Scheppach HMS2600ci or Axminster AW106PT2

[timbly]

Hi
The choice is between the AW106PTS or the Scheppach HMS2600ci.
The Axi is about £150 cheaper but if the Scheppach is worth it I'm willing to pay the difference..

The Pluses for the Scheppach that I can see include;
1. slightly more powerful
2. bigger thicknessing capacity (210 vs 180)
3. rubber lined feed rollers
4. possibly better build quality?? - might be a better long term investment?

The pluses for the Axi.
1. cheaper - actually nearer £200 cheaper for me as they're currently running a promo which includes dust extractor (which I need) for £850.
2. cast fence
3. good after sales service if needed.

Any thoughts appreciated.
Tim

 

[mark_h]

I have the older version of the Scheppach (HMS260) and have found it a great machine. The importers (NMA agencies) sometimes have refurbished customer return machines available - they call them Z Stock and you can check on their website. I got mine that way and received a good discount for a machine that was essentially ex display and fully guaranteed. I went and picked it up from their warehouse/showroom near Huddersfield and they were very helpful, giving me the choice of two machines, a free set of spare blades, plus a tutorial as to how the machine worked. They even helped me load it into the back of the car! This might be a way of equalising the price of the two machines.

Can't comment on the Axminster machine, but Im sure other members will advise you.

Good luck.

Mark

 

[promhandicam]

I've got the scheppach HMS2600ci and I think it is a great machine. Tthe build quality of it is good and the finish that it produces is also very good - timber only needs to be lightly sanded after thicknessing. I've not had a problem with the fence - it stays square and is quite rigid. NMA offer good customer service - they used to post on the forum occasionally. Yandles and D&M are selling it at £799 which I think is a good price. The only down side of the scheppach is that you have to remove the fence when you convert from planing to thicknessing although I think you do with the axminster too. I'm not that familiar with the axminster but I looked at several of their bandsaws recently and I thought they were poor quality - I bought a startrite in the end

HTH,

Steve

 

[Streepips]

Scheppach wins hands down.

 

[OPJ]

I'd also consider the Scheppach, in your position. The Axminster machine isn't bad at all (I've had one for over two-and-a-half years, now). But, I've also used one of the Scheppach machines and can safely say that the dust extraction is much better. Also, with the AW106PT, I've found that the tables 'move' after several months of being swung up and down and occasionally need readjustment. I wouldn't say this is unlikely to happen with a Scheppach machine at some point but it should be less frequent. We had one in a joinery shop I worked in where it was used daily by several people. The only time we had a problem with the alignment was when shavings from thicknessing built up underneath the mating surface! :wink:

 

[timbly]

Thanks all
Great comments - really useful.
I suspected the Scheppach might be the better investment but it's nice to get 'real world' feedback.
Any more comments appreciated.
Thanks
Tim

 

[woodbloke]

Slightly more, but consider the Jet 260 with a 'Boblock.' Another forum member tried the 'S' p/t but found it far inferior to his old Jet - Rob

 

[timbly]

Hi Woodbloke
In what ways did he find the Scheppach inferior to the Jet?
The Jet is another £200!!
Thanks
Tim

 

[woodbloke]

PM sent - Rob

 

[big soft moose]

also dont forget that ebay can be your freind there are a lot of heavyweight cast oron PTs on there from multico, sedgwick, wadkin etc

for example

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MULTICO-SURFACE-T ... 2c547f511a

 

[menatnma]

Anyone interested in the Hms2600 ci planer may want to know I have just received back from a dealer who went under, one of the last German built HMS 260 CI machines, this was after they changed from the steel tables to the new cast iron. It is the old style design, on a cabinet base and is like new despite it being a 2005 model. Full warranty still applies, machine is in mint condtion. German made, German quality and better gearbox with clutch on this model which reduces wear when in planing mode as you can switch off the feed rollers from turning when not required.
Any takers either ring us on 01484 400488 or contact Poolewood Machinery who have this machine advertised on ebay, ask for Terry at Poolewood.

ps spares are still available for this and older Scheppach machines.

cheers and good hunting
R

 

[timbly]

Hi Menatnma
I might be missing something here but I can't see the advantage of the 260 over the 2600..
The 2600 has 210mm as opposed to the 260's 140mm thichnessing capacity and as far as I can see the 2600 also has a feed clutch.
The price is almost identical with current offers at Yandles and D & M so whats the advantage?
All the best
Tim

 

[menatnma]

yes the capacities are different , the differences are German built against Chinese and also the HMS2600 does not have separate clutch for feed roller engagement.
I just thought it might make a difference to discerning buyers in this world of cheaply built imports..

