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15 inch planer

Started by Nebraska, July 02, 2022, 12:35:02 AM

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Nebraska

My wife and  I were planing up some some spalted Red Elm for some wall paneling the other day.   As board came out of my little porter cable lunch box it twisted in my wife's hands and it knocked the dust cover off the hold down screws. The cover  bounced off the cutter head and took a little trip.   Some carnage was the result. That ended the wood working  session for the day.  Now I can probably fix it (shssssh don't tell) but  I got permission to  look for a new one.  :)
15 inch helical head is what I am hoping for. I've been sorta watching for the right used one and nothing  much has shown.   So im asking what kind and where should I buy it. I'm in the middle of nowhere maybe have some sort of dealer in Omaha but nothing close. Just wondered what the thoughts were. 🤔 

Walnut Beast

Why not a Woodmaster? For $ 5,155 your set 21" wide. You want to play you got to pay 😂. If you really want to go all out and have your wife knock you out! Go the Woodmaster 4000 and plane 18" and full blown moulder for 25k and 7k in dust extraction 😂. Now you have to set everything up. But you will have to get on the waiting list for the 4000

Don P

I've been nursing my old Delta 15" along on Grizzly parts for some time. They've shown me who has parts support.

doc henderson

Grizzly used to be a great value, and the tried-and-true machines did not change in price for years.  My 20-inch planer was $1690 bucks and remained that way for 20+ years or so.  then the tariffs, now covid, so more expensive if available.  but no skimping on the castings, and simple available parts for the most part.  used may be the answer if the seller has not heard about the "bubble".
Timber king 2000, 277c track loader, PJ 32 foot gooseneck, 1976 F700 state dump truck, JD 850 tractor.  2007 Chevy 3500HD dually, home built log splitter 18 horse 28 gpm with 5 inch cylinder and 32 inch split range with conveyor powered by a 12 volt tarp motor

firefighter ontheside

You could also buy a used 15" delta or one of the many clones out there and then put a helical head in it.
I see these planers about once per month in the Stl area.  
Woodmizer LT15
Kubota Grand L4200
Stihl 025, MS261 and MS362
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Nebraska

Used ones don't pop up very often at least on CL, I watch Lincoln, Omaha, Sioux Falls/Sioux City. I don't FB so I don't know how often they come up on marketplace.. The other problem is finding the time to go and look at used stuff 100 miles away.

I have the sawdust addiction but a 25000.00 set up for my piddle projects isn't in the cards.  I have a couple client friends with cattle that do this for a living.  One builds neat live edge tables 
and stuff, one builds custom cabinetry, counters, and bars.  If  i need bigger one of them  have it. Cabinet maker  friend is bugging me to do some kiln work,   just can't get caught up to start that project. I cut some Ponderosa Pine Timbers for him he's flattening some Red Elm slabs  and doing the glue up for my daughter's desk top.

Grizzly was kind of the one I was leaning towards. I know you've got "pay to play".
Just wanting to play smart. I have a 6 inch Grizzly Jointer that was my uncles.
Honestly haven't used it yet, it's in storage, until I get a nice place for it to live.
 

Larry

The four post 15" is sorta a generic animal.  20 years ago the Geetech factory in Tawain made almost all of them.  Powermatic, Jet, Grizzly, and a bunch of other colors.  All off the same line.  The Powermatic was the high end and would have really nice infeed and outfeed tables.  The Geetech machine would have a roller for infeed and outfeed.

In the years since most production has shifted to mainland China for lower cost.

They all seem to do about the same job although they can be retro-fitted with a spiral head.

Almost all come with a 3 horsepower motor which is adequate for shop use.  If you plan on planing much sawmill lumber 3 horsepower is not near enough.  Even 5 horsepower is marginal.
Larry, making useful and beautiful things out of the most environmental friendly material on the planet.

