I have the same machine. A couple of things I would add as comments. 1. The blade change is really very simple and getting it all aligned is easy. You can adjust just about everything (particularly tables and thicknesser bed) to get everything dialled in super square in about 20 minutes. 2. Not only do these machines occupy a price sweet spot they hold their value too. 3. Parts are available and easy to fit. Miles Tools and Machinery Company I’ve found are good. 4. My fence goes out of square every time I take it off. It’s not too hard to reset though.
I thought I would comment in this thread to get both of your attention. Matt, when comparing to other machines lower than £500 you mentioned all of them would be a lot louder implying the Metabo was quieter. Yet, and I think you may have forgot, you didn't mention how loud the Metob is. Isn't there a certain type of electric motor that is quieter? Induction? Also have you considered, or can you, upgrade the blade to a helix blade? Thanks for a great review Matt. Strawbyte I am now subbing you also 👍👍
Yes that has an induction motor. Im not saying it is quiet but it is no were near as loud as the Titan I had. I have not seen a blade upgrade available in the UK. Do you know of one?
@@BadgerworkshopHeh, you're asking me! 😦 I haven't a clue hence my research using your guidance.😊 I would assume however that most blades (of any machine tool) will be a standered - size and housing wise - so I wouldn't be surprised if not now but soon you'll be able to buy a completely new helical blade and housing. One google search got this hit for example, probably not suitable, but you get the gist. www.scosarg.com/tooling/planing-tools
The knives you have are the disposable type. These are not intended to be resharpened. There are HSS resharpenable knives available for that machine though you will need new carrier blocks. I would recommend going down that route if you intend using the machine for anything other than DIY use. We use the HSS knives and get around 20 resharpenings / rehonings before we need to replace them. These can be honed much sharper than the disposable type giving a superior finish. As for the switches just jumper them out in tne switch box. Also worth mentioning is the power supply should be 16amp, not 13amp. Spares ..... we have gone through motor to cutter block drive belt, feed roller drive belt, tensioning spring x 2. All relatively cheap items so we keep spares in stock to avoid downtime while ordering spares. Other than the belts and springs we have not had any problems. All in all, a pretty solid, accurate machine at a reasonable price
Hi there just discovered your channel as I'm thinking g about buying this very planer as I'm setting up my first ever wood workshop. Your review was so helpful to me very honest and genuine so much so I've decided to get one. So thanks!
I have trod the same path as you. I started with a Titan (cheap, loud) and its motor melted down just after the warrantee expired. At the time, no spares were available and it now sits as an ornament in the back of the garage. I've been happy with the Metabo. The changeover from planer to thicknesser looks more tricky than it is. I've replaced the blades a couple of times, which was straight forward. I've put a lot of wood through mine and its proved itself to be accurate and reliable. I should have bought one instead of the Titan in the beginning. I use mine with a shop vac, which doesn't collect all the chips and was interested to hear you're happy your Metabo extractor. I dumped the stand on day one and built a wheeled stand for mine.
I'm in the process of sending my Titan back, I've only had a few months, I'm just not impressed with the finish - Wish I bought a better one. Gret honest review, cheers...
I am looking to shortly buy the Belmash SDR-2200 which is a machine made in Belarus which is OK with me because I live next door in Poland, but the machine itself looks like it was made in the same mould as the Metabo and which costs roughly 2500 PLN Zlotys or about £500 in Pounds Sterling, I think it's the best machine you can get for this kind of money, I think it looks pretty impressive and has a planer width of 270 mm and thickness width of 260mm and the table is nearly a meter long too and it looks a lot better than a toy sized Titan or such a similar type of machine. Thanks for doing the video
Depending on how often you will use a planer. I bought the Metabo DH330 (thicknesser) and made a simple sled to plane. You can still plane up till 15cm high and have the extra room for 30cm wide boards. For the price of 396 pounds, there is no other machine coming close to the quality. (yes I bought it in the UK and had it shipped to Portugal because it isn't available here and in Germany where it is made, the cheapest one was 600. The English version even came with an EU-plug )
@Notjustsawdust I've just visited your channel to see if you had a video on making the jig at all? I would be very interested as I am looking at the Thicknesser now and trying to see if I can live without the planer part as it's more than double the price!
