Bench top planer - Buying Assistance

[Marc the Robot]

Realistically, no but my point is it's 'that' much because it's essentially a tool that does two jobs - one of which I don't need it to do, so why pay for it?

I'd love for somebody to say, "yeah the SIP is a great tool" but I just know from experience in buying cheap tools that they really aren't and you get what you pay for. Somebody said once that the cast iron SIP units are better than the newer plastic/aluminium ones but finding one is not easy. One on eBay now looks oxidised to within an inch of it's life, the guy wants £90 for it (is fairly local to me) and I think when you're working to a relatively tight budget, there's not much room for error in the tools you get. As I say, it's a long damn story that nobody is interested in.

 

[transatlantic]

I tried the Rutlands one, which is the same as the Silverline and Sip one.

- The beds were not machined flat
- The rise fall mechanism did not result in the beds being parallel
- Fence was a joke
- Extremely loud
- Gets ridiculously hot within a minute
- Too small to be of any use really. And if the pieces were small enough, it didn't feel all that safe

In summary, it's not fit for purpose. It doesn't do the job that it was intended to do. Something I knew before buying it, but was hoping I was wrong.

At the end of the day though, it's all relative. People have different standards. You'll get one person say the Titan Thickness Planer is a joke, and then you'll see someone else say 'it hasn't skipped a beat'.

I made my own fence for it based on the Paoson Woodworking one. But in the end, I still wasn't happy, ... so sold it (for a very fair price)

 

[Marc the Robot]

At the end of the day though, it's all relative. People have different standards. You'll get one person say the Titan Thickness Planer is a joke, and then you'll see someone else say 'it hasn't skipped a beat'.

I think what it is with the Titan, is that the people who bought it had nothing better to compare it with. It's why I never really trust reviews online. A lot of hobbyists and DIYers who are perfectly happy with whatever cheap and cheerful machine they get - I'm not but I won't go into the details. I'm just going to accept the machine I want doesn't exist, and probably put the money down on a PT260 or variant at some point. I'll be on the lookout for a CT150. I was veering towards the Metabo HC260 but that fence...

This was the thing I saw on eBay - SIP unit with cast iron bed (I think?) and fence:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/6-SURFACE-PLANER/153384057110?hash=item23b666f916:g:wu4AAOSwlThcWC2l:rk:8f:0

 

[Myfordman]

I think you are looking for something that does not exist. If a machine was made properly like that you would not be able to lift it on and off the bench and quite likely by the time they had fitted a decent induction motor and a decent sized cutter head the working hight above the bench level would be too high.
I suggest you forget benchtop and have a floor standing machine on a mobile base so you can park it out of the way.
As you have found most in your price range are P/T. Because that is what most hobby budget people want - 2 machines in one.
Moving up to where people want/ prefer seperates the machines get big and expensive.
There is one you might like. No longer made for the UK market but a few around second hand and in your price range is the Jet 60A. Made before JET accountants came in and some poor designs came out with jet labels. A thoroughly solid machine and I totally trust mine. - oh yes and its not for sale!
Good luck

 

[Marc the Robot]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Jet-60a-Surface-Planer-Used-Heavy-Duty-Woodwork-Carpenter-Joinery-Tool/123662525725?hash=item1ccadc651d:g:84AAAOSwb-Jccubh:rk:5f:1&frcectupt=true

Too far for me, I'm afraid. Too brown a well

 

[transatlantic]

Looks like the Axminster one

https://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-t ... ner-104349

 

[OscarG]

think what it is with the Titan, is that the people who bought it had nothing better to compare it with. It's why I never really trust reviews online. A lot of hobbyists and DIYers who are perfectly happy with whatever cheap and cheerful machine they get - I'm not but I won't go into the details. I'm just going to accept the machine I want doesn't exist, and probably put the money down on a PT260 or variant at some point. I'll be on the lookout for a CT150. I was veering towards the Metabo HC260 but that fence...

I have the Titan, and like you said as a newbie woodworker I had nothing to compare it with. When I first tried to plane some wood I thought the machine was ****.

Now that a little older and (ever so slightly) more wiser I realise just how shambolically bad that machine is, what an utter waste of £140. Would have been far better saving the money and putting it towards something better.

I agree with you buying cheap power tools is a complete false economy.

I'd wait and see if something nice comes up on the Marketplace here.

 

[transatlantic]

think what it is with the Titan, is that the people who bought it had nothing better to compare it with. It's why I never really trust reviews online. A lot of hobbyists and DIYers who are perfectly happy with whatever cheap and cheerful machine they get - I'm not but I won't go into the details. I'm just going to accept the machine I want doesn't exist, and probably put the money down on a PT260 or variant at some point. I'll be on the lookout for a CT150. I was veering towards the Metabo HC260 but that fence...

I have the Titan, and like you said as a newbie woodworker I had nothing to compare it with. When I first tried to plane some wood I thought the machine was ****.

Now that a little older and (ever so slightly) more wiser I realise just how shambolically bad that machine is, what an utter waste of £140. Would have been far better saving the money and putting it towards something better.

I agree with you buying cheap power tools is a complete false economy.

I'd wait and see if something nice comes up on the Marketplace here.

What I find annoying though, is had the machine been say £250 (still half the price of the PT260 etc), it probably could have been fairly decent machine. Much better parts, a proper fence etc.

