Oliver 299 24″ Planer – Should I buy it?
On a whim, I made an offer of $2,300.00 on an Oliver 299 24″ planer. It’s located about 500 miles away so I’d need to rent a truck with a lift gate and go get it so I’d incur that cost as well. Additionally, I’d need to solve for it being a 3 phase machine so there’s some more cost, plust whatever random costs I incur to get it up and running correctly. Right now I have a Jet 12″ combo machine with a Helical Head that I’m pretty happy with but I love the idea of a 24″ machine. Looks like maybe its missing the dust hood. Anyone have any experience with this machine and know what I might be in for based on what you’re seeing in the attached pictures? Basically, if my offer is accepted, should I buy it. This is the machine: https://www.rtmachine.com/product-detail/?id=15217
Replies
2500 pounds is easier to move with a forklift. it's pretty heavy for most lift gates. so add in that cost too.
Is it a need or just a want??
I wanted a old 12" joiner so bad and finally managed to buy one. Restored it and got it working well. But I found myself going to my old 6" most of time unless I ha a really wide board.
I eventually decided it just took up to much space for how little I used it. So I sold the 6" and I traded the 12" for an 8" joiner and much happier with it. Only once have I missed the 12" joiner so it was a good choice for me.
I have a PM-100 planer, 12" and I would love to have a 18-24" with segmented rollers so I could feed multiple boards an speed up the process. But the cost and space have always kept me from buying one.
Bottom line is it is a personal choice. No one knows what you want/need.
Mill alot of lumber? Plan to? Side job planing other peoples wood? Best set up I ever had was an annex attached to the shop just for processing wood. 24 " Powermatic planer and a giant radial arm saw. No dust collection,it was back in the day. Snow shovel and pickup truck. A 13 " Delta was in the shop.
The advantage to a large planer like that is that you can process a lot of wood quickly. It will be loud. When Osha came in they created noise requirements for industry and a company called -Mc. something- Newman- started producing a spiral head conversion , they may have invented the idea, for all those big old planers. It reduced the noise level considerably. You might be able to track one down. Lots of ways around 3 phase up to and including changing the motor.
If I was doing that I would keep it outside, put a roof over it, and keep the smaller stuff in the shop.
There is a 40 some inch old Greenlee that I know about just sitting. Two motors and probably needs 100 amps just to light it up and probably weights 5 tons. The guy that owns it abandoned it, moved to Hawaii. He listed it for a long time and no one is ever going to want it. I saw the ad and and was like " I know that planer! " It's now sitting in a field and I pass it all the time when I walk the dog. Huge project, like I need another one, but I'm tempted!
Post a photo of the 40" Greenlee!
I don't know much about Oliver in particular. I have a 15" PM 230hp machine, single phase. While I'd like a 20", too expensive and space eating for me. Anyway, I think the big thing is to get past the limitations of 12", 120v planers. The spiral head helps. And the cast iron bed is much easier to adjust to be snipe-averse than a portable one. For me, 15" means that if I'm making up a table top from narrower boards, I can make it into 2 narrower sections that are planed to the same height and then only have one joint to attempt to get nearly flat in the glue up. With 24", you might not have that issue very often, but then again, you're spending less than my new 20"PM (except for the electrical work you'll need for 3 phase).
I bought a 3phase Laguna lathe last summer that does its own conversion from single phase. I wonder if there are planers that do that.
Big machines that are variable speed use 3 phase motors, and the converter allows the variable speed. I've never seen a machine such as a planer, without a need for variable speeds have a built in phase converter. But they're pretty cheap and easy to find these days.
As long as the condition is good, and you have the funds and space, I don't know anyone who bought a better tool and regretted it for longer than a week. There can be a surge of buyer's remorse when we pay a large chunk of money for something, but every time you turn that tool on, you'll be happy you did it.
Bearings are easy to replace or you can take them to a local shop to have them done (when needed). That planer has a segmented/sectional feed roller which is really handy when feeding in many different sized boards. Good luck!
Where are you located? I'm upgrading my RPC set-up right now so I have one that'd easily run your 3 ph. equipment.
I don't have any experience with that particular machine, but I have a 20" planer and can tell you in MY shop I rarely plane anything over 12" wide. But when I need the extra capacity it sure is nice. I'm not saying I wouldn't buy one today, but I can think of other things to spend the money on.
You can figure on something needing repaired, fresh blades, and dealing with 3 phase converter. A blind bid + a 500 mile trip and you can't hear it run? NOT ME!!
If I were you and did not have a drum sander, I'd be sinking my money into that and stick with what you've got.
Adding 3 phase to your shop/house is a big call. Check that cost. Shipping, set up, all a cost. Just order a Grizzley G0454Z single phase 220V 20" Spiral and have them deliver the dam thing. $3285 with $369 shipping. I'm not a salesman, just a realist. My mental estimate is you are even up on the costs of getting your plan to work......... best to you sir. Just for added info, you won't need to sand with this cutter head on slow feed for straight grain. !
