Do i need a Axminster Axminster AP330ST Portable Thicknesser

[dvddvd]

I have at present a Scheppach HMS260 planer / thicknesser.
It's a 2 blade planer / thicknesser, which i bought second hand.
it has a cast iron table top and to put it into the thicknesser mode you lift one of the tables and fix the dust collection funnel to a different position..only takes 5 mins to set up.
The thing I don't like about it is that since the thicknesser is under the planer. You have to kneel down to feed the timber in, i feel like im feeding into a black hole.

So was watching a few videos on YouTube and the new Axminster portable thicknesser caught my eye.

The plus points of the Axminster thicknesser seem to be it has helical cutters, but only 26 of them? I've been told it will be a lot quieter and give a better finish on hardwood.
The whole setting up seems easier, pre set heights of cut, a gauge to tell you know much it will cut on the given setting with your piece of timber. Also a roller/ snipe lock.
Since its portable I can put it at eye level and watch the timber go through.
Priced at £699 but with the black Friday sale only £599.
So I'm tempted, have I been drawn in to the hype?
Normally portable machines are not very accurate and built to be portable, or will all the plus points above make it a better thicknesser?

 

[dvddvd]

 

[BCS1980UK]

I have a similar setup with my Kity 637

The thing I don't like about it is that since the thicknesser is under the planer. You have to kneel down to feed the timber in

Having two herniated discs myself I can empathise with your point.

On my workshop I solved this with a £19 foldable stool (that I also use in by my scroll saw and by my workbench when pairing dovetails). I can comfortably sit by the side of the machine, closer to the feed side and still safely catch the pieces on the outfeed.

Of course, with the caveat that I am a hobbyist. I don’t plane big pieces and don’t have much volume or space to justify investing on another machine.

 

[dvddvd]

Thanks the kity looks very similar to my Hms 260.
On a cold winters night the thought of kneeling down and banging timber into the thicknesser doesn't enlighten me with wanting to do it..I thought the Axminster looked a bit flimsy but it weighs around 40kg so not to bad.
I find it hard to judge how much its going to plane off and and getting my head and eyes to see the dial which is not to accurate anyway

 

[RobNichols]

I'm in a similar position. My planner/thicknesser is a Charnwood benchtop unit. It works fine but is very noisy (my wife complains of the noise when she's in the house and I'm working in the garage at the bottom of the garden). So I've been looking for something quieter, and therefore a unit with a helical head seemed to make sense.

The solution I've gone for is the Lumberjack PRO SERIES Thicknesser With Helical Cutter Spiral Head. It's a similar price to the Axminster but has a genuine helical cutter with 30 cutters. The Axminster has a "Spiral" head with 26 cutters with the cutters in sets in a line.

If you look though the comments for the Axminster there are quite a few mentioning how noisy it is (or not as quiet as expected). I think that is because multiple cutters are hitting the wood at the same time.

Compare that to the helical head in the Lumberjack. With that only one cutter is hitting the wood at any one time. I think that's why it is quieter. Mine is certainly significantly quieter than my Charnwood which is both a cheap unit and has two long blades/knives.

Another option I was considering was the FindBuyTool FB131H. Again similar price and again with a helical head. I decided to go for the Lumberjack as I thought getting a unit from a UK based retailer was a better option.

 

[Orraloon]

All planers and thicknessers are loud. I swapped out the blades in my dewalt for a spiral head. Now it is just a little less loud. If you want quiet then break out the old stanley No5. The noise reduction sales pitch is not why you buy a spiral head. Those TCT cutters stay sharp a long long time and they have 4 sides so sharpening is a thing of the past, dust extraction is more efficient and overall a lot less faffing around. We are also getting to the point where spiral head machines are getting more cost effective in relative terms and not the silly money they used to be.
Regards
John

 

[TRITON]

All planers and thicknessers are loud. I swapped out the blades in my dewalt for a spiral head. Now it is just a little less loud. If you want quiet then break out the old stanley No5. The noise reduction sales pitch is not why you buy a spiral head. Those TCT cutters stay sharp a long long time and they have 4 sides so sharpening is a thing of the past, dust extraction is more efficient and overall a lot less faffing around. We are also getting to the point where spiral head machines are getting more cost effective in relative terms and not the silly money they used to be.
Regards
John

I'd agree with the above, though im still using the standard basic 2 blade affair.

