Carbatec vs Delta Thicknesser 12½”

[mat]

Is it worth spending the extra $300 to get the Delta over the Carbatec model. I have heard that the single sided blades on the delta are easier to set up and that the drive train is possibly better on the Delta. Any other comments out there?

Is anyone completely happy with their Carbatec 12½ model?

[glenn k]

I have a Carbatec thicknesser. It is underpowered and does shut down from over heating often it will not remove more than 1mm at a time. On wide hard boards half mm is too much at times.
Now after running it down I have dressed a house frame though it and have done many wood work projects over the last 5 years and it is still going. A dust extractor helps.

[Ben from Vic.]

I have no experiance with the Carba-Tec, so I can't comment on that one.
I do have the Delta, bought it about two or three months ago, have had no problems with it. It's main task over the past few months has been to clean-up and thickness some F17 hardwood 45 x 90's which I then laminated into 90 x 90's and finished to 85 x 85 (15 meters of it).

It will take a full (three mm I think) depth cut in the 90mm hardwood without to much trouble, I also ran two pieces at the same time, no problem (about 1mm cut).

Only one grip so far, the little screws that are used when adjusting the infeed/outfeed tables are a bit soft and will be replaced (by me) with small bolts.

I got mine for closer to $700 than $800.

Ben.

[dereg]

I bought the Delta from Carbatec about 6 months ago and it works just fine. .The salesman revcmmended the Delta because he said that they had had a lot of problems with the Carbatec model.

[Toggy]

see if they are prepared to open the units up & check the drive roller chains.

You will find out which machine has cut costs by the weak crap chain used.

I have had a faded orange brand 12.5" unit (with cheap crap chain) for quite a while, but it has done next to no work until 2 days ago. I could hear a strange noise coming from it when I was wearing earmuffs. Pulled is apart & serviced it. The obviously cheap small amount of grease put on the drive chains was hard & had fallen off them. Cleaned it up, oiled it with chainsaw cutterbar oil (thick & hangs on-- motorcycle chain lube would be the same). Also polished the platten whilst I was at it. Did a top job on some blackwood today.
The distributors will probably dispute my ideas on the chain quality, but a friend who also bought 1 at the same time snapped a drive chain on the 1st use. The chain links on mine are loose already and either badly worn or poorly made. An old pushbike chain is heaps better quality.

Ken

[Justin]

Hi Mat,

I had a cheapy 12.5" Geetech model, and the one bit of advice I would give is to seriously consider looking at a 15 inch unit and save yourself the pain of buying twice in the long term.

If you're prepared to spend Carbatec's list price of $799.00 for the Delta 12.5 inch, then perhaps it's not too much of a stretch to wait for the woodworking show to come to your part of town in September. Prices on, for example, Carbatec's 15 inch CTJ-680 will probably be pretty close to a grand. For the extra couple of hundred bucks you'll get so much more for your money - starting with cast iron construction and an induction motor, instead of sheetmetal and a universal motor on the 12.5 inch units.


Cheers,


Justin.