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Thread: MiniMax c30 genius
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8th October 2022, 07:48 PM #16Senior Member
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Hi Mark,
I am also looking for a combination machine but not sure if I can get it through the narrow (~1100mm) side entrance. Would you please be a able to check how wide is fixed part of the your CU300?
Thanks!
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8th October 2022 07:48 PM # ADSGoogle Adsense Advertisement
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10th October 2022, 09:09 PM #17
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11th January 2023, 10:52 AM #18Intermediate Member
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- Apr 2021
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- sydney
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C30G or Lab300
Hi
Just wondering if there are any owners of either C30G or Lab300 machines who might want to share their experiences with these. I went through all the Hammer and Robland range so I am now down to these two and wanted to know if the Lab300 is worth the extra $$$.
the main difference seems to be that the slidder is 1.2m for the C30 and 1.6m for the Lab300. The fence is also larger for the Lab, which costs about 4k more.
thanks
Leo
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13th January 2023, 07:49 AM #19Member
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- Jul 2015
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- Brisbane
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I recently bought the C30, I'm guessing mine took a bit of a shunt in transit as one of the micro switch mounts had bent and the jointer tables were well out of alignment.
The SCM rep in Brisbane was really helpful in trouble shooting and Carbatec paid for the sparky to sort out the micro switch so no complaints with after sales service.
I've been using the machine for a month or so now and it feels solid, the slider was perfectly aligned out of the box, I don't really like the height and tilt adjustments for the saw but generally I only use it for square cross cuts so it just stays set at full protrusion at all times.
The jointer was really fiddly to set the tables on but I guess that's true of all jointers, apart from that no complaints except the length of the beds, if the Lab300 has longer beds and you can afford the extra $$$ it'd probably be worth it. I was stretching my budget for the C30 so didn't look too hard at the alternatives.
The planer is a little annoying as only outfeed jointer bed swings up so on shorter stock you have to reach under the infeed table to make sure parts don't drop, it's not the end of the world but feels awkward in use.
I haven't had a chance to play with the moulder or morticing attachment yet so can't comment on those.
At the end of the day the C30 is a good machine, it feels solid, the slider feels really good and I don't regret my purchase, the space I saved over having separate machines has let me add a second bandsaw and a lathe without the shed feeling cramped.
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13th January 2023, 02:42 PM #20Intermediate Member
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- Apr 2021
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- sydney
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Hi JK
Thanks so much for your thoughts. I am also stretched, however I am not entirely sure if a 1.2m slider is going to feel a bit short in time for me and this is why I was looking at the lab300. I looked at other machines but the Robland is slightly more expensive and the ones in stock have a 2m slider, which would be great but I dont think i can fit in my shop.
I am going to burden you with some more questions about your C30 if that's ok:
- what sort of space do you have? My shop space is 3m x 4.5m and I have drawn the shop with the footprints of both machines and the Lab300 seems a bit tight considering I have a 14in band saw and a router table (both on wheels) sharing this space. Do you feel reasonably comfortable moving around the machine. I have not used a combi before, so I was allowing 0.4m on the jointer side to the wall to operate it.
- there a miter fence that is an option for the lab300, do you know if this can be attached to the C30?
thanks!
Leo
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13th January 2023, 04:14 PM #21
Hi Leo
My Hammer K3 has a 1250 slider, so I can share my experience of this. Also, while I have a double garage, all the machines must fit into one half (as the other half is used for my car). The garage is, however, about 1m longer than the average.
All is a tight squeeze, but the K3/1250 slider works really well for me: I do not build with ply or MDF sheets, only solid woods, but if I needed to cut down a 4x8 panel, I would use a tracksaw. Your C30 is a combination machine. My K3 is a saw, but I have added a router table into the outfeed, so again there is a similarity.
The 1250 slider is fine for moderate sized furniture. I generally build cabinets, chests of drawers, and smaller tables. These do not provide a challenge. At present I am building beds, and ripping is too long for the slider, and so I use the rip fence (ala a tablesaw). No issues. I have just finished crosscutting 2m long boards. No big deal if using a hold down.
Workshop space is always a challenge, unless you have an aircraft hanger. I ensure some of my machines are on wheels (vacuum cleaner, MFT table, vertical sander), and have arranged just enough space around the big machines (jointer/thicknesser and bandsaw). Having the empty parking bay for the MFT table and VC makes a difference).
Here are some photos.
Soon after the K3 arrived (about 6 years ago) ...
The 1250mm slider actually extends further back than this, almost to the bench behind ...
All packed away for the night (very recently) ..
From outside ...
Regards from Perth
DerekVisit www.inthewoodshop.com for tutorials on constructing handtools, handtool reviews, and my trials and tribulations with furniture builds.
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16th January 2023, 02:17 PM #22Member
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- Jul 2015
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- Brisbane
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Hi Leo,
Sorry for the delay, not getting a lot of spare hours in my day lately.
I'm honestly not sure if the slider will end up feeling short in time, but as it stands it's all I can fit in the space I have allocated for the machine. I currently don't expect it to be an issue for the furniture I like to build, which doesn't include any sheet goods.
I've been in the habit of getting glue joints off the planer for a couple of years already so long rip cuts aren't something that worry me, I generally do all of those a couple of mm wide on the bandsaw and sneak up with the planer, maybe not the most efficient workflow but it works quite well for me.
My shed is a standard 6 x 6 tin shed, so definitely bigger than what you have to work with but it's still tight, my work bench and assembly table/storage take up a decent chunk of floor space, throw in the router table, lathe, 2 x bandsaws, dust extractor and a couple of sharpening stations and floor space is at a premium.
I would personally want more space on the jointer side to work, but that may just be personal preference.
I'll try to get some photos of my work space in the next couple of days to give you an idea of how I set it up.
Cheers, Joel.
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16th January 2023, 05:23 PM #23Intermediate Member
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- Apr 2021
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- sydney
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Derek/ JK
thanks so much for your informative responses.
I am very much like you working on relatively small pieces and not really too worried about ripping with the track saw and bandsaw.
I sketched my shop with the footprints for the two machines (c30 in red and lab300 in blue) and it looks very tight with the lab. I previously had half of this space with a dividing wall that I recently removed so I could get a table saw in. Previously i had so many issues once my projects got to certain size so it seems silly to get more space and then put a large machine to feel claustrophobic again.
This all means that I am almost certain to get the C30. I am sure that there will be plenty of opportunities when I will miss the extra 400mm, however I will have to learn to live with it. Still the C30 looks like an amazing machine.
cheers
Leo
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