Axminster MB9020 Benchtop Planer Thicknesser Mini Review

[Chems]

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Mod edit to remove commercial link.

 

[wizer]

Interesting. Looks like this might be a viable option for beginners. But I'd like to hear your report after a few months of use. Or are you selling it as soon as the SIP comes back?

 

[Chems]

No the sip is sold. Its going to get very hard use over the next month. Its a brilliant option for budget/beginners/lack of space.

 

[Richard D]

Oooh. Keep us informed. I am *so* tempted to get a P/T, but don't have teh space or the case for a "proper" machine. I'd written off benchtop machinery as being too lightweight and insubstantial for proper work, but maybe I was being too hasty.

I'm particularly interested to know how well it holds up after some use, and how well it copes with harder timber.

 

[Chems]

I did white oak on the SIP and it was fine. Ate it up. I see no difference in performance between this and the sip vs the Axminster AWPT102 I had before. In fact the switch between modes is better.

 

[stoatyboy]

It looks almost identical to my woodstar PT85 - which I really can't get on with mainly due to the fence flexing and so useless and lack of adjustment for the tables.

keep us posted as the price looks good

 

[9fingers]

I hope to be proved wrong but it is difficult to see how a machine retailing at that price would not have had a good few design/material compromises to cause trouble after a while.

The real skill is producing these machines so they work so well out of the box and only deteriorate after some use.

It will be very interesting to see how it fares after the heavy use that you plan for it.

Bob

 

[Chems]

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Mod edit.

 

[sparkymarky]

just ordered mine on your recommendation chems, i`ll keep an update on mine aswell. got a good few meters of seasoned devon oak to chew though, that`ll test it no doubt.

 

[joiner_sim]

Thanks for posting this up, the online catalogue pictures and description really do not show how the machine actually works. It looks like it can do some heavy work! I would be interested along with everyone else on how it is in a few months time, obviously blades might need changing, as general maintenance, but how the actual motor of the machine runs is what I'm interested in really.

 

[sparkymarky]

the planer arrived today, really pleased with it.
the dust extractor attachment is a bit of a fiddle to fit when in planing mode.
took down some old pine i had with ease and it also made light work of a few scraps of oak as well.
would recommend to anyone who needs a planer thicknesser on a tight budget.

 

[Chems]

You get more practised at it after a while the switch over.

Mines still going strong.

 

[Recky33]

Hi Chems.

Have you had any problems at all over the last few months, Is it still going strong ?

Allan

 

[Chems]

Still going strong!

 

[Mike.C]

Still going strong!

Sorry Chems but I seemed to have missed this first time around Sounds like just the thing when space is tight.

Thank you for taking the time to bring this to us.

Cheers

Mike

 

[sparkymarky]

mines still going strong aswell, i`ve put a vast amount of oak & pine though it with great results and i havent even needed to change the blades yet.
as i mentioned in my last post about the extraction unit hiting the micro-switch, i did have some issues with it to start with but i certianly got the hang of it in no time.

 

[Chems]

Continuing on with the test I'd like to highlight the excellent dust extraction. I thicknessed some 8 inch wide pine boards today, put a fresh bag on at the start and filled the entire bag. This was all that was left on the table once it was finished. My previous thickness planer left a huge pile on the floor. I think it helped that the piece was as wide as the planer would allow.

Its earned its keep so far!

 

[cjp]

Hi Chems,

Thanks for posting this, it's great to see a machine in actual use. I'll be looking at my first such machine in the next 3-6 months and this'll be useful. Can I ask what kind of work you do with this? And do you find the 8" width enough? I look at the bigger machines, but I think that my budget -and lack of space!- would prevent me getting one of those, so maybe this is the machine I'm looking for.

Cheers,

Charlie

 

[Chems]

Have a look at my website for pictures of my work I've done with it, link below \/

 

[cjp]

Really nice work Chems. That's convinced me that this machine is more than suitable for my needs, as I'm no-where even near that league yet. I best get saving!