Jointer and Thicknesser

[burn]

Hi Peoples,

I've been researching jointers and thicknessers and have come to the conclusion that I need to get a Combination jointer/thicknesser and it becomes very annoying/difficult to switch between the two modes, get a separate thicknesser.

The reason for geting a combination machine is that 12" jointers are out of my price range (>$4K) and it appears that a 12" combination machine, used only in "jointer mode" is a cheap 12" jointer.

I like the look of the Hafco PT-310H which seems to have the weight and decent in/out feed tops and has a 'bonus' morticing attachment to boot.

Have I arrived at a REASONABLE solution given a budget of around $2.5K?

Burn

[burn]

OK. I'm now trolling for feedback.

Who has
a. A jointer
b. A jointer and a separate thicknesser
c. A combination jointer/thicknesser

and can comment on the brands they bought and why and would they buy the same again?

Thanks Again

Burn

[zymurgy]

OK. I'm now trolling for feedback.

Who has
a. A jointer
b. A jointer and a separate thicknesser
c. A combination jointer/thicknesser

and can comment on the brands they bought and why and would they buy the same again?

Thanks Again

Burn

Burn,

Used to have a combination Jointer/Thicknesser. Worked well. But there was always the occasion where I needed to joint another piece, but I'd left machine in thickness mode - and changing back, while quick, loss of thickness setting.

Now have separate Carbatec products, the 6" long bed Jointer (CTJ-150) and 15" Thicknesser (CTJ-680). I chose the longer bed for more accuracy when jointing. As for the thicknesser, I liked the way the head moved up/down as opposed to the bed moving like the HAFCO unit - means any support setup stays at a constant height.

Regards

Gordon.

[Grunt]

I bought a second hand Carba-Tec CTJ-190 jointer. I'm pretty happy with the machine. I don't have a thicknesser so I'm tossing up between getting a separate thicknesser or maybe a combination machine and selling the jointer. I have heard good reports about the Ryobi thicknesser or I could go for the Carba-Tec CTJ-340 thicknesser. So many choices. I have space issues (sheds are never big enough) so that's why I'm thinking of the combination jobby.

Sadly my budget won't stretch to $2.5k. Probably half that.

[Bob Willson]

I have a jointer (8" longbed) from Hafco and also one of their 12" thinnesers.

I hardly use the jointer as my Jet supersaw is quite capable of giving me a square edge.

[Sprog]

I have a jointer (8" longbed) from Hafco and also one of their 12" thinnesers.

I hardly use the jointer as my Jet supersaw is quite capable of giving me a square edge.

I don't even have a jointer because my Triton WC gives deadly accurate straight and square cuts


:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

[burn]

To Sprog and Bob,

I realise that a tablesaw will cut a 'flat side' as the blade is perpendicular to the table top, and then you use this as a reference side for the next side providing each 'side' of the timber is less than the max cut depth. Add a thicknesser and all is fine.

The only issue is what to do with the piece of timber that has a side/face greater than the saw can cut? I suppose a really good bandsaw may get you closer but I assume there is more room for error with getting a perfectly 90 degree cut than with a table saw. Or is my ignorance of bandsaws showing?

As an aside, I take it that it's purely a marketing issue that to go from a 6" jointer to an 8" you add a couple of hundred dollars, but to go from an 8" to 12" it's about 1,200 to 1,500 dollars. Engineering wise, is there THAT MUCH more in a 12" jointer than an 8"?

Burn

[leighd]

a 12" machine would proberly have longer beds so it proberly would have twice as much cast iron . also the base would proberly be built alot better.

[Kev Y.]

I was forunate enough to pick up an old 6" jointer a few years ago, and the purchased a 12" thicknesser a few months later, to date the jointer gets little action, where as the thicknesser is used on a regular basis.

IF you have the workshop space I feel it would be a better option to go with the two separate machines..

Also with $2500 you should be able to pick up two decent machines. My thicknesser was $500, and the jointers I researched came in around the $700 mark.

Kev

[burn]

For those with 6" jointers how often had you wanted an 8" or 10" jointer?

For those with 8" jointers (which seems to be the price break size), how often had you wanted either a 10" or 12"?

Burn

[Bob Willson]

I have an 8" jointer and so far have not needed to exceed its capacity.

[NewChipper]

Last July I decided to purchase a Carba Tech CTJ-340 thicknesser at the Working with wood show. Two weeks later the gears broke and I took it back to be repaired under warranty. 10 weeks later the agents told me they could not get parts & gave me another new CTJ-340. 2 weeks later, guess what!! The drive belt melted! I have returned the second machine for a refund, and have now bought a DELTA. Fingers crossed, so far all is well. The DELTA machine appears to be a far better quality machine, and much much quieter. The others although producing good results while they were working, sounded like they were about to throw the drive chains at any time.
I admit that the DELTA is almost twice the price, but so far seems to be 10 times better.

