iDRY Vacuum Kilns

Sponsors:

H.P. for Grizzly 20" Planer

Started by highpockets, December 29, 2005, 09:41:39 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

highpockets

I bought a 20" Grizzly Planer last year. It is the one with the 3 h.P. motor.  I felt that it was going to be under powered but thought maybe they knew what they were doing.  I feel that it is under powered by atleast 3 h.p.  Has anyone changed their motor.  I am thinking about 7 1/2 .hp.  I have three phase power.      :(
Louisiana Country boy
homemade mill, 20 h.p. Honda & 4 h.p. for hydraulics.  8 hydraulic circuits, loads, clamps, rotates, etc.

farmerdoug

I do not have a catalog handy but I do beleive it is a 7 1/2 HP 3 PH motor they use on it.  Maybe someone else with a catalog can chime in.

Farmerdoug
Doug
Truck Farmer/Greenhouse grower
2001 LT40HDD42 Super with Command Control and AccuSet, 42 hp Kubota diesel
Fargo, MI

brdmkr

I threw my '05 catalog away yesterday as the 2006 is due out any day.  However, I looked in the online catalog and they sell the same machine with a 5 hp motor.  I would think that 3 hp would be pretty underpowered, but I don't know if I'd go to a 7.5.  I'd probably go with a 5 hp.  Of course, if the 7.5 will fit and the cost is not too much. 
Lucas 618  Mahindra 4110, FEL and pallet forks, some cant hooks, and a dose of want-to

bberry

I too bought a Grizz 20 inch planer last year and have liked it. It also has the 3 hp motor and seems to be plenty. I have done 18 red oak with no problems. I wonder if your settings are off. It is not a commercial planer but does a nice job. I did find out they may have used motors from china that were possibly inferior. I am not sure what mine is. I did read somewhere of an owner replacing the motor with an americanbrand. If I had to do that I would use the 4 or 5. I taught in a woodshop for 25 years with big powermatic 20 inch stuff and I am very happy with the Grizz for the money. :)

farmerdoug

Come to think of it, they have two models of 20 inch planers.  A standard and a professional grade.  If you have the standard the motor is smaller.

Farmerdoug
Doug
Truck Farmer/Greenhouse grower
2001 LT40HDD42 Super with Command Control and AccuSet, 42 hp Kubota diesel
Fargo, MI

UNCLEBUCK

I have the 15 inch grizzly with a 2hp american made motor and feed on the fast setting of 20fpm . It has no trouble with a 15 inch bone dry cedar full of rock hard knots or a white oak . It can only take off a 1/8 inch maximum at a time but I am totally happy with this taiwan john deere  ;D . Did you put your new knives on ?   ???
UNCLEBUCK    bridge burner/bridge mender

highpockets

Mine is the standard model.  I was hoping to take a little bigger cut than 1/8 but maybe not.  Have any of you had any problem with the handwheel trying to back off during the cut?   Although I have the locks clamped I sometimes get some chatter and the handwheel will back up.  I took the wheel off and installed a coil spring between the housing (over the shaft) and the wheel.  It help control this but is not enough spring. 

Louisiana Country boy
homemade mill, 20 h.p. Honda & 4 h.p. for hydraulics.  8 hydraulic circuits, loads, clamps, rotates, etc.

mike_van

Sharp knives will allways make a better planer, quieter, better finish. On h.p., my SCMI [metric] is 20 1/2" wide, 9" high opening, and has  a 9 h.p. 3 phase motor on it. It is 1300 lbs.  You can feed lumber in it 8 hrs a day, every day, it never overheats  or slows up. Probably the nicest machine I own.  My opinion on depth of cut - 1/8" is plenty, over that the finished product really suffers. I would go with the 7 1/2 h.p., 3 phase for that Grizzley, you'll never regret it.
I was the smartest 16 year old I ever knew.

Larry

Stuffed a 5 hp in one a few years ago...but the biggest improvement was to put in a second variable speed motor for the feed.  Ran a belt straight to the transmission on the other side of the machine.  While hot rodding you might as well drop in a Byrd Shelix head to make it into the ultimate planer. :)
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.

HORSELOGGER

Larry stole my thunder :) on the Byrd tool shelix head . I have an older american made Powermatic 180 that I put a shelix head in. It is a 5 hp but with the small chips from the shelix head, it is a hog, and can be run without hearing protection. Also dust collection is a breeze.. I dont use it much any more as I have a 5 head moulder that makes surfacing large quantities of lumber go much faster, But there was a time when we would stuff 10,000 bdft or more of rough lumber through the Powermatic before needing to rotate the inserts. :)
Heritage Horselogging & Lumber Co.
"Surgical removal of standing timber, Leaving a Heritage of timber for tommorow. "

Fla._Deadheader


What's the approximate cost of a helix head ??
All truth passes through three stages:
   First, it is ridiculed;
   Second, it is violently opposed; and
   Third, it is accepted as self-evident.

-- Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860)

HORSELOGGER

Heritage Horselogging & Lumber Co.
"Surgical removal of standing timber, Leaving a Heritage of timber for tommorow. "

Engineer

I just bought a late-70's/early 80's vintage Powermatic 180, it's 5 hp 3 phase, I was thinking of immediately converting it to a Tersa or helix cutterhead.    It's replacing a Woodmaster 718, which I don't like at all. 

What's the best way to run this without having 3 phase power?  A rotary phase converter or a single phase motor?