I think its more of how the blade impact the timber, which with blade is slam on head first, whereas the helical its effectively one side in a gradual way. Though to avoid the bang of the straight blades impacting the timber, I try to start the feed at an angle and with side pressure on the board as it goes through, straighten it up.

Some straight blades are double sided and no need to faff about trying to get the height correct, but more require an alignment height jig, and that itself is a right royal pain in the bum.
So the helical(or spiral) does away with all that and also the dreaded nick to the blade that hardened glue inevitably causes, which means both(or 3,4) need reground. The spiral its only a single cutter, and all you need do is turn it.
On that note I see that the Axminster cutters are only double sided, not 4 sided as with others, and thats something that should be taken into account.

The solution I've gone for is the Lumberjack PRO SERIES Thicknesser With Helical Cutter Spiral Head.

I'd check out all the you tube vids* on both thats models, give you a better idea.

* Have you noticed some vids are just a bloke standing in front of a tool wall, and others look like a proper workshop ? And when you look at past vids, some of those who stand in front of a tool wall dont appear to have any actual making vids, but rather just tool reviews and it makes me wonder if "such and such woodworking" doesnt actually work in timber and its just a close sounding name like 'happy dale farms' where its not in a dale and not on a farm but a warehouse on some industrial estate.

 

[Jake]

Why do you need to kneel, there is no need to see what is happening in the machine when thicknessing (and not much to see if you do).

 

[RobNichols]

The noise reduction sales pitch is not why you buy a spiral head.

I agree that noise won't be the top reason most people go for a helical head. But it was an important consideration for me. I also agree that my thicknesser is still noisy and I wear ear protection when using it. But it is significantly less noisy enough for me to be very much less worried about disturbing my neighbours when using it.

I was very aware of the advantages @TRITON lists too. The fact that there appeared to be a number of advantages, it would address my noise issue, and was relatively affordable made it a no brainer for me. It's relatively small size was a consideration too.

However I was also aware that there are counter arguments for long knived planers and thicknessers with many advocates on this very site. The cheap cost and ease of blade replacement being two.

That said my main intent in writing my post was to point out that there are alternatives to the Axminster at a similar price point, and that the Axminster spiral head isn't the same as the helical heads used in other machines. IMO it looks like a less effective solution and I do wonder if noise issue is indicative of that.

I expect the Axminster would have been a reasonable solution for me. The operation of the unit, in particular the preset thickness stops look really nice. But the design of the head made my decision to pick the lumberjack instead.

 

[Mike Fletcher]

The small bench top planner / thicknessers are all very noisy. This is due to the small diameter of the cutting head. The smaller it is the faster it needs to rotate, thus more noise. A floor standing unit has a much larger diameter cutting head so can rotate slower. A spiral head is quieter. You should never stand / look into the thicknesser when feeding the timber into the machine. Yes, it has anti-kickback pawls, but if they get clogged up with sawdust they may not "catch" the timber.

 

[TRITON]

I've never used a helical/spiral thicknesser as said, but although it is supposed to be a bit quieter, im sure sticking 11" of oak through it is still going to be bloody noisy.

Its hard to get a judge of it though without actually hearing it yourself, and the YT vids always have noise reduction on them so you cant really tell there either.

 

[Mike Fletcher]

My P/T was a straight blade when I bought it, I then converted it to a spiral cutter (Sheartak) and I can confirm it is a lot quieter (the dust extractor is noisier). Yes, running hardwood through it is noisy but, If I recall correctly, it is not as noisy as using the straight blade. And, you get a much better finish compared to the straight blade.

 

[Sachakins]

Worth giving this a watch first.. he swapped out for a shealix cutter and gives a before and after comparison.

 

[Orraloon]

Thats the same dewalt I mentioned. I was not aware of the warrenty issue but in my case it was likely expired before I made the change. His findings are pretty much the same as I found except I did not take sound readings. The spiral head has been in for about 2 & 1/2 years now and I am glad I made the change. These days there are a few thicknessers now come with spiral heads for less than I would have spent all up.
Regards
John