We need to insure our customers understand the importance of our craft.

firefighter ontheside

If I were to buy a new 15" planer it would be grizzly, not only because I can drive a couple hours to pick it up, but I have had good luck with the grizzly tools I have and have had.  I've had 2 grizzly table saws and they were both good, but I kept upgrading.  I had an early 80s six inch grizzly jointer that served me well until I found this powermatic that I have for a great deal.  My 17" bandsaw is awesome.  
Woodmizer LT15
Kubota Grand L4200
Stihl 025, MS261 and MS362
2017 F350 Diesel 4WD
Kawasaki Mule 4010
1998 Dodge 3500 Flatbed

Don P

My new gib screws arrived from Grizzly yesterday. They had been back ordered for a good 6 months, I had forgotten about them till I changed knives the other night (after planing not a screw tip, I got the whole screw head). I had stripped one of the tapped holes in a gib and ordered 3 new ones and screws months ago, the gibs were in but the screws were backordered. I tend to overtighten gib screws so figured everything was stretched. Then I got an email saying they had adjusted the shipping to my order date so that there would be no difference from the price when ordered. I wonder how much backordered stuff around the world just went under water.

Oh, the reason for writing, yes get an insert head unless you know of a good sharpening shop nearby. All our old full service shops folded with the furniture industry here. The last 2 yahoos burned steel. I put on fresh knives the other night, ran maybe 500' of pine no problem. We pulled and reloaded the kiln today and I brought home a couple of hundred feet of red oak in the truck and planed it to 7/8 with the intention of dropping it at the building supply. By the end the knives had crumbled and were leaving a ton of lines down the boards  >:(> I'll have to switch heads or planers soon, or find the time and desire to grind, not!  :D

Nebraska

I saw a 20 inch powematic with a knife grinder attachment in St Joe listed today. I have no where to put a beast that size.

kantuckid

My KY Vo-tech school shops were always equipped with PM tools as they had the price contracts in KY. Mostly the "green era" PM's, some gold era ones. I've used PM planers and table saws for hours and maintained them. My own Taiwan made 5hp, 20" planer cuts as well as those did and the only maintenance has been triple belt sets and blade changes. I would never buy a new head for mine as owning 4 sets of blades they are cheap to sharpen and will last longer than myself.
It is a very well made machine I bought around 1998-9 from a Fine Woodworking magazine ad. Transpower branded but much like many 4 post, Asian 20" planers. I once had a grizzly that was 15" and not so great, but as said they've improved a lot. Local guy had a contract to get all their freight damage and returns and mine was built from his parts stash. 
There's a man near FT Myers/Estero Beach, FL who has a PM restoration business and been around for years. He mostly avoids the newer Asian PM machines.
Fleabay, CL and more recently FB marketplace are the go-to places for used machines. 
Kan=Kansas;tuck=Kentucky;kid=what I'm not

Bruno of NH

I just picked up a Delta clone 15" in great shape on Market place for $350.
Did a Utube search and most parts can be sourced from Grizzly. 
If cost wasn't an issue I would have got a Hammer combo 16" jointer/planer
Lt 40 wide with 38hp gas and command controls , F350 4x4 dump and lot of contracting tools

rusticretreater

I have a delta lunchbox planer that is adequate for projects, but not for the ever increasing amounts of wood I am processing.  I just picked up a 1950's era 12" green Powermatic planer that I am giving a rehab.  $400 off of craigslist.  It works but can be much better.  Folks say you can't go wrong with one that is dialed in. Found the original paint color and had Sherwin Williams make me a bucket of it. 
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21incher

I wouldn't buy another  Grizzly  15 inch planer from China after  my experience. Their customer  service is second rate and as they now say they are not finish planners with the straight  inserts.  I have been thinking  about trying a Jet with the true helical head to replace  mine.
Hudson HFE-21 on a custom trailer, Deere 4100, Kubota BX 2360, Echo CS590 & CS310, home built wood splitter, home built log arch, a logrite cant hook and a bread machine. And a Kubota Sidekick with a Defective Subaru motor.

Walnut Beast

If I can't help it I'm not going to help support the Communist party and cut throat American companies looking to max profit to build the China military machine to try and take over this country! Buy American 🇺🇸

Nebraska


Don P

There is an ore deposit out my back window, short of that, good luck. I had the same notion when I bought that Delta, which was only a name. It's now only supported by griz parts, a chinese 5 horse motor, capacitors from a junk box and American know how. The American machines I've seen are sheet metal fabrications. My world isn't black and white anymore.

