Kity Planer / Thicknesser 636 or SIP Planer / Thicknesser 10" x 6" - 01454

[Jaeger]

Looking for a reasonable planer/thicknesser and have come across the above.

My heart says Kity but I think it's quite a lot older than the Sip.
Can I ask them that knows, what your advice would be?

Mainly hobby use but I do come across some quite chunky, broad and long timber that needs cleaning up.

Thank you.

 

[Argus]

I bought a Kity 636 in 1991. Still have it.

It has been used intermittently since, occasionally hard when I worked freelance for a few years, and it's still working.

Two things:

1. You most definitely need a chip extractor if you are thicknessing with the collector bin hoisted over the top of the knife-block as intended. It serves as a knife-guard, and a spout for the extractor hose. If not, the whole thing will fill up after a couple of passes with a plank. If you take it off, you'll be up to your knees in the space of a morning.
2. The two cutters can be a pain to adjust, but there's a tried-and-tested technique and I never got any purpose-made jigs to function..... so it is done the old fashioned way, which takes a little time and practice.

With all that in mind...... it has been (still is) a very good machine....... but don't forget to factor in the essential chip extractor.

Then, you need to get rid of the huge bags of chippings!

Good luck.

P.S. - Keep your neighbours sweet - it can make a bit of a racket.

 

[Joshjosh]

Looking for a reasonable planer/thicknesser and have come across the above.

My heart says Kity but I think it's quite a lot older than the Sip.
Can I ask them that knows, what your advice would be?

Mainly hobby use but I do come across some quite chunky, broad and long timber that needs cleaning up.

Thank you.

I had a kity 636, owned it for 5 years from 2nd hand, worked great.
I recently sold it and got my money back from what I paid for it.

 

[Jaeger]

A zero for the Sip, I'm surprised.
Looks like Kity is, as expected the favourite.
Feel free to pitch in if you have any feedback.

 

[Fitzroy]

They are much of a muchness, along with the Record PT206 and Dewalt DW1150. Any of them would serve as a good first machine, Persoanlly it'd be the condition of each machine that swayed me rather than the original maker.

infeed and outfeed rollers in good condition
planer beds coplanar and free from chips on edges near the cutter block
cutter block free from damage
bearings nice and smooth
thicknesser bed moves smoothly with reasonable amount of back lash
fence included
cutter guard included
seller has changed blades at least once in the last few years so you know there are no stuck bolts in the cutter block.
change over from planer to thicknesser is effective
no dodgy switches bodged on
ideally remove covers and ensure none of the sprockets are missing teeth or badly worn

If you can find a machine 'one careful owner from new' even better. Ticking off most of the above and any of these machines should give you years of excellence service. Personally I have a DW1150 and it's great but the rubber infeed roller is getting worn and replacements are not available.

 

[Fergie 307]

I too have the Kity, very nice solid machine.