Which Thicknesser

[mr]

If, just if I was to splash out on a nasty noisy messy thicknessing machine which should I go for?
I have a series of jobs for the other half which have to be completed as soon as possible. The wood is nasty knotty pine. Im still not getting good enough results (for my liking) thicknessing by hand. Although I can get boards flat and to thickness repeating that accross a set of boards in one project is still not coming quickly to me if you see what I mean. So with that in mind Ive been thinking about a budget read cheap thicknesser and have narrowed it down to 3 possibles (the filter was price - really cant go up into the £300 area). These are The Perform CC10T
http://www.axminster.co.uk/recno/2/product-Perform-CC10T-250mm-Thicknesser-32570.htm
The Jet JWP 12 http://www.axminster.co.uk/recno/3/product-Jet-JWP-12-Bench-Top-Thicknesser-365273.htm
or a Charnwood W570 http://www.charnwood.net/ProductDesc.jsp?cat=11&stockref=W570
Are any of these worth the money or is it a case that unless you spend big you dont get acceptible results?
The Charnwood appears to have the biggest capacity unless Im misreading which is in its favour.
I can do "flat on one side" by hand well enough so Im thicking that one of these might pay for itself in terms of the time it takes to get through these various projects. Am I barking up the wrong tree completely?

 

[RogerS]

Hi mr...aren't they all the same? They look v similar to me!

Can't really help you as I have Delta (actually the earlier model - 560) as do several others. If you can stretch a bit further in money then I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Roger

 

[Nick W]

Mike,

Did you learn nothing from your visit to Philly's? [-X :lol: :lol:

 

[mr]

Trouble is Nick I lack the three other people needed to carry it That Delta Roger would be the absolute outer limits of my budget but thanks for the link - definitely one to add to the list for consideration.
Cheers Mike

 

[Vormulac]

I have the CC10T and I think it's great - only problem is it's the only one I've ever used so I can't really give you a comparison!

 

[Philly]

Mike
I've used on of these clones-they certainly work fine and you (or at least your arms :wink: ) will be glad to own one.
Personally, I'd go for the Jet-Axminster are pretty good, warrenty wise, and Jet do make good kit.
Only my thoughts
Philly
P.s. If you want to drive up you are more than welcome to use the Delta

 

[mr]

Thanks Phil, for advice and offer. I'm torn, part of me says practice more! Part of me says get the job done now. I have a feeling (though I may be wrong ) that part of the problem that I have with this cheap nasty pine is that its actually harder to get a decent finished surface out of it than a better grade or different type of wood. Some of my scrubbing has been so enthusiastic that the pine is just disintergrating under me. Certainly the ash I was planing last week gave much nicer finished results and was more predictable. Praps I should just forget the pine and use something of a better quality to start with.
Decisions decisions eh
Cheers Mike

 

[Philly]

Knots are a real bummer, too, Mike. Most cabinet grade timber is almost knot free. They make for hard work, and pine certainly has it's fair share.
It's all good practise, though :roll:
The offer is there if you need it-we can have a good natter, too :wink:
Cheers
Philly

 

[mr]

I may well take you up on that offer at some point. It occurs to me that if I was to get hold of a thicknesser I really ought to get some sort of dust extraction as well if only for the sake of the machinery if nothing else. At the moment I can just sweep up after a days butchery. So if I have to get dust extraction kit too the cost goes up by probably a third again roughly and then I get to thinking that that sort of cash would also buy me a set of those very loverly chisels I saw in your drawers (ooer). So all told Im thinking that the thicknesser idea might be a moments madness and that I should point my wallet at better wood and better hand tools. After all Ive bought cheap machinery before and it tends to not get used because of the poor results. Whereas the same cash on hand tools has been a revelation.
Cheers Mike

 

[Philly]

Mike
I'll not comment-I've done enough damage this week! :lol:
Cheers
Phil

 

[Anonymous]

Bean has the Charnwood and it is absolutely fantastic. Great finish omn planed wood and a low price for the machine.

 

[Effigy]

I have the perform CC10T. I think it is a brilliant machine for the money. I have recently started making boxes, and it has been worth every penny.


Just my 2p worth

 

[mr]

THanks for all your comments, Im still thinking - no need to splash out just yet
Mike

 

[filsgreen]

I have this one http://www.axminster.co.uk/recno/1/product-Axminster-CT330-330mm-Thicknesser-21831.htm. If you hang on, Axminster periodically sell these machines with 20% off. That's how I got mine.

Phil

 

[Permutation_Jim]

If you don't mind used, I've seen Dewalt DW733 thicknessers on eBay for around £200.

I used one for about a year with excellent results, and only sold it because my Elu 1151 (a combo planer / thicknesser) required less setup (being on its own stand) and I've limited space.

The DW733 could plane up to 12" wide and its performance was a little better than my 1151. It had easily replaceable parts and is used by a lot of tradesman. And because the cutter (rather than the table) moves up and down (like the Delta, Makita, and others of this type), you can build a longer ramp on which your wood can slide... virtually eliminating snipe.

Thanks, Jim