[scooter]

I've got a 8" & never needed anything bigger...........ah, hang on, what was the question?


Cheers........Sean the deluded

[chook]

I'vs got a 6 inch jointer which works fine. There are times when I would have liked an 8 inch jointer but that was bound to happen regardless of how much I spent.


As for the thicknesser I (like a previous post) bought a CTJ 340 thicknesser and I have not been all that happy with it. It is noisy. The out feed roller seized and broke the chain. Yesterday the drive belt melted. When I can afford it, it will go and I will buy a proper thicknesser. I suppose that like many home workshops there is always a compromise between what you would like and what you can afford. But poor quality is expensive at any price. The CTJ 340 is expensive.

But I would always get separate machines. For $2500 you can get a good thicknesser and a good jointer and never have to swap between modes.

[burn]

I suppose I should report back that I got the 15" CTJ-680 thicknesser and CTJ-350 8" jointer. Their manuals were the usual crap ... fortunately both products had Grisly equivalents and they obviously pay more and are understandable and actually help with assembly.

Setting the fence on the jointer was a pain ... finding the hidden grub screw (underneath a disc) was the magic key to get the fence from continually scraping the table top if I was not careful.

Squaring the in and outfeed tables on the thickness was a pain, adjustment after minor adjustment to get it right.

Both dress all sorts of timber very nicely. Although I have three sets of knives for both units (two sets thrown in), I am still not certain if a low speed grinder (with specialist jigs) will be worth it ... I wonder how many sharpenings I can get done for $600-800?

In summary, I think these are nice middle-weight machines.

Regards

Burn

[routermaniac]

Last July I decided to purchase a Carba Tech CTJ-340 thicknesser at the Working with wood show. Two weeks later the gears broke and I took it back to be repaired under warranty. 10 weeks later the agents told me they could not get parts & gave me another new CTJ-340. 2 weeks later, guess what!! The drive belt melted! I have returned the second machine for a refund, and have now bought a DELTA.
That sounds like a really bad run :-(. I have a crappy GMC thicknesser that I have been using quite a bit, admittedly I look after it... has been running like a mercedes and gives a great finish :-).

Better still it only cost me $299 at the WWW show.

I have used it many times to plane edges that have been cut with the triton bench and it works amazingly well. Havent really had to use my jointer setup for the router table since then.

The only time I think I would need to go back to a joiner (or user the router table as one) would be finishing the sides of wide and very thin boards.

[bjn]

I'vs got a 6 inch jointer which works fine. There are times when I would have liked an 8 inch jointer but that was bound to happen regardless of how much I spent.


As for the thicknesser I (like a previous post) bought a CTJ 340 thicknesser and I have not been all that happy with it. It is noisy. The out feed roller seized and broke the chain. Yesterday the drive belt melted. When I can afford it, it will go and I will buy a proper thicknesser. I suppose that like many home workshops there is always a compromise between what you would like and what you can afford. But poor quality is expensive at any price. The CTJ 340 is expensive.

But I would always get separate machines. For $2500 you can get a good thicknesser and a good jointer and never have to swap between modes.
Chook, what typr of thicknesser would you replace your CTJ-340 with?

Are the CTJ-680 or the CTJ-381 models that CARBA-TEC list in their 2004 Catelogue, better or more reliable than the "340's"?

Cheers
Brenton

[chook]

Chook, what typr of thicknesser would you replace your CTJ-340 with?

Are the CTJ-680 or the CTJ-381 models that CARBA-TEC list in their 2004 Catelogue, better or more reliable than the "340's"?

Cheers
Brenton
Ah now there is a question! If I won the lotto I would buy a Homag (Spelling?) thicknesser. I used one at a TAFE and it was magic. Digital readouts, quiet, powered rise and fall, enough power to pull a truck out of a bog. And it probably cost more than my house.

But back in the real world I use a caratec 15 inch thicknesser at work and it has a done whole lot work on a lot of different types of timber including a lot of hard wood and has worked fine. For less than $1500 they would do me for home. In fact I will replace the CTJ 340 with one ASAP. In my experience the extra cost is well worth it and the CTJ 680 has been very good value.


At home I use a CTJ 196 jointer which I got for around $650 and I think it is great. It does all I want. But again at work we use a carbatec 8 inch jointer (ctj 350) and while it is okay when we bought it is was worth closer to $1500 than $1000. We only had 2 problems with it. The switch broke and the electrician said it was a cheap and nasty one. Then a weld on a rod which controls the location of the fence broke. The factory owner's baby daughter must have been welding that day. The weld was hopeless. That said for around a $1000 (now) it constitutes good value and if I had a spare $1000 and was in the market for a jointer I would buy it.

[bjn]

Ah now there is a question! If I won the lotto I would buy a Homag (Spelling?) thicknesser. I used one at a TAFE and it was magic. Digital readouts, quiet, powered rise and fall, enough power to pull a truck out of a bog. And it probably cost more than my house.

