Best Planer Thicknesser Under £2000

[Nick O]

Hello Guys, sorry if I've posted this in the wrong place or the subject is done to death, i couldn't find an answer.

Time to get a new Planer thicknesser, and I'm looking for a reason not to go for the axy spiral cutter one.

Axminster Trade Series AT107PT Planer Thicknesser

They're a pleasure to deal with and I like the spiral cutter and their 2 year guarantee, but I'm afraid there is a better one out there that i don't know about. If anyone has any suggestions I'd love to hear them.

I make furniture, and the quality of the finish is a bigger deal than the width of the table.

Thank you

Nick

 

[johnnyb]

I paid less than your budget for an axminsters at129 spiral.it was a 11month return. Go to eBay axminster outlet but it's a real mixed bag of stuff with no guarantees.
At that price i don't see any spiral alternatives. Used there's many normal knife options. I'd recommend a Sedgwick mb.
Hammer are good but over budget at least for spiral.
Read my review on the tool reviews practically same machine. Tersa knives are a desirable option( on par with spiral heads)

 

[dexter]

I second the suggestion for a Sedgwick, in your price range you should be able to pick up a very nice 2nd hand model. They’re practically bomb proof, give an excellent finish and spares are still available. Built to last.

 

[johnnyb]

They are noisy though.the axminster is very quiet in comparison. This makes a difference in a home workshop.

 

[custard]

A chap on this forum bought the Axi with spiral block about a month ago, run a search and you'll find it.

I don't have a spiral block but I'd dearly love one for the superb finish they give on highly figured timbers. However, they seem better suited to furniture makers rather than joiners, because they restrict the maximum depth of cut you can take with a single pass.

I'm not sure exactly what £2k buys you these days, but an accurate digital read out on the thicknesser is a very useful facility.

 

[memzey]

I have a Tersa machine and like it very much. I’ve never used a spiral cutter but some on here have stated that they are excellent at taming wild or highly figured grain - better than all the other alternatives apparently. I’ve yet to use such stock but plan to shortly so i suppose I’ll find out how good they are at that in due course. In terms of noise my Sedgwick MB with Tersa head is definitely quieter than a normal three or two knife machine. I expect some of that is due to the extra knife and some due to the mass of the machine deadening the noise (it is heavy). A chap on here a while back was saying that the geometry of the knives was also a factor but I’m not competent to comment on that.

What I will say is that the Tersa system has an awful lot going for it in that you can swap all four (double sided) knives out in about a minute. This means you can have a scrub side for ropey stock, a normal side that’s still sharp and a fresh side for best (rotating them through the roles as they get worn out).

As I say, I’ve never used a spiral head - they might be even better at certain jobs - but the Tersa system is very good and certainly worth considering. I also picked up my MB second hand for a lot less than your budget and there are many out there for less than £2k.

Good luck with whatever you choose.

 

[deema]

Another vote for the Sedgwick with a Terwa head. I tried the spiral head and IMO it was a faff to remove the cutters / need to clean up the resin build up, replace the cutter and screw without dropping it on the floor, ensuring I’d tightened the screw up properly. The Teresa system is absolutely fool proof.

I also have a sander so that I take down the stuff on the planter and if I’m getting tear out take it down the last bit on the sander. There occasionally come up 12” wide belt sanders with enough HP to take off a proper amount of material to make them worth while.

Look out for the SCM 410 that seem to pop up every now and again secondhand which would fit into your price bracket. They are really good heavy machines, and IMO more ridged and heavier build than the Sedgwick. The only thing I don’t like about them is the arm that holds the guard and the lift up tables. I prefer the planer tables to be fixed.

 

[memzey]

I too prefer the rigidity of fixed tables and the zero chance of them getting knocked out of alignment. To be fair however, I think there is a price you pay for that in suboptimal chip extraction. I have the factory dust hood on my machine hooked up to a 2hp extractor and while it probably collects 90-95% of chips, some of the newer machines, with lift off tables, leave basically nothing behind. I personally don’t mind a bit of clearing up after a long session of planing and thicknessing and I’m dead chuffed with the Sedgwick but every user has there own priorities so, it’s only fair to mention that as some might find it a bit off putting.

 

[mrpercysnodgrass]

A chap on this forum bought the Axi with spiral block about a month ago, run a search and you'll find it.

I don't have a spiral block but I'd dearly love one for the superb finish they give on highly figured timbers. However, they seem better suited to furniture makers rather than joiners, because they restrict the maximum depth of cut you can take with a single pass.

I'm not sure exactly what £2k buys you these days, but an accurate digital read out on the thicknesser is a very useful facility.

I'm that 'chap' and I have to say I am so impressed with the AT129PT with the spiral cutter block. It is quieter than my chip extractor and leaves an incredibly smooth finish. Last week I planed down a Mahogany leaf from a card table veneered with Rio Rosewood. I was able to plane it down to 2mm saving the rosewood with all its patina so that I could repair another regency piece. Try that with HSS knives or a Felder with tersa blocks and you will be left with regency kindling!
Nic O, if you could stretch your budget the extra £375 you would not regret it.

 

[wallace]

For that money you could go old school and get something with huge capacity. Wadkin made some p/t's with shear cut heads which are quite nice.