Thread: Thicknesser advice

The hafco is not a true helical head and with HSS cutters its no better than strait HSS blades. I have a Dewalt 735 and 2 years ago I put a Sherwood Helical head in it with tungsten cutters. To be honest I cant say the planed surface is any better than the strait HSS blades did as long as they were sharp. The machine is slightly quieter now. The main benefit is that in 2 years I have not had to as much as touch a blade. Still on the first of 4 sides of the cutters. The HSS blades would be dull with just about one decent project. I guess what I am saying is a proper helical head with tungsten cutters will make life easier and a good chance over a long time will pay its way as compared to HSS blades but a segmented head with HSS cutters will not be any better an investment than strait HSS blades.
Regards
John

You can probably get carbide replacement inserts for the HSS ones later. Check through this very forum I think. They need to be the right size!

The best thing about the spiral/helical heads is they are quieter, and it is so easy to replace a chipped or worn tooth.

I ended up with a Sherwood one with carbide blades, but I seem mostly to work on Jarrah. You may be fine. Check the interweb for reviews and opinions (there are plenty) too.

regards

The only downfall with the Sherwood unit is they have unique inserts forcing you to purchase replacements from Timbecon. There is one other place that stocks aftermarket inserts now so that keeps the cost of replacements down. They also sell carbide inserts for the other brands too at more competative pricing.
There is a new model of the Sherwood unit out now which has some nicer features than the original spiral head model, but I'm assuming they still use the same inserts.

If your looking at a benchtop machine then I assume you are more of a hobby woodworker, so because you can turn those cutters 4 times, they should last you for quite a few years.

I have the Sherwood unit as well. Aside from an initial warranty claim the unit has performed well. Having the true helical head with TCT inserts is really a step up from any lunch box style straight knife thicknesser and heaps quieter!

Thanks, I wasn't sure about the HSS blades. I've had a ryobi and was aware the straight blades dull quickly but wasn't sure if the inserts were slightly different.

In your opinion, is it worth spending the extra money to get the helical head with the cutters shearing the wood rather than the segmented cutterheads with the inserts at right angles to the wood?

Best advice i've been given when purchasing machinery.

Go and have a look and have a play. If they going to be portable, pick them up, lift them from the floor to the bench. Move anything that moves, inspect the leads, look at the build quality. You'll quickly get a feel for something that has been built to a price point and something that is built to last.

In answering your question, i'd go for the Carbatec. For a few reasons, the main being the weight of the machine, thicknessers need to be heavy otherwise they shake themselves apart, also don't be afraid of straight knives. Sure they are finicky to setup, but depending on what you feed through and how often you use it. I have no issues with my straight knife thicknesser, blades get pulled out once every few years for a sharpen and takes about two hours to re-install. The surface finish from sharp set of straight knives is almost finish ready.

I'd be sticking with one of the segmented or helical head types. My experience of straight knives is that they require more maintenance than I care to deliver. The segmented (Accu-head) cutting head that the Carbatec and H & F machines have can be fitted with carbide cutters. They're only 2 sided but will comfortably do multiple times the work straight knives or HSS cutters will.

The Sherwood, having a true helical cutter head with 4 sided cutters, would appear to provide the biggest bang for the buck. It weighs 35Kg, 3Kg less than the Carbatec, but 5Kg more than the H & F, so not significantly disadvantaged in the 'heft' stakes.

The H & F is $990 with a set of 2 sided carbide cutters.
The Carbatec is $1,149 with 2 sided HSS cutters. Budget approx. $120 for a set of 30 carbide cutters.
The Sherwood is $1,199 with a true spiral head and 4 sided carbide cutters.
The DeWalt is a considerably bigger investment, around $1,200 with straight knives and budget $500 on a helical head, but has a very good name and glowing reviews.

You takes your choice and pays your money.

Other considerations,

I believe Timbecon have released an updated version of their 13" deluxe thicknesser, to overcome a few gremlins.

If you plan on using figured woods a true spiral cutter head offers far superior results.

I own the Carbatec and have used both the H&F and the Dewalt retrofitted with a helical head. The Carbatec is heavier than the H&F and I find it gives a better finish. I haven't used the Sherwood but knowing it has a true helical head I would have bought it over the Carbatec if it had ben available back then.

However; the DeWalt is a superior machine altogether. I helped retro-fit a $600 helical head to one owned by a fellow member of my woodworking guild and it is just superb. That is the machine I would go for now.

! other feature with the Dewalt is the built in blower eliminating the need for dust extraction

I have the DW 735,
one day I might upgrade to the helical head

I'm very happy with it as it is for now it gives a very nice finish

Hodgo

I owned the Hafco unit for a while, it performed okay for what it was.
Nothing however prepared me for how loud that thing was, think small jet engine.
I would save more or look for a second-hand unit with an induction motor.

Forgot to mention that I have the DeWalt 735 with a helical cutter head. I won't be looking to upgrade any time soon.