# Forum Home Renovation Tools & Products  Thicknesser

## Marc

Found an almost new Metabo thicknesser at cash convertors.
 It's a Metabo D330 and for $400 I did not want to miss it.
I have an old Hafco combination planer thicknesser that I took the planer table off and use as an thicknesser. It weights a bit and does not have any advantage over a newer portable so I'll put the old horse on ebay to greener pastures.  https://www.gettoolsdirect.com.au/me...icknesser.html  
Have yet to test it but from what I read it's well made and I can put it in the back of the truck without swearing.   :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):

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## wozzzzza

getting anything from crime convertors I always wonder where it was stolen from and if the old owner or cops will find it and take it back off you.

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## Marc

So you have never bought something second hand?

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## METRIX

Marc, have you used the Metabo yet ?, I want to get a thicknesser, was looking at that one, the Makita or Hitachi, the DeWalts are nice but have poor quality blades which are not resharpanable.

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## Gaza

> Marc, have you used the Metabo yet ?, I want to get a thicknesser, was looking at that one, the Makita or Hitachi, the DeWalts are nice but have poor quality blades which are not resharpanable.

  Go to carbatec and get helix head machine like a jet don't stuff around with non hardcore woodworking brands

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## Marc

Sorry Metrix, not yet. Only played around with it a bit, Looks really well made and easy to operate. I'll need to put some timber through it this weekend. 
Sydney tools has the best price. https://sydneytools.com.au/metabo-dh...er-thicknesser
Mine is blue though. Heavy at 35k but all metal. 
I like the two folding tables on each side

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## Marc

Yes, a jet or a delta are good thicknesser but hardly portable. I gave up on my Hafco cast iron tables due to weight, Kills me every time I need to load it on the trailer. For cabinet making stationary workshop sure. 
The bench top thicknesser from jet is the same as the metabo and has straight cutters http://www.jetmachinery.com.au/produ...op-thicknesser 
This is the only one with spiral cutters ... but ... 26 cutters? 2 hours to take the blades off and set them back.  https://www.carbatec.com.au/machiner...-head-1-carton 
12" machines are all light duty at 35 kilos. Whatever Jet may or may not have over Metabo is academic. 
Jet is nice in the 16" and 20" machines and 200 300 kilos 
Here is the 16" yet still no spiral head onl ythe bigger machine have them and some with 150 little cutters. I get a headache just thinking about 150 cutters.  https://www.carbatec.com.au/machiner...kg-83-57-77-cm

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## METRIX

I was also considering this JET model, I don;t need a bulky machine, just a portable one which can do a decent job when needed on site. 
I read some not so good reviews on the Metabo of problems with the drive gears and a few other mechanical issues, I was looking at the Hitachi but cannot find any reviews on it.  
The Makita gets good reviews, and said to almost eliminate snipe due to the clamping mechanism, but at a higher price.  https://www.carbatec.com.au/machinery-and-accessories/thicknessers-and-accessories/thicknessers/jet-portable-thicknesser-12  https://sydneytools.com.au/hitachi-p...w-330mm-planer

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## johnc

I have had an earlier version of the Jet machine, I guess you'd describe them as quite good for a portable tool. As long as you don't try to take too deep a cut and keep sharp blades they do a reasonable job. I don't think any of the lunch box units have blades you can sharpen and they can shred rubber belts if they stall.

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## phild01

That Jet looks like Ryobi/Ozito/Aldi stuff!

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## Marc

Agreed, and the price confirms it. 
I like that Hitachi unit. 
And this is allegedly a very sturdy unit. https://www.carbatec.com.au/images/P.../TH-BX330P.jpg

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## Marc

As far as the Hitachi pf13 it has been around for a long time overseas and the few comments I spotted are all good.  
The Makita seems to be a good unit too. May be ask others that use them everyday not part time hobbyist like us he he. 
What did you have before? 
By the way Hitachi bought out Metabo this March ... not that it means anything.

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## David.Elliott

The wife bought me one of these 6(?) years ago, maybe more...https://www.timbecon.com.au/planing/...rd-thicknesser.  Saw one at the Timbecon stand when I was router demo-ing for them at the WWW show last year with a polished stone (granite?) base...nice rigid floor there... 
In that time let's just say it's done "some" work...some that really were probably asking a bit much, like old jarrah fence palings, and it just keeps coming back for more...I have an extra set of blades, they're a must have.   
FYI the scales on all of these are pretty junky, so I use a vernier.

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## METRIX

> As far as the Hitachi pf13 it has been around for a long time overseas and the few comments I spotted are all good.  
> The Makita seems to be a good unit too. May be ask others that use them everyday not part time hobbyist like us he he. 
> What did you have before? 
> By the way Hitachi bought out Metabo this March ... not that it means anything.

  Haven't had one before, but would like to get one.
Yes I knew about Hitachi buying Metabo, at the timber show, the guys from Hitachi were making the decisions on sales prices for the metabo stuff. 
The Hitachi is made in Taiwan which is good, I believe the Metabo is German made ?

