Thread: Choosing a Thicknesser (DeWalt, Carbatec, Timbecon)

I've got the DeWalt 735, fitted with a CTS spiral cutterblock. It's an excellent machine and the only problem I've had was adjusting the infeed and outfeed tables to eliminate snipe, the adjustment is a bit of a PITA. I doubt that you would be able to eliminate the snipe without the infeed and out feed tables and as I understand it they don't come with the thicknesser but are sold as an accessory. I bought the thicknesser second hand so the pain in the wallet wasn't too bad.

If I was buying a new machine I would be sorely tempted by the Sherwood, the value is certainly there. Although many people seem very happy with the Carbatec, and it is possible to upgrade the cutters to carbide through SJE at reasonable cost, if you decided to take that route the price difference between the Carbatec and Sherwood would be exhausted by that purchase. You'd still not have a true helical cutter head and your cutters would have two sides instead of four - the Sherwood's looking better all the time IMO.

I have this one W815 - T-13S Bench Mount Thicknesser - Helical Head | Hare & Forbes Machineryhouse which looks very similar to the Sherwood unit
no complaints and would buy again
The spiral cutter is definitely an advantage over blades

Here's another one to throw in the mix. It says it's a helical head but the picture doesn't look like it is, just segmented but the T13S looks the same. Maybe it just doesn't show correctly in the photos but Beardy could confirm what it really has.
It does have the 4 screw adjustment for the head the same as the DeWalt and the H & F T13S which should help stabilise the head as the timber enters and exits hopefully reducing snipe a bit. The video in the link does mention this at the end.

Spend the extra and get the DeWalt. It's a 42kg well-built beast. I had a Hafco and the DeWalt at the same time, and the DeWalt was the goto (although it now sits unloved while the Hammer eats the wood).

If you must have spiral, then you can add it later, rather than end up with the low rent 'helicals' on the cheaper machines.

DeWalt has a 3 year warranty too (not sure what the others have)

I have the DeWalt and it is a wonderful machine. Finish is great from the 3 blades. Only complaint is that sometimes the rollers struggle to grab timber to self feed. I just use a homemade bag to collect chips. Extractor fan works very well

Originally Posted by Beardy

I have this one W815 - T-13S Bench Mount Thicknesser - Helical Head | Hare & Forbes Machineryhouse which looks very similar to the Sherwood unit
no complaints and would buy again
The spiral cutter is definitely an advantage over blades

Yes it does, thanks! However looking at the 8th picture on that website, it doesn't look like a Helical head

This looks like a straight edge?

https://images.machineryhouse.com.au...utter-Head.jpg

Originally Posted by Treecycle

Here's another one to throw in the mix. It says it's a helical head but the picture doesn't look like it is, just segmented but the T13S looks the same. Maybe it just doesn't show correctly in the photos but Beardy could confirm what it really has.
It does have the 4 screw adjustment for the head the same as the DeWalt and the H & F T13S which should help stabilise the head as the timber enters and exits hopefully reducing snipe a bit. The video in the link does mention this at the end.

Thanks for the suggestion. I wish they showed the blade pattern.

Originally Posted by Bernmc

Spend the extra and get the DeWalt. It's a 42kg well-built beast. I had a Hafco and the DeWalt at the same time, and the DeWalt was the goto (although it now sits unloved while the Hammer eats the wood).

If you must have spiral, then you can add it later, rather than end up with the low rent 'helicals' on the cheaper machines.

DeWalt has a 3 year warranty too (not sure what the others have)

Yes I'm very tempted
That said, do you know if it requires 15A?
I don't think I can power that in my house

Originally Posted by Mountain Ash

I have the DeWalt and it is a wonderful machine. Finish is great from the 3 blades. Only complaint is that sometimes the rollers struggle to grab timber to self feed. I just use a homemade bag to collect chips. Extractor fan works very well

thanks for the comment. I forgot to mention I have a DeWalt vac as well. This one:
DEWALT 1400W 38L Construction Dust Extractor M Class DWV902MXE | Total Tools

Do you know if I can use that with the DeWalt thicknesser?