Thanks Matt another good honest review, I have the Triton Thicknesser as space is a problem will be making a swivel stand for that as it will live under the workbench I will be making as well as my Nicholson Bench
Thanks to your videos About this machine, together with reviews on forums I decided to not buy this machine. I was lucky to find a jet jpt260 for even a couple of hundred less than the metabo.
Brilliant, well thought out review that recognises we don't all have the space to permanently site large cast iron bed machines or the budget but we still need respectable accuracy and reliability. Before I part with my cash to plane and thickness white oak and beech I assume you are still happy with the machine? Cheers
Hi Matt, thanks for the videos! Never would have set it up without them. I'm only after replacing the blades for the first time, the manual said about using some sort of specialist tool for checking the alignment, visually they look perfect to me, just wanted to ask do you think this is nessesary? Cheers Dan
Can you please tell me, is plainer snipe an issue with this style of plainer? I know it can be on the 'lunchbox' types of plainer, but on those the cutter is moved up and down to set the thickness. Looking at this plainer, the cutter stays where it is and the table moves up and down, hence I'm thinking perhaps no snipe issues?
I found this very hard to get square when planing. Either the bed was out or the fence was out or both. The fence when you set it square moves when you tighten the screws. Also the bed doesnt sit square or level
Probably a bit late...If you're planing, you're going "over the top", so I suppose you mean "infeed" and "outfeed" tables. They can be adjusted. I expect that's shown in the manual. I never read mine, since I'd been taught how some years previously by a chippy I'd worked with. When the tables are removed, you'll find two grub screws in each of the slopes you've just removed them from. Using those screws, you can level the tables relative to the cutter block, and relative to each other. You also need to adjust the knives level in the block., and the outfeed table needs to be level with the knives' edges at the top of their rotation (you make a throw stick to do that), the infeed table set to the depth of cut... It's a bit of a fiddle, becomes easier with practice. See RU-vid for videos. Don't use a metal rule or straight edge for setting your knives, it blunts them... Ignore anyone who does use metal... I sold my HC260 over 20 years ago. I wish I hadn't. It was noisy, though, and put me knee deep in shavings in minutes (before I bought an extractor) The throwaway knives are OK, resharpenable knife kit is worthwhile. The fence? once you know how much it moves, compensate by eye before locking it, and it'll move into place with tightening. I milled down a skipful of "scrap" cherry wood into strips with mine, laminated the strips into planks, planed and thicknessed the planks and made book cases. Most machines need "tuning" before use.
@@trevsmith4605 So sorry. I managed because I'd been taught by a guy who took the trouble when I asked how I ought to set one up at a woodworking club I used on a military base. He showed me how on an industrial machine, I translated the new found knowledge onto another machine. The HC260, well set up, is good. I was taking 3mm cuts on 9" wide hardwood. With keen knives, it did that easily. Often popped fuses on start-up, though, it needed a 16amp supply really. I put a clamp ammeter on the supply, and read 38 amps... Single phase motor start up surge. Not a fault of the machine. You have to follow a logical set up procedure, though, to get these tuned. Have you got it sorted? As far as manuals are concerned, I usually have a "shit, I should have known..." moment when I eventually read them...
@@bobble4293 ive got it setup i think but as its my first ever im not 100% sure its correct. Metabo UK agreed that the manual was pants as theyve made ome upgrades but not incorporated them in the manual
@@trevsmith4605 I noticed a few changes to the machine in the video (mine didn't have microswitches on the table clamps. I'd happily write out a process (from memory) if it would help, it's unlikely any physical changes to the machine would affect the procedure... I only came on here to see if there was an alternative to the HC260 before looking for another one, but it's no trouble to help if I can. It's stimulus for my old brain. The important thing to know is that no machine ever comes ready to use out of the box, and the better you set them up and look after them, the happier you'll be using them, and with their output.
