Replies

1. 
   forestgirl | May 21, 2004 07:42am | #1

   No head lock.  Prepare yourself for considerable snipe.  A big mystery why they don't catch up to the rest of the pack on that one.

   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. 
   jackhall | May 21, 2004 08:30pm | #2

   "No head lock."

   Is the prsence of a head lock usually mentioned in the advertisements for planers?  I know that snipe is a measure-of-merit in tool reviews but did not realize that mention of a head lock might be an indication of what to expect.  Thanks for the info.

1. 
   forestgirl | May 22, 2004 07:09pm | #5

   I've talked personally with Grizzly at the showroom about that planer.  It doesn't have a headlock.  As to the reports above, sure you can still get snipe with a headlock, but on the small benchtop planer, you'll get a heck of alot less on a good machine with a headlock.  I have the Delta 12.5" planer, and if I use good technique feeding and removing the stock, I get extreeeeeemly subtle snipe.  The lack of snipe on a 20" planer is not relevant in this discussion.  Different animal.

   I've only seen one review that actually included the Grizzly in the line-up, and it lost out in a major way with respect to snipe.  So bad, in fact, I don't think it even got the "Best Value" award, which you'd expect it to when lined up against other planers in the $375-$400+ range.

   Not to say you shouldn't buy it!  All depends on your budget and how much you might use it.  I have a Grizzly bandsaw, and would love to have their cabinet saw, so it's not that I'm anti-Grizzly.  There are ways to minimize lumber-loss figures when you're dealing with significant snipe.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. 
   fdampier5 | May 22, 2004 10:39pm | #6

   I had two of the same animal (Delta 12 1/2 inch planers) . Still have one..  it's slowly rusting away in the corner...

     The way I deal with snipe is cut it off!  the sawmill I buy my wood from makes all the boards 6 to 9 inches longer than called for.  I get a couple of inches of snipe on one end? I cut it off!   Same with the other end, and it's still too long!  

2. 
   jackhall | May 24, 2004 10:22pm | #7

   Thanks for the info.  I had a feeling this would not be the one I was looking for.

2. 
   DennisS | May 22, 2004 08:23am | #4

   Jamie -

   My DeWalt has a head lock and there's noticeable snipe none the less. I built a subbase/sled affair that tends to minimize it to a degree but for total no-snipe planing one needs to use a carrier.

   Aside from that -

   When I saw the subject line I thought the discussion was about the sale per se. I went. What a mad house!

   Ended up picking up a new drill press and a few other things but man, the checkout lines were enough to scare me off from buying anything in the tent sale............

   From Beautiful Skagit Co. Wa.

   Dennis

1. 
   mike4244 | May 26, 2004 01:07am | #8

   Dennis, I used to own a Dewalt planer, I burned the motor up from overuse. You can set the planer up for no snipe at all  for most lengths of boards.Raise the cutter head up all the way. Place a straight edge long enough to reach across the the infeed to outfeed table. When set up correctly the straight edge will touch the outer edge of each table and the base, there will be a gap under the straight edge where the tables meet the baseDo same thing on both sides of planer. You can adjust it easily with the jack screws that are provided, make sure you tighten jam nuts too. Every so often recheck as vibration could change the settings. I never really checked until I got snipe again, but could have prevented it all together.

   mike

2. 
   fdampier5 | May 21, 2004 09:59pm | #3

   I had two Delta bench tops with head lock,  got snipe from both if I failed to lift up on the board as it past the last roller.

     My Grizzly 20 inch doesn't have head lock but if I lift on the end of the board as it comes across the final roller I don't get snipe with that one either..   Hmm,   maybe it's be a good idea to just lift the end of the board?