The Hafco T-20S thicknesser manufactured in Taiwan differs from the traditional design of thicknessers because of the spiral cutter head that's now standard on this model. The important advantage of a spiral cutter head is its spiral shearing action with the workpiece. This translates into a much smoother cut with less chipping and tear out of the workpiece, as well as significantly much quieter operation compared to the very loud chopping effect produced by a traditional HSS blade cutter-head.

The T-20S is equipped with a spiral cutter head that includes 92 carbide inserts which are easily indexed or replaced, just simply use the tool screw key that's provided to unscrew the individual insert to be replaced as there is no fiddly height setting to be carried out. The cutter head is supported by 4 x solid pillars at each corner and the steel drive rollers have ribbing to ensure positive grip on the timber through the machine via two speed gearbox at a rate of 16 or 20fpm. The feed roller pressure can be adjusted with the four adjusters on the top of the machine. The depth of cut is set by means of the cranked handle on the side using the setting scale positioned on the in-feed side or digital readout.

Power is provided by a 3750W / 5hp 415V induction motor, housed within the base and transmitting power to the cutter block via a twin pulley vee belt drive system.