

@@AndreaArzensek I have a Minimax/SCM bandsaw. That table is super smooth. But their jointer/planer tables are (or were) not. Good idea to wax every time.

[@coryclaassen9843]

I'm debating between the A3-41 (16" wide) and the A3-31 (12" wide) models. How often do you find yourself actually needing more than 12" in width for planning?

[@AndreaArzensek]

Sorry for late reply, somehow YT put your comment into spam box. I find the 16'' really useful especially for wide panels, but the spiral cutter is actually more important than width at the end.

[@81Sazerac]

I had the same debate as well and went with the A3-41. I'll never wonder what it would have been like to be able to joint and plane a 15" board, which likely I would have pondered if I went with the A3-31.

[@AndreaArzensek]

It is most of the time I work with boards less than 8" but it is really nice when you have 16" so you can plane full panels. Cheers

[@SmittenKitten.]

Hey! I loved this thorough review! After having it for a little over a year now, have you found any further issues with it? How is your fence - are you able to keep it square? Do you get any snipe? I'd so love your feedback after using it for a while! :D Thanks a ton.

[@AndreaArzensek]

We were not quite happy with jointer part of the machine. We couldn't align the tables correctly and they seem to have some twist in them, also when we got it aligned it would go out of alignment after 10 switches between functions. The thicknesser part is phenomenal and the spiral head is top notch! It is actually today that we are getting an upgrade - Felder AD741. I will make a video in the future about it.

[@SmittenKitten.]

@@AndreaArzensek Oh wow, thank you tons for the reply!! It seems a lot of people are having similar issues. I'll be on the lookout for the new review!

[@gg_crafts]

Hi, was €4800 the price with the digital readout and silent power cutter block, or did they cost extra? Thanks in advance.

[@AndreaArzensek]

Yes, that is with the additions, hence the high cost. The cutter block and digital readout are about 1000 extra euros for this machine. They are definitely worth it.

[@gg_crafts]

@@AndreaArzensek thank you so much for your speedy reply and your content.

[@mariodiaz8332]

Es preciosa

[@internetapocalypse4885]

I have had the A3-31 for 4 years and couldn't be happier. BTW: You are in Croatia, know English and Spanish? How?

[@AndreaArzensek]

Thank you Marisa. I'm native Croatian therefore I speak Croatian. I learnt English at university. Spanish was self taught but I also later lived in Mexico for 5 years. I also speak Italian (proximity to Italy and grandma and elementary school) and a bit of German (learned through conversation with tourists). I could also say that I have an ear for languages. Best regards from Croatia

[@gerardosmi2933]

@@AndreaArzensek greetings from Mexico! can you type the name of the magnetic thing you used to fix the guard please.

[@markcarlson1696]

@@gerardosmi2933 magswitch magsquare

[@glebarshinov8990]

As I know, Hammer brand is not the best for its money. Felder is much more better, but their prices are higher than SCM. I fond myself SCM being the best quality, even their seria could minimax

[@AndreaArzensek]

I upgraded my Hammer K3 with Felder K700 and I can attest to what you are saying. Best regards from Croatia

[@pandorum32167]

Considering how much wood you use, donating to TeamTrees now and then would be a great awareness/marketing strategy/tactics

[@AndreaArzensek]

Thank you, i dont really use much wood but I already donated and planted 10 trees myself. Cheers.