What Planer Thicknesser? Axminster AP260SPT Spiral vs, Felder Hammer A3-26

[MACLON]

Morning Guys,

I have a quick question. I currently have a Metabo HC260 Planer Thicknesser and am looking to upgrade. I am reviewing the following two:

1. Axminster Professional AP260SPT with the new technology Spiral Cutter head. ~ £1500
2. Felder-HAMMER A3-26 with the standard three-cutter block head, non-spiral. ~ 1700

Both machines are second hand but from a reliable reputable source. What are you throughts on the best choice between these two? I have heard great things about both but i'm wondering if i get any more build quality benefit from the felder hammer given their reputation. Equally - is the spiral head significantly better? I don't mind either but i just want to make the best choice.

Many thanks for any input.
https://www.axminstertools.com/axmi...-rHgAgt3tUah68IZDHRtdv8SZ3vX6WyxoCPaYQAvD_BwE
http://www.makingsplinters.com/2012/08/hammer-a3-26-review/

 

[KRKWW]

Though I can’t speak to either model planer you’re looking at purchasing, I can say that the spiral cutter heads are absolutely worth the investment! I have a 25” Woodmaster planer that came with a three knife cutter head and after years of use and hatred of the knife replacement process, I invested in a spiral cutter head. $1,200 USD at the time. The difference was nothing short of orgasmic! So much quieter, little to no tear out and I’ve yet to rotate the four-sided cutters because the first positions are still sharp. I purchased the head in 2015 and have put 10s of thousands of linear feet through it. Figured wood and pieces where the grain changes come out beautifully with little or no chip out. I also have a Powermatic 8” long bed jointer with a spiral cutter head; same testimony and it’s easier to move the wood through the cutter head because it slices instead of cutting at a 90 degree angle.

Bottom line, I’ll never go back!!

 

[Mini Me]

Not knowing anything about the Axminster machine but owning the A3-31 I can say that calibrating the Hammer is an absolute nightmare and the ultimate lesson in patience and frustration. 

 

[MACLON]

Thank you guys - pretty clear there and says it all. Will move to the spiral head per your comments and as for calibration nightmares....the less of those in life, the better. Thanks for taking the time to reply.

 

[Crazyraceguy]

[member=14322]Krkww[/member] is right-on in the assessment of spiral head cutters. Everything is better about them, except the price... [big grin] but it's a pain that you will get over quickly. Eliminating the knife swapping/sharpening and noise reduction are great, as well as tear-out reduction, but those tiny inserts also make much smaller chips. Straight knives make long curls that clog up dust collection hoses. The tiny chips flow much better.
The carbide inserts last much longer too. Steel knives start degrading pretty quickly, the inserts stay "like new" for a very long time.

 

[Eorlingur]

I have the Axminster AP260SPT and it came perfectly calibrated out of the box. I is Chinese in origin and looks very similar to a lot of other machines of various brands, but it seems that Axminster has payed for the extra QC. It is quiet and I am very happy with the results I am getting. I put it on a heavy duty mobile base and have no problem moving it around in my small shop. The handles are very practical in this regard.

I also got the axminster AP50E dust collector and it worked OK as long as I didn’t go full width. I have put a pre separator on the dust collector and that seems to have given me a little more headroom in that regard.

 

[MikeGE]

I went through a similar selection process last year when I decided to replace my Holzmann HOB260NL. It was my first large shop machine purchase and remains my only shop purchase regret to date. The HOB260NL has a three-blade cutter block and appears to share the same Chinese factory as several other brands. I documented my troubles with this machine at the link below, but make sure you have adblocking enabled:

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/threads/holzmann-hob260nl-p-t-issues.134325/

After realizing the HOB260NL had to go, I looked at Hammer, Axminster, and SCM candidates. Axminster would not deliver to Germany and Hammer/Felder would not commit to a delivery date, so I bought the SCM FS 30G with the Tersa cutter block because it was in stock and I realized an impressive discount. I considered the Xylent version, but these were built to order and had a six-month lead time. The purchase price included delivery and commissioning. Fortunately, the SCM-trained technician didn't have to do anything as the machine was perfect out of the crate.