I used to run a Berlin 4 sider. Solid American company, had to change their name after the great war to something more palatable to the masses, the kaiser was the dog to kick at that moment. Yates American was born. They also spun off the first company that had knife grinders on the machine, Stetson-Ross.

kantuckid

Jet is an international company and part of a large corporation. Avoiding China isn't easy these days. Good luck on that one!
Kan=Kansas;tuck=Kentucky;kid=what I'm not

Jeff

At what point do you guys want me to put the entire forum in the restricted board? As much as I agree, there are times there are a fellow member or two that may not and you simply don't change those types. No need to preaching to the choir eh?
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

Southside

Quality isn't cheap.  Several years ago when I was looking for a planer I ordered a 20 something inch Grizzly.  They were out of stock, back ordered, kept not arriving, price went up, etc.  I got disgusted with the whole thing so I called Wood Master instead.  Had a 25" planer sitting on my forks three weeks later, been very happy with the machine and the customer service I receive.  They are a Forum sponsor, and made right here in the US.  Like I said - they aren't the cheapest option, and they are not the "absolute, industrial grade, baddest one built", but for keeping up with my Super 70 it does absolutely fine, was affordable, and will last for decades.  
Franklin buncher and skidder
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Woodmizer LT Super 70 and LT35 sawmill, KD250 kiln, BMS 250 sharpener and setter
Riehl Edger
Woodmaster 725 and 4000 planner and moulder
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teakwood

The grizzly, jet, shopfox 20" planer is very good, i even used it professionally for over 12 years, we put some wood thru this little planer, i upgraded to spiral head and did the installation myself, definitively worth the money. this planer is over sized for hobby use.
But now i had the opportunity to upgrade to a extreme duty 25" grizzly and what a change, this is a different animal, love it



National Stihl Timbersports Champion Costa Rica 2018

Walnut Beast

Surprised you didn't use some flexible conduit to the Griz

kantuckid

Plastic chip pipe- I hope it's got a ground wire? I switched to the clear duct with a wire spiral. Bought an Amazon warehouse return bargain of a long piece. 
My Transpower branded/Taiwan mfg. 20" planer is identical design of the 15" showing here above. I paid extra for a 5hp motor on mine. 
Kan=Kansas;tuck=Kentucky;kid=what I'm not

Tom King

Is that a ball valve for a blast gate?  First one I've seen, but I like it.

teakwood

Quote from: Walnut Beast on July 13, 2022, 08:09:16 AM
Surprised you didn't use some flexible conduit to the Griz
There is about 1meter of 5" flex hose that goes to the grizzly hood
National Stihl Timbersports Champion Costa Rica 2018

teakwood

Quote from: kantuckid on July 13, 2022, 08:13:41 AM
Plastic chip pipe- I hope it's got a ground wire? I switched to the clear duct with a wire spiral. Bought an Amazon warehouse return bargain of a long piece.
My Transpower branded/Taiwan mfg. 20" planer is identical design of the 15" showing here above. I paid extra for a 5hp motor on mine.
why grounded? it's plastic, i use this setups since over 15 years, never had a problem. My old planer above is a 20" with a spiralhead update, it's a shopfox, but they are all the same. it has a 5hp single phase
National Stihl Timbersports Champion Costa Rica 2018

teakwood

Quote from: Tom King on July 13, 2022, 02:16:13 PM
Is that a ball valve for a blast gate?  First one I've seen, but I like it.
4" pvc tubing with ball valve. there is no such thing as dust systems, ducts or blast gates in Costa Rica, we use what's available.
National Stihl Timbersports Champion Costa Rica 2018

Southside

Maybe your air is humid enough, or maybe you have been lucky, but chips going through PVC will cause static electric build up and yes you can get a very significant spark to jump from it - enough to burn a place down, thus the common solution is to ground the PVC.  
Franklin buncher and skidder
JD Processor
Woodmizer LT Super 70 and LT35 sawmill, KD250 kiln, BMS 250 sharpener and setter
Riehl Edger
Woodmaster 725 and 4000 planner and moulder
Enough cows to ensure there is no spare time.
White Oak Meadows

Ianab

Rainforest climate? Probably humid enough to limit static buildup. The size of the discharge is related to the amount of unearthed surface. A small system can built up a charge, but not enough to generate a big enough energy to ignite things. Can be enough to annoy the operator though, think the sort of shock you sometimes get while stepping out of a car. That's a good enough reason to use a ground wire even in a small shop. 

