Thread: Finally making a choice... maybe plane/jointer only but which one?

G'day Lloyd

Yes, combo machines can be expensive to get quality, but once you've gotten over that then life's good. This is my very recent experience, but it's in a different price range to what your are talking about.

HTH
Brett

Thanks Brett,

From your post i guess the extra cost doesn't guarantee perfection ...... Oh well the 8" jointer from Carbatec ( with spiral cutters) might have its own issues then.
It is really sad that the higher end units are not delivered without problems to overcome.

More research I think

Originally Posted by mumbo

From your post i guess the extra cost doesn't guarantee perfection ......

As far as performance and results go it's very, very good - and quiet. Just some obstacles to getting it going, and a couple of things that can be satisfied in a much cheaper way. With the Jet JPT310 there seem to be a number of (current and past) complaints about the tables. I hear that getting them co-planer is very difficult/impossible, and perhaps their flatness may be an issue (do some searching within here). I suspect that the cheaper you go the more this kind of problem (or similar) may arise. That's probably the difference between Chinese made and European made, but I'd be quite sure that some of the components of Euro are Chinese made and then "brought up to speed" - grinding of tables etc.

If Carbatec were willing to guarantee flatness and co-planer tables (even for a surcharge), it may be a good Jointer (only) solution. Just make sure that who ever is selling it tells you everything you need to know about getting it going. "Is there anything else I need to know" etc.

Plenty of second hand stuff here: Sell or Buy Combination Machine - Second Hand Combination Machine for sale Australia

Very often you can pick up a great second hand machine for the same money as an average new one. If you have (or are willing to get) three-phase power the options become much greater too.

Well all is good.....sort of.
I took the plunge and purchased the Jet310hh and a moving frame from Carbatec.

The unit is very quiet and seems to work well. I downloaded the US instruction book. ### is it with local suppliers. They pinch two pages from the US 40 page booklet and think we can guess the rest.

My only issue, after checking the alignment which seems spot on......( as if I'd know that.) is that there are what appear to be marks similar to angled 'tread' marks.
I am also baffled by some narrow 'patches' at right angle to the long feed side right across the 200mm plank.

If this is not normal I will try and load pics but any thoughts would be welcome.

Cheers
Loyd