Thread: LOOKING TO BUY A ROBLAND HX310-PRO combination machine - ANYONE HAD EXPERIENCE

Originally Posted by mcwood

Hi,

I am looking at a new Robland HX310 - Pro combi. I have limited space and no 3 phase availability. I am going to use it as hobby only (eg. to make some furniture for myself) and will be using mainly blackwood.

Has anyone had this machine or know anything about it (good or bad).

Thanks. Would appreciate any feedback.

McWood

Hi McWood

I was going to buy the Hx310 pro, but I end up with a much larger NX410 pro.

I have not used other combination machine so i cant compare... before i bought the combi i had a carbatec table saw and a 15 inch planer, I dont know what you have but, the purchase was a big step for me and certainly a major upgrade.

Good thing about the new Robland combi series is that Robland incorporated the Knapp track system（Knapp makes the best combi but was sold to Robland a few years ago, better than Felder） which is serviceable.


Although the thicknesser has shorter table, about half the length of my stand alone thicknesser, the cut quality is better and less noise.

The machine has a lot of adjusting bolts that you can make adjustments to align the machine.

To change between ripping, thicknessing and jointing is simple and take less than 90 seconds, and thats not hurrying.

The bad:
When converting from jointer to thicknesser, you just unlock the jointer outer&feeder table and then flip it, there is no locking mechanism to lock it in place when in thicknesser mode, if you are not careful, one knock could knock the feeder table down and damage your dust chute（the outer table has a bit more angle to it）

I only had my Robland for 4 weeks, so I am still exploring it .

I am yet to use the spindle moulder.

G'day Albert; thanks for your coments on the combi. Iam still pondering on what to buy. I'm in no hurry I just want to get the right gear as you said it is a big step.

I have a Robland NLX310. This is my second Robland combi and I have been happy with them both. To me, a scriber and the capacity to handle 2400mm sheets is important so that the versatility of the machine goes beyond solid timber only.

Originally Posted by rustynail

I have a Robland NLX310. This is my second Robland combi and I have been happy with them both. To me, a scriber and the capacity to handle 2400mm sheets is important so that the versatility of the machine goes beyond solid timber only.

Thanks rustynail, trying to start out with a decent machine. Every bit of info is greatly appreciated and hopefully I will get the right gear.

I do not have a Robland but have a Minimax Cu300 combi unit which I purchased new 5 years back. This machine has been excellent especially the sliding saw unit with scriber and the spindle moulder. The reason I bought this machine over the Robland was the recommendation of better quality and accuracy by industry experts. The folks at Gabbett were good to deal with and the price included 3hrs by an installation engineer to set everything up. I have recently fitted a 1hp power feeder which is essential for good spindle moulding and other than saw blades have not changed anything from the original settings. I use the machine for furniture making but hardly use the thicknesser function as I have a separate spiral cutter thicknesser that does a much better job. I still use the jointer but the finish is not as good as the spiral unit. Depending on what you intend to make and if space is not an issue I would be more inclined to put more money into a top notch saw unit and buy separate spindle moulder and thicknesser. The Minimax does have wheels built in and despite its weight is easy to move around.
Cheers,
Paintman

I would like to second what Paintman said about the minimax combination machines. I also have one of these machine. Mine is about 13 or 14 years old and is still super accurate and a pleasure to use. I mostly use the1600mm long sliding panel saw, the thicknesser/jointer and occasssionally the slot morticer/doweller. I have never used the spindle function. I have experienced excellent results using the thicknesser. I put freshly sharpened blades in when I have timber with tricky grain or softer timber like Red Cedar. The fact that it doesn't have anti-friction rollers in the bed means that you don't get the 'sniping' at the start and finish of the boards you are planning. Even though I bought this machine second hand, I have found Gabbett's Machinery in Brisbane excellent to deal with when I bought some optional accessories and providing technical support and advice. I also know another Minimax CU300 owner in Brisbane and he too has been inpressed with the build quality and accuracy of his machine. I can highly recommend this brand.

For those who are interested,
Robland combi NX410 pro (with 410mm planer) is $15k~$17k NZD +gst
Minimax combi CU410elite s is about $24k~$26k NZD+gst
Felder combi CF741 pro is $30k~$33k NZD+gst (not sure the planer is 410mm or 310mm)

The prices are subject to currency exchange rate.

You pay what you get.

McWood - are you in Warburton WA?

If so, then maybe I can assist.

As others have said - the scribe saw & traveling sheet table are wonderful of your going to be doing a lot of panel work with melamine, you can cut to size and edge band straight off the saw.

That said....and done the new Roblands cost a small fortune. I manage to do panel work with mealmine on the X 31 by just cutting oversize slightly and buzzing down to finished size over the jointer - if most of your work's solid timber you can get away without the scribe saw this way for the odd melamine job.

I have an older X31 - that cost me around $3300 and have spent another $1000 or so on bits n pieces it was missing (various fences) - but that is what I do at the moment for panel work (Cut oversize and buzz down to size).

If you like to take a look at my facebook X31 page at this link - https://www.facebook.com/RoblandX26X...x_wizard=true#

One of the US members - has fitted a Knapp track system sliding alloy table to his old X 31



So it is possible to modify / modernize the older X31's if your keen enough and saving a $ is important to you.

