Replies

1. 
   mrbird90 | Feb 13, 2006 02:23am | #1

   In general, a drum sander is not a substitute for a thickness planer.  If you have a board 1" thick and you want to take it to 3/4" it would take many passes to get it to 3/4" If is is a resinous wood such as pine the sand paper fills up and you ruin the paper. A large commercial belt sander with 36 grit can remove up to 1/8" per pass but not with a drum sander. I have a 16" drum sander and I use it to remove about .020 per pass on hard woods using 120 grit. This is my opinion on a thickness planer versus a drum sander.

2. 
   bones | Feb 13, 2006 06:30pm | #2

   I have the Delta Drum sander, and the makita 12" planner. They both have different roles. If I had to use the sander to take stock down to thickness, I would get old waiting. You take off smll tiny amounts of wood with a sander. The planner will take it down quick.  I use my makita to get it close and now that I have the drum sander, I can make it look perfect with just a few passes in the sander, and take the stock to a uniform thickness. You can do it, but it will drive you nuts if you have to take any amount off at all.  Just my two cents worth.

1. 
   Jumpman | Feb 13, 2006 10:47pm | #3

   Thanks everyone.  I'll be getting a planer.  Selecting a good planer is driving me nuts, reading all the posts here about the DeWalt 735 (knives won't last, stripped sprockets) and the Delta 22-580 (won't last, won't hold up under hard use).  What's a out of control tool junkie to do?  Upgrade to a 15"?  Just bought a cabinet saw, and a good band saw, starting to feel guilty about the expenses.  But I've got to have a planer, just don't want to buy one, and have to buy another one in a year or two....I haven't seen any negative posts about the Grizzly benchtop planer, maybe that's the ticket...specs look adequate, and I like Grizzly tools...

1. 
   canadian | Feb 14, 2006 11:22pm | #4

   I have used a Makita 12" (2012) for the past 10 years and it has worked GREAT. The knives stay sharp for hundreds of board feet of use and the machine produces an amazing finish. My next upgrade will be a 24" planer but if I was to get a new 12" it would be the newest Makita 12" which I have heard very good things about....just more food for thought..hope it helps..   

2. 
   Crocusboy | Feb 15, 2006 03:10am | #5

     For what it's worth, I have a Powermatic M15 model 15" planer that I purchased 13 years ago and am thrilled with its performance.  It's a very heavy-duty machine, 3 hp 220- volt motor in an enclosed stand, has 2 speeds, planes without any sniping and is extremely accurate.  I used the unit in my one-man woodworking business and since retiring, am continuing to use it on a near-weekly basis.

     Last year I ran into a problem with it jumping out of 1st gear every once in a while.  I contacted Powermatic and despite the planer being well out of warranty... (by "merely" 12 years!) - they shipped me a free replacement transmission and it arrived within 72 hours of my phone call.  It took me and one of my fellow sawdust eaters about 4 hours to swap out the transmissions, and it's again purring like a kitten.  Well, perhaps a noisy kitten...

     I believe one would be hard pressed to get better after-sales warranty support than what Powermatic provided me with this unit.  That and the high-quality of planed lumber that come out of the unit, encourages me to recommend the unit to you.

     Based on the