should i buy a wadkin bao/s planer thicknesser

[danomite]

hi, someone has offered me a 3 phase wadkin bao/s 12 inch planer thicknesser for £550, in working order.

please give me your opinion if you are knowledgeable on the subject or have first hand experience with the machine.

i basically wouldnt want to spend much more but i dont want to buy something that is going to need upgrading because ive done that too many times!!! for general use using hardwoods.

any advise would be greatly appreciated, cheers, Dan

(it comes from a trusted source)

 

[munkypuzel]

Great machine, should never need replacing unless you require more width.. £550 is a good price is it is in good nick.. Rusty old pigs can make that sort of money!

 

[kirkpoore1]

If:

1. It can be demonstrated under power to your satisfaction.
2. There are no breaks in the castings .
3. No other obvious signs of abuse.

Or:
4. You are comfortable with changing bearings, belts, etc or are willing to learn how.
5. You have additional money & time to invest in a rehab and the tools required.
6. Are not intimidated by a mechanical and electrical challenge.

Then go ahead with the purchase. I agree that the price sounds good on the face of it. However a rebuild could easily double the price if there are broken parts or significant wear. I spent $900 up front on an Oliver 399 18" thicknesser, and then spent another $600 on belt, knives, bearings, paint, cord, minor parts, and mistakes. But now I have a $10K thicknesser that runs like a top.

Oh, by the way, I doubt you'll ever have to upgrade.

Kirk

 

[Bradshaw Joinery]

i have a spare baos, the only gripe i had with mine was the rear fence was slightly out from the blades, so to level up,had to clamp one side then wind other side up and then clamp.

make sure it has the blade setting jig.

i now have a felder, as running 2.1m+ lengths of hardwood frame over the boas myself was a real stuggle, and the felder has longer beds, and has 500mm extensions that clip on easily.

if your other offer turns out to be a dissapointment, then your welcome to come seemine, i wanted around £700 for it but its had new bearings,belts, and 3 sets of blades with the proper setting jig.....currently cling wrapped up, with anchor wax on the beds/cutter.

 

[Bradshaw Joinery]

also does it have the thicknessor hood, as mine doesnt had to make my own hood, only the planer bridge guard came with it.

 

[tjwoodms]

the baos is just about the best machine of that size ever built
the only real weakness it the feed gearbox can go but the parts are still availiable at reasonable prices also i have seen a couple that have managed to shear the feed motor shaft both of these problems require the machine to be turned upside down and the base frame has to be removed for access.
as for the thicknesser hood i got one for a customer a while back i think it came from AMS

 

[Guggs]

Yes , yes and yes ! Couldnt agree more with the above psoting ! Wadkin , are buy far the best out there ! Buy it and enjoy it !

 

[theowwm]

This is a very good planer. I have owned one in the past and now have the larger BAO 24" machine. The only odd thing about it is the table support tube. There's a cast iron locking ring that tends to get stressed from repeated use. It eventually weakens and cracks. Once this happens, it no longer locks tightly. This allows the table to rock when the board enters and exits the feed rolls. I had to make a replacement ring, but it was pretty straightforward. I hope you get the machine. You won't regret it.

-Arthur