 

[timbly]

Apologies but I'm somewhat confused. I just went on several sites and this is taken from the NMA site for the 2600ci - Unique clutch mechanism to feed rollers offers safety protection and the possibility to disengage feed rollers when surface planing.. This certainly makes it sounds as if you can disengage the feed rollers while surfacing. I was also informed that while some of Scheppach manufacturing is now Chinese the P/T's are still manufactured in Germany.
Just trying to get some clarity here as I had pretty much decided on this P/T..
Tim

 

[OPJ]

My understanding is also that, while they now source some of their parts from China, all machines are still assembled in and around Europe (the location varies, depending on the type of machine).

There is a benefit in being able to disengage the feed rollers while surfacing - it'll reduce wear on the drive belts and pulleys. The AW106PT has this feature. Still, I'd expect the Scheppach machines to be built to the kind of standard where this 'feature' isn't necessary (ie. the parts will withstand daily abuse).

So, instead, I would focus on the capacities - 140mm is less than 6in, which is just too great a limitation, in my opinion.

 

[menatnma]

The HMS2600 ci is made in China and put together in China and shipped from China. The HMS3200 is still German 100% Maybe the story of where stuff is actually made is in itself, a bit of a Chinese whisper. We at NMA always say that the HMS 2600 is made in China. Without going into which machines are and are not made in China, all I can say is that my initial post was to inform anyone that was interested, who had knowledge of the older machines, that a German made HMS 260 CI planer had become available. Wish I hadn't bothered.
The other thing to put right is an apology about the NMA website which, regarding the HMS2600 is wrong. It does NOT have a clutch which engages separately. All the other websites which have this on their sites have just lifted the wording and posted it straight on their own site. This I will try and rectify as soon as possible with the guy who looks after the website at work. Maybe he just lifted it from our old site which had the HMS260 ci version on it? I cannot say. Apologies once again, obviously our dealers do not have sufficient knowledge to realise our mistake and correct ourselves and their own sites?? This may be because no dealers can stock machines now and end up having no product knowledge for themselves, not as was the case years ago.
Sorry if this has put a negative viewpoint on your intended purchase but at least you know the correct answer to the point of the clutch system, or not, on this machine.
thanks.

any other concerns you may have about any Scheppach machine, please feel free to ring Allan, our straight talking, no nonsense, honest speaking technical manager, who will clarify any query anyone may have.
We at NMA like to think we give good customer service where ever possible, hence the reason we occasionally log in to this forum to try and offer help if we can.
thanks
01484 400488
Richard menatnma

 

[promhandicam]

Just a note on customer service from NMA - I ordered a replacement vee belt for my HMS2600ci at 16h06 on Thursday and I received it by first class post Friday morning - well done guys!

Steve

 

[timbly]

Hi Richard (menatnma)
Thanks for your input. The information concerning the German made 260 is appreciated – personally for me I’d like a bit more than the 140 thicknessing capacity but I'm sure it’s a great machine.
Thanks for clarifying that the 2600 does not have a clutch to disengage the feed – not really what I wanted to hear but good to know the facts. In the past I’ve had machines with and without a feed clutch and definitely preferred being able to disengage. On my old felder when working with really wild grain timber (yew, elm etc.) I used, on occasions, to disengage the feed and pull the timber through by hand really slowly for a perfect finish with no tear out..
I'm in a quandary now – I was sold on the Scheppach but am somewhat put off by the non-disengageable feed drive. I haven’t heard any reports of poor build quality so perhaps the Chinese built issue isn’t such a problem. The 210 thicknessing capacity is definitely a plus.
Decisions, decisions..

 

[timbly]

I'm still agonising over this decision..
Just to spice things up I'm now adding the Jet JPT-260 into the mix.
Anyone have any thoughts regarding the Jet - I did a quick search and couldn't find many negative comments except it might seem there is a problem with not being able to lock the thicknessing bed which has a tendency to creep. If I'm remembering correctly someone had a fix for this but I couldn't find it through the search facility.
How does the Jet stack up against the Axi or Scheppach - it's definitely the most expensive at £999 + delivery! Other than that it seems well spec'd.
Thanks in advance
Tim

 

[OPJ]

With regards to locking the thicknessing bed in place, Bob (9fingers) is the man you want to speak to. :wink: And, according to wizer it does work. I think Bob's just getting ready to produce his first batch of these for the 260?