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## Gaza

I had hitachi it was not the best wish I had another type  that's why I brought a lot bigger machine

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## justonething

After owning a thicknesser with a spiral cutter, I would not go back to ones with straight knives. Spiral cutters are a lot quieter and the finish is better. And if you run over nails, you only need to take the chipped cutter out, rotate it to one of the 3 other sides. There is no need to take the whole knife out to resharpen. With carbide inserts, they will last a long time. Unfortunately, none of the metabo, Dewalts or brand names have caught up and none is offering spiral cutters thicknessers.  I have the _W815_ from Hare and Forbes and I am very happy with it. 
With these 12" machines, you tend to get more snipes because the bed is much shorter the fold down mechanism is not really a rigid enough design. I'll recommend you put it on a mitre saw stand which would allow long boards to be supported further out and minimised the chance of snipes. I also have rigid supports under the fold down beds as well.

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## Marc

Sounds good. How do you set the knifes? 26 cutters seems like a lot of resetting. Can you sharpen them or just throw away?

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## justonething

You only need to change the ones that has been chipped, so you are talking about 1 insert at a time, its is actually easier than a straight knife. They are quite small to sharpen, but it is possible to do it for HSS knives. But with 4 edges per insert, it will take you a long time before you'll need to sharpen or replace them. And you don't need to replace all of them either because usually only the ones near the middle will have been worn. You can also get a set of carbide inserts from _sje-tools_ which will last a life time more or less for an occasional user and years for a professional user.
Changing or rotating inserts is quite easy.

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## Marc

OK, I finally had a go at using my 'new' Metabo thicknesser. 
To begin the reason for the purchase, my old Hafco was way too heavy to lug around. I did drag it up and down the trailer but certainly not practical. 
So it was a real pleasure to lift the 40 kilos of this compact unit, place it on a bench, line up a roller a couple of meters away and start working some length of KD Blackbutt for handrails. 
The handle to move the cutting head is smooth and has no slack. The head can be locked in position with a lever. I have never used a portable unit so didn't see the purpose for it, however I can see how it can be useful to secure the head so that vibration can not work the head upwards if you must do a lot of repeat work with the same thickness. I also noticed that by locking the lever the head lowers about 3 or 4 tenth of a mil.  
The first piece of wood I had to push through. Not promising I thought, but rubbing the folding plates and the bottom of the thicknesser with a candle solved the problem completely. It now pulls through all the way.
If you have ever used a thicknesser, any thicknesser, you know about snipe. When you start or when you finish, the timber is not aligned with the bottom plate and digs in the cutters deeper than it should leaving a groove across the timber. With this one? No snipe ... at all... not at the start not at the end. Yes I was careful but not more than with any other machine. This one has clearly strong springs on the push rollers strong enough to stop snipe in a 4.2, 90x45 hardwood piece. 
I had to machine the wood down to 43.8mm Yes, I know not what you do with wood, but a caliper measures anything you want and I have to fit this in a steel bracket that is 44mm so, 43.8 it is.
Each turn of the handle lowers the cutter 2mm. It is extremely accurate. There is a scale on the side and it was about 2.5 mm off, but the cursor is adjustable with two little screws, so it didn't take much to get it spot on.  
The timber wasn't particularly even so the first pass was 1/2 mil each side to clean. Soon enough I was at 44 mm and I needed 43.8
Well ... if one turn is 2mm, half is one and a quarter is 1/2 mm so 2 tenth of a mil is a bit less than an eight of a turn. So turn ,lock, and shave off 0.2mm. Incredible.  
At the end I was a bit short so needed to machine down one 140x45 down to 90x45 same blackbutt KD.
The machine takes 3mm at the time not more, more will jam against the body. One and a half turn cuts easy and fast, the finish is free of any chatter, smooth as if it was sanded. 
Have still to figure out how to change the blades, the previous owner must have caught a nail and the blades have a couple of dents. 
I'll do it when I have some spare time. For now it works just fine as it is. 
This is still a light unit with limitations. Sure a 300k 3phase thicknesser with motorised up and down will probably have better results, but for the money, I am very happy with it.

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## METRIX

Good to know, Thanks Marc. 
Although I am considering the W815 justonething suggested, I like the idea of the Helical blades, if you damage one, just turn it over, and with TCT blades available as an option, plus it's good value.

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## justonething

You can buy the_ full set of carbide blades for $99_ instead of paying $110 for 10 at Hafco.
correction each cutter has only 2 sharp edges and 2 square edges and not 4 as I have mistakenly stated.

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## METRIX

Cool, that's heaps cheaper than the others sell them for, and full set not just 10. 
Thanks

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## David.Elliott

Marc,
Watch out with the use of the candle wax mate. Will interfere with glue ups, if needed, down the track.  I have a block of "special" wax that came with my panel saw that, I'm told, won't interfere with glue..so far that's been right.. 
There's a basic jig for blade setting. Usually comes with the unit. Or you can spend stupid amounts on flash ones...

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## Marc

Mm 'gluable' wax? That's interesting. I've used candles on machines for the last mm 40 years, didn't know there was something that wouldn't interfere with glue. What's it made of?

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## David.Elliott

Lemme find out. Have not bothered as I have some..

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