Replies

1. 
   BruceS | Sep 18, 2010 07:48pm | #1

   planers

   Personally. If I could afford to.  I would get a 15"-16" 3-5HP and also keep the DW735.   Using the big boy for roughing out stock and then use the DW for finish passes.   None of the big boys are going to give you as good as a finish as the DW735.

   I have the DW 735 and love it,  but sure would like a bigger hogger.

2. 
   BruceS | Sep 19, 2010 01:22pm | #2

   Bioled down

   But still when you boil it down to feed rate of FPM/RPM    It comes down to cuts per inch.    Typically the larger 15"ers give you about 46 or 83 CPI cuts per inch.   The DeWalt gives you 96 or 179.   Thus a much smoother survace.  I did the math before buying my DeWalt 735 because I don't like sanding any more than I have to.

3. 
   user-189774 | Sep 20, 2010 12:08am | #3

   Worth the wait

   I waited and saved for a WoodMaster Molder/Planer (3 years). I will admit it was more than I wanted to spend but it has been worth every penny. It will be the last planer I will have to buy.

4. 
   MKenney | Sep 24, 2010 02:41pm | #4

   What about width capacity?

   Tom,

   The planer you have know is a good planer and can plane boards or panels up to 13 in. wide. If you're going to buy a big planer with an induction motor, etc. I advise getting something that can handle boards wider than 15 in. Why spend all that money and only get 2 in. more in capacity? Look for a used 20 in. or perhaps a 24 in. That way you can plane tabletops and other wide panels after glue-up. I've used a big planer like that a lot(it was a Delta and I think 24 in.) and loved it. It really did save a ton of time on table tops. Keep in mind that a planer is a milling machine (but that big Delta I used left a good surface). One thing to be wary of on larger planers: when the get up over 20 in. the motors could switch to 3 phase. However, I've seen plenty of single phase motors on big planers.

   This is just my $.02, so take it for what it's worth.

   Matt

1. 
   PW engineering | Dec 12, 2010 05:14pm | #5

   old used machines

   The problem with buying old machines is that many of the planer companies are no longer in business today which makes replacing rusted or bad parts such a hassle. I have had to make my own bushings on some machines just because everything is on computers now it gives you model numbers but not sizes. I know the other companies had the same bearings but ordering them is a nightmare.

5. 
   sawdustdad | Dec 13, 2010 03:18pm | #6

   I agree with Matt Kenney. Get a 20 or 24 inch planer. The 20 inch grizzly I have does a great job. Most furniture glue ups can go right through--carcase sides and the like. Occasionally I need 24 but 20 inch does 90% of what I need. 

6. 
   Samiam1022 | Dec 17, 2010 02:16pm | #7

   Here is my 2 cents for what it is worth.  I had a 16 inch jet open stand planer I bought new.  For all intensive purposes exactly the same as the powermatic.  I was very happy with it although it had some snipe issues and sometimes wanted to pull to one side but show me a planer that doesn't.  So with that experience i would say that with either the jet or powermatic you would probably be happy and they really aren't much more expensive that the top of the line dewalt.  Additionally the dewalt just isn't built like the heavier duty Jet or powermatic.  I would run upto 1000 bdft of lumber through mine at a time and never had a problem over many thousands of board feet.  Not sure you would get that same longevity from the dewalt.

   Now onto the helical head  I took a class this fall at CVSW where they had a 20" powermatic with a helical head by Byrd.  I was truely amazed by the finish and the quietness of the unit running.  It is so quiet you really have to be careful not to take too much off at a time because it makes hardly any more noise than just the motor itself running and because it cuts so much more effiecently you don't even here the motor loading.  As far as finish goes I will Quote Bob Van Dyke.  "How do you teach people to hand scrape quarter sawn white oak when it comes out of the planer looking like this!!"

   Finally Laguna.  I will start off by saying I have a 16" laguna band saw and absolutely love it.  It really does a great job.  After returning from CVSW I had to have a helical head planer and really wanted a larger jointer with a helical head.  (You can see where this is going).  Because it was going to cost me $1000 to upgrade just my planer to a helical head and then I was still going to get another Jointer down the road I opted to go instead with the 16" Helical head Planer/Jointer from Laguna. 

   The actual workings of this unit are very good and do the job well.  I do have considerable problems with the fence and an optional slot morticer though.  They are truely complete junk and after several calls and emails to there CS I haven't gotten one issue resolved through them.  Rarely even get a response!!!  I ended up buying a Delta Fence off the internet and retrofitting it onto this unit to make it work and have decided that I'm marking the morticing attachment up as a lesson learned.

   Bottom line is I love the helical head, I would go for the more industrial style planer and think you will be happier in the long run just wouldn't go with Laguna

7. 
   bduffin104 | Dec 17, 2010 11:01pm | #8

   Cheap but functional

   Tom, 

   I have two planers and to save floor space I stacked them piggyback which makes changing the DC duct easy also. The 15" Grizzly works good for removing up to 1/8" of material at a time but it does not do well at removing just a small amount. The serrated feed rollers leave marks on the surface if you don't cut deep enough. That's where the little Delta on top comes into play. With the neoprene feed rollers it is happy to just take a tiny shaving and will handle pieces as small as 3/16" x 1/2" where the Grizzly would just shatter them.

   I will note that these machines were both very reasonably priced. The Delta was $199 new and the Grizzly was about $450 used. No spiral cutter heads. My experience with those is limited but not as positive as yours. 

   I used to have one of those Makita planers like Dusty had. It was a great tool which I finally could not fix any more and had to scrap it. I went through about three sets of feed rollers.

   I just installed a power feed on my jointer. Wow! This is the way to go. Does a better job than you can do by hand feeding and is far, far safer as your hands never have to pass over the cutter head. I don't see it done very often.

   My latest toy is a Grizzly 8" wet grinder with a leather stropping wheel. I've been looking for a sharpening system for awhile and this one was on sale for $89. At that price I figured it was worth a gamble. Well this gamble has paid off big time. I love this tool. There is no more hair on the back of my left hand because I've had so much fun testing all my tools after sharpening them. All my planes and chisels are now sharp enough to shave with. They wanted $150 for the planer blade attachment so I'm currently fabricating my own which I think will work better than theirs anyway.

   Bret