Back to the original question
"So, has anyone actually used this machine; or any other Rojek tool? Are there any other similar machines made? I would rather have a somewhat smaller 10" saw for instance."
Yes. In alphabetical order so as not to bias anything
Hammer - a slightly less expensive Felder line Felder - have the unit charges and the paddles ready cause the price tag will stop your heart Mini-Max - getting into my price range Robland - what I actually own - and use
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's mine - in context
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are yahoo groups for most of the combis and that'd be a good place to get feedback from actual owners.
Things you might might want to know
Are you pretty methodical when it comes to woodworking? If not, any combi may be a problem for you.
will it take a dado blade?
if you cut dadoes and rabbets/rebates on your saw you'll need fine blade height adjustment. Robland's X31 combi doesn't have that abiltiy - but there's an after market bolt on that'll give it to you.
"drop in and they're set" joiner/planer knives or set yourself (drop in and they're set don't let you move a knife or two when you ding 'em. Being able to move one a little left and another a little right offsets the dings so you get back to smooth surfacing)
bore on the shaper cutter heads 3/4", 1 1/4" Diam or both? More shapes available for 1 1/4" bore
shaper head tiltable or not? Robland's doesn't tilt
joiner/planer cutter head reversable? This is important. iBy being able to reverse the direction you can use standard right hand twist bits - otherwise you have to go with left hand twist bits - which are harder to find and often more expensive.
Important: What's the availability of replacement parts and what's the time delay if the distributor has to order them from the manufacturer? You can't just go down to your local tool store and get parts - even in just a week. (all of these units are made in Europe. If you have to wait two or three months for a cargo container'w worth of parts in order to get YOUR parts it could be a problem)
Just some things to consider.
charlie b