Martin v Northfield planer

[Bill Mureiko]

Suppose you have the opportunity to acquire a used Martin or a used Northfield planer (both 24"). Northfield has a helical head; Martin has a tersa. Both in good condition though the Martin is probably in marginally better shape. Price close enough to not be a factor. I'm making table tops and conference tables.

I'm leaning towards the Northfield because the absolute precision of the Martin is not essential, and I have a hunch that Northfield parts will be easier to find. But I'd be easily persuaded otherwise.

[David Zaret]

i'd go martin because i prefer the tersa head.

[Bill Mureiko]

Thanks, this is a big upgrade for me, but everything I hear and read about the heads, I think I would prefer the tersa.

[Phillip Mitchell]

I’ll take the Martin. You can have the Northfield :D

Seriously, though if price is similar enough, I would take the Martin as I prefer a Tersa head.

What model Martin are we talking about and how much electronic control is it dependent on for full operation? That would be the one thing that may change that decision.

[Bill Mureiko]

It's an older T43, well maintained. But yes, mostly electronic operation. My concern as well. OTOH, I have yet to see any comments from Martin owners complaining about the thing breaking down.

[Jim Becker]

Nothing for me in this hunt, but I"m also a Tersa fan...so were I in the position and everything else being reasonably equal with no compelling reason to choose otherwise, it would be the Martin with the Tersa head.

[David Kumm]

How does price compare and does the NF have power up and down? I'd not have a planer that needs cranking. I had an Oliver 299 ITCH and sold it for a SAC Tersa. As much as I like the Oliver stuff, high end Euro Tersa machines are hard to beat. I do look at the electrics to see if there are proprietary components or if off the shelf replacements can work. A call to martin would be my next step to verify the electronics. Dave

[Bill Mureiko]

Thank you.

[Joe Calhoon]

I would say the Martin is a better finish planer. I have a 20 year old T44 that I bought new. I like the Tersa head, running carbide now. The rubber rollers and no bed rolls make snipe free cutting. The rubber rolls will wear out though. With the rubber rollers you can also take off 1/10mm without leaving marks. Being able to come back to repeat settings accurately is nice also. These are available with steel rollers and bed rollers but most sold here have the rubber.
The local big architectural shop here has a Northfield and a Martin planer. They like the Northfield for running all their recycled antique timber. They do a lot of this and also contemporary high end interiors where they prefer the Martin.
I think the head on the Northfield holds up better to the old wood

[David Zaret]

joe, i have a relatively new SCM L'Invincible, with carbide tersas. the infeed rollers are segmented, but i have the option to swap them out for rubber. it's an expensive switch - they want nearly $2700 for the kit, and it's a full day of labor according to the tech. think it's worth the effort and cost? currently, anything under about .4mm and i see witness marks on the wood from the infeed rollers.

yet another reason why i should have bought the martin. the SCM is a great machine, but it's the details that matter....

-- dz

[Tom Bussey]

I would go with the Northfield. Northfield still makes woodworking machines in Northfield MN . I believe it is Northfield MN. So I am sure you can get any repair parts you need. I worked in a pattern shop where the owner wouldn't buy anything but Northfield. He thought that Northfield was simply the best. I know nothing about a Marten.

[Patrick Kane]

You are in another league than the planers I am around, but the t43 was designed in the 1980s, and the north field was probably designed in the late 40s or early 50s. Hands down the Martin has to be the better designed and more refined machine. I’d be a little anxious about 1980s-early 1990s electronics. Joe’s example is probably the defining difference between the two machines. Are you running 10s of thousands of board feet through this, or no?

Too bad it’s not a t45.

[Warren Lake]

my experience rubber rollers work better, they grab better probably due both to the material then also some amount of compression. My SCM could cut cleaner on figured stuff if I could slow it and dial in what feed rate I'd want like the woodmaster can. Maybe both the machines you mentioned can do that. Whats the lowest feet rate on each machine? what are choices on feed rate on both machines.

Has anyone ever measured the accuracy of their Tersa knives with a dial how consistent they are side to side say on a 20" jointer.

[Patrick Kane]

Warren, I have, and they are nearly perfect over 500mm. I will measure again when I’m next to my jointer, but I remember maybe .000-.001” over the 19”. I think they are thin and flexible enough that they conform to the cutterhead. Assuming the channel milled in the cutterhead body is perfect, the knife projection will follow suit.

My straight knives always came back .003”+/- over 12” from the sharpener. They told me that was their spec.

[Andrew Hughes]

Patrick do you what the hook angle of tersa head is. Just curious

[Warren Lake]

thanks Patrick for that info. If you told me before I forgot and its relevant. My worst grind was knives that were bowed out .015 on 14" general. I step up to the SCM and the knives are thicker and wider and that alone is more stable. I didnt check the last ones from grind but honed them first then put in I snug and tap up and down wood block. Can get .0005 pretty easy but sure id enjoy just snap in and presto its accurate. If that number you said that is fine. No chance of a head change on the SCM stuff as combo and other stuff on the shaft. have Esta came with one machine but not drawn to it, had read about it before.

I have Dimar knives here from an auction, they were pretty much brand new look like in a machine only temp from new. They are not straight and going to go back to them and ask what the deal is, one knife is also thinner than the others so weighed a tiny bit less. 18 percent tungsten stuff, I want to know from them what I can expect at best then next from whoever sharpens them. I could see a tersa for that machine. Do you have a PF500 I think it is and did it come with a tersa or did you ad it? If so what type of cost is that 2k or 3K US ?