Any Thicknesser Recommendations?

[Batavia]

I am considering buying a portable thicknesser (no space in the workshop for a decent planer/thicknesser) and the choice seems to boil down to either DeWalt or Makita.

 

Does anyone have any experience/recommendations which might help me choose between them?

 

Thanks

 

Chris G

[David Schweizer]

I am considering buying a portable thicknesser (no space in the workshop for a decent planer/thicknesser) and the choice seems to boil down to either DeWalt or Makita.

 

Does anyone have any experience/recommendations which might help me choose between them?

 

Thanks

 

Chris G

I have a number of portable thicknessers in my workshop, they are called called Try (or Jack) Planes. Never found any real need for a noisy machine that throws dust all over the place, and which takes longer to clear up than doing the job by hand in the first place.

 

Waits for all the Luddite comments.

Edited November 1, 2009 by David Schweizer

[Batavia]

I have a number of portable thicknessers in my workshop, they are called called Try (or Jack) Planes. Never found any real need for a noisy machine that throws dust all over the place, and which takes longer to clear up than doing the job by hand in the first place.

 

Waits for all the Luddite comments.

I have some of these too - but mine are metal, rather than wooden, like yours!

 

It is the sheer quantity of wood to be thicknessed for a number of future projects that forces me in the direction of automation.

 

Chris G

[soldthehouse]

I have a number of portable thicknessers in my workshop, they are called called Try (or Jack) Planes. Never found any real need for a noisy machine that throws dust all over the place, and which takes longer to clear up than doing the job by hand in the first place.

 

Waits for all the Luddite comments.

One luddite is enough for any forum. On a more constructive note having been a specialist joiner furniture maker for over 20 yrs I would advise on buying the most powerful machine that funds will allow even if that means buying older as the most common mistake in buying any equipment is to go for something that will only just do, overcapacity is everything in my humble opinion.

[leolady too]

I can vouch for the Dewalt. I've had one for several years and used it a lot (by hobbyist standards) and it's excellent and still going strong.

[capnthommo]

I would advise on buying the most powerful machine that funds will allow even if that means buying older as the most common mistake in buying any equipment is to go for something that will only just do

 

i agree. better to have 20% in hand than have the machine straining too often. the largest tool consistent with the required quality/funding available.

apart from that, although this is purely personal bias, i would probably tend towards makita rather than dewalt.

can i have a lend next year? (not really)

cheers

nigel

Edited November 1, 2009 by capnthommo

[DHutch]

There was a 10inch semi-portable planner thicknesser at school that i used (had used for me) to plan up all the wood for my bookcase project.

- I never got the name, but considering it was all pressed out of 1.5mm steel and some bits flexed alarmingly for something trying achive a stright output its actually didnt do a bad job at all and its main limitation proved to be the lenght of the planer table as at 4ft (only about 2ft each side) you clearly couldnt rely on it produce a stright non-curved edge on a 3ft6 plank.

 

Would i have one, definatly.

- In terms of wood work lathes it would be a real toss up for me bwtween a bandsaw a pillar drill and a planner thickness which came first of the large powertools. Although i would now get a metalworking lathe before any of them.

 

 

 

 

Daniel

[Timleech]

I've had one of the DeWalt portable thicknessers for a few years, can't say I'm very impressed with it and haven't used it for a while. Would happily part with it for a modest sum, it's 110 Volt though.

 

Tim

[soldthehouse]

There was a 10inch semi-portable planner thicknesser at school that i used (had used for me) to plan up all the wood for my bookcase project.

- I never got the name, but considering it was all pressed out of 1.5mm steel and some bits flexed alarmingly for something trying achive a stright output its actually didnt do a bad job at all and its main limitation proved to be the lenght of the planer table as at 4ft (only about 2ft each side) you clearly couldnt rely on it produce a stright non-curved edge on a 3ft6 plank.

 

Would i have one, definatly.

- In terms of wood work lathes it would be a real toss up for me bwtween a bandsaw a pillar drill and a planner thickness which came first of the large powertools. Although i would now get a metalworking lathe before any of them.

 

 

 

 

Daniel

I agree and from memory the portable benchtop thicknessers which Ipresume we are talking about are relatively expensive in relation to say a Kity 636 or its present equivalent and these are a cracking little planer thicknesser and I have had three at various times for convenience

Edited November 1, 2009 by soldthehouse

[Batavia]

Thanks for the comments to date.

 

Ideally, I would certainly go for a decent planer/thicknesser, but whatever I buy has to satisfy the following constraints:

• Be storeable in the workshop - which at 13' x 8' already contains wood and metal lathes, small jig borer, large Meddings pillar drill with an X-Y table, Elu flip-over saw, bandsaw, etc., etc.;
  
• Be liftable into the garden (and in and out of the boat) to be used;
  
• Be transportable between house and boat on a sack barrow.
  

This pretty much drives me down the route of a portable machine (which would probably be cheaper than moving to a house where I could build a much larger workshop).

 

I have seen both the DeWalt and Makita machines in use on site and the work they produce seems perfectly acceptable, provided that one takes things slowly and sets up decent infeed and outfeed tables.

 

Chris G

[Ray]

Chris

 

Don't under estimate the "mess" they make, even with a chip extractor connected. I can understand the desire to use it on or near the boat but I don't think I'd recommend it.

 

My thicknesser/planer is at home, mounted on a homemade base with wheels, rather than the leg kit that came with it. I pre-prepared all the trim for our boat at home whilst we were fitting out. I may have spent a few extra pounds on wood and made a few extra bits and, on occasions, had not taken enough to the boat, but I think that I probably saved the equivalent in time in clearing up and carting the thing about.

 

Ray

[carlt]

My portable thicknesser is B&Q's Performance Power jobbie that I've fed a 25' 9"x2" oak plank through, with careful positioning of rollers and help from a few bodies.

 

I've just looked at the website, though, and the 'MacAllister' one they've listed has a piddly little 1100W motor, so I don't think it is man enough for big jobs.