Which planer?

Handy Andy · January 06, 2010, 08:02:20 AM

Already have read all the old discussions on planers, and would like help deciding on which Grizzly planer to order. It's just too cold to pull the trigger right now, have to haul my skid steer home from the farm to unload it, so plenty of time to struggle with this decision. Have a 718 woodmaster, but reading the griz vs powermatic discussion kindof got the fever started. Looks like I could cut my planing time in half.
Was thinking of getting the go454z, with the spiral cutterhead, as it is the least expensive of the 20" planers, 2295 plus 169 shipping, is 2464 total, then read that Norm got the g1033x, which looks like the same design, but is endorsed by wood magazine and popular woodworking, they appear to be about the same machine, weight etc, except the 454 has a built in mobile base, so is the 1033 worth the extra money? it is 2995 plus 169, total 3064. The 1033 is the extreme series, so guess that means heavy duty version, but the next more expensive is the z series g5850z
which I think would be great, but probably more than I need. Then, I look at the 15" go453z, and it is the z series, has built in mobile base and spiral cutter head for 1450 plus 139 total 1564, and makes me think, do I really need to run panels through after glueing, or maybe I could get by with 15"? Any comments?

Den Socling · January 06, 2010, 10:58:50 AM

I have a G0551 which is 15" with blades. It is noisy as heck but does a good job with lumber. I don't get lumber wider than 15". If I tried to plane flitches, I would have to jump to bigger than 20" and brute strength. So, in my opinion, 15" works for most of us but I would recommend a spiral head.

Norm · January 06, 2010, 01:14:35 PM

I think it comes down to how much wood you are planning on running and whether you feel the need to have an extra 5" of planer capacity. I'll give you my opinion but it is only that so please just us it for a basis in your decision. If it was me and I was not going to run big runs I'd go with the GO454Z. I went from a 15" planer to mine and surprisingly enough I use that capacity quite often. Now if you feel that you are going to run it hard like in custom planing maybe the model I bought would be a better choice.

Good luck.

ladylake · January 21, 2010, 05:57:12 AM

I bought the 20" Powermatic version of Grizzly (same planer) with a dust collector for under $3000 shipped a while back. That spiral works great but don't run any loose knots through it, those little cabide cutters aren't as tough as blades. Steve

solidwoods · January 22, 2010, 09:22:34 AM

I like bed rollers that can be adjusted while planing/running. No tools required just one loosen- tighten knob.
The Grizz knife sharpener is a very good investment also.
I use the Bridgewood 20", it has the quick bed roller adjustment and a 3 knife head 5hp MIA motor.
jim
{Made in America}

oakiemac · January 22, 2010, 06:14:09 PM

I have been reading some of the planer stuff with interest because I have a Woodmaster 718 but do a lot of custom planing. Here in a few weeks we will have to plan 3000bf. The woodmaster is just not enough machine.
I've been thinking about an old Oliver with spiral head and sectional infeed rollers but maybe a newer griz or powermatic would do the trick as well.
Need to do some more thinking on this. ???

ladylake · January 23, 2010, 06:19:39 AM

My Powermatic 20" does a nice job on tough wood like burr oak or ash but doesn't have the capacity of my 20" 4 blade RBI (simular to Woodmaster). You'll end up taking more lighter passes with the Griz or PM with a spiral head. Also with any of these planers put a sheet of UHMW plastic on the bed and that will cure your feed problems. Steve

petefrom bearswamp · January 29, 2010, 11:46:17 AM

I looked at both the Griz and the Bridgewood about 7 years ago.
Griz had an almost new one that had been returned by a customer in their used section at a very attractive price which made me suspicious.
Bought The Bridgewood 20".
This is a spiral NOT a helical head.
It was touted as being quieter (very true) and using less HP (not so).
it had a 5 hp Baldor motor for the head and an import motor for the drive.
Wouldn't take 1/8" X 12" pine cut!
They sent me a new motor, same problem.
Took it back to Wilke Machinery in York PA to prove my point.
They then installed a 10 HP 3 phase motor. (no charge)
But I then had to get a phase converter for $750.00
It still won't make a 1/ 32 cut across the bed in hardwoods even at slow feed speed.
Ladylake is correct, don't try loose knots or God forbid Hemlock as it will destroy the teeth.
Another problem is turning the 4 sided teeth.
I wrecked the wrench they gave me loosening them the first time.
I now use my Makita 9.6V cordless for this, setting the torque very light when re tightening. This seems to work, but still shatters an occasional tooth.
Had I known the problems with the spiral head i would have opted for the straight blade machine.
I also wish that I had gone for the 24" model.
My 2 cents
Pete

ladylake · February 01, 2010, 05:53:05 AM

I like my Powermatic for a coulple of reason, the biggest being little or no tearout in tough wood, it's quiet, the cutters stay sharp at least 10 times longer. Steve

