- Joined
- Jan 22, 2007
- Messages
- 8,426
This was posted to YouTube today. Just sharing for those who are interested.
HL 850 Video Review
- Thread starter Administrator_JSVN
- Start date
NYC Tiny Shop
Member
- Joined
- Sep 12, 2013
- Messages
- 929
Thanks. Best review on the 850 to date. Nice tool.
I collected all posible accesory for 65 and 850 model.
Acrobat
Member
- Joined
- Jun 30, 2008
- Messages
- 471
I have the 850 and the bench unit for it. Love this tool. Quality build, very good planing cuts. It does take a little bit to get used to holding such a big beast of a planer when hand held use, but then you're away laughing. Markings are clear, well thought out and it's so easy to change the depth of cut by twisting the handle (like a motorcycle throttle). I do wish though it was interchangeable for a lefty like me. Odd to have a handle on the left for me. Easy change of blade, best I've used in this regard. No more fiddling and adjusting blade depths, just one bolt and washer. Simple and easy.
Depth adjustment is so fine. In bench mode, clamping it to a workbench is easy with festools clamps or other types also hold it well in place. The titling fence is another thing I think that needs improvement. When I got mine it was twisted and not flat, and I had to straighten it as best I could before I could get good 90 or 45 degree cuts. Apart from that the bench unit is solid as.
With the bench unit and the additional slightly longer than standard fence its a great little jointer. But of course its limited on its width of cut and the length of material you can pass over it easily. I find myself now simply leaving it in the bench unit and popping it onto of my workbench whenever I need to smooth an edge or trim the thickness down a tad. I need to make a infeed and outfeed table either side of it to give me more room to rest and feed stock. There is a learning curve to get used to passing the timber over it in this mode, but I don't get too much snipe or gouging this way compared to some I used to get on my old planer the usual way. I was always a tad nervous running it over near the end of doors etc hoping I wouldn't get that dreaded gouge. Obviously my own skill level there needs attention! At least this planer with its long body and weight distribution helps lessen that for me when I run it the usual way.
I love the directional flow either left or right for the chips too. I hook it up to my vac and since I only set it on very fine planing the vac takes all the shavings away quite well. I'm thinking of getting the 65 model so I can leave this permanently in its bench unit and use the 65 for hand power planing.
It would be awesome to get a larger and longer bed dedicated jointer and free the 850 up but then I'd need a big extractor for that too and room is tight as it is so this gives me the best of both worlds for now.
If you do get this planer I'm sure you won't be disappointed, I think it is easily one of festools best made tools and with the bench unit expands its usage.
Depth adjustment is so fine. In bench mode, clamping it to a workbench is easy with festools clamps or other types also hold it well in place. The titling fence is another thing I think that needs improvement. When I got mine it was twisted and not flat, and I had to straighten it as best I could before I could get good 90 or 45 degree cuts. Apart from that the bench unit is solid as.
With the bench unit and the additional slightly longer than standard fence its a great little jointer. But of course its limited on its width of cut and the length of material you can pass over it easily. I find myself now simply leaving it in the bench unit and popping it onto of my workbench whenever I need to smooth an edge or trim the thickness down a tad. I need to make a infeed and outfeed table either side of it to give me more room to rest and feed stock. There is a learning curve to get used to passing the timber over it in this mode, but I don't get too much snipe or gouging this way compared to some I used to get on my old planer the usual way. I was always a tad nervous running it over near the end of doors etc hoping I wouldn't get that dreaded gouge. Obviously my own skill level there needs attention! At least this planer with its long body and weight distribution helps lessen that for me when I run it the usual way.
I love the directional flow either left or right for the chips too. I hook it up to my vac and since I only set it on very fine planing the vac takes all the shavings away quite well. I'm thinking of getting the 65 model so I can leave this permanently in its bench unit and use the 65 for hand power planing.
It would be awesome to get a larger and longer bed dedicated jointer and free the 850 up but then I'd need a big extractor for that too and room is tight as it is so this gives me the best of both worlds for now.
If you do get this planer I'm sure you won't be disappointed, I think it is easily one of festools best made tools and with the bench unit expands its usage.