But back in the real world I use a caratec 15 inch thicknesser at work and it has a done whole lot work on a lot of different types of timber including a lot of hard wood and has worked fine. For less than $1500 they would do me for home. In fact I will replace the CTJ 340 with one ASAP. In my experience the extra cost is well worth it and the CTJ 680 has been very good value.


At home I use a CTJ 196 jointer which I got for around $650 and I think it is great. It does all I want. But again at work we use a carbatec 8 inch jointer (ctj 350) and while it is okay when we bought it is was worth closer to $1500 than $1000. We only had 2 problems with it. The switch broke and the electrician said it was a cheap and nasty one. Then a weld on a rod which controls the location of the fence broke. The factory owner's baby daughter must have been welding that day. The weld was hopeless. That said for around a $1000 (now) it constitutes good value and if I had a spare $1000 and was in the market for a jointer I would buy it.
Thanks Chook - Carbatec have 2 15inch Thicknessers CTJ-680 @ $1195 & CTJ-381 @ $1395. One has a "rise and fall" head the other a "rise and fall" table. All other species seem to be idential. Does anyone have ant thoughts as to the better purchase?

Cheers Brenton :confused: :)

[MajorPanic]

I've worked in a shop that only had a combination machine..... what a pain in the **** :(
I ended up buying a sceond hand SCM 12" 3 phase jointer which I've converted to single phase.
I've also got a 15" thicknesser which is head rise/fall (top mounted motor) If I was going to get another 15" I'd get a table rise/fall, it's MUCH kinder on the height adjustment mechanism. With any luck I hope to buy a new 20" from Carba-Tec or a second hand 20" -24" 3 phase in the new year. All the industrial machines are table rise/fall.

[ernknot]

I got a Delta and no worries. Just did some 100mm x 100mm blackwood for my new work bench legs and it ate the wood like balsa.

[TassieKiwi]

Blackwood for a workbench?:eek: I can see another round of bench envy coming up soon!

[echnidna]

I got a Delta and no worries. Just did some 100mm x 100mm blackwood for my new work bench legs and it ate the wood like balsa.

Blackwood legs on a workbench!
Red Cedar benchtop planned????????????

[philly]

I have recently bought a jet 6" jointer which is wonderful. People often look at catalogues and websites and assume thay are the same as carbatec and hafco. If you actually try one out you realise they are not. Jet tools seem more solid and precise with smooth movements. I also have a jet 13" thicknesser which i bought yesterday and havent used yet but first impressions are very good. I got it to replace a ryobi (which someone else mentioned above). Do NOT buy a ryobi. The roller chains break everytime you use it and customer service is non existent. I'd buy GMC before ryobi. At least you know its going to be ****!! Bunnings even give out a wallet to keep your gmc receipt so when...yes "when".... it breaks down you can easily find the receipt and claim a replacement!

best of luck with your purchase

[Whinging Pom]

Thanks Chook - Carbatec have 2 15inch Thicknessers CTJ-680 @ $1195 & CTJ-381 @ $1395. One has a "rise and fall" head the other a "rise and fall" table. All other species seem to be idential. Does anyone have ant thoughts as to the better purchase?
All depends on what lengths you are thinking of putting through. If you are running down long lengths and taking small amounts off each time then the CTJ-680 is best as you can set-up rollers front and back and never have to change the height.

The CTJ-381 does come mostly built for you so is pretty simle to put together.

Bottom Line is I have sold dozens of the CTJ-680 and have only had three complaints.

1) The machine bogged down when cutting. Turns out the guy had a problem with his power 10amps on a 15amp plug. He got the power sorted and has been happy since.

2) The gear box is leaking oil. Turned out the machine had not been used for a LONG time and there had been 3 or 4 drops of oil leak passed the seal. THe customer started to use the machine and all was well.

3) The switch box was broken. The courier had crushed the side of the box with god knows what. We sent him a new switch box and all is well.

The CTJ-680 is our guided missile of the thicknesser world. We Sell and Forget.

If you haven´t worked it out I like selling it as it sells it´s self and the only thing the customer needs help with is what blades to buy.

[Bushmiller]

Don't ignore second hand machinery. You may be able to pick up an old machine that is still very serviceable, particularly if you have three phase power available. I have a 24" (not a misprint) jointer with foot operated table control. I can't give a price on it as it was purchased as a job lot with other machines, but I would suggest it would come in under your budget.

The only additional problem is that you need space to put these things. Nothing beats an independent machine for convenience.

Regards

Paul

[chook]

I got a Delta and no worries. Just did some 100mm x 100mm blackwood for my new work bench legs and it ate the wood like balsa.
I read this a few days ago and somehow it did not register. You are using 100 x 100 blackwood for the legs on a workbench! :eek:

What on earth are you going to use for the top?

My old work bench is weeping in shame.

I have often talked to my wife about moving to Tasmania when we retire. But that settles it.