Bench top planner thicknesser or surface planner

[gobbypunk]

So I just sold the Kitty multi machine I had and now cant decide  bench top planner thicknesser or surface planner thicknesser what would you lot choose

[harvey b davison]

I've got a metabo surface planer thicknesser mark, wouldn't be without it. Doesn't get used much, but only because we have got a bigger one that I use at work.

[TuscanPhil]

I'm watching this with interest as I may buy something similar at some point - what's the difference between the two?  What can one do that the other can't?

[Johnsond]

Metabo model is on sale at FFX at the moment. I’ve a makita 110V thicknesser  great bit of kit that’s been worked very hard and never missed a beat. Well worth having but be prepared to have a lot of shavings to clean up if you don’t have extraction set up. 

[se7enthdevil]

On 14/11/2020 at 18:46, gobbypunk said:

So I just sold the Kitty multi machine I had and now cant decide  bench top planner thicknesser or surface planner thicknesser what would you lot choose

go old school gobby.

 

they are the best you can get.

 

this is worth having.

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SEDGWICK-MB-12-X-9-240volt-PLANER-THICKNESSER-SEDGEWICK-99p-START-NO-RESERVE/402559286167?hash=item5dba673b97%3Ag%3AaKoAAOSwjV9fsqjO&LH_ItemCondition=4

[gobbypunk]

Hi Steve thanks looked at that listing and its out of my price range but did spot 3 old bits of kit so keeping my eye on them .

[echoechoecho]

I once looked into buying a cheap benchtop planer-thicknesser, such as the Titan, Fox, Scheppach, Draper etc. (they're all similar apart from the colour and name) and read they could be very hit-or-miss qualitywise, and that they all took a lot of fettling to produce an acceptable result.

 

Instead I bought a Dewalt 733 thicknesser and decided to flatten and edge boards by hand. That was until a few years ago when I snapped up an old Scheppach 260 planer-thicknesser for something like £120, which I only use as a planer as the thicknesser bed is rusty.

 

The Dewalt is accurate and the surface finish it produces is generally good, though two feed speeds would have been nice to have, especially for timber with knots and reversing grain. A lot of people complain about the noise, but that's not really an issue for me as my nearest neighbours are sheep and they don't seem to mind.

 

If I was starting again I'd probably go for an old smallish combination planer-thicknesser, like a Startrite or that Sedgwick on Ebay. Separates could be more efficient (providing you have the space to keep them set up permanently, which I don't) but stand-alone surface planers only seem to be available new as either cheap and nasty Chinese imports or £1000 + machines. Used older machines come up for sale on Ebay and in auctions for a decent prices, though bear in mind they may be 3 phase.

 

 

[trigger_andy]

5 hours ago, echoechoecho said:

I once looked into buying a cheap benchtop planer-thicknesser, such as the Titan, Fox, Scheppach, Draper etc. (they're all similar apart from the colour and name) and read they could be very hit-or-miss qualitywise, and that they all took a lot of fettling to produce an acceptable result.

I have one of these, they are all the same but mine is branded SIP. Very happy with mine for what it is. Dimensionally accurate and a lovely finish. Only good for hobby sized still though. I used it to plane up all the Oak for my wee ones Cot and her kitchen Steps, slats for beds etc. 

 

We've got a traditional cast iron 12" Planer/Thicknesser for chunky pieces. 

[echoechoecho]

Going by prices, it looks like your SIP is a step up from the really cheap ones. Same design but built to finer tolerances and better quality control?

[trigger_andy]

Going by prices, it looks like your SIP is a step up from the really cheap ones. Same design but built to finer tolerances and better quality control?

Maybe? I bought it used and was tuned/dialled in when I got it. It’s perfect for little jobs.