Powermatic Planer

[Jim Foster]

I have decided to give up on my Delta 33-DC 13" planer. As I mentioned in a previous post, I bought it used and have never been able to get it to work right.

I will plane mostly Q-Sawn White Oak and some other hardwoods. Probably no pine or softwoods.

I am considering the 15" Powermatic with the Byrd helical cutter head. It's a little pricey, but in my mind I'm sold on the helical cutterhead for ease of setting/changing cutters, noise and lack of tearout. Does anyone have any negative experiences with this planer or alternative suggestions.

[Lewis Cobb]

I have decided to give up on my Delta 33-DC 13" planer. As I mentioned in a previous post, I bought it used and have never been able to get it to work right.

I will plane mostly Q-Sawn White Oak and some other hardwoods. Probably no pine or softwoods.

I am considering the 15" Powermatic with the Byrd helical cutter head. It's a little pricey, but in my mind I'm sold on the helical cutterhead for ease of setting/changing cutters, noise and lack of tearout. Does anyone have any negative experiences with this planer or alternative suggestions.


I've got one and have literally only run a few boards through it so far, I can tell you it's sweeet ! Very quiet, very smooth results and I purposely put a couple of boards with wild grain though it as soon as I had it set up and there was no tear out at all.

There's one thing I don't like about this machine but I understand others are of similar construction as well - the wheels - they only allow the machine to run back and forth and they don't swivel. The result is a few black skid marks on my floor where I am trying to position it in some location. As soon as I have some time I am going to fab up a mobile base for the thing with some great lakes casters. This is a very small gripe though as it's only once in a while that I even need to move the machine from it's normal location.

Take the time to carefully set it up when you get it with the proper adjustments of the beds and rollers etc. and you'll be grinning every time you shove a board though it.

Cheers,
Lewis

[Cary Falk]

The Grizzly G0453z gets good reviews and is only $1639 shipped. It is on my short list.
http://www.grizzly.com/images/pics/jpeg288/g/g0453z.jpg

[Joe Leigh]

$950.00 at Amazon, less shipping.

[Alex Shanku]

Jim, out of curiosity, what do you find the problem with your current planner? Why doesnt it "work right"

Al

[Jim Foster]

I posted the other day with the problems I am having and in general the feedback I got did not give me anything me to look at.

Being honest it could be my own shortcomings, but I've got all the thickness gauges down to .050" to .001" (long ones) that I need to set this up properly and I've tried and checked everything many times and I can not get the machine to feed wood. Works great for one or two passes, then stops feeding, it's not the belt slipping. Both the infeed and outfeed rollers slip, regardless of spring pressure. I've also tried to adjust the chip breaker. I've had it for at least ten years and it only cost several hundred dollars plus blade sharpening, so I'm pretty set on giving up. I've also got the magnetic blade setting tools, and the blades seem set well. I'm probably going to try once more to check everything with toleranced 1-2-3 machinist blocks, and then go with a new one if I don't find the problem and feel like I can resolve it easily.


http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=114877


Jim, out of curiosity, what do you find the problem with your current planner? Why doesnt it "work right"

Al

[Tom Hintz]

Jim,

I also have the Powermatic 15HH planer in my shop and it is sweet. What I wasn't ready for was how quiet it is. At first, I thought it wasn't cutting at all, like the cutterhead wasn't turning or something. Until the wood came out the other end all flat and perfectly smooth. I have been using it regularly for well over two years now and have yet to index one of the cutters so this is looking more and more like a lifetime deal for me.
I have a full review of this planer with photos nad video at the link below if that would help.

http://www.newwoodworker.com/reviews/pm15hhrvu.html

[Jim Foster]

What planer are you refering to?


$950.00 at Amazon, less shipping.

[Cary Falk]

What planer are you refering to?


He is probably talking about the straight knife version G0453 not the G0453Z.

[Jim Foster]

I like that!


Jim,

I also have the Powermatic 15HH planer in my shop and it is sweet. What I wasn't ready for was how quiet it is. At first, I thought it wasn't cutting at all, like the cutterhead wasn't turning or something. Until the wood came out the other end all flat and perfectly smooth. I have been using it regularly for well over two years now and have yet to index one of the cutters so this is looking more and more like a lifetime deal for me.
I have a full review of this planer with photos nad video at the link below if that would help.

http://www.newwoodworker.com/reviews/pm15hhrvu.html

[Karl Brogger]

I wish I would've bought the model with the insert heads. Mine has a the knives that you bend onto the head, and while it does do a very good job the knives are not sharpenable, or at least I can find anyone to sharpen them, so I end up buying new knives every 6-8 months. For a budget planer the one you're looking at is a good choice, and had I bought that one I would've spent less in the long run I'm sure.

[Lewis Cobb]

I like that!

I think I can hear the sound of the wallet coming out the pocket.....:D

[Robert Chapman]

I have a PM 15HH and really like it. I do a lot of figured maple and the Byrd head does not create any tear out. But.... it does leave a slightly scalloped surface which has to be sanded out before finishing. My first experience was that no additional sanding except a quick ROS with 220 would be needed. Not so-and I didn't realize it until stain was applied. After planing look at the surface very carefully in really good light. That being said the 15HH is a really good planer.

[Bruce Page]

I have the older PM15 with the rollers. It has never skipped a beat.

[Chip Lindley]

Back to your Delta DC33 NOT performing properly, one thing not covered in the previous thread about the Delta, is that the head may not be tightened securely to the columns! Even though you tighten the lock knobs, something may prevent them from bearing against the posts. After you set the thickness and make a couple of passes, vibration AND gravity gradually cause the Heavy cutter head/motor assembly to creep downward, effectively causing TOO DEEP a cut to be taken! The planer keeps churning, but the board is stuck!

Check it out! If this is what the matter is, the elevation crank handle will be swinging gradually also. Hmmm...I believe we have covered every possible cause of your jamming stock now!

I wish I had experience with a PM 15HH, but alas, I am still planing with my old Rockwell RC33 which predates your DC33 about 15 years!

[Jeff Miller]

I have a PM 15HH and really like it. I do a lot of figured maple and the Byrd head does not create any tear out. But.... it does leave a slightly scalloped surface which has to be sanded out before finishing.


If you want to save some money and not have to worry about the scalloped cuts you could get the Grizzly G0453Z 15" 3 HP 220V Planer with Spiral-Cutterhead for $1639.00. and have the same Identical planer(except with a better cutterhead