Draper Planer/Thicknesser

[mooed]

Hi,

I'm currently looking at buying my first (last hopefully) planar/thicknesser. Been waiting for a decent second hand one for a while and was just about to buy new when it turns out a fiend of a friend is selling a second hand draper one. They are after 200 for it which is well below my budget but I can always find something else to do with the cash

Anyone any experince with the Draper 78942, seems half decent for but not what I'd buy it I was buying new/full price. Got a few Draper tools (biscuit jointer and bench sander) that I'm very happy with.

Thanks, Vic

 

[Steve Maskery]

Sorry Mooed but only you can answer that. It's a budget machine at a budget price. I've never seen one, but I can guess the standard. If you are happy with other Draper tools it may be just what you are looking for. It's horses for courses. If your work is within its limitations (and ALL machine have their limitations) then you may well be happy, as you are with your other Draper tools. And if your expectation exceed its capabilities, you will be disappointed. I'm not sure anyone can hep you with that (although I grant you that an existing user would possibly be of more use than a philosopher like me).
I have a Kity with which I've be quite happy for many years. Others would not countenance such a modest machine, and indeed, I would not buy it from choice at this stage in my workshop life, but it's what I have and it has helped me to make a houseful of furniture. I've never regretted buying it.
Good luck with your decision, I wish I could be more specifically helpful.
S

 

[RogerP]

It's one of several * "badge engineered" examples of this Far Eastern PT. I have the SIP version which is almost identical.

Very pleased with mine. It's done a lot of work without problems. It's induction motored so is not excessively noisy like the brush motor PTs.

I hope you have a good chip/dust extractor

* Metabo, Electra Beckum, Record Power and others.

 

[mooed]

Thanks for the replies guys.

RE RogerP: I think I may well take a punt, wish we could go back to when companies made stuff rather than rebaging stuff, until you get someting you never know if you are paying extra for the badge or getting somethig where they've asked for better specs. The list price is £650 so figure if it's no good I should get probably get most of my cash back on ebay when someone thinks they are getting a bargin.

Re Steve Maskery: I appreciate to get what you pay for, I wouldn't even consider it if I was paying the list price. I'm very happy with the Draper tools I have, but the are only very basic tools where to be honest nothing much can go wrong. Won't normally consider for something substainial but for asking price vs list price. BTW, made a buch doweling with your jig a couple of months ago, marvelous thanks!

 

[mooed]

I hope you have a good chip/dust extractor

I hope. That corner of the workshop only has 2"1/4 installed that feeds into a 4" trunk with a couple of twists before it gets to the extractor. It handles clearing stuff when doing skirting boards on the router table, would that handle it?

 

[RogerP]

I hope you have a good chip/dust extractor

I hope. The corner of the workshop only has 2"1/4 installed that feeds into a 4" trunk with a couple of twists before it gets to the extractor. It handles clearing stuff when doing skirting boards on the router table, would that handle it?

You'll need 4" straight into the PT

 

[blackrodd]

Hi,

I'm currently looking at buying my first (last hopefully) planar/thicknesser. Been waiting for a decent second hand one for a while and was just about to buy new when it turns out a fiend of a friend is selling a second hand draper one. They are after 200 for it which is well below my budget but I can always find something else to do with the cash

Anyone any experince with the Draper 78942, seems half decent for but not what I'd buy it I was buying new/full price. Got a few Draper tools (biscuit jointer and bench sander) that I'm very happy with.

Thanks, Vic

Best thing would be to try it out if possible. If it feeds and actually DOES take off 1 or 2mm whatever is claimed or specified on the whole thicknessing width then it probably will serve you well. It's not always easy to justify spending thousands on a wish list of machinery. I've had several draper items in the past and had no problems! Regards rodders

 

[mooed]

You'll need 4" straight into the PT

:-( Guess that upgrade is going to have to start sooner that I intended. At least if I get this I'll have some spare cash for new hosing/pipes

 

[mooed]

Best thing would be to try it out if possible. If it feeds and actually DOES take off 1 or 2mm whatever is claimed or specified on the whole thicknessing width then it probably will serve you well.

Thanks Rodders, the advice is appreciated. I'll find a bit scrap that is at the extremities, only thought to take a couple of bits at sizes that I'd be expecting to use immediately.

Cheers, Vic

 

[mooed]

I just thought I'd update this in case anyone else ever considers buying one.

I bought this and I'm very happy with it, does what it claims with excellent results, but wouldn't have paid full price (would have gone with brand with better spare part support). Only "problem" is the weight, was not expecting it to weigh as much as it does, while I've since took it off the table and onto a bench with some wheels on it is still cumbersome to move about in my limited space. As the majory of stuff I want to thickness is 1-2 inches for panels/boards I took some of the cash I saved I got a smaller, Woodstar PT85 that I can keep tucked away and use the Drapper primarily as a planar, saves a lot of time switching between modes. I'm also impressed with the PT85 for the price, a bit of a pain only having a small thickessing table size but only cost £170 new.

I should mention I've only used pine on these so far but that is pretty much all I work with.