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Thread: Taking A Chance: Rikon's New 10" Combo J/P With Helical CutterHead

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Beaver Falls, PA
    Posts
    435

    Taking A Chance: Rikon's New 10" Combo J/P With Helical CutterHead

    My shop is small. Small as in a 9x15 half-garage. I have just enough room for my home-built workbench, a SCMS on a DeWalt stand, and a job-site table saw on a mobile base. Bench-top band saw and drill press share duty on an old B&D Workmate 200. Dust collection is a small 1/2hp unit.

    After a lot of online research, I've settled on this model. I have a mobile base to put it on. I will try to keep a mini-journal of the tool since there is relatively little in the way of tool reviews for smaller combo units out there.

    For $1489 Performance Tool is going to lift-gate it to my house. Supposedly it goes on a truck today....

    Fingers crossed??
    Trees. Tools. Time.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Pottstown PA
    Posts
    972
    Not seen this one. Do a good review to share your thoughts on it.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    Chandler, Az
    Posts
    325
    If it's anything like all the other Rikon tools you probably will be satisfied with everything but the manual. I have 3 Rikon products and would give them all the thumbs up.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Davis, CA
    Posts
    278
    For that I would buy this grizzly instead. I had one for five years and absolutely love it before replacing with a Hammer 12" combo.
    http://www.grizzly.com/products/10-J...er-Combo/G0675

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Beaver Falls, PA
    Posts
    435
    Seriously looked at the Grizz: but it's 2 1/2hp motor is 220v only and I need to run 110v. I really want to try a helical cutterhead, too.I used to have the G0490 aircraft carrier and really liked it.
    Last edited by Scott Vigder; 10-22-2014 at 3:43 PM.
    Trees. Tools. Time.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    SF Bay Area, CA
    Posts
    15,332
    Good luck with that, Scott, and do keep the thread updated.
    Wood: a fickle medium....

    Did you know SMC is user supported? Please help.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    South Coastal Massachusetts
    Posts
    6,824
    It looks like an update of the Inca 570, with a properly sorted motor
    and modern knives. The only downside of the design is feeding through the
    planer, if you must see the workpiece.

    I don't know what the Rikon manual states, but Inca recommended removing
    the Jointer tables before planing.

    That was a PITA, I just used it with the tables on.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Doylestown, PA
    Posts
    7,541
    I seem to recall a machine similar to the Rikon if no the same in green and white paint being available some years ago. It never really caught on but I suspect that might be due to combo machines being 'weird' to north american woodworkers until recently. I too look forward to a review.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Beaver Falls, PA
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    435
    Like most of the smaller combo machines, the outfeed table must be removed so the chip collection chute can be swung up and over the cutterhead. Yes, it looks like a PITA. I'm hoping to design a "table holder" somewhere either between the legs of the unit or on a wall nearby.
    Trees. Tools. Time.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Granada Hills, CA
    Posts
    328
    Don't buy it. I have the older version of 25-010 which looks pretty much identical except it's got a 3-knife HSS head and is green in color. If I knew then what I know now I wouldn't plunk down the $1000 or so on it.

    Issues I have and continue to have with it.

    1. It's too light, so I have had times where I've pushed it while milling lumber. Probably will either build another stand or put sand bags on the mobile base it's currently on.
    2. Jointer tables tend to flex down about an 1/16" at the edges when force is applied (you know like when you put a piece of lumber on them to mill). You can tighten the screws to make things better, but then you can't adjust the infeed table up/down, and removing the outfeed to convert to planer mode becomes more difficult as you can't move the latches as the screws you tighten will tighten both the latches as well as the ways for the infeed table.
    3. Jointer table adjustability for coplanar... is in the "good luck" category. There are a couple of set screws towards the back of the outfeed table that will adjust the back up/down, but that's about it. Mix that with the table flex and oh well.
    4. Jointer tables are aluminum. They are sort of flat, but mine has some ridges/wrinkles. And this one is a replacement they shipped to me. The ones shipped with the tool originally were pretty messed up.
    5. Planer table is stamped sheet metal. Mine is off side to side by 5/64" (or about 3/16") and possibly twisted. No way to adjust. Gotta involve an authorized repair center. So, currently I get nice trapezoids out of this. Started building a torsion box secondary bed to see if I can adjust this out.
    6. It was a bear to get the fence to 90 degrees and keep it there. The problem is, the mechanism has too much slack, so when you tighten it, it goes out of whack. I remember it took me a good hour or so to get it locked down to 90 degrees. Haven't moved it since.
    7. Chip/Dust collection in planer mode is terrible.
    8. Tech support. Sent them an email 3 days ago. No response. Called today, was told tech support was out to lunch (I guess there is only maybe one guys doing support). In their defence, the guy did call me back after coming back from lunch, unfortunately I was unable to answer the phone at the time, so phone tag continues.

    Also, with only 44" of total table length, milling longer lumber is not exactly a walk in the park.

    So, the take away from this is this: I am NOT averse to combo machines. I just wish I knew all the gross shortcomings of this particular model. Had I known I'd happily saved more money and would've gotten one of the 12" machines from Jet or Grizzly as these seem to get better reviews.

    In all fairness, I am only going off of what I own, and don't know if any of these shortcoming have been addressed in the newer model.

    Based on my own experience, I wouldn't recommend anyone getting it.
    Last edited by George Gyulatyan; 10-23-2014 at 6:09 PM.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Granada Hills, CA
    Posts
    328
    Quote Originally Posted by Scott Vigder View Post
    Like most of the smaller combo machines, the outfeed table must be removed so the chip collection chute can be swung up and over the cutterhead. Yes, it looks like a PITA. I'm hoping to design a "table holder" somewhere either between the legs of the unit or on a wall nearby.
    Actually converting from Jointer to Planer mode isn't that big a deal. It's pretty easy actually... but read my post about the overall tool.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Beaver Falls, PA
    Posts
    435
    If I could run a 220v machine I'd get the Hammer! With 110v being my main restriction, and the 9x15 shop space being second, this will have to do.R&L Carriers have confirmed: It arrives Monday.
    Trees. Tools. Time.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Granada Hills, CA
    Posts
    328
    I certainly hope your experience is better than mine. An update. This morning I was able to get a hold of a rather friendly fella (Dave) in tech support. Looks like they've updated their manual with instructions on how to adjust the planer table. Sounds like I have my evening planned

  14. #14
    hi Scott:

    I have a small workplace too - and since you've apparently ordered the rikon I wish you luck with it.

    However.. if it's not too late to cancel your order, consider the grizzly product ionstead. (Assuming you can get one, of course). I reviewed both, and G0675 will cost more but is a solid machine that will last and is easier to use. The Rikon I looked at carefully was neither great nor simple. Too many parts built to a minimal spec and not all that well assembled in the store I was at (in Calgary). ( I ended up with the Cdn equivelents to the G0490 jointer and G1037Z planer/molder - but have to move everything after I stiop work so I can get the car in).

    More importantly: my garage only came with 110V too - but $300 to a local contractor (Bill's Electric) and now it's got four 220V outlets - 2 at 20 amps, 2 at 15 amps. Their work included two 10' extensions (one for each plug type.). You'll find the change pays for itself in access to better, quieter, more powerful tools.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Beaver Falls, PA
    Posts
    435
    See my other post reviewing the unit

    Thanks for the input. Our electric is so removed from where the shop is it was over $1000 to have the 220 run in to the shop....we wanted to put a hot tub in, too I really like Grizzly's J/P combo, and had a great experience with the G0490 when I owned it.
    Trees. Tools. Time.

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