Page 8 - Australian Wood Review №103 2019
P. 8
TOOLS & EQUIPMENT
Similar in most ways, Rikon 25-210h and
Woodfast PT310A combination planer/
thicknessers.
1. On/off switches. The Rikon switch
sits proud of the body, meaning you
can activate the stop button with a
knee bump.
2. The cam-lock fence angle adjustment
was a little awkward to operate.
$4299
$3999
Rikon 25-210H and Woodfast PT310A
Planer/Thicknessers
Reviewed by Damion Fauser
These 300mm planer/thicknessers are Both cutterheads are 70mm in
both made in the same factory. With a diameter and have the same mass, so
price difference of only $300 it quickly the only difference in the geometry or
became evident that this was an exercise physics of the cutting action of these
in identifying the differences between tools is the rpms: the Woodfast turns
what are near-identical machines. at 5500rpm, the Rikon at 5000rpm. For
this diameter cutterhead this difference
The heritage of these machines is is cosmetic only in my opinion.
obvious, with immediate comparisons
to most other 300mm combinations A 3.3hp/15amp motor powers the
already out there. Both have helical Rikon while the Woodfast has a
cutterheads with four rows each of 14 3hp/15amp motor, so either would 1
carbide insert cutters, which produced need a 15 amp circuit installed
extremely clean finished surfaces on for home users. Both motors are
some tightly curled Queensland maple sufficiently powerful for almost any
used for testing the machine. The task that this machine would be asked the angle that I wanted, but thankfully
resulting surface was also sufficiently flat to perform. I find the surface grind both had adjustable positive stops to
to indicate that the tables were correctly on the tables of most comparable assist in this regard. With persistence
aligned at the factory for both machines. machines on the market to be one could get it right but I’d be
somewhat disappointing, so I was reluctant to be changing it too often.
pleasantly surprised to find a good
quality grind on both machines, with Infeed table depth adjustment was
the Rikon having a slight advantage. similar, as was the ability to flip
the safety guard out of the way if
The jointer tables on both were a required. I thought the stop/off switch
respectable 1409mm in length, the of the Rikon was a little better –
safety guards were both the Euro-style being proud of its housing you can
and both machines had an identically- activate it with a knee bump. Both
sized aluminium extrusion fence that machines have standard 100mm dust
was nice and straight along its length. ports which, when connected to the
I found the camlocking system on the decent extractor provided for testing,
fence angle adjustment a little clumsy meant there was very little waste not
2 and it was difficult to lock the fence at captured at the source.
8 Australian Wood Review
