Thread: Hafco T-260 Planer Thicknesser - opinions?

I am doing the same. Will wait to see replies

I'm currently leaning toward a Carbatec Jointer Planer Combination, but still researching.

Has any one used the WoodFast 12" Planer Thicknesser?

http://www.carbatec.com.au/store/ind...=180_400_20067

Originally Posted by boxers

I am doing the same. Will wait to see replies

Gidday, i'm also looking at both machines, but like the hafco because of price. I think it has a larger motor, but only has 2 blades from what i can gather. Would like to get other vies on this.

Guys, make sure you read this post through, it is all about the 106 and the 392 which by all guestimates are the same machine but a different colour.

I recently moved my dad's 392 to my place and reserected it. I love now having access a thicknesser/jointer but find that it is a frustrating beast. Mine does not feed well with narrow stock and when it does it skews it. I find it is very capable of planing jarrah all day, no problems with power and when it is feeding well the cut is smooth, even with curly grain.

The jointer drives me nuts as I find it impossible to get the fence square to the table. When I shim one end, the other end flexes and moves. Then when you do get it right, it goes out of square as soon as you remove it to use the machine in thicknesser mode, so then you have to do it all over again when you return to jointer mode. I also find that the fence is far from flat and is hollow in the middle as has been reported by BobL as well. This is no problem if you are jointing boards that are 45mm high or 140mm high but anything in between does not joint square. An aftermarket fence if available would make these a far superiour machine to what they are now in my opinion.

Now that I have had one for a month would I buy one. Not likely. If it was the only machine I could afford and there was no chance I could ever get anything else, then maybe, but only after I had exhausted all other options. At the end of the day it is horses for courses but I am not a patient man when it comes to setting up machinery, I want to use it, not tune it for half an hour first.

I too am waiting on reports of how the woodfast machine compares. But until dad returns from treking around and wants his back I will be saving my pennies to try and afford a better machine. The woofast is a 50mm wider and is completely different in the way the tables fold. I looked quickly at one in Carbatec yesterday and it's floor price was only about $400 more than the 106 and I think I would find the extra 50mm of thicknessing capacity worth that.

I picked up a T361 thicknesser on ebay like brand new condition no saw dust or suface rust for $850 beUdiful love it

Thanks guys for your input.
Burnsy thanks too I have also looked at the 392 in Hobart http://www.moonahmachinery.com.au/default.asp?cid=48
which as you say looks just a different colour. He is asking $1050.

I am working on the financial controller and trolling through the trading post and ebay hoping to hit on a bargain. It helps a little sometimes if you have time on your side - I can use it to allow the wood sitting in the shed to acclimatise.

The latest edition of Australian Wood Review has a comparision of this and three other planer/jointers. From memory, I think it concluded this one was a bit on the cheapo side.

Gaz

G'day guys.

I have read the latest Wood Review and it whilst it is not a particularly decisive review it tends to lean toward the Woodfast. I have a handful of dollars at my disposal and will buy the Woodfast on spec I think. Even though it is more expensive I haven't been let down by the "you get what you pay for" addage so far where my workshop is concerned. I will dutifully report back to the forum with my results.

For what it's worth, however, I put a lot of stock on the reviewer stating that extra size in all dimensions was a good thing where these machines were concerned. As well he rated the fence quite highly, which makes sense, and the conversion form one mode to the other was relatively quick. I think the only thing he didn't really like was the cutter or bridge guard was a little perfunctory(?).

Good luck everybody.

LGC

My plans are on hold as I'm waiting to find out if I'm going OS, If I do it will be about 6-8 months, given warranties are only 12 months, I been told by SWMBO to wait until I get back.

Good Luck

Dear Guys,

From what I can gather, the original machine of the type - the Elektra Beckum HC260 - was a Good Device. The trick down here in End User Land (where quite often we only get dished up Clone-Krap) is to try to work out which of the clones (some of them would be clones of clones ) are decent, and which aren't...

I like the concept of this particular machine - not just for it's quietness and affordability, but also for it's relative lack of unnecessary mass due to the use of cast-aluminium jointing tables. EB/Metabo seems to be about the only manufacturer that does this - the same technique is employed on their 85kg HC300 12" Combo which is available here for not much less than $3000. They stick with a cast-iron thicknessing table, though, because this needs to be a little tougher since the timber is being forced down onto it by feedroller-downforce in addition to timber self-weight. Luckily from a weight point of view, the clones seem to have copied the strategy, without perhaps even understanding it. If the concept appeals, the difficulty is thus in finding a clone-version that has been decently put together without too many compromises and shortcuts.

Pity there isn't some annual international industry round-up mag called "Cloned Krap - Who's Copying What, Who's Selling It, And Is It A Good Version..."

Best Wishes,
Batpig