D._Frederick

Go with a single phase 5 hp motor, buy a Baldor industrial grade motor and save yourself a lot of trouble.

Gilman

Engineer,
Do you have any free 3 phase motors sitting around?  If you do, you can have 3 phase pretty cheap.
WM LT70, WM 40 Super, WM  '89 40HD
Cat throwing champion 1996, 1997, 1999. (retired)

woodhick

Gilman, apparently by your post you have built your own converter. If so please check out my post on the general board about no amps, and give me your opinion.

That said, highpockets, I had a 20" import planer  same as the grizzly. I bought mine new and chose the brand I did because they offferd a 5 hp motor instead of 3 that all the others had.  I planed several thousand feet of lumber during the ten or so years I had it with no problem.  If you can I would go with 71/2 over the 5.  You can never have too much power. :D  If you are planning on using this planer to plane green lumber I think you will be disappointed,  It is a finish planer and form my experience with the one I had it won't do it.  i just upgraded to a 24" powermatic 3000# and 71/2hp. 8) 8)   I got a good deal on it or i would still have the import.  Good luck.
Woodmizer LT40 Super 42hp Kubota, and more heavy iron woodworking equipment than I have room for.

highpockets

I will probably go with the 7 1/2 but finding one at the junk in a 3450 r.p.m. may be tough. I sure hate to have to go to Grainger.  The variable speed feed really sounds interesting.   I may try that.

Also I think I may have burned the center of my blades.  I looked at them and and it seems that the center may be a little duller.  What do I know?  Several weeks ago I ground a set of blades on my milling machine for a friend of mine. I was not happy with them but my friend said they cut like new ones. He should know, he is 72 and a great wood butcher. 
Louisiana Country boy
homemade mill, 20 h.p. Honda & 4 h.p. for hydraulics.  8 hydraulic circuits, loads, clamps, rotates, etc.

WH_Conley

Gilman, tell us more, 3 phase motors can be had very cheap.
Bill

Ironwood

Folks,

Tersa is a straight knife! If you are getting the wallet out go for a Byrd or some other brand of 4 sided insert head. The Bryd is probably the best as I believe the 4 sided cutters are skewed and are in staggared rows. Helix heads are a differing beast as well, some big shops are moving away from them. I saw several large helix heads go cheap from IRS auctions 6 mons ago. The helix are huge cutters and cost big bucks to replace, the 4 sided inserts (Byrd, and others) are small and expensive but not nearly the cost of helix.

Just my 2 cents Reid
There is no scarcity of opportunity to make a living at what you love to do, there is only scarcity of resolve to make it happen.- Wayne Dyer

shopteacher

Although a spiral head with carbide inserts would be nice the cost is pretty high initially and if you happen to wipe out the insert they et to be pretty pricey if your replacing very many.  I have a 20" Delta at school and home both have 5 hp and does a very nice job.  The one at school I replaced the knives with Esta inserts. They fit on a holder and are sharpened on both sides. Easy to replace and not to expensive. After they two sides are dull I use the insert for making carving knives.  Good German steel in them and you can hone them sharp enough to shave with.
Proud owner of a LT40HDSE25, Corley Circle mill, JD 450C, JD 8875, MF 1240E
Tilt Bed Truck  and well equipted wood shop.

Ironwood

Shopteach,

  I have a 24" Powermatic with Esta's. I have not been real pleased. They tend to chip easily and dull quickly. Perhaps my chip removal is lacking, or it is the nature of my hard/ barky/ flitch material I have spoke with Esta to little satisfaction. I am not impressed. I have had them for 2-3 years. I would not buy them again from my experience. Have been pleased?

                   Reid
There is no scarcity of opportunity to make a living at what you love to do, there is only scarcity of resolve to make it happen.- Wayne Dyer

bberry

Happy New Year!
     I believe Grizz offers the 5 HP motor as an option. I have not needed it since I am not doing production planing. The 3 gives me very good finish quality that is ready for abrasives. I have not experienced the table "vibrating" down during use. I have watched for that kind of thing knowing that it is a lower cost unit. So far very satisfied! :)

Engineer

I've been readin' up on the phase converter deal, seems like it was impossibly complicated but it's actually not difficult once I got it pictured in my brain.   I started a long thread on my other favorite site (www.owwm.com) called "I don't understand this phase converter stuff" and it's got me a lot of good and helpful advice.   I have an expert electrician doing some work for me right now, he has a lot of experience in industrial wiring.  I'm gonna ask him to help me put something together.   I think I found a possible source for a cheap 3-phase motor, at one of the local HVAC outfits.

I've looked at the Byrd Shelix heads - although it's $1800 for the Powermatic 180, it looks like it might be a worthwhile investment for running large quantities of potentially dirty or uneven rough lumber through it.  I'll have to save my pennies.   :D

treenail

Have had the grizzly 20" planer for about 12 years and have had pretty good luck with it.  It's not a bad rig considering it is only 3hp. If I was going to replace it, would certainly want to get the larger motor though. Have to keep the knives really sharp with the small one.

treenail
Norwood Lumbermate 2000 sawmill , Ford 4wd tractor,Grimm/Leader maple sugaring equipment, Ford F-350 12' flatbed truck

Ironwood

Engineer,

  The byrd Shelix looks awsome. I am going to be ordering one soon for an Oliver jointer. Reid
There is no scarcity of opportunity to make a living at what you love to do, there is only scarcity of resolve to make it happen.- Wayne Dyer

Thank You Sponsors!