Planer Thicknesser Choices

[baildonwoodworker]

I have been looking to buy a planer thicknesser for some time now.
Unfortunately, the more I look and read, the less close I get to a decision.

So far I have come up with the following:

Record PT 260
Axminster AT107 (with spiral cutter)
Jet 260

The Record is not quite in the same league as the others, but initially I was think of something easy to move around my workshop (my other half has a daft idea she can put her car in there at some point)
I'm angling towards the Axminster, as it will probably be quieter and bit more efficient. Although I will need to add on chip extraction, which make the Record more attractive.

I'm not looking to be planing/thicknessing anything massive. But wouldn't mind a bit of future-proofing

Thoughts suggestions most welcome :?

 

[memzey]

Hi BW. What type of work are you looking at doing with the machine and what is your budget? I may be a bit controversial with the following but have you also considered buying a good, used British made machine instead of the new ones you've listed? Lots of pros and cons to consider.

 

[marcros]

Personally, I would (did) go for a secondhand Inca 550 or 570 with the Teresa blades on it. It may take some searching to get one but it will be well worth it and save you money for other things.

 

[Logger]

I have the axminster 107pt and cannot fault it. It is quick to switch from planer to thicknesser, the fence is cast iron and easy to adjust to ensure it is square. There are useful bits like having 2 sets of on off switches. It is very accurate especially if you buy the add on counter. My gets used daily and I find it excellent. I can't compare with the others but I can recommend the axminster as an excellent machine.

Nick

 

[mikefab]

I briefly had the Jet 310 (very similar to the 260 just bigger) and after 2 defective motors sent it back and bought an old Sedgwick MB.

The Jet's chip extraction was vastly superior to the Sedgwick and I think it was quieter. However I seemed to get a better finish with the Sedgwick and wonder if this is because it is twice the weight? Difficult to say as I never had them at the same time to compare directly. The Sedgwick is a bomb proof piece of kit.

I'm very happy with my final choice and it was half the price of the Jet. Usual caveats apply about needing to tinker a bit with old machines but the Jet's tables were far from properly aligned on delivery so it needed setting up too.

Mike

 

[deema]

I would add to the support for a Sedgwick. I have the CP with a 4 knife Tersa block. Absolutely fabulous. Looking at the price of the Jet new, you should be able to easily find a few years old Sedgwick PT or MB and still have some change. Try to buy either a light Blue and blue or blue and white machine. Sedgwick based in Leeds will then have spares if you need any which is highly unlikely.

 

[mbartlett99]

I've got the record which was a gamble when I got it - its not the largest after all. With that said I've machined up 250mm x 125 mm maple to make my bench with ease and the finish is as good as my friends big Kity. Accuracy is not at all bad either. The portability is a real boon in my garage too. So for your money its surprisingly good.

On the down side the tables aren't very long and its not quiet - are any of them though? Obviously it will not churn out boards month in month out like a Sedgwick or withstand a nuclear strike but you pays your money ...

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

I also will "Yes And" the little Record. To be honest, it's built like a piece of toy Meccano and when I first bought one about 10 years ago I was very disappointed when it turned up. But, it performed brilliantly and thought nothing of doing a grand job of 8" wide sawn oak without blinking. I sold it after about 5 years to a friend of mine who had just moved to an old French barn near Le Mans and he has been using to plane French beams ever since, with no trouble!! Truly amazing little performer considering it's build quality. The following is my likes and dislikes:

Likes:

The most portable machine on the market barring benchtop models which aren't really the same
Superb finish (I now have a Startrite with a 3 knife cutter block and it's hardly any better, especially if you keep a slow feed speed)
Surprisingly robust given its almost total lack of "robustness"

Dislikes:
The elephant in the room is the changeover from planing to thicknessing which is a minute and a half of dismantling and reassembling the outfeed table, DX shroud and fence....er no thanks.
Short tables make planing of long boards close to impossible.

I bought the Startrite for those two primary differences but the 3 knife block and cast iron tables/fence were very desirable to me too.

But if I had a smaller workshop in the future, I wouldn't hesitate to get another....which I would do 2nd hand.

 

[baildonwoodworker]

Crickey. Some very good points.
I did have a bit of a look around at the second hand market. My only issue is my complete ignorance of what to look for.

The Sedgwicks look lovely, but are a bit pricey. Seems to be a lot of praise for the Record as well.

How would a Tersa block compare to a spiral block?

 

[deema]

For highly figured wood it appears that the spiral block is the clear winner. I haven't owned one, and it's my perception that changing and ensuring the inserts are properly seated could be a difficult and time consuming task.

