Thread: Which Planer/Thicknesser to purchase?

The Hafco has a larger capacity, so I wouldn't even consider the Scheppach.

Going on my own experience with the brands, I've had no end of trouble with scheppach machines, while the hafco gear is reasonably solid, if not necessarily high grade

When you see the Scheppach name.....run away as fast as you can. Very poor quality Chinese-made junk IMHO; any implied connection with "German quality" disappeared long ago.

Also, I think you'll find H&F don't hold much stock of the larger Scheppach machines these days - I think they got tired of dealing with all the returns and quality issues.

Ive just thrown my money at a new Artisan 310xc from 'I Wood Like'.
Getting 15% off is what finally convinced me to bite the bullet.
Pick it up in a week or so, can let you know what its like then.

cheers
Shane

Hadn't seen that machine before - remarkably similar to my JET JPT-310, in fact could have come out of the same factory.

Only real differences seem to be that the beds are machined flat instead of having the "ridged" surfaces of the JET, and a minor difference around the back support for the fence. Wouldn't be surprised if a LOT if parts are interchangeable too.

I think you'll be impressed !

Originally Posted by shanesmith80

Ive just thrown my money at a new Artisan 310xc from 'I Wood Like'.
Getting 15% off is what finally convinced me to bite the bullet.
Pick it up in a week or so, can let you know what its like then.

cheers
Shane

Shane, any update on this artisan 310xc? I'm tossing up between it and the jet jjp-12hh which is $700 more expensive...

Mike

Originally Posted by Stanger

Shane, any update on this artisan 310xc? I'm tossing up between it and the jet jjp-12hh which is $700 more expensive...

Mike

Haven't had a lot of time to play but first impressions are its a nice machine. Good solid machine, quick to change over. Table nice and flat. Good after sales service. And quiet!
Have only put one piece of timber through, a highly figured piece of silky oak. Smooth as babies bum.

Only negative so far is the fence adjustment and locking device. Is very fiddly and I think quite a poor design, but in saying that after its locked into 90 I can't imagine I will be moving it and it does lock tightly.

At a quick glance online at the Jet I would struggle to find the difference between the 2 except the price tag.

cheers
Shane

Mike, go for quality. I've got a Sheppach 2600. wish i had waited and gone for a Jet or two separate machines now. My biggest problem nowapart from the dinky infeed and outfeed tables is that the infeed is out of alignment to everything else. If i adjust the outfeed and blades to match the infeed then the thicknessing will be thrown out. So the only option would be to loosen the infeed table totally and align. Having horrors just thinking about that so I prepare the first face by flipping it around and put up with some tearout. Fix that later in thicknessing stage - not ideal.

Next time around, even tho I've got a small shop, I'll go for two machines and work out how to fit them in.

Not at all sure that I could get a photo that would show such a slight misalignment, it is so small. So sorry, not much point, but will explain in more detail.

It first came to notice one day when i was not thinking and just trying to remove a blemish on some maple I was preparing. Just kept shoving it over the jointer without thinking. Before i knew it the maple was 2mm thicker one side than the other. Real surprise and confusion ensued. After lots of measuring and resetting of planer blades I couldn't fix it so it dawned on me that all my setting of blades against the out-feed table WASN'T going to solve the problem. The penny dropped like brick on my thick skull. So I simply measured the in and out tables against each other with a steel rule and feeler gauges. The in table was skewed ever so slightly, about 3 thou down on one side.

So bearing in mind that the blades align with the out table, and when testing the thicknesser function everything is within 1 thou, that leaves me either loosening the bolts on the in table to try to adjust it, or as I've chosen, just put up with it. Temptations to adjust the outfeed table were attractive but firmly resisted.

One thing I've learned along the way is not to be so finnicky when jointing. If 90% of the surface is fine, then go to the thicknessing and after getting the other side flat and parallel go back and fine tune the first side there.

Side note - On timbers that need to be ultra flat and parallel I've found that sending a boards face through on the final pass and then spinning it round 180 and re-planing the same surface gets rid of that 1 thou discrepancy without any chip out. Except for really rebellious grain of course.

If you're working to 1 thou (1/40 mm) you're in the wrong industry...leave some dressed timber overnight and it would have moved more than that by itself

yeah, I know, you're SO right - it's my own special 'personality disorder' - same as an accountant, just had to find that one cent discrepancy, even if it took all day.

(The 3 thou on the jointer does matter though, because it accumulates with each pass)