The dual-edged disposable Tersa knives are simple to change and never need adjusting. Slide out the knife, flip it over or replace it, and get back to work. It takes about one minute to change all three knives. For what it's worth, I have never seen a spiral/helical cutter head in a professional shop in Germany. This does not mean they do not exist, but when time is money, the Tersa cutter blocks rule. My SCM salesman told me he has sold only three machines with the Xylent cutter block, and they were sold to hobbyists. His professional customers buy only Tersa cutter block machines.

I don't know about the long chips from the knives, as compared to the spiral or helical cutter blocks. Here is a photo from yesterday's session of processing cherry and maple. The rule is included for scale, and these chips are representative of what I see with walnut, beech, and oak.

 

[festal]

Tersa knives are different breed vs regular knives.  They are self setting and like you said very fast and easy to swap.  Regular knives are a pain in the ass.  I changed out the cutter head in my Jet combo unit and like others mentioned its a very noticable difference vs regular knives.  Quiter, better finish, less tearout, easier to set up.  I'm not a pro so for me it makes a difference.  But i did read that tersa 3 knife setup gives better finish vs spiral head setup

 

[MikeGE]

I am very happy with the Tersa knives.  I don't use exotic wood or wood with interlocking grain, where the spiral cutters appear to be superior.  As long as I pay attention to the grain orientation, the Tersa knives are perfect for me.

 

[Mini Me]

To add a bit more to my above post which was short and to the point. My A3 is a fantastic machine and it arrived about 10 years ago perfectly set up and did a great job for about 10 years until I pulled it apart to add a digitally controlled lift. The in handle height gauge is extremely accurate and consistent but I wanted to dial in a height and press go without spending thousands on a new machine.

That is why I had to recalibrate it, there was no fault with the machine but others have found their machine not calibrated properly on arrival which I found hard to believe. The USA Felder arm of the company produced some documentation to help calibrate the A3 because Felder's attempts at supplying information was laughable to say the least. The machine is fantastic and uses a true spiral segmented head which a lot of Asian supplied machines don't do, they look the same but see them side by side and you quickly see that the Hammer segments cut using a shearing action and some Asian machines have the segments placed so they cut in a chopping action.

I had to make the same decision between a Hammer and a Minimax and while the Tersa heads are quick and easy to change I was over straight blades and the big bonus is the carbide segments last for years without any attention if they don't suffer any damage by hitting screws etc. The added bonus is the small size of the debris as mentioned elsewhere for collection purposes. The Tersa head on balance gives a finer finish but for me the service time and ease of replacing a few inserts if damaged won the sale as well as Mnimax had at that time had not produced a spiral head so the decision was easy is the end.

 

[festal]

[member=58818]Mini Me[/member] any more details on the digitally controlled lift?

 

[derekcohen]

As Chris (MM) mentioned, in Australia the Hammer A3-31 comes set up. Mine did 10 years ago, and has not required any adjustment since.

The "Silent Head" spiral carbide blades are superb. I yet to turn them to the fourth face as the inserts are still going strong.

Maclon, you asked what machine will be an upgrade on a Metabo HC260 Planer Thicknesser. It would be a reliable machine with a wider bed. In other words, 310 and not another 260. The Hammer is going to be more money. It would be worth waiting a little longer for.

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[rmhinden]

I have a Hammer A3-41 with the spiral cutter.  I am very happy with it, have not had to do any calibration of the beds.  Has worked great since I installed it.

Bob

 

[Mini Me]

Here is a link to a series of videos on the A3 set up and calibration.
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjfKarWyTjJgIEcem1uqv-GQ53yvv53EB

 

[MACLON]

Thank you again every one who has contributed - fantastic feedback and advice.