Which Planer/Thicknesser??

[TheTiddles]

OK, here's my situation

I've sold a load of my old climbing, sailing and RC aircraft stuff and have about £500 to buy a very badly needed planer/thicknesser.

Question is which one? I don't have an extractor capable of gathering up everything at the moment, so I either let it spew over the floor and clear it up later, fill my baby vacuum every pass, or pay less for the the planer and buy an extractor too

I have an Axminster mortiser and ideally would like all my machinery to match (silly maybe, but it matters to me!), so it's a http://www.axminster.co.uk/product-Axmi ... 650093.htm for the full £500 plus shipping or http://www.axminster.co.uk/product-Axmi ... 580438.htm which I can pick up from Axminster myself leaving some cash towards an extractor. Alternatively the Xcaliber machinery seems almost too good to be true, the 10" thicknesser http://www.woodfordwm.co.uk/acatalog/Pl ... esser.html seems great for £410 + shipping (which I can't find anywhere on their website), are these machines any good?

Is there something else I should consider, like one of those very small £200 machines? Although it's for hobby use I'm very fussy and I don't want to pay £200 for a disappointment.

So I open the doors to suggestions... What would you do?

Aidan

 

[Steve Maskery]

Hi Aidan

I'm not sure that this is much help - I can't tell you what to do! But I can tell you what not to do. A P/T without a half decent extractor is no good at all. You will be pulling out your hair with frustration.

I have a Kity 636 and I would have thought that you could get one second hand within your budget. I have an Electra Beckum SPA100 which I use with it and that should be your bare minimum, I would say.

Cheers
Steve

 

[Mike.C]

Hi Aidan,

If you add the p/t to your cart and then go to the checkout (click on UK) the Woodford site will tell you the cost of shipping. Roughly £70 for the 10" p/t

Cheers

Mike

 

[motownmartin]

Hi Aidan

I'm not sure that this is much help - I can't tell you what to do! But I can tell you what not to do. A P/T without a half decent extractor is no good at all. You will be pulling out your hair with frustration.

Cheers
Steve

I'll second that, I don't look forward to thicknessing, I must get myself a decent chip extractor

 

[speed]

im no expert but this is what i would do,

buy the AW106PT2 and sweep up if you get the other you will always wish you got the better, at more than double the weight, cast iron and an extra cutting knife it will feel more robust

the cheaper version looks like a benchtop model on a base and i have a benchtop model and wish i saved my money, dont get me wrong it does work to some extent on softwood

 

[Saintsman]

Aidan

I have the Xcalibur 12" P/T and it is excellent: very solid and accurate.
If the 10" is anything like it, it'll be a bargain.

I'd echo what everyone else has said about a decent extracor, otherwise you'll be up to your eyes in chippings and dust !

Paul

 

[Steve Maskery]

Aidan
It's not just the mess of the chippings. If they are not removed efficiently from the machine, they clog up the works and affect the quallity of the cut. If you get a single chip cuaght between the timber and the outfeed roller, it makes a dimple in the surface even before it has come out of the machine.

Cheers
Steve

 

[Mark.R]

have a Scheppach hm260 planer/thicknesser, and have found it to be great. If you find this model is out of your budget, there are some excellent scheppach hm 260`s regulalry going for good prices with hardly any use whatsoever on ....... e-bay.

Give it a thought.

Mark.r

 

[Gary]

You won't be disappointed with this, ebay link


plenty of room for expansion too.

 

[andyw]

Hi Aidan,

I'm a beginner so not sure what I'm doing commenting!

I was at Axminster a couple of days ago looking at both machines you mentioned. I ended up buying the PT2 over the EPT because:
1) Cast Iron & solidity
2) 3 cutting blades vs 2
3) using the thicknesser required just lifting up the planer base - on the EPT it needs removal.

Subjectively, there should have been more than £100 difference between the models thereby making the EPT seem expensive. I felt if I bought the EPT I'd be back in a few years upgrading.