The Tersa system is the simplest and easiest blade change over method I believe. It takes literally seconds. Overall the cost is similar to standard blades in my experience.

Spiral blocks are quieter and the Chips are smaller and don't fill up the extractor bag as quickly.

I don't use that much highly figured wood, so for me the simplicity of the Tersa blade change was the deciding factor.

 

[RobinBHM]

If the record PT260 is a clone of the elektra beckum then its a very good machine.

 

[mikefab]

The Sedgwicks look lovely, but are a bit pricey.

It can be a bit of a waiting game / hunt to get one at the right price. If you watch ebay there will be some from dealers that are listed at, say 2k, which will be on for weeks or even months at a time. There will be some auctioned from private sellers or small businesses which go for much cheaper prices. If suspect that the bigger dealers have loads of space and can afford to sit on their stock knowing that they will get top wack eventually.

 

[transatlantic]

Why with the cheaper planars like the Record is the fence always so much shorter than the bed??

 

[baildonwoodworker]

For highly figured wood it appears that the spiral block is the clear winner. I haven't owned one, and it's my perception that changing and ensuring the inserts are properly seated could be a difficult and time consuming task.

The Tersa system is the simplest and easiest blade change over method I believe. It takes literally seconds. Overall the cost is similar to standard blades in my experience.

Spiral blocks are quieter and the Chips are smaller and don't fill up the extractor bag as quickly.

I don't use that much highly figured wood, so for me the simplicity of the Tersa blade change was the deciding factor.

deema - Thanks for the PM - I can't reply at the moment as I don't have enough activity under my belt yet

 

[heimlaga]

I am also a fan of secondhand cast iron machines but I am also well aware that this isn't a route that suits everyone.

First and foremost you need to define what kind of work you are going to do and what yor productuion volumes will be. Otherwise we would be flooding you of advice of which at least 70 percent would be irrelevant.
What are you going to make?
How much space do you have?
How often do you intend to work wood?


You see when I was looking for a planer/thicknesser for doing restoration joinery lots of people put lot of effort into trying to convince me that I must buy a plastic and aluminium benchtop machine of one brand or another. I tried to tell people that I need a machine that can plane and thickness a 2,5 metre long 3x9 inch door jamb or some 18 inch wide boards.....to no awail. They just told me that I shouldn't do that kind of work...........
Between the 600mm wide planer/thicknesser weighing some 1200 or 1500 kilos which I finally bought and a 200 mm plastic and aluminium benchtop machine at 15 kilos there is a whole world of different machines.
Prease specify your needs more accurately so we can give relevant advice!

 

[custard]

Why with the cheaper planars like the Record is the fence always so much shorter than the bed??

Martin, who probably vie with Altendorf to be the best of the best, say if you know what you're doing then a shortish fence is all you really need.

http://scosarg.com/martin-t54-surface-planer

Think about it, by the time you're laying a face side of a component flat against the planer fence you've already ensured that face is dead flat, so a fairly short fence is ample. Machine planing follows the same routine as hand planing, you make a true face first, and then you make a true edge referenced from the true face.

 

[YorkshireMartin]

I have a Sedgwick PT255, bought used from a dealer (who were excellent, PM me for name) after having had another machine which I got new. The Sedgwick just...works and it's thicknesser is accurate. I forgot exactly what I paid but it was much closer to £1k than £2k. The MB is more expensive, the CP more expensive still.

 

[memzey]

The fence on a planer only really matters on the in-feed table as once the stock has gone past the cutter head it no longer needs to reference off of it in order to plane an edge square to the face.

+1 for Mike's comment about patience. I was looking for ages for the right one and very nearly bought the Startrite 310 new instead. Then a 240v, single phase Sedgwick MB with a Tersa head came up for sale about 15 minutes from my house priced at less than the Startrite to boot. To say I was all over it like a rash would be an understatement! When it comes to buying used woodworking machinery, patience is definitely a virtue!

 

[kdampney]

The Sedgwicks look lovely, but are a bit pricey.

It can be a bit of a waiting game / hunt to get one at the right price. If you watch ebay there will be some from dealers that are listed at, say 2k, which will be on for weeks or even months at a time. There will be some auctioned from private sellers or small businesses which go for much cheaper prices. If suspect that the bigger dealers have loads of space and can afford to sit on their stock knowing that they will get top wack eventually.

There's a Sedgwick (no, not mine!) on the 'Bay currently for £750 Buy It Now, collection from Boston, Lincolnshire, if that's of use to anyone. Item number 162164131392.

 

[MikeJhn]

Special offer from Axminster for the first 50 customers only: http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-ah ... age-719094

Mike