 

[Myfordman]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Jet-60a-Surface-Planer-Used-Heavy-Duty-Woodwork-Carpenter-Joinery-Tool/123662525725?hash=item1ccadc651d:g:84AAAOSwb-Jccubh:rk:5f:1&frcectupt=true

Too far for me, I'm afraid. Too brown a well

The brown will come off easily and you are gonna have to get real and be prepared to drive a few hundred miles round trip to get sound machines at your sort of prices. It splits into two to go into a modest car. I got mine into a focus.

 

[Marc the Robot]

£250 (still half the price of the PT260 etc

If I could find a PT260 for £500 that's basically the same as the Metabo HC260 albeit with a better fence, I'd be a relatively content person. The Record Power equivalent is around £800 new.

 

[transatlantic]

£250 (still half the price of the PT260 etc

If I could find a PT260 for £500 that's basically the same as the Metabo HC260 albeit with a better fence, I'd be a relatively content person. The Record Power equivalent is around £800 new.

Yeah - they've gone way up in price. They were £500 a few years ago though.

Just adds to my point though. There is too much of a price gap.

 

[Bodgers]

think what it is with the Titan, is that the people who bought it had nothing better to compare it with. It's why I never really trust reviews online. A lot of hobbyists and DIYers who are perfectly happy with whatever cheap and cheerful machine they get - I'm not but I won't go into the details. I'm just going to accept the machine I want doesn't exist, and probably put the money down on a PT260 or variant at some point. I'll be on the lookout for a CT150. I was veering towards the Metabo HC260 but that fence...

I have the Titan, and like you said as a newbie woodworker I had nothing to compare it with. When I first tried to plane some wood I thought the machine was ****.

Now that a little older and (ever so slightly) more wiser I realise just how shambolically bad that machine is, what an utter waste of £140. Would have been far better saving the money and putting it towards something better.

I agree with you buying cheap power tools is a complete false economy.

I'd wait and see if something nice comes up on the Marketplace here.

My experience with my Titan machine was so bad it got me into hand planes!

It is the reason why I now have a No. 7 jointer, a Veritas shooting plane a Stanley LA Jack and some ECE planes.

I have the Metabo lunchbox thicknesseser though, I am not a total masochist...

 

[Marc the Robot]

So...

After a week of searching, I've stumbled across a few. None new, which is probably going to have to be where I make a compromise. That and the fact I'm really limiting my choices by not opting to have a P/T unit.

Got my eyes on a relatively clean, near-30 year old Elektra Beckum HC260. Have been advised elsewhere they're quite sturdy units and are essentially the same as the Metabo, albeit made in Germany rather than China. Obviously an Axi CT150 is probably my best bet but the few I've seen have gone very, very quickly.

Does anybody have experience with the Elektra Beckum?

 

[Trevanion]

Does anybody have experience with the Elektra Beckum?

I haven't personally used one but I know someone that has one and they do seem to be a pretty good machine and fairly robust for a small machine. I know they do get rated pretty highly as a decent planer and I haven't really heard anything bad about them. I think Peter Parfitt of Youtube fame had one for years.

 

[memzey]

If I were in your shoes I’d be looking to plane up one side and edge with hand planes before thicknessing down with my thicknesser. Once you get the knack it really doesn’t take that long and is quite rewarding (as an amateur). If I were earning my living from woodworking I’d probably need a jointer machine eventually I guess. The main point is that thicknessing is where the really boring, hard graft is. Trueing up a face and squaring an edge to it can be relatively quick work once you are up to speed and of course, planes take up less space and can be cheaper and better quality than budget machinery. Another thing to consider but the choice is yours.

 

[Bodgers]

So...

After a week of searching, I've stumbled across a few. None new, which is probably going to have to be where I make a compromise. That and the fact I'm really limiting my choices by not opting to have a P/T unit.

Got my eyes on a relatively clean, near-30 year old Elektra Beckum HC260. Have been advised elsewhere they're quite sturdy units and are essentially the same as the Metabo, albeit made in Germany rather than China. Obviously an Axi CT150 is probably my best bet but the few I've seen have gone very, very quickly.

Does anybody have experience with the Elektra Beckum?

Still not 'bench top' though is it?

Sent from my Redmi Note 5 using Tapatalk

 

[Marc the Robot]

It isn't but it's dawning on me that my criteria limits my choices significantly. There seem to be a fair amount of them on eBay too - some [relatively] local. Most look in good condition. All within budget.

I'd rather pay £300 for something I'm going to use half of than £600. That said, I've had a few jobs recently that might push me towards an Axi AH106PT but again, it'd either render my Metabo redundant or half of the features on a £800 machine. Haven't come across a CT150 yet.

 

[Marc the Robot]

Haven't posted on here about this in a while but just to let people know who may be looking at this in 2051, but I picked up an old DeWalt DW50 P/T unit for £200 in good condition. New set of blades cost an extra £25. Haven't had a chance to use it yet but it's all looking good at the minute.

Had a lot of pot luck searching for different units - found an Elektra Beckum HC260 that went on eBay for too much, couple of different DeWalts in questionable condition, some ancient Coronets and Myfords that werent wide enough, and an odd Wadkin Tradesmen planer that I couldn't find any information for. Settled on the Dw50 in the end. Comes with a manual, etc.

Not a benchtop model but hopefully a good one nonetheless