Given the prices of Fox / Charnwood /SIP cast iron clones being around £550-575 Axminster dropping the PT2 to sub £500 with a cast iron fence seems really good value.

Like you I wanted as much equipment from 1 source where possible, so didn't really consider the Xcaliber.

 

[BedfordSaw]

Hi Aidan,

The Record Power PT260 Planer Thicknesser is an excellent machine.

£499.95 Including VAT and a massive 5 YEAR Guarantee.

They are also giving away a free Knife setting jig worth £40!

It also has a very sturdy wheel system that allows you to move it around the workshop, and then put it back onto its base again while in use.

Extraction from a Planner Thicknesser is always an issue as it produces a massive amount of shavings. The Record Power CX2600 Chip Extractor is ideal if you have the space as it holds 80 litres of shavings, and is only £159.99 Inc VAT with the 5 Year Guarantee. Alternatively you could go for a wall mounted version, but these cost a little more.

Hope this helps,

Tom

 

[MrJay]

#7 & #5 - also with plenty of change for beer/wood/other shinys. You could even get an Axminster #5 if you're desperate for it to match your morticer.

 

[TheTiddles]

#7 & #5 - also with plenty of change for beer/wood/other shinys. You could even get an Axminster #5 if you're desperate for it to match your morticer.

:lol: :lol: :lol: very good!

I did consider the LN versions, briefly, then got realistic, machinery exists for a reason...

Is there any need to have a high current supply for the larger planers? I hope 13A should be ok but I've heard of table saws etc... needing more juice

Aidan

 

[Pecker]

I use the Metabo sc260 P/T which is a lovely machine. But, as other have said, if you are going to use anyting other then a very basic machine you really need extraction. My planer throws the shaving everywhere when not connected up, and as someone else said it's not just the mess. The shavings will clog up the works and VERY EASILY mark your timber if using soft wood.

Just before Christmas my employee and I were planing up some 6x1 for shelving. The extractor tube blocked and in literally an instance we were left with awful marks right across the timber.

Yes, buy a decent planer you wont regret it, but find the money for a large extractor as well - the very small ones fill quickly.

woody

 

[r896neo]

i have just been in the same situation as you and trawled through all the various 10" clones. I looked in person at every one apart from the excailbur cause im in belfast and my postman has a bad back. I was ready to settle for the Draper due mainly to price and them all being the same when i found a local guy who got me the axminster cast iron machine. It is superb and my days of squaring rough sawn timber are so much shorter.

I decided to spend a bit extra and leave the extractor working on the 'buy the best kit you can afford and build it up slowly' adage! As mentioned by someone else you need some sort of extraction as the chippings fowl the rollers and thicknessing table. I just use a heavy duty vacuum after each pass and wedge it in the dust hood during use. IMHO buy the better P/T and deal with the chippings problem graciously safe in the knowledge you would have spent even more time than it takes to do this than you would weeping about the rubbish tin-foil fence and warped ally tables on your draper/Metabo/fox/sip/.......

 

[andycorleone]

Hi, the Xcalibur 10" and the Axminster AW106PT2 came from the same factory (Same as Fox F22-568 )but with different brand (For the last few months the axminster have a upgraded cast iton fence) . I Have the AXMONSTER with the aluminum fence and IMHO is a super machine for the money. so don't think twice in buying the Xcalibur for £400. for the extractor if you are only going to use it for the P/T and have about £100 to expend the Axminster AWEDE2 will be perfect.

 

[woodworker1]

I have just bought (nov 07) the Record Power machine. Fantistic is the word. Have planned 250mm wide boards of oak and beech on it without a moan. I went for this machine as all the other manufacturers only offer a 1 year warranty (previous thicknesser blew up after 18 months - how annoying). Very accurate and more than enough power for a home workshop.

Record Power were fantastic over the phone, helped me set it up with a few niggly problems, well worth the money.