Except one is an Oliver and the other is a Grizzly. If you have the means then what does it matter. I would however do some research as to the availability of replacement parts on any older machines. The companies have changed and that includes Oliver..and while some may argue that Grizzly is good at service I have a Grizzly jointer planer that they introduced about 2010 ,was still selling it more than 5 years later at least and they have no replacement parts of any kind f0r it nor will they ever have. It's the newest machine in my shop , well stuffed in a shed now, and dead in the water. So buying new doesn't necessarily turn out to be as cracked up as its supposed to be.. There are vintage machine forums and they offer and exchange parts,and a whole cult of devoted Oliver fans out there. Id check them out.Those top of the line old machines,and Oliver is one of them, seem to never break!
I did take pictures of that Greenlee and when I figure out how to get from that device to this device and on to this post I'll do it!
I have an 8"x6' jointer, a 24"x6' jointer, and a 26"w x 8"t Buss industrial planer. I purchased the planer in the early '80s, when the internet didn't exist. It was badly worn when we bought it. My partner and I had some work to do on it to get it back to virtually new spec's:
have the central section of the table surface ground flat;
turn the feed rollers;
surface grind the pressure bar
re-machine the ways on the overhead knife grinder;
go thru and adjust everything.
At that point, I had a life-time planer. Last month, after about 40 years, I re-adjusted the bed rollers. Otherwise, it's been just lubricating and sharpening the knives.
We were helped by the fact that we had an 18"x54" metal lathe to do the rollers, and access to a milling machine at the local vocational school.
This machine was designed to be run 24 hours a day. I'll never wear it out.
It has a 15hp 3 phase motor. My phase converter is a scrounged 25hp 3 phase motor. I wrap a rope around the shaft of the motor, pull it to get the motor turning, and hit the power switch. It's non-powered leg acts as a generator to produce the third leg for the planer. It is not a perfect third leg, but quite adequate for work. The only noticeable time there is less than adequate power is when I accidently try way too heavy a cut. There is more information on such phase converters in back issues of FWW (and probably on the Net.)
My planer had been used very heavily, and was old (1939). The Oliver might not need as much work, tho it will be hard to tell from a distance.
Having the wide planer and jointer have opened up possibilities that would otherwise by unavailable. I have made a cherry sugar chest from 20" wide boards from a 46" diameter log. I have glued up counter-tops and jointed and planed them. I have the infeed for both machines pointed at openable windows; I can plane and joint any board 10' long or less without opening the window; longer up to 16' I open the window.
Good luck with your choice. If you get the Oliver planer set up, you'll never regret having it.
Full Disclosure: My then partner was an ex-auto mechanic; I was an ex-bicycle mechanic. We did not look at machines as being intimidating. When we started equipping out shop, old industrial machines were way cheaper than light-weight home shop machines. They just took a "little" work to get back to working right.
one of the few machines better than the Oliver is a Buss, but they they take up a lot more space in the shop that an Oliver. But both machines will last a lifetime
If you do get your bid on this, you will need a manual for it. Seriously consider the work #11 completed on that behemoth. These machines can hog off 1/4" or more in one pass. However, to do that you will need the proper voltage and 3 phases. If you can't find parts machines shops with CNC can make what you may need or not. I like my 20"RBI. Don't you it as much as my 13" Dewalt but sure comes in handy when needed.
Thank you all for your replies and advice. In the end, I did not buy this machine. While thinking it over I found a Laguna PX22 7.5 HP at my local Rockler that was marked down close to 1/3 of its list price. They had accidentally ordered two machines and they needed to move it to make space. I snatched it up and so far, I have not been disappointed!
Absolutely you should buy it! Especially for that price, the Oliver 299 is one of the best wood planers. I just bought one, after finally building my new 32’x64’ woodshop & expanding my business , I’m able to upgrade machines. I haven’t received my planer yet but will be needing to add in a phase converter as well. 3 friends I know that are furniture makers all have 299’s and swear by them. Good luck with it!
Edit: just noticed you didn’t buy it. lol so omit my reply.
you'll love it they are amazing machines people that have never used the older stuff don't get how great machines used to be, what year is yours?
I’m not sure of the exact year , it’s still has not made its way to me yet. I friend of mine sells used woodworking equipment and pretty much the day I read this post, that morning he messaged me telling me he found a 299 for me( for the past year I’ve been telling him if he finds one to let me know). I was going to try the online auction route but was always hesitant.
it's unfortunate that you didn't buy the machine, An Oliver 299d pound for pound is one of the finest planers ever made, that one is an earlier one, they later ones like I have most had an itch head and give the best surface you'll get, even better than the helical heads you get today, plus instead of having to loosen and turn the cutters, you just grind them on the head.
I have an unidentifiable "tri-pod" 12" jointer that is a beast. only two cutter heads, somewhat rough. Solution? i bought a spiral cutter head for my PLANER, since it's the last item on the milling process.
With so few moving parts, a set of bearings and a spiral cutterhead (call around to make sure you can get one) you can't go wrong. Space willing of course!