Hi David and Happy New Year!
Yes, I purchased the Al-Ko through Scott Slater. ?For those who do not know Scott, on the "OG" members of the board, he sells woodworking equipment including Martin, Barth, Langzauner, Al-Ko, Lamello, and I think Castle among other things. ?His knowledge of the machines is impressive. ?He is a friend I have known many years, and he is local. ?For me, not being a David Best, Brian Lamb etc when it comes to machinery troubleshooting and repair knowledge, having someone local that can come over is really of major value to me. ?
For the Felder Widebelt, that was another example of where having local support was a factor in decision making. ?Carl Knapp at Felder is also local, and I have a good relationship with him. ?I understand others have not always had good experiences with Felder support, but it is all about having the right local contact and so for me, that worked out. ?
As for Al-Ko dust collectors, Scott has the dream machine. ?His Al-Ko has a briquetter integrated with the unit so that when dust comes to the machine it is compressed into briquettes that travel though a pipe to where the pipe terminates in a Green Waste container outside. Imagine, never having to empty dust bins with the associated dust cloud, especially if it is allowed to get too full! ?The briquettes does not add much to the footprint, but the height is increased and the cost is significantly increased. ?
