Thread: Felder RL 125 Any have one?

G'day Joez,

I have one. Great machine BUT after very little use over a fairly extended time - not quite a year, I had the impeller fall off!! When I say fall off, I mean it was still attached to the motor shaft by the locating key and still being driven by the 4 hp motor!! Pretty serious damage to the impeller that had to be replaced by Felder. Sent to me directly from Austria meaning that I, personally, had to replace it despite the fact that the machine cost in the region of $4000 and was still well and truly under warranty! Clearly the bolt that should hold the impeller in place had been omitted in the factory - = very poor quality control, IMO.
Also, because of various factors, it's noisy; so if you are intending to use it indoors be mindful of this. I'm currently working on manufacturing a baffle to decrease the noise level. Felder make one - not sure how effective it is but am aware of the $$$s cost.

Cheers
Dovetail

Thanks for the feed back dovetail, thats a bit rough re the impeller, at this stage the noise is my main concern. How would you say the noise stacks up against a regular 2hp dusty?

Have you heard the unit with the sound absorber on it? I would probably have to get it.

I am very very close to neighbours, so i need to keep it inside the workshop.


thanks
Joez

No Joez, I haven't heard it with the factory sound absorber, but it is pretty noisy without any additional baffling. Consider the amount of air it's moving compared to the 2 hp dusty. I added more acoustic foam to the impeller compartment when I had the top off looking for the missing impeller hardware and I believe it made a marginal improvement. Also, it will appear even louder when hooked up to a saw or suchlike. I don't think you will escape using ear defenders no matter what you do.

I don't get any dust and I mean, any dust, from the exhaust at all. However, there is still dust from around the saw blade so using a dust extractor hooked up to the saw guard is still a good idea - most importantly when cutting MDF.

Cheers
Dovetail

Originally Posted by joez

Thanks for the feed back dovetail, thats a bit rough re the impeller, at this stage the noise is my main concern. How would you say the noise stacks up against a regular 2hp dusty?

Have you heard the unit with the sound absorber on it? I would probably have to get it.

I am very very close to neighbours, so i need to keep it inside the workshop.


thanks
Joez

Hi Joez,
have considered making a box around the dusty.
http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com...light=reducing


Zelk

Originally Posted by zelk

Hi Joez,
have considered making a box around the dusty.
http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com...light=reducing


Zelk

Hi Zelk, if the sound absorber option doesnt do the trick i'll definatley look at closing it in or probably insulating the whole garage...

The main thing i am after is cleaner air but without making more noise (bloody neighbours subdivided and built 3m from my garage)...


Joez

Originally Posted by joez

Hi Zelk, if the sound absorber option doesnt do the trick i'll definatley look at closing it in or probably insulating the whole garage...

The main thing i am after is cleaner air but without making more noise (bloody neighbours subdivided and built 3m from my garage)...


Joez

Joez,

Building an soundproof enclosure will reduce the noise within the workshop and that escaping to your neighbours. If the neighbours still complain, then soundproof your workshop. As Bobl suggested, venting the soundproof enclosure to the outside will reduce the levels of workshop dust.

After speaking to Bill Pentz, we both agreed that the sawblade cover dust extraction with combo's like your and others in the same category, are appallingly designed. He suggested having a separate dusty for the sawblade cover.

I feel that the inherent design of the Minimax combo for dust extraction is poor, so I wonder if spending $4000 on a better dusty is going to be justified or bring you the bangs for the bucks.

Zelk

Hi Zelk,

The biggest dust generator i have is my drum sander (after the dust collector itself), i would say its x3 worse than the minimax. I find while the minimax creates mainly chips the sander just spits out 100% fine dust.

But your right in that the minimax can be improved, i was looking at removing the fins from the inside of the o/head guard and doing some basic enclosing.

The RL 125 has a 4HP machine so to some degree is am running twice as much to the minimax .

joez

Originally Posted by joez

Hi Zelk,

The biggest dust generator i have is my drum sander (after the dust collector itself), i would say its x3 worse than the minimax. I find while the minimax creates mainly chips the sander just spits out 100% fine dust.

But your right in that the minimax can be improved, i was looking at removing the fins from the inside of the o/head guard and doing some basic enclosing.

The RL 125 has a 4HP machine so to some degree is am running twice as much to the minimax .

joez

Can't remember the construction accurately, but I wonder if the fins are there to stop the projected chips and allow them to be sucked up. I do remember the opening to the guard being very small.

Zelk

Originally Posted by zelk

Can't remember the construction accurately, but I wonder if the fins are there to stop the projected chips and allow them to be sucked up. I do remember the opening to the guard being very small.

Zelk

From memory it looked something like this:

Originally Posted by joez

From memory it looked something like this:

I was actually thinking about something else. You're handy with the computer, I see.
BTW are you happy with the edgebander?

Originally Posted by zelk

I was actually thinking about something else. You're handy with the computer, I see.
BTW are you happy with the edgebander?

I am about 90% through building a couple of vanities, laundry and kitchen couldnt have done it without the edgebander, the best purchase i have made in years


joez