Grizzly good-natured and good-humor.

[Brad_bb]

About a year and a half ago I had a thread trying to decide on which planer to get.  I finally settled on the Grizzly G0544, a 20" 5hp spiral head.  I didn't pull the trigger right away though.  It was a decent price but I wasn't quite ready to integrate it into my new shop yet.  I had a lot of material in the way and wasn't ready to use it for the first job I need it for.  So I waited and unfortunately watched the price climb significantly due to inflation, material costs, and outrageous shipping costs as I learned from Taiwan.  I was so disappointed in the rise in cost I thought I might not do it.  So I decided to write Grizzly customer service with a little tongue and cheek.  I'd been watching this planer so long I felt like it was the Red Ryder BB gun Ralphie wanted for Christmas. So I wrote a letter as If I was Ralphie worried that my Red Ryder BB gun, I mean my G0544 planer, was out of reach.  I wasn't expecting anything really except to give someone there a chuckle.  Well the next day I got a call from the Manager at Grizzly who said he normally doesn't read or respond to customer service emails, but mine was passed onto him and it made him laugh.  The Christmas sale was coming up so he offered me the best sale price.  I pulled the trigger and as a thank you I ordered the Christmas Story DVD and a gift from Aunt Clara sent via Amazon addressed to him at their place in Missouri.  Well he was a real sport as he then sent me this! 


 

He told me to make sure to wear my safety glasses so I don't shoot my eye out!

[firefighter ontheside]

I might have to print this picture and take it with me the next time I go in there.

[PoginyHill]

About a year and a half ago I had a thread trying to decide on which planer to get.  I finally settled on the Grizzly G0544, a 20" 5hp spiral head.  I didn't pull the trigger right away though.  It was a decent price but I wasn't quite ready to integrate it into my new shop yet.  I had a lot of material in the way and wasn't ready to use it for the first job I need it for.  So I waited and unfortunately watched the price climb significantly due to inflation, material costs, and outrageous shipping costs as I learned from Taiwan.  I was so disappointed in the rise in cost I thought I might not do it.  So I decided to write Grizzly customer service with a little tongue and cheek.  I'd been watching this planer so long I felt like it was the Red Ryder BB gun Ralphie wanted for Christmas. So I wrote a letter as If I was Ralphie worried that my Red Ryder BB gun, I mean my G0544 planer, was out of reach.  I wasn't expecting anything really except to give someone there a chuckle.  Well the next day I got a call from the Manager at Grizzly who said he normally doesn't read or respond to customer service emails, but mine was passed onto him and it made him laugh.  The Christmas sale was coming up so he offered me the best sale price.  I pulled the trigger and as a thank you I ordered the Christmas Story DVD and a gift from Aunt Clara sent via Amazon addressed to him at their place in Missouri.  Well he was a real sport as he then sent me this!


 

He told me to make sure to wear my safety glasses so I don't shoot my eye out!

Have you used it yet? I'm curious what you think of it's quality and performance. I guess even the traditional US brands are now made overseas (e.g. Powermatic). I had always dismissed Grizzly as "cheap imports" at cheap prices. Maybe I need to re-evaluate.

[Jeff]

Lets see the letter!

[farmfromkansas]

That is quite a score.  That model is their actual professional grade planer. The 453px I have is just a homeowner model, it planes well, but if you try to run a truck load of lumber through, it will overheat and shut down.

[metalspinner]

@Brad_bb 

That's the same planer I have had for about 10 years. You will love it! Until you have a 21" board to pass through it. 😂

[WDH]

I bought one in 2014 and planed over 100,000 bf through it until I upgraded to a 25" 10 hp Oliver in 2020.  It is a fine planer.  It is a light industrial grade planer.   It has a 2 hp feed motor and a separate 5 hp cutterhead motor.  I bought it new in 2014 for $5400 delivered.  They list now for $8300. 

[Brad_bb]

It was just delivered this week.  Still in crate.  I have a stack of 3" thick hewn barn beam skins that will become a chinked log wall still sitting in my ship along with stacks of other material waiting to be used.  Hopefully the hewn skins will move out for installation the week after Christmas so I can bring the planer into the shop.  Out in the storage building for the moment.  I hope it's a good planer for what it cost.  I've still got all the stacks of 4/4 and 5/4 since I started milling that needs to be planed.

[metalspinner]

Do you have a good dust collector?

[kantuckid]

About a year and a half ago I had a thread trying to decide on which planer to get.  I finally settled on the Grizzly G0544, a 20" 5hp spiral head.  I didn't pull the trigger right away though.  It was a decent price but I wasn't quite ready to integrate it into my new shop yet.  I had a lot of material in the way and wasn't ready to use it for the first job I need it for.  So I waited and unfortunately watched the price climb significantly due to inflation, material costs, and outrageous shipping costs as I learned from Taiwan.  I was so disappointed in the rise in cost I thought I might not do it.  So I decided to write Grizzly customer service with a little tongue and cheek.  I'd been watching this planer so long I felt like it was the Red Ryder BB gun Ralphie wanted for Christmas. So I wrote a letter as If I was Ralphie worried that my Red Ryder BB gun, I mean my G0544 planer, was out of reach.  I wasn't expecting anything really except to give someone there a chuckle.  Well the next day I got a call from the Manager at Grizzly who said he normally doesn't read or respond to customer service emails, but mine was passed onto him and it made him laugh.  The Christmas sale was coming up so he offered me the best sale price.  I pulled the trigger and as a thank you I ordered the Christmas Story DVD and a gift from Aunt Clara sent via Amazon addressed to him at their place in Missouri.  Well he was a real sport as he then sent me this!


 

He told me to make sure to wear my safety glasses so I don't shoot my eye out!

Have you used it yet? I'm curious what you think of it's quality and performance. I guess even the traditional US brands are now made overseas (e.g. Powermatic). I had always dismissed Grizzly as "cheap imports" at cheap prices. Maybe I need to re-evaluate.

Powermatic went Asian some years back-none made in TN for a long time. There is a guy in FL near Ft Meyers who rebuild the brand. As a machine guy, I bought a used one and didn't take much to make her pretty-but a TS not planer in my case.

How many HP, what belt drive, what gross weight for that Grizzly? My 20" Taiwan conventional is from 1990's, has 5hp with 3V drive. It will outlast me so just being conversational.