Survey of what sawmillers use for planers

[Kelvin]

Howdy All!
Just wondering what is most used by people who are making a living out of sawmilling for processing lumber.  How big, how old and how many phase?
Right now i'm trying to make do with a tiawanese 20" 5hp that will only take off about 1/16" at a time on not too wide of a board.  I've been looking on ebay for a big machine to take its place so we can get a faster feed rate, and not have to send the lumber through 4 times.

One thing i thought of is this, avoid sharpening and setting blades.  Either only buy a machine with a built in sharpener, or buy a carbide insert head.  Anyone running a carbide insert?  Anyone see a carbide insert head run?

I'm looking at old rockwells and powermatics.  Its amazing on ebay.  Everyone of them that comes up seems to come from and old highschool.  I imagine they paid $500 and now they are going for $3k on ebay.  Wish i could find a local auction that had a big one.

I don't have 3 phase so i'd have to add a phase converter of some sort if i buy a big 3 phase machine (which all of them seem to be)  I can't help but think of all the wasted energy in running a 15hp slave motor and a 10hp planer motor all could be avoided if i could just find a single phase machine with a big enough motor. 

One single phase machine that looks okay is the Grizzly 20" with a carbide inset head, 5hp on the cutter head and 2 hp on the feed.  That sounds like it would loosen up some power.  Maybe i could switch out the crappy chinese 5 hp with a nicer 71/2 hp american motor to make it really cut!

What do you guys think?

Kelvin

[woodmills1]

for the first few years I used only my Royobi 10"  talk about slow...but I still use it for a light pass because it gives a nice surface.

I also have a belsaw 12" planer moulder.  It has a 5 hp baldor single phase motor and it is surprising just how much work it will do.

But.....that grizzly 20 sure looks nice  so does the logsol 4 sider.

[bad_boards]

use a G0551 15 inch 3 hp grizzly , 3 straight knives
love it

and a 8 inch G0593 grizzly carbide insert jointer , 2hp

both are nice,cheap ,easy to work with . handles all my oscar 28 cuts

[brdmkr]

Kelvin

I have a woomaster 718, still on the pallet in storage .  My shop just isn't ready!!!!!!  I hope it will meet my needs.  However, you may want to check out irsauctions.com.  They are an industrial liquidation outfit and they tend to deal with some heavy duty machinery.  Some of it can be pretty pricey, but it still seems cheaper than ebay.

[mike_van]

Kelvin, I use an SCMI 20" x 9" - 3 phase, probably the nicest, dependable, accurate machine I own.  4 hss knives, they change out fast, there's a jig to set them with, 10 minutes I can do all four.  It weighs 1300 lbs. I've done 8x8's without thinking it was going to tip over. I bought it used [but near mint] from Carpenters in York Pa.  some  12 years ago.  I can't do 24" boards, but how many are out there anyway?  I think I paid 3000.00 back then, never regretted not getting a lesser machine.  A sawmill friend of mine runs a massive Crescent planer with a 4 cyl. gasoline engine, works for him - No 3 phase near him either.

[footer]

  I can't help but think of all the wasted energy in running a 15hp slave motor and a 10hp planer motor all could be avoided if i could just find a single phase machine with a big enough motor. 

Kelvin

Kelvin, There  isnt as much wasted energy as you would think. It realy doesn't take much energy to keep a motor spinning without a load, but I can still see your point on just getting a single phase one from the start.

[KGNC]

Don't know if applies to this discussion.
I was just surfing around and found some goverment surplus equipment, including some planers coming up at auction.
http://www.govliquidation.com/list/c7275
Looks like they have tried to destroy some nice equipment by leaving it outside but they could still be salvaged.

[Engineer]

I've gone through a bunch of planers.  Not making a living at it but I am building a house and do a bit of woodworking anyway. 

Right now I have a Woodmaster 718 I'm sorta trying to sell (and don't use), a Ridgid 13" portable planer which I really like for finish work, and a Powermatic 180 which is a 3-phase 5 hp beast.  I don't have 3-phase, I've been procrastinating about putting together a phase converter and it looks like I'm going to continue to do so.

[Kevin_H.]

We have been shopping for a new planer for a couple of weeks, We really would like to have the 15" grizzly but it seems it is always on back order.  >:(

Most all of the stuff we do is 5" or less.

Right now we are using a 13 ridgid, but have big problems with it clogging up with shavings and I think the feed rollers are worn down.

We have recently found some new 15" planers on ebay and that may be the way we go.

[Gabby]

Kelvin-Look for municipal auctions. Local,state, county. Here in New York the State is downsizing a lot of agencies (i.e.-Psych Centers). Many of these places had work programs. I have seen Grizzly. Just a thought. Call your Sate capital and ask to be put on a mailing list for these if available. Good luck.

[ex-racer]

I don't make a living at this - just sawing for my own use.

I've been using a 16" Makita 2040 for about 25 years. It works well with light (1/16") cuts. I wouldn't want to be in a hurry.

Had to repair it twice in that time. Both times the problem was associated with the feed roller drive chain.

Ed

[Larry]

How fast ya wanta go and how much money ya got?

I was gonna type a response but remembered HORSELOGGER pretty much covered everything in this old thread.

https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=6064.0

Couple of things I could add...parts are hard to come by for some of the old planers like the Delta wedge. 