I have an Elektra Beckum that is missing the removable jointer table („Abnahmetisch“). Does anyone know if the one from this machine would fit? 🙋🏻♀️ Anna
"and probably you could resharpen them if you're mean enough" - you should see some of my angle grinding disks! :D I am trying to weigh up whether to get the HC 260 you have here or just go for the Dh 330 thicknesser, will I kick myself later? Prices have shot up since you filmed this it seems as these are £690 now, not the £500 you mentioned here. :(
Matt, you've had the Metabo HC260 planer/thicknesser about a year now. Are you still happy with it? My old NuTool thicknesser has just disintegrated and so I'm looking at this one as a possible replacement.
You weren't exactly overflowing with enthusiasm there Matt. Nothing better for the money seems to be the message. Shame we haven't got the American system of separate jointer and thicknesser here in the UK. I resent your comment about being being mean to sharpen blades, but don't I remember a video where you made a plane blade sharpening jig for your Titan? Blackboard duster pattern?
G’day Badger. Liked the overview of the Bosch GTS 10J Table Saw (and the Metabo HC60, I have Electra Beckam original with that sweet pressed steel cabinet stand) Where did you buy the after market rip fence for the Bosch saw please? Andy
Good review. A good second hand startrite would cost around the same and the build quality is much better with cast iron tables and fence. Whenever I buy tools the second hand market thru eBay is where I go. Sometimes you have to wait for something that is close but I've managed to equip my small garage workshop with an Axminster lathe £250, startrite 352 14" bandsaw £450. Hegner scrollsaw £125. All will out last me and are exceptional quality.
I am thinking of getting one of these (when suppliers have them back in stock again!), but I have seen a discussion on the UKWorkshop forum where someone said that it has to be plugged into a mains outlet, i.e. it can not be used with an extension lead. Is this true?
Hi matt I’ve literally just put this machine together today. I totally agree that the instruction manual is horrible! So thanks for posting this video, it made the set up relatively easy! Just need to square everything up now and I’m good to go. Thanks again.
I'm looking into getting one of these or the older electra beckum model. I've never even used one before what do you think is the important things to look at when getting one second hand
Hi brilliant vids both this and the unboxing, I’ve just got one of these machines and agree setting it up was awful I had one of my guys on it for several hours, and it still Needed a bit of TLC, how ever I cannot for the life of me workout the point of the red adjustable knob on the blade cover it doesn’t seem to do anything but get in the way!! I’ve noticed you took yours off rather quickly, just wondering if you had any ideas what it is meant to adjust?😂 Thanks
If your not bothered by the changing of bits and bobs to have the convenience of a dual tool, then good score, mate😉👍 I guess its not for everyone, each to their own, aye👌
You can also “plane/joint” an edge quite successfully on a router table if you have the adjustable fence to do so. That would allow the use of a thickness planer only in a small shop if you took a different approach and didn’t have a table saw...
thanks for that. Have you just given up with the safety locking screw (red screw nut) for using the thicknesser bit. I simply can't get mine to work. I can't find the sweet spot. It did occur to me to just take it off and throw it across the farmer field. So, can I just take it off? debs
Just wondering if you’ve had to replace the belts on this as I’m having trouble with my elektra beckum hc260 which is pretty much identical to this minus the micro switches and it’s really annoying me as they’re quite tricky to tension Just wondering if you’ve had to tension or replace yours yet.
Hi Matt great video and an insight to buying a Thicknesser, don’t have on yet but will look at all options. Love the channel keep up the good work. Monkeytree woodwork.
This looks like a toy! Its all about the cast iron you can pick up a second hand machine with cast iron bed and fence for £500 on ebay in single phase or 3 phase. Please dont waste your money on these chinese copies.