The reason I mention that - I spotted on Gumtree down in Bunbury this week a used X 31 going cheap ($2K)

Robland Combination Machine X260-310 | Miscellaneous Goods | Gumtree Australia Bunbury Area - Bunbury 6230 | 1027278751



This is cheap compared to what they usually bring (4.4K).

COMBINATION WOOD WORKER | Miscellaneous Goods | Gumtree Australia Canning Area - Cannington | 1026598007



While the cheaper one appears to be missing half its parts (rails and sliding table and jointer tables) the owner was telling me only yesterday, that he has all the missing parts, he just had to disassemble it to get it out of the small room it was in!.

These machines can be fiddly to set up right - again, BUT I happen to have all the manuals and set up instructions, for this very machine (needed to get them for mine).

If you got it cheap - I could let you have a copy of all the operating and set up manuals, to get it all back together again - you could add the Knapp table like Ken has done if you wanted too and you'd go more than half way to the new NX310 Pro at a fraction of the new cost is all in terms of capability.

I was even contemplating buying this one myself, as a 'restoration' project and then flip it for a profit - but if a new member wants to do it and save a truckload of coin - then knock yourself out!.

You still won't have a scribe saw - but if you want to modify it - it will do pretty much everything the new one will do except finish cut melamine off the saw - a LOT of the parts haven't changed much from the original X31 castings etc. A new coat of paint in the more modern colors and most will think you bought the new one!.

If moneys tight - this is a way to get started and spend a little at a time as you can afford it, to get the machine how you want it - that's what I have been doing.

It depends how bad you want a new one and what you value your time at to restore it & set it all back up properly - you can see that one in that shapes worth around $4400 - so with $2400 to spare after buying it at $2K, that leaves a LOT for mods and paint and transport to Warburton etc.

People talk about accuracy with the Robland, so lets address it.

They are capable of good accuracy when set up properly.... but that said the design is such that anyone doesn't know what they are doing (i.e. follow the set up manuals) and starts "adjusting things" without understanding the entire process, is going to end up in a world of hurt where pretty much nothing aligns off the machine.

They start out at the planer head - all co planarity of all tables etc starts from the planer/jointer head, and then the outfeed table followed by infeed table. Then the saw bench co planarity comes from the outfeed table - then the saw arbor from that - for square to the miter slot - and then those dreaded sliding table rails - which are adjustable in 3 directions XYZ you use a set of modified rail jigs to set those up (available for $150 from Laguna tools in the USA) and so it goes.

The reputation for inaccuracy comes from machines set up improperly mostly - AND the saw height adjustment with is a friction bump arrangement and not that accurate BUT - again there's a micrometer adjustment modification available that will make it comparable to any other saw out there...



Likewise the thicknesser table - again a vernier caliper mod that will let you plane down to 1/10ths of a millimeter if your keen enough.

Even the new Pro Roblands don't come with that sort of accuracy.

Also most saws including Robland still don't come with adequate dust porting sizes and that includes the new Robland Pro series. So even if you do buy new you'll end up modding it if you want proper dust extraction in the end - might as well mod an older one for a LOT less $.

Comparing all the pics above to the new Robland HX310 pro....



How much difference is their really - between the older machines and their newer replacement models?.

On the specs details and options part of the HX 310 Pro

Technical specifications HX 310 Pro | Technical specifications combined machine HX310 pro - Robland | Robland

it doesn't actually say that the machine comes with a scribe saw at all... (yes it has the sheet table)...

I'd say at a guess that sheet table could be bought as spare parts and added to an older X31 without too much difficulty if it was that important to you.

The Pic of Kens machine shows you he is already half way there to achieving that.

I guess I find it hard to justify the $15K or $17K is all, for what is in essence a X 31 with different color paint and a different sliding table. Even some of the newer parts like the planer guard - go straight onto a older X31

Viz,



It took all of about half an hour to fit to my X31!

Likewise any of the new models alloy fences etc all fit straight onto the older machines - the castings have all the fixings positions and holes cast into them.

You order the parts you want from Robland and fit them to your old X 31.

The reasons for saying all this?

Because the $ you save will buy an awful lot of mods and other equipment to use with that combination... like decent dust extraction that might well save your lungs and hence your life...

Don't get me wrong tho - if i won the lottery tomorrow - i'd have a new 410 pro in a heart beat if cost was no consideration.

Just wait till you want spindle molder tooling for that new combi, heck some of my leitz german heads sold new for $1900+

$2.5 for clearvue dust extractor cyclone... this all gets hortrribly expensive very quickly - if your not real carefull about how you approach it is all - i'm just showing you a cheaper way to maybe get a similar outcome over a period of time.

But a $20K Gold credit card will do the same with all new gear if you don't mind paying it off.

Again just my 2c worth - I don't know what you wish to spend budget wise and what you need to obtain performance wise.

Heck in Warburton you only have to pick up a pocket full of gold nuggets off the ground after a decent shower of rain - and that new 310 pro is a cash purchase with change left over.

Good luck with whatever you do, if I can help just holler.

Cheers!