Lipping planer opinions?

[Nathan Roelofs]

I'm considering the purchase of a lipping planer. I haven't found a method for trimming hardwood edging that even comes close to what these machines are reputed to do. There seems to be a wide price range between the available models-- from low $400s for the Virutex to $1000ish for the Hoffman and Lamello models. Does anyone own any of these (and better yet, used more than one in order to compare them)? I'm basically leaning toward the Virutex for the obvious reason, but can't shake the nagging thought that I might be missing something with this one. I'm not a stranger to spending money on premium "portable" tools-- I own a bunch of Festool product and am thinking about the Hoffman portable doweler-- but I don't want to spend $600 more if the products are comparable.

Thoughts?

Thanks in advance.

[Richard McComas]

I'm considering the purchase of a lipping planer. I haven't found a method for trimming hardwood edging that even comes close to what these machines are reputed to do. There seems to be a wide price range between the available models-- from low $400s for the Virutex to $1000ish for the Hoffman and Lamello models. Does anyone own any of these (and better yet, used more than one in order to compare them)? I'm basically leaning toward the Virutex for the obvious reason, but can't shake the nagging thought that I might be missing something with this one. I'm not a stranger to spending money on premium "portable" tools-- I own a bunch of Festool product and am thinking about the Hoffman portable doweler-- but I don't want to spend $600 more if the products are comparable.

Thoughts?

Thanks in advance.
About 15 months ago at the IFW in Atlanta I picked the Lamellow Cantex lipping planer. I was actually headed to the Hoffman booth when I ran in to a fellow I know thru the Felder’s Owner Group. To make a long story short he pointed me towards the Cantex instead of the Hoffman telling me how much better built and more accurate it is than the Hoffman. I don’t have any hands on experience with any other lipping planers but over time I have learned to trust this fellows judgment concerning tool purchases.

The lipping ranks right up there in that small category of one of the best tool purchases I have made. The lipping planer is a tremendous time saver if you do any amount of solid wood edge banding. Edge and 8 foot piece of plywood with ¾ x ¾ oak banding leaving it proud up to a ¼ inch on each side and you can flush an edge in to 15-20 seconds and get a tear out free edge even when the grain pattern turns around on you.

There are a number of the guys over on the Felder’s Owner Group that have the Lamellow Cantex and they all rave on how well they work.

Sorry I can’t give you an actual comparison to other lipping planers but I really like my Lamellow.

[Kevin Beck]

You might want to check out Markus Shaffer's post from a few months ago:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?threadid=3669

Kevin

[Bobby Hatfield]

I'm considering the purchase of a lipping planer. I haven't found a method for trimming hardwood edging that even comes close to what these machines are reputed to do.

Thoughts?

Thanks in advance.

Nathan I have and use the Virutex, from looking at a post here sometime back, of I think a new Hoffman, that will do corners I would do what ever it took to get one that will do an edging on a countertop or desk that will clean up the corner after gluing the mitered edging on both front and side of the top before trimming. The Virutex will only do one edging at a time because of the fence it uses.

[Bobby Hatfield]

You might want to check out Markus Shaffer's post from a few months ago:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?threadid=3669

Kevin

I was wrong, (not the first or last time) it was the one Markus posted about that Kevin refered to some time back. It really looks like they have eliminated the limitations the Virutex has, even though it has trimmed a load of edging for me, you still have to glue and trim only one edge at a time because of the fence. Edited post because I reread the post and discover maybe it was a Hoffman, Markus posted about, whatever, it looks good.

[Steve Jenkins]

I have the Cantex and it is a really nice machine. easy to adjust and very accurate and stable. If you need to justify it, it will take quite a bit of edgebanding to do so.Luckily I trim quite a bit. If you are coming to the BBQ. in a couple weeks you are welcome to check it out.Steve

[markus shaffer]

Nathan,

So far I've been really happy with the Hoffman. I've used it quite a bit in the past couple months. I'm not sure the limitations of the Cantex and the Virutex. I think what Ken was referring to in his post regarding having to plane one side at a time might be a limitation of all the machines. The method I've come up with to deal with this is to turn the planer around the corner just as you would with say a jigsaw. However, depending on the size of your edging , you may leave a small bit unplaned in the far outside corner. Once you start up the second and plane that flush, then you can come back and clean up the corner.

One thing that should be noted, this like any other power tool will ruin a workpiece very quickly if you let it tip. If you look in my previous post, you can see a photo where I let the machine tip and the cutterhead chewed out a small wheel well. That ended up costing me because it was a large wardrobe door. I ended up having to buy a whole other sheet of cherry ply and making two doors so that they would match.

If you can find a local dealer, I would try to see these machines in person. I had a hard time spending so much on this planer, but my local dealer told me I wouldn't be sorry and he was right. If you don't have a local dealer, you might try calling Select Machinery Inc.

800-789-2323

Ask to speak with Hank. He is very knowledgable and I feel like he was very straightforward with me. Like I said before, I was reluctant to spend so much money on this tool so he told me to try it for a couple days and if I was unhappy, clean it up and send it back for a refund. I don't know if it is still on sale, but it was $100 cheaper than from Hoffman directly. If you have any other questions, let me know..

-Markus

[Richard McComas]

Nathan,

So far I've been really happy with the Hoffman. I've used it quite a bit in the past couple months. I'm not sure the limitations of the Cantex and the Virutex. I think what Ken was referring to in his post regarding having to plane one side at a time might be a limitation of all the machines. The method I've come up with to deal with this is to turn the planer around the corner just as you would with say a jigsaw. However, depending on the size of your edging , you may leave a small bit unplaned in the far outside corner. Once you start up the second and plane that flush, then you can come back and clean up the corner.

One thing that should be noted, this like any other power tool will ruin a workpiece very quickly if you let it tip. If you look in my previous post, you can see a photo where I let the machine tip and the cutterhead chewed out a small wheel well. That ended up costing me because it was a large wardrobe door. I ended up having to buy a whole other sheet of cherry ply and making two doors so that they would match.

If you can find a local dealer, I would try to see these machines in person. I had a hard time spending so much on this planer, but my local dealer told me I wouldn't be sorry and he was right. If you don't have a local dealer, you might try calling Select Machinery Inc.

800-789-2323

Ask to speak with Hank. He is very knowledgable and I feel like he was very straightforward with me. Like I said before, I was reluctant to spend so much money on this tool so he told me to try it for a couple days and if I was unhappy, clean it up and send it back for a refund. I don't know if it is still on sale, but it was $100 cheaper than from Hoffman directly. If you have any other questions, let me know..

-Markus

Do to the fence design the Cantex has the same limitations going around a corner but can be accomplished in the same manner has you describe.