Grizzly 24” planer vs Woodmaster 725

[YellowHammer]

With the wide head, you need a 30" planer like Jake's .  

I think the only thing better than having a wide double sided carpet planer is to have a nearby friend with one. :D  

I asked Jake at the Project if he had any plans to move to North Alabama, and bring his planer with him, but he said he was going to stay in Ga where he was. :D :D :D  Oh well, I tried. :D

[WDH]

If there is such a thing as Planer Lust, then I have it. 

[GAB]

When maxed out at 20" wide with a big slab heavy slab like pecan, I cannot take off more than 1/16" per pass, and if the inserts are getting dull, I take off 3/32 per pass.  The finish is excellent.

You have to be quick on the draw and raise the head to keep from bogging down and tripping the motors.  It is easy to quickly raise the head with that big wheel.  When I hear the planer bogging down, I quickly turn the wheel a couple of turns and keep on going.  Once the slab has been through the planer the first time, then everything goes along smoothly after that because the slab is an even thickness from one end to the other.

The above is a partial of what WDH wrote.
Now looking at the time of the post and on Saturday he probably hadent had his second cup of coffee yet.
Question:
Can you really take more of a bite as the as the inserts are getting dull?
Please explain.
Question:
If you raise the head as you are planing won't one end be thicker than when you started?
When I do that I have to run it through at least once more to get it the same thickness.

Question:
Are the laws of physics and math different in GA that they are in VT?
Hi Danny,
Gerald

[123maxbars]

Nathan,

One plug.  Both motors run on 220.  Pulls 35 amps at 220 if I remember correctly.  I have been happy with it, but of course, I wish that I had one that would plane 24" and had more power, but that would require 3-phase.  For standard 4/4, 6/4, 8/4, etc it does fine. When maxed out at 20" wide with a big slab heavy slab like pecan, I cannot take off more than 1/16" per pass, and if the inserts are getting dull, I take off 3/32 per pass.  The finish is excellent.

If you try to hog off too much, it will bog down and trip the motors.  That is not good to do on a regular basis.  I did it one time too many and the cutterhead motor got too hot and I had to replace it.  My fault entirely.  On a max wide slab on the first planing pass, if there are any high spots on the slab, you have to be careful as you might be going along just fine then hit a high spot where your saw blade waved up over a knot, etc.  You have to be quick on the draw and raise the head to keep from bogging down and tripping the motors.  It is easy to quickly raise the head with that big wheel.  When I hear the planer bogging down, I quickly turn the wheel a couple of turns and keep on going.  Once the slab has been through the planer the first time, then everything goes along smoothly after that because the slab is an even thickness from one end to the other.

I use a hydraulic lift table to catch the slab on the outfeed so that it is easy to roll the slab back to the front for another pass without having to lift, tote, or carry a very heavy slab.  This keeps me safe from the old Jake Dean adage of never picking up a slab both ends at the same time .  

With the wide head, you need a 30" planer like Jake's .

Thanks Danny, boy that planer Jake had would be ideal, maybe one day.
I am going to order it Monday and will also be looking for that Hydraulic lift table also, that sounds like a good idea. Appreciate the help, 

[123maxbars]

@WDH is that planer on rollers? trying to see where my pallet forks on the tractor could lift it at, maybe straps under the in feed table?

[WDH]

Gerald,

Yes, just one cup of coffee.  Should have read that when the inserts are getting dull, I take a bit less than 1/16th per pass, more like 3/4 of 1/16 which is less than 1/16th, even here in GA. 

The other part should have read "that once the slab has gone through the planer to all the same thickness on the first side"  .

Nathan, no rollers.  Mine was on a pallet that I loaded onto the planer room floor with the tractor and then pushed it into position using some long 4x4's and the tractor.  Too heavy to lift for sure.  With the pallet, it weighs close to 1000 pounds.

Here it is pushed into position with the dust extraction hooked up.  I blow the shavings out the side wall with a long 5" diameter dust pipe into a pile on the outside.



 

The blower is 2 hp 220 V unit made by Penn State Industries and works great. 

[123maxbars]

Thanks Danny, I like that room dedicated only to the planner, might be the route I take, appreciate the pic, 

[Dan_Shade]

I could really clutter up an open space that large! 

[jimparamedic]

I too would have to clutter it up with a trim saw of some kind chop or radial arm and a jointer. But I really like that space.

[WDH]

Oh, don't worry.  There is a trim saw table and a 12" jointer in there too, now. 

[Walnut Beast]

I think you can get a 10 hp motor on the 725 as a option if you ask

[farmfromkansas]

I had a Woodmaster 718 and sold it and bought a Grizzly 15" planer.  The Grizzly is made from cast iron, is heavier and has a faster feed speed even in the low side.  Mine is 5 hp and is adequate.  If I were getting a commercial planer would order the one WDH has. It has a big motor for the cutterhead and a separate feed motor with variable speed.  Woodmaster has the same type of motor set up, variable speed motor feed, but it is very slow. If you are doing a bunch of boards you will be all day with the Woodmaster.