Replies

1. 
   TonyCz | Feb 14, 2009 03:34am | #1

   How about a DC-380 15" I Like it very much. I also may have one for sale at 6 years old in great shape. in So Cal.

1. 
   stevemorris | Feb 14, 2009 04:05am | #2

   sorry, im in southwestern ontario canada!!

2. 
   steven_woodward | Aug 17, 2020 07:02am | #3

   Having owned an RC-33 (22-650) for 35 years I can give it a high recommendation. Have not had to replace any parts. Just sharpen the blades occasionally. Does not take much floor space. Upgrading to Byrd Shelix head is possible and then you will have a state of the art thickness planer that is built to last. Before purchasing, use a steel ruler to check that the table is flat, some develop a hollow from too much plaining in the middle. Also check that the blade setting jig is included with the machine.

   Sharpening the 13 inch blades has been the biggest challenge. I used to get them done by a good sharpening shop, and they came back not only sharp but straight. Straight is important because you want all three blades to be cutting into the wood evenly. That sharpening shop went out of business in the 2009 recession and I could not find another local shop that would sharpen the blades straight. Straight means no light when sharp edge of blade is held against a steel ruler. I tried to sharpen blades myself with a Makita 9820-2 surface grinder. I could get them sharp but could not get the edge dead straight.

   Finally decided to replace the cutter head with a Byrd Shelix helical segmented head. Glad I did: no more sharpening; no more knife setting; and much less tear-out when planing difficult wood. When the carbide cutters get dull, just rotate them 90 degrees to expose a new sharp edge. When all 4 edges have been used, then replace that cutter. Only the cutters which are chipped or dull need to be rotated, so no waste. It is a great system and cheaper than paying to have straight blades sharpened.

   As there were no upgrade instructions available for the RC-33, I created a YouTube video which also shows lubrication and adjustments of the RC-33. Even if you are not changing to a helical head, the video is worth watching for the lubrication and tune up info: https://youtu.be/zFdcSKi47ZU

   After watching the video, you may find it easier to work from written instructions, which are available in the following folder, along with other documents for the RC-33, including instruction manual and parts diagram: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1_Qm84_ZeMmsxgP-hHsI-Ppf39kiUOEU3

   
3. 
   _mj_ | Aug 17, 2020 07:50am | #4

   I wonder if he's made his decision yet.

4. 
   john_c2 | Aug 17, 2020 09:11am | #5

   There's no point in jumping into anything.

5. 
   steven_woodward | Aug 17, 2020 12:53pm | #6

   Tis the season of Covid-19, and too hot for woodworking, so find myself going through old posts, looking for questions to answer. Good to see your comments as it shows this post is not dead. Perhaps someone other than the original steve from 2009 ! will see this post and get some benefit.