Hi Jon. Just so we're clear, I presume you're talking about one of these machines, rather than the smaller bench-top models with less capacity?

I used to own an identical machine (branded Perform rather than SIP, sold by Axminster). These machines are pretty much identical, in every sense other than their colour. You'll find that a lot of cheap "Chaiwanese" stuff is like that.

When I first started using it, I thought it was great. After a while though, I noticed some real problems and it really began to frustrate me. The fence is rubbish, flexes too much and does not sit at 90º. To get to the thicknesser, you have to remove both the outfeed table and the fence and temporarily store them elsewhere. This may not be a problem in itself but you may find you're having to realign it to the infeed quite often. Dust extraction wasn't brilliant on the thicknesser but you can easily make your own dust hood/cowl.

There also appears to be a serious design fault with this machine - as far as I know, other "clones" from Charnwood, Draper and even Record Power and Metabo/Elektra Beckum have the same problem; the drive belt for the infeed rollers on the thicknesser seems to become stretched and wear out very quickly. You'll probably notice a squeaking noise while the machine's running at some point... You can of course keep buying relacements or order them for free while you're machine's still under warranty, but it really shouldn't have to be like this.

If you're prepared to spend £400, you should really consider spending an £100 or so, as I did last year. You really do get a heck of a lot more for your money... I could go on for the next half-an-hour, listing all the improvements... You can also find this machine badged as FOX, Charnwood, etc. Rutlands had them on special offer last week, but I think they've already sold out! They're are a big of a pig to setup, if it's not right straight out of the box, but you won't have the same kind of problems as I listed with the other machine.

The other option, of course, is to go for separate machines, if you have the space... 

     OPJ . Thanks for your reply and the helpful information. Yes thats the exact model I think. The faults you mention sound annoying and rather disappointing. You'd think they could make the fence sit accurately. I would be using it probably occasionally to begin with so I have to think about whether its worth spending more, although for another £130 the Axminster machine , the AW 106 I believe you're comparing, sounds better value really. Then there's the dust extractor to buy as well ! I see Axminster do a P/T for £400 ,as well , which I could look into. Its brilliant being  offered an honest informed opinion  &   thankyou very much for your help.

No problem, I believe that's what these forums are for .

What sort of dus extractor are you after and what do you intend to use it for?

There are two basic types of extractor to look out for. One is High Volume Low Pressure (HVLP, ideal for planers and spindle moulders with large chippings and shavings). The other is HPLV, which is ideal for very fine dust from sanders and saws but they have more in common with a vacuum cleaner than the other, so can be quite noisy.

Saying that though, a quiet-running HVLP extractor will contain a certain amount of fine dust and with some models you can even upgrade the filter to a 0.5micron cartidge unit, which could, possibly, give you the best of both worlds...? You cannot use a HVLP extractor with portable  power tools though.

I believe HPLV extractors are ideal for plumbed-in set-ups around the workshop. HVLP ones are usually 'moble'. So, I guess that in an ideal workshop, you'd have a HPLV systems plumbed-in around the walls with a movable HVLP machine for taking larger waste from the planing machines.

    OPJ   Thanks for your last message.  I was informed by the seller that the SIP P/T required a large volume dust extractor in order to work properly although I was'nt sure whether this applied to me ie a lower rate of usage.  This company offered a suitable dust extractor, again SIP for £125 which is affordable but as to how well made.

     You confirm what I was finding myself, that you need another type of extractor for power tools ! Thanks for that.

The scheppach P/T sounds like a generally very good machine. Could be useful to know for future reference.  

Axminster have previously told me that, for a 10" planer-thicknesser, you should have an extractor with an airflow of at least 1,150m3/hour, which matches up with their own ADE1200 model (which I have).

I find it to be pretty effective and you're likely to see other near-identical models around (the Record Power CX2600 being one). It does leave some waste on the thicknessing bed but I think that may be partly down to the design of the dust hood... With the surface planer however, it's pretty much flawless.

I do wonder whether another extractor with a significantly larger airflow would improve things, but I find this particular model to be fairly compact, in comparison with some of the others, for a small workshop anyway.

    The SIP large volume  extractor  offered to me by Toolsonline was quite a bit less powerful than you were recommended and it sounds as though yours was about right for the demands made on it.

      I'm interested to know if the Axminster Planer/ thicknesser gave a better finish to the wood in comparison to the SIP P/T you were using?    

Yes, I certainly think so. The AW106PT has a three-blade cutter block, where as my old Perform (aka. SIP) model only had a two knife block. The quality of the finish, when surface planing or 'jointing' can be improved by using a slower feed-rate. With the thicknesser however, this is generally only single speed. Another good feature of my current machine is that you can disengage the feed rollers when surfacing, to reduce wear on the motor and bearings, etc. You can't do this on the cheaper models, but it would've probably gone some way to prolonging the life of the drive belts if you could!

There is a definite improvement in the overall quality of the finish, yes. These blades are also resharpanable, so you won't have to contemplate buying another set for years to come (unless you want a spare set, which is always handy). With the SIP model, both blades are double-sided, meaning you can swap them over, but when both edges are blunt, you have to discard them and buy a new pair - about £30, I think they are.

Generally though, I never regard any finish straight from the planer to be as good as I'm going to get with a project. I always work through processes to scrape, sand or hand-plane all face and edges clean before applying a finish. Any planer/thicknesser will leave marks from the feed rollers which you have to remove... Unless you're a joiner, that is!

     I suppose you would have to spend a lot more money to get a machine that doesn't leave marks on the wood ie with rubber rollers for instance.

     I'm pleased to have more information to make a more informed decision and when its a big ticket item like this personal recommendation is usually best . Thanks again