Replies

1. 
   kostello | Oct 15, 2003 09:19am | #1

   its seems to me to depend on whether your going to sand it afterwards??

   aleks

2. 
   hammer1 | Oct 30, 2003 09:44am | #2

   They are more suited for big planers where noise and set up are issues. Too much $ and retrofit problems with small shop tools.

1. 
   donpapenburg | Nov 12, 2003 07:25am | #3

   I had the privelage of using Armin's jointer with the spiral insert tooling .    It did a very good job ,was quiet and very easy to push the work over the cutterhead . You are taking hundreds of small cuts per second  insteadof hundreds of large cuts per minute .   It would be money well spent . It will save lots of time sanding . As soon as I can swing it my old three blade cutter head planer and jointer are history.  Spend the small amount extra for the spiral cutter ,no matter how much more it cost .

1. 
   Mark22 | Jan 06, 2005 09:22am | #4

   Any idea how much $$ I need to spend to get a 13" - 20" planer with a helical/spiral cutterhead? Any planers in this category you recommend for a serious home shop?Thanks.

1. 
   donpapenburg | Jan 07, 2005 07:30am | #5

   $500 to a 1000 more than a regular machine.

2. 
   BenA | Jan 10, 2005 06:36pm | #6

   Powermatic  model 15S Planer . IMO I think this is a great planer. You should be able to pick it up for about  $1500 to $1600. Good luck. see attached.

   http://www.wmhtoolgroup.com/index.cfm?area=shop&action=detail&iid=137397

3. 
   rko | Mar 09, 2005 06:17am | #7

   Absolutly: I had been a devoted user of "Delta" and "General" stationary machines for over 30 yr. ,that is untill I tried the "Shop-Fox" 20" spiral head planer , and the 8" jointer!  Being a journeyman toolmaker I was well  familiar with this cutting tool in metal work, but I honestly never thought that it would make it in the woodworking world. Boy was I ever mistaken !. In short BUY IT . Buy It first and never look back, they [ helical cutterheads ] are what electricity did to hand sawing. Major leap forward.