Both the Carbatec CT-330X and the Hafco T13S machines are fitted with the Accu-head spiral cutter head. It's not a true helical head like the Byrd Shelix. The Rikon that Treecycle has linked to also appears to use the Accu-head - looks the same as the other two and uses 2 sided cutters, so highly unlikely to be anything different. Unlike the others the Timbecon unit, MBSC-1936, is fitted with a true helical spiral head. IMO there's a lot more value in the Timbecon unit, the others are only poor cousins. That doesn't mean that you wouldn't be happy with one of the others though, as previously noted there are many happy owners out there.

The DeWalt is about $1,300 and another $90 for the infeed and outfeed tables. If you fit a helical spiral head to it you won't get much change from $700, so around $2,100 all up. The Timbecon is $1,099, nothing else to buy.

The DeWalt 735 comes fitted with a 10 amp plug and you won't have any trouble using it on a 10 amp GPO.

Originally Posted by Treecycle

Here's another one to throw in the mix. It says it's a helical head but the picture doesn't look like it is, just segmented but the T13S looks the same. Maybe it just doesn't show correctly in the photos but Beardy could confirm what it really has.
It does have the 4 screw adjustment for the head the same as the DeWalt and the H & F T13S which should help stabilise the head as the timber enters and exits hopefully reducing snipe a bit. The video in the link does mention this at the end.

Mine came with a spiral cutter head with individual cutters with four cutting faces that you can rotate when needed
I have used it on ironbark, blackbutt etc

Originally Posted by Beardy

Mine came with a spiral cutter head with individual cutters with four cutting faces that you can rotate when needed

Not if it's the one you linked to it didn't. The pictures of the replacement inserts that H & F sell for that machine clearly show that they have only two cutting edges - W817 - W817 Carbide Inserts for Spiral Cutter Heads on Thicknesser | Hare & Forbes Machineryhouse - and the picture of the cutter head makes it clear that it's not a helical head.
I note that in their description H & F say that the machine has a 'helical cutter head' with a 'spiral shearing action'. Both those statements are wrong, the cutter is presented to the stock at 90 degrees, the same as conventional knives. I recollect that a member here brought this mis-description to their attention some time ago, clearly they haven't corrected it.

Another vote for the Dewalt which I have along with a Byrd Shelix Cutterhead upgrade.
And Adam, I see that your in Sydney, so if you’d like to view & play with one, the offer is on the table.
You can email or PM me to arrange.
Cheers Crowie


PS
Theirs one for sale in market place
Dewalt DW735 planer thicknesser

Another vote for the Dewalt which I have along with a Byrd Shelix Cutterhead upgrade and no regrets. It's a great machine and boy I've done a lot of work with it and it comes back for more. I got mine from a Black and Decker shop as a refurbish return and then I installed the Shelix Cutterhead.

Originally Posted by crowie

Another vote for the Dewalt which I have along with a Byrd Shelix Cutterhead upgrade.
And Adam, I see that your in Sydney, so if you’d like to view & play with one, the offer is on the table.
You can email or PM me to arrange.
Cheers Crowie


PS
Theirs one for sale in market place
Dewalt DW735 planer thicknesser

That's a really kind offer, thanks Crowie!
Might very well take you up on that
What dust extraction do you use with it?

Thanks for the details as well on the marketplace. Will await some pictures to see what it looks like.

Originally Posted by Superbunny

Another vote for the Dewalt which I have along with a Byrd Shelix Cutterhead upgrade and no regrets. It's a great machine and boy I've done a lot of work with it and it comes back for more. I got mine from a Black and Decker shop as a refurbish return and then I installed the Shelix Cutterhead.

I think this is the way I'm leaning as well; the Shelix cutterhead will be at least another year into the future. The DeWalt is expensive enough on its own.

Originally Posted by aussieadam

That's a really kind offer, thanks Crowie!
Might very well take you up on that
What dust extraction do you use with it?

Thanks for the details as well on the marketplace. Will await some pictures to see what it looks like.



I think this is the way I'm leaning as well; the Shelix cutterhead will be at least another year into the future. The DeWalt is expensive enough on its own.

I purchase a secondhand 2hp Jet from a forum member!
It works very well with the blower on the Dewalt