Cedarman · February 01, 2010, 05:51:04 PM

I have a Northtech 26" with helical head and 15 HP motor. We take 5/16" off of 3 or 4 boards 3 1/2 to 4" wide each and continually feed. Knots never cause a problem. We will go 100,000 feet before rotating knives. It takes time to clean the backside of each knife and completely clean the socket before reinserting. Never break a knife installing, but sometimes break a knife when using a punch to unseat the screw a little. To let the battery drill remove the screw without busting the torx. Cedar knots never hurt the knives.

10 HP motor on those knives should eat the wood.

taw6243 · February 20, 2010, 11:04:08 PM

Sounds like you just need more power, also remember that if your belts are not tightened properly then you won't be able to use this machine to it's full potential.
I've got a 725 Woodmaster with the 7.5 hp continuous duty motor with the auto leveling extension tables. I just got done planing 4500 board feet of fresh cut soft maple that was 1 and 1/8 th thick to 15/16th on one side only. That's 3/16th of an inch removed in one pass. It took 13 hours it was over six pickup truck loads of planer chips produced. There were two of us feeding boards 5 and 1/2 inch wide each four boards wide going thru the planer the whole time. Definitely not a toy. These were frozen, had ice on them in places and I didn't even have to put on the steel serrated roller on the in feed side. Even though I do have on hand just in case I need it that woodmaster sold me. It's a great machine. I wouldn't be without the auto leveling tables on in feed and out feed. It gives you a nine foot bed but can be folded out of the way if needed. I Bought Every gadget they had to offer so I could do a lot of different things. I already had a vac-trac trailer that is 4' x4' x 6' with an 8 Hp gas engine blower that came with my kubota L3010 tractor, the blower and trailer are located outside the shop.(I sell the chips to horse people.Pays for the electricity to run the planer.) This worked very well with the planer. I started out with my belts being loose directly from the factory. I could not believe the difference when tightened properly. I also have the poly bed that woodmaster offers. This machine can take off 5/16th in one pass with no problem.

Ironwood · February 22, 2010, 07:00:50 PM

PetefromBear,

Very interesting. I had never heard anyone regret the insert head. I CERTAINLY plane LOTS of loose and bark included stock, I had never thought that would create an issue. Thanks for the food for thought.

Ironwood

red oaks lumber · February 22, 2010, 10:51:01 PM

green wood will plane easier (softer) my question is why would anyone plane green lumber??

Cedarman · February 25, 2010, 06:58:38 AM

Quote from: red oaks lumber on February 22, 2010, 10:51:01 PM
green wood will plane easier (softer) my question is why would anyone plane green lumber??

I do it when the customer asks for it. We plane a lot of green cedar.

red oaks lumber · February 25, 2010, 12:55:59 PM

then when it dries, won't it be differant sizes and maybe cupped?

Cedarman · February 25, 2010, 03:05:02 PM

ERC, especially with 8" wide and less there is no cupping and very little shrinkage. Sometimes there is a little side bend so you do want to re edge after drying. Cedar starts out at about 35%mc and air dries quickly to 12%. You can let a board set in the sun for 5 years and it won't do much except get very gray.
Projects that will be indoor paneling, cedar chests etc I recommend drying to 8 or 9% first before processing. A lot of our cedar is used outside though.

red oaks lumber · February 25, 2010, 05:59:42 PM

dosen't green cedar fuzz and tearout when its planed? being that it is so soft.

pigman · February 25, 2010, 06:12:08 PM

Quotedosen't green cedar fuzz and tearout when its planed? being that it is so soft.

No

red oaks lumber · February 25, 2010, 09:47:55 PM

thanks pigman for the long explaination, your hands must get tired from typing so much!

pigman · February 25, 2010, 11:26:34 PM

red oaks lumber, I type slow, that answer took ten minutes to type. ;)
I plane some green ERC and I cannot tell the difference from when it is dry. ERC is a very special wood in that it doesn't act like any other wood I have in this area. It is fairly dry when green, drys fast and seldem has drying defects . I have dead stacked small stacks of green lumber and it did not mold.
I only plane it green when the customer I saw for asks me to plane it because they don't have a planer. I never plane my own lumber green.