I have been running the Byrd Shelix head for a year now and will never go back to straight knives...best money I ever spent.  Few other members are running em and think they are of the same opinion.  Advantages you may not have thought about...quiet, smaller chip size so better dust extraction with woods like basswood along with less horsepower requirement, reduced chip out, and did I mention quiet?

[Jason_WI]

I use a modified 12" RBI planer that I added variable speed feed to it. It works ok for small jobs.

I am currently setting up a Cresent 26" planer with dedicated sawdust blower. This planer is old and has Babbit bearings but it will handle the big stuff.  

The Logosol sure does look nice. I just don't think I can justify the purchace ay this time.  


Jason

[Faron]

718 Woodmaster.  Changed it over to a single twist link belt and put the motor on a hinge yesterday.  I think we are going to like the change.  Also have an old belsaw 12" that we aren't using right now.  It feeds a little too fast, and has no dust collection system.

[dad2nine]

Would be nice if Wood Mizer came out with a planer attachment for their saw mills. Think of the HP just sitting there waiting to be used, Hint Hint  . I see they have a lathe and resaw attachment, may a planer attachment is on the drawing board?

[amberwood]

Current machine is a  locally branded 15" taiwanese JET machine. 3hp single phase 240V, 3 straight HSS blades. Most of my furniture work at present is recycled hardwood...like concrete.. and I have been unable to stop it even at maximum cut depth. The limiting factor has been dust/chip extraction. I havehad to reduce feed speed or cut depth to match the extractor.

priced at about USD$1000

DTR

[solodan]

I go back and forth with my decision about planers everyday. I have been using a Ryobi 13" for the last 4 years. I don't really like it that much but I have ran thousands of feet of lumber through it. It was worth every penny, but now that it has stopped working for me I need to fiqure out what I am going to do. I came to the conclusion that I don't need a portable planer, it has never left my property. I do need a new planer in my shop though at my house. This is where I build my customers pieces at. For this I will probably get a Grizzly 15". I rarely need to plane anything bigger and if I do I treat it the same as the large slab bar tops and mantels I make. Some of these slabs are several hundred pounds and would not be fun to put through a planer. I will need another planer at my mill site that is about 1/4 mile from my house. I just aquired this 5 acre parcel on the highway, so I don't need to start processing any lumber over there just yet. I have a Lucas 827, so for this I will definately get the Logosol. I can't really justify the cost of not having it. ;D

[Raphael]

  I've got the Ridgid 13" right now and a bad habit of producing 14-20" boards ;)
  I'd probably wind up w/ the Grizzly 15" if I had to replace it anytime soon.  I'm keeping my eyes open for a deal on a 20"+ machine or a winning lottery ticket so I can get the Logosol...

Kelvin-  HP ratings can be a bit subjective,  you may find even a good 5hp Leeson motor (or equivilent) makes a significant improvement over your current model.

[highpockets]

Grizzly 20"

[jackpine]

718 Woodmaster  The 5 h.p. Leeson has plenty of power but if you don't keep the bed well waxed it will slip on the rubber feed rollers if the side up has already been planed.

[Cedarman]

Northtech 26" with helical head.  15hp main motor and a smaller feed motor. Used to have straight knives.  Did a good job, but with helical knives I go 20 times longer before rotating knives.  Also can take off 5/16 inch on a 16" board when knives are sharp.  This machine allows us to feed as fast as we can pick the boards up.  We do a tremendous amount of planing though.  Would never go back to straight knives.  Original machine new was 7 grand, new helical head was 3 grand, bargain for what it will do.

[Grawulf]

Kelvin,
I have The Grizzly 20" that you're talking about with the separate feed motor. Straight knives but would like to fit it with one of the Byrd heads one of these days. Found it on E-bay about half a year ago for a REALLY good price - nobody wanted to travel to Pennsylvania to pick it up. I'm extremely happy with it - adjustable bed rollers - no snipe. Only time I had it growl at me was when I fed some figured hard maple through - tried to take five sixteenths off in one pass   ooops.................. Has lots of power and a very smooth finish.

[woodbeard]

Right now I've got a 12" Parks.
It's a nice machine,  but I really need to get something bigger.

[Sawyerfortyish]

Started out with a grizzly 20" that now sits in a corner collecting dust. Got my hands on a Yates american B2 30"that worked real good. I loved the 15 HP power it now sits in a barn waiting for a new home. I put in a 20" oliver with a carbide spiral cutter head over a year ago and have probably put well over 100,000 bd ft through it and have not flipped over the knives yet it just keeps going and going. I'll never go back to straight knives. I pre size all my lumber before it goes to be tounge and grooved in the logosol. For the money a grizzly planner can't be beat. The logosol is another good easy machine to setup and work with. I have a mattison moulder that by the time I get it setup for a run I'll have it done with the logosol and be on the next size run or be finished. I wish the  logosol had a spiral cutter head.

[Frickman]

Older Powermatic 221, 8" x 20", three straight knives. Have only used it for sizing miscut lumber off the mill, and for some custom planing jobs. 10 hp three-phase motor with rotary phase converter. Excellent machine, but I'd like to have one of the new spiral heads. Sounds like a reason to go planer shopping.  ;) ;)