It becomes more critical on larger industrial installations, bigger the system, the more charge it can build up. But they usually use metal piping, so grounding is easier (and more necessary)
Weekend warrior, Peterson JP test pilot, Dolmar 7900 and Stihl MS310 saws and  the usual collection of power tools :)

teakwood

in the 15 years never ever felt something like a even small discharge when touching the pipes. Pipe touches the stone wall alot of times, maybe this discharges the build up. there are metal bands holding the pipe against the wall also
National Stihl Timbersports Champion Costa Rica 2018

Don P

Shhh, my ground wire across the 8' of 8" pcv pipe hooked to the fan on my mill has been off for, years. I also know I have been flat out, blue spark, nailed by the static from a little shop vac. I suspect everything around my mill and fan is damp and sitting/sinking into the ground. It doesn't make it safe practice, they should be bonded, but there is another sketchy ground path connecting it all together and dissipating the charge. It's kind of like the ground on a Dodge, iffy  :D

I'm pretty sure the cyclone over the building outside got hit by lightning on a shop I was working in. We were inside with a light show going on along the dust system. Nothing caught fire and nobody got a tickle, most of the time you get lucky I guess. And to be Mom, there should be an extinguisher on that wall. If there is a fire shoot into the intake. The conduit Walnut was talking about is protect those bare wires in something. My friends bang into things, regularly. This ends our public service announcement for the morning, carry on  :)

kantuckid

My puters weather report says today's humidity will be 94%. It cannot get much higher humidity than here!- yet static is a real danger as stated above already. Eastern KY is a jungle like humidity most days all summer but we still have static.  
 
I will admit to playing that ungrounded plastic pipe game myself and was lucky. They do blow up and hurt people.  Then I made the change.
I also used to use a shop vac on my router table but now have it going into my chip system. I found only one company that sold a reducer from 4" duct to 1.5" router table dust/chip connector but saves toting chips and noise too. 
Kan=Kansas;tuck=Kentucky;kid=what I'm not

Southside

The outfeed of my planer is extended 10' with a section of skate rollers, there is a gap between the planer outfeed table and the rollers, those rollers are supported by plastic saw horses.  I had to ground the skate rollers as everyone was getting a static shock when it was dry out off the lumber rolling down the roller, it comes off a HDPE surface onto the rollers so my guess is the charge was being developed by the planer head itself.  
Franklin buncher and skidder
JD Processor
Woodmizer LT Super 70 and LT35 sawmill, KD250 kiln, BMS 250 sharpener and setter
Riehl Edger
Woodmaster 725 and 4000 planner and moulder
Enough cows to ensure there is no spare time.
White Oak Meadows

Nebraska

I saw an add for a Foley - Belsaw planer molder. It was actually  on the way to the cabin and I needed to make a quick run so I stopped. It had sat out in an unheated shed for a couple years,  had no in /out feed tables, needed  a new switch  and lots of elbow grease to polish it back up. It didn't have any of the molder accessories or the sander. It had potential  but I have enough projects, i passedon it. He did have a Jet dust collector. I bought that for $150.00 seemed like an ok price. 

Al_Smith

All I've got is a 12.5" Dewalt my wife bought me .It does okay but you can't crowd it too much plus it cups the end of the board .I can deal with it no more than I use it .It's not a lunch box but it certainly is not a professional machine . To counter act the cupping I just cut the rough stock a little longer .Then use the drops for kindling wood .It's not a total waste .

Nebraska

 

 

Found one.   A Delta  DC- 380 15" it seemed to have very little wear. Talked my semi retired carpenter buddy into borrowing his skid steer to helping move it out of the fellows shop it was in. Ex owner is retired and he and his wife are moving and down sizing. He bought for his H-O scale model railroading project work.  It gets to live in Rick's heated and air-conditioned shop for a while until I get a better place for it permanently.  Should do what I need. I gave 500.00$ for it I think I'll come out ok on the deal.

Don P

That's the planer I have. I've been getting parts from Grizzly. Jack it all the way open and check/change the gearbox oil. On the side your friend is on there are 2 sheet metal covers inside the opening and then the large center allen on the outside cover. Pry the black cover off its dowel pins and inspect the drive chains and sprockets for tension and wear. Good little machine, if you burn it up it works really well with a 5 horse on it.

Nebraska

Thanks for the heads up Don  8)

Bruno of NH

Mine is a copy of that out of the same factory in Taiwan. 
Lt 40 wide with 38hp gas and command controls , F350 4x4 dump and lot of contracting tools

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