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24th April 2013, 05:02 PM #1Senior Member
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Carbatec Vs Jet Vs Hafco Benchtop Thicknessers. Which one?
Having just acquired a Carbatec Deluxe 6" jointer I am now curious about a thicknesser to round out my workshop. Space is a consideration and budget is limited. I have narrowed it down to the three below and was wondering about your thoughts. Is it really work getting the spiral head thicknesser from Carbatec or will the Jet or Hafco with traditional blades be fine for thicknessing hardwoods suitable for furniture building?
Looking forward to your experience/opinions of these machines.
Jet Benchtop 12" Thicknesser : CARBA-TEC
Carba-Tec® 13" Spiral Head Thicknesser : CARBA-TEC
W805 | T-330 Deluxe Thicknesser | machineryhouse.com.au
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24th April 2013 05:02 PM # ADSGoogle Adsense Advertisement
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24th April 2013, 06:11 PM #2
carbatec spiral
Get the spiral carbatec best choice of the 3.
If used properly you can get a finish of the cutters equal to 240g so little finishing required.
Will cut knarley grain easier and better than traditional blades.Jim Carroll
One Good Turn Deserves Another. CWS, Vicmarc, Robert Sorby, Woodcut, Tormek, Woodfast
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24th April 2013, 08:47 PM #3
Cant comment on the Jet or Carbatec but having owned the Hafco T-330 for quite a few years, i wouldnt buy another one.
Admittedly i got mine not long after release (mine has serial no.0000027 or there-about's) so it may have some early build niggles.
The spindle bearings failed (which cracked the motor housing at the same time), the spindle lock mechanism has never been the best and dust extraction is below par. And as with most bench-top units, it makes a hell of a racket. Having said that, It has planed quite a bit of redgum.
I might have got a dodgy example though, they may be improved now.
I stepped up not long ago to a Carbatec CTJ-381 and couldnt believe how quiet it is in comparison. But i wish i could have stretched to a spiral head (i've already started saving).
Steven.
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25th April 2013, 08:07 AM #4Senior Member
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Thanks for the replies guys. You have confirmed my suspicion and what I have heard about the Hafco. It seems the traditional blade thicknessers are rapidly becoming 'old hat' and spiral cutters are the go. Out of interest how do traditional bench style blade thicknessers perform? Can I expect a nice surface from something like the Jet or others like a Dewalt, or are they fairly inefficient and rough and therefore require a fair bit of sanding/hand planing etc., to get a flat surface?
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29th April 2013, 09:24 AM #5Intermediate Member
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29th April 2013, 10:33 PM #6Senior Member
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I am interested in these thicknessers as well....
Looking at pictures of the two, the JET looks more sturdy..... and yet the CarbaTec has the spiral cutter.....
Are you getting a weaker machine with the better cutting head in the Carbatec? Or am I better off getting the JET if it is indeed built sturdier?
Cheers
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30th April 2013, 08:21 AM #7Intermediate Member
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2nd May 2013, 10:56 AM #8Senior Member
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9th May 2013, 09:34 PM #9Senior Member
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Im not sure about the jet but i have the spiral cutter one from carbatec and it is well built.
the cut is really good, nice and smooth but youll still need to sand.
Ive put through some old jarrah railway sleepers and it didnt lag or sound like it was struggling at all and they were some thick cuts.
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9th May 2013, 09:51 PM #10Senior Member
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Railway Sleepers!!!
I didnt think it was capable of that.... I have no intention of putting something so heavy duty through, but I do have a fair bit of old Jarrah I like to work with, so that is nice to know....
Thanks for the feedback, heading up to Perth in a couple of weeks time, hopefully have the ute full on the way back!
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9th May 2013, 09:53 PM #11
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10th May 2013, 09:16 AM #12
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20th June 2021, 06:31 PM #13New Members
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I come... FROM THE FUTURE!!!! Woooooooo!
Nope, single blade thicknessers are still the majority. I think the spirals just cost too much to make, and have a smaller profit margin, so they're not pushed as much. In the market for one atm, which is what brings me here. Oh well!
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20th June 2021, 09:33 PM #14GOLD MEMBER
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29th June 2021, 08:34 PM #15Taking a break
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Both. Just had a look at SCM, Felder, and Robland, and spirals are just an option from entry level all the way to flagship.
There's many hours of machine time to make a helical head and that costs money, I don't think straight knife heads are going away any time soon.
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