Forum users' Planers & Thicknessers

[Neil]

Hi All,

Sorry to be a bit monotonous, but CYC's table saw thread and Bilzee's Bandsaw thread are so useful, I thought maybe that we could do the same for planers, thicknessers and combined planer thicknessers.

I have an ulterior motive here, as this is my next major purchase...

Please reply with your model(s) and a quick appraisal, and I'll update this message with a list of models etc.

Cheers,

NeilCFD

Planers:

Axminster CT150/CT1502 (7)
Jet/Axminster 54A/CT150DL (3)
Jet/Axminster 60A/CT200DL (2)
Multico (1)
Perform CCJ (5)
Ridgid Model JP610 (1)
Delta- DJ20 (1)
P-Pro (1)
SIP (3)
Axminster WP150 (1)
Woodstar PT85 (1)
Multico 9" (1)
Lyndhurst 8" (1)

Thicknessers:

DeWalt 733 (9 )
Delta 22-560 (5)
Delta 22-540 (1)
Woodcut (1)
Makita 2012NB (3)
Charnwood W570 (3)
Axminster CT330 (7)
Axminster CT344 (1)
Jet (1)
Rexon 317A (1)
Delta- CT 380 (1)
Perform (2)
WoodMaster 718(1)
Metabo/EB DH330 (2)
Ridgid TP1300 (1)

Planer/Thicknessers:

Scheppach HMS260 (8)
Scheppach HMS260ci (5)
Kity 1647 (1)
Kity 439 (1)
Kity 613 (1)
Axminster Perform CCNPT (5)
Electra-Beckum HC260M (6)
Metabo HC260C (1)
SIP (5)
Fox F22565 (1)
Record RSPT 260 (6)
Felder AD731 (2)
Minimax 12" (1)
Tendo(1)
Elu EPT 1161 (1)
DeWalt DW50 (1)
Charnwood W582 (1)
Wadkin tradesman 12" (1)
Woodstar PT85 (1)
Dominion DAA 16 x 9in (1)

Combination machines:

Felder cf341 (1)
Maxi 26 (3)
Tyzac (1)
Scheppach (1)

 

[Chris Knight]

Sheppach HM260. Great planer/thicknesser takes lots of abuse without complaint. Easily adjusted blades (ride on capscrews). Easy mode change.

 

[Philly]

Jet 54a jointer and DeWalt 733 thicknesser-a great team!!
square edged and flattened,
Philly

 

[gidon]

Scheppach HMS260 - best machine in my workshop. Solid - build to last - even the powder coating! Excellent finish on everything I've chucked at it.
Don't let the steel beds put you off - these are not to be confused with the alu extrusions used on Scheppach tables saws. And they don't rust as easily as cast iron! A little lube wax works a treat - allowing the wood to glide smoothly.
Cheers
Gidon

 

[Gill]

Kity 1647 for me. I like it, but there again, what do I know about such matters ?

Gill

 

[Aragorn]

Jet 60A and Dewalt 733. MY GOD. I love my Jet. Best machine I own.
Have I mentioned that before

 

[Noel]

Delta 22-560 thicknesser

3 hand planes for jointing...but a Jet 54A coming soon

Rgds

Noel

 

[Alf]

The Maxi fulfills this need, and not that badly really. Considering. Easy to set the blades, which is nice, and the thicknessing table is very sturdy. Adjusting the planing tables is a nightmare of monstrous proportions, the infeed table lock just doesn't and the fence is a piece of poo. Oh dear, the the P/T is the Maxi's best bit too...

I was just thinking about a thread on this too, Neil.

Cheers, Alf

 

[Neil]

Thanks everyone for your responses so far.

I'm sorry the Maxi is such a lemon, Alf . I remember a few years ago when I first started to get really interested in woodworking, I looked at the Maxi in the Screwfix catalogue and thought that it was the best thing ever... Since then I have found this forum, which has changed my views on a lot of things…

I'm hoping someone out there has the little Axminster CT150 planer - any takers?

NeilCFD

 

[woodshavings]

To balance the argument re the Maxi, as Alf knows, I am quite happy with mine.
As a P/T it performs fine - the main weakness is the fence where you have to make sure it locks at 90 deg. I always check this with a engineers square when setting up for edge planning.
I have no problem with the infeed table height setting.

 

[Guest]

I use a multico planer and the Dewalt 733 thicknesser,both good,especially the Dewalt

 

[Anonymous]

i've got the perform p/t works fine for me but i only use it 5/6 times a year.

the blades are abit flimsy

for site work i've also got a woodcut thicknesser.

leaves a lovely finish and the hss steel blades are resharpenable.

 

[DaveL]

I have the Axminster Perform CCNPT Planer Thicknesser and as long as I remember to wax the thicknesser bed it handles everything I have wanted to machine.

I am still putting 7" * 1" * 8' Iroko boards through it

 

[desmoengine]

hi folks
i do my weekending on a E/B HC260M ive found it to be stable and repeatable. for making fine adjusments when thicknessing temporarily fitting up a dial gauge onto the rising table can be used to make accurate trimming easy .
Dave W

 

[SquareCircle]

Only had it for the last couple of weeks (ala ex Aragron) but reckon the Scheppach HMS260 comes close to perfection

 

[CYC]

Does no one out there use the Axminster CT150 planer and the Makita 2012NB thicknesser?

Noely, I am starting a thread to ask you about the Delta specifics :wink:

 

[Neil]

Ok, unsurprisingly the Scheppach is taking the lead in the Planer/Thicknessers, and the DeWalt 733 is the most popular Thicknesser so far...

Not many Planers so far - I thought that there would be lots of Perform/NuTool/Rexon planers appearing?

NeilCFD

 

[Alf]

the main weakness is the fence where you have to make sure it locks at 90 deg. I always check this with a engineers square when setting up for edge planning.

What d'you do when you find it's out, John? I seem to always end up shimming one end with card and clamping a big block of wood as a support at the other. If there's a better way...

I have no problem with the infeed table height setting.

Swine Well it's not exactly a problem, just a slight niggle. Despite tightening up the piddling little knob to the utmost, I can still move the infeed table with the lever. Sort of gives me a friction fit movement of same. It works, but I do worry what will happen if it suddenly decides to slip one day. :?

So nobody has the DeWally P/T then? I would have thought with their thicknesser being so well thought of, their P/T might be worth a shout?

Cheers, Alf

 

[dedee]

Am I the only one with a Wagner safe-t-planer?

AndyP

 

[woodshavings]

What d'you do when you find it's out, John? I seem to always end up shimming one end with card and clamping a big block of wood as a support at the other. If there's a better way...

I wonder if we are talking about the same problem .... the rip/planer fence has an amount of vertical "movement ~+/- 1 deg until the clamp lever is locked when it should then self align and lock at 90 deg. On my Maxi, it does not always self align correctly and so can lock out of true. By releasing the lever and twisting the fence to be at 90 deg as checked with the square, relock the clamp. The fence does not move once locked.

I have not found it necessary to use a block of wood to clamp the free end of the fence. However I do wish this rip fence had a better slider/clamp system - a linear bearing design would be great and to my mind, would remove the real weakness of the Maxi.

Regarding the infeed table, so far it has never moved when the lever has been secured.

The sliding carriage table saw is a pleasure to use, the spindle moulder excellent. The mortiser though is a waste of space - sticks out the side too much so I have removed it. (any one want to buy a Maxi Mortise attachment??)

I wont mention the handbook though :evil: