Jet combo Planer/Thicknesser

[skara]

Hi Guys probable a stupid question but one I just don't know the answer to due to being relatively inexperienced. Would a Combo Planer/Thicknesser also work as a jointer or am I barking up the wrong tree. I have limited space so I'm trying to plan ahead with my shop fitout and looking at machines that may do multiple jobs but taking up the same amount of floor space.

Thanks

Damo

[orraloon]

Damo,
Yes it is a jointer and a thicknesser.
This place is about asking questions and none of them are stupid. Woodwork is a constant learning curve.
Regards
John

[Austin_Turner]

Yep it does and as an owner of the Jet 260mm combo I would say it does both tasks quite well, plan your projects so you do most of your timber preparation one task after another and the combo changeover doesn't get annoying.

[skara]

Thanks guys,

Thought that was the case but didn't want to walk into the shop sounding like a tard. If I end up getting one I was looking at the JPT310 straight knife one, I'd love the helical one but I don't think my skill level or budget would allow for it.

Cheers again.

[Dengue]

If you can possibly do so, wait a while and save up for the helical cutter and get it. So much better finish for grainy and cranky timber that is difficult to plane, and so much quieter. I could kill for one.

Am waiting for one to come out to replace my old, very noisy "portable" Elektra Beckum ( Metabo) 330 unit

[RoyG]

If you can possibly do so, wait a while and save up for the helical cutter and get it. So much better finish for grainy and cranky timber that is difficult to plane, and so much quieter. I could kill for one.

Damo,

I also have a Jet JPT-230, with the straight blades. I should have bought one with helical cutters, but I thought I wouldn't need it, and I thought I couldn't justify the additional cost (or at least SWMBO thought I couldn't justify the additional cost). Well, I was wrong. One thing I've learnt since I started buying woodworking equipment is that it is best to buy good quality tools, with all the important "bells and whistles", rather than trying to save a little money by skimping on the extras when you buy the initial machinery. I got the quality bit right - the Jet Combo machine meets and exceeds my quality expectations. But the straight blade cutters just can't handle some of the curly grained Aussie hard woods. My hand planes and scrapers have been getting a good workout cleaning up small areas of tear-out after the Jet Combo has done it's best.

When people first set out on their woodworking adventure, they generally don't know where the adventure will take them. They don't have many woodworking related skills when they start out, and often make a decision to not option up a machine with extras (such as helical cutters on a planner) when they first buy the machine.

When I bought my JPT-230, I could have had the helical cutters for roughly an extra $400. I decided not to get the helical cutters because my view of what sort of woodworking I'd be doing in the future was quite limited. I also at that time had no idea what standard of finish a straight cutter would give as compared with a helical cutter. Also, people had told me that "helical cutters are quieter", but I'd never actually heard the difference, so I made the assumption that the noise difference would not be that much.

I've now decided to upgrade my JPT-230 to helical cutters - that'll cost me well over $1,000, and if I have to pay someone to install the cutters for me (as I don't yet know what's involved in swapping over and aligning the cutter head), then that will be another additional cost.

It would have been far cheaper to buy the helical cutter version in the first place.....

Roy

[skara]

Thanks again guys, I have been looking into the helical cutter combo as I've seen and watched a few reviews regarding the helical cutters and yes while 20db isnt a great reduction I'm sure my neighbours will appreciate any quieting down of the tools. I actually like the idea of being able to individually rotate each blade if one gets damaged and I might be wrong but it just seems like a better option being able to change out sections of the blade as needed in the event of hitting something harder then wood. That all being said I hear everyone raving about the difference in quality of the cut so yeah if and when I get one I think I'll save just a little more for the better model.

I only have a 6 x 3.5 meter shed so I have to be pretty inventive with how I make it all work but I think I have a pretty good system that will allow me to easily move my machinery around with out bumping or beating on them, will cost a little extra but I think it will be worth it in the long run. Might shoot up some cad images for peoples feedback and experience.

Thanks guys trying to soak up as much as I can from where ever I can.

[Dengue]

Actually 20dB is a very significant reduction in sound level. Every 3dB reduction reduces the level of noise by half. Have a look at this chart here

[safari]

A friend owned the JTP 260 with straight blades for a short time. He found great difficulty in getting a good finish without snipe because (he thinks) the out feed table has no adjustment making it imperative to set the blade height spot on.

By all reports the 310 with helical head is the one to go for and sounds like it would serve your needs well into the future. I have seen plenty of posts where woodworkers have bought equipment (me included) that seemed to fill the bill at the time and was cheaper only to regret it later so I would say that if you can, save a bit longer to get a machine you know will do the job.

[RoyG]

A friend owned the JTP 260 with straight blades for a short time. He found great difficulty in getting a good finish without snipe because (he thinks) the out feed table has no adjustment making it imperative to set the blade height spot on.

As a current owner of a JPT-260, I can confidentially say that I haven't seen a problem with snipe (in either planner or thickneser mode) in the nearly twelve months that I've owned mine, and I've run a wide variety of softwoods and hardwoods through the machine. Jet provide a Blade Alignment Jig with each machine and it's used to align the blades when installing them after sharpening, etc. Although the jig is basically only a piece of U channel steel with some precision machining in places, if you follow the instructions in the owner's manual, you end up with accurately adjusted blades.

There are adjustments for the infeed and outfeed table in the Planer mode, as well as adjustments for the rollers, cutters and lower table in the Thicknesser mode. I haven't had to fiddle with any of those adjustments as yet, but they are there if needed. These adjustments aren't mentioned in the owner's manual, but are visible if you poke your head "under the bonnet". I made some enquiries to Jet USA regarding the correct use of these adjustments (in preparation for installing a helical cutter soon) and Jet told me that the adjustments are not mentioned in the Owner's Manual because "the adjustments are set at the factory and should not need changing in normal service". After further prompting, Jet advised me to take it to my local "Jet Repair Workshop" if the machine needed adjusting. After advising Jet USA that they don't have an authorised repair workshop in Australia, they advised that there was a Workshop Manual available from Jet Europe (the JPT series machines are made in Austria), so I've ordered a copy and I'm waiting for it to arrive.

I don't have an explanation for why your friend's JPT-260 exhibited snipe - it's not normal on my machine, or on the two JPT-260 machines that I've used that are owned by Woodwork Club. There could be any number of reasons for the snipe. Maybe the blades were not aligned according to the Owner's Manual - the procedure in the Owner's Manual does seem to be back the front, but Jet's published procedure works. I haven't tried, but maybe if a person ignored the recommended process because it looks back the front, and instead used a different process, then maybe you could end up with incorrectly set blades and as a result end up with snipe. If the machine was new, then it should have been fixed as a warranty claim. If it was a used machine when your friend bought it, then maybe someone had previously "made adjustments" for some reason, and ended up with snipe.

That's my two cents worth.

Regards,

Roy

[safari]

Thanks for the reply Roy. The machine was purchased new but despite a lot of fiddling he could not get it right. He also got a machinery tech in to see if it could be fixed without result. I am sure he did not know about the adjustments you mention. The problem has now been fixed because he gave up and sold it and bought an 8 inch Carbatec jointer and a 15 inch thicknesser both with helical heads. Pretty drastic but it solved his problems.