Replies

1. 
   forestgirl | Sep 28, 2004 07:14pm | #1

   $379 is pretty much a standard price for the Delta 22-580. The $25 is a discount applied to any item $199 or more purchased at Amazon from the Tool/Hardware section.  I'm not positive, but I think the dust hood is a pretty standard throw-in for this planer.  You'll get free shipping too, I think.

   My point?  This isn't a blow-out sale leading up to a new model.  Didn't see anything on the Delta web-site indicating there's another model waiting in the wings.  

   I have the 12.5" model of the Delta, and have followed the 22-580 in the forums for a couple of years.  Would not hesitate to buy the 22-580.  As far as the DeWalt goes, if I had the extra $100, that one would be my pick.  It's an absolute tank, and since it has a 3-knife cutterhead in addition to the 2 speeds, its finishing capabilities are above and beyond those of the Delta. 

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
   Another proud member of the  "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>) 

1. 
   bszydlo | Sep 28, 2004 07:51pm | #2

   Thanks for the information.  I have thought about the Dewalt but when you add the extras (in/out tables and dust collection) the price increases rapidly.  But I guess my primary negative with the Dewalt is the concern over the durability.  The sprockets were a problem in 2003 and who knows what the long range durability will be.  When I started out I bought a few Ryobi tools (ie the planer I am replacing) in order to save money but sacrificed support and durability.  That is why I am considering the Delta over the Dewalt. 

1. 
   forestgirl | Sep 29, 2004 06:50pm | #3

   I hear ya on the expense of the DeWalt.  (Note, though, that the sprocket problem has been solved.)  My main point, though, was that based on reports from users, the Delta 22-580 planer seems to be a good one (for a portable).forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the  "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>) 

2. 
   Ricky_Yu | Sep 30, 2004 06:17am | #4

   I've had the 22-580 since shortly after it first came out. It worked right out of the box with almost no adjustment on my part. The two speeds was a selling point, but the vast majority of the time I use it on the dimensioning speed because the results are more than adequate. I use the finishing speed on figured woods like curly maple but I also dampen the wood to help prevent tearout.

   The best feature in my opinion is the readout. Most planers have a pointer on a vertically mounted scale, and it seems like you have to stoop down to get the scale at eye-level to get an accurate reading. The 22-580 has a window at the top of the housing with a hairline cursor that makes reading a lot more convenient. Also, the cursor can be adjusted not unlike on a table saw fence (like the Biesmeyer) to improve accuracy.

   The worst is the lack of an automatic cutterhead lock. While snipe is minimal, it's somewhat of a pain to have to unlock and then lock the cutterhead everytime I change the depth setting. Another thing specific to my machine is that a scratch in the infeed table has caused the chrome plating to slowly peel off. It's unsightly but does not affect the performance. Making sure the lumber you put in is debris-free and keeping the tables waxed should go a long way to preserve the plating.

   I have heard that Delta is coming out with a three-knife cutterhead planer, but I cannot confirm this report. If it is true, I'm not sure if they're going to revamp the whole thing or just upgrade the cutterhead like DeWalt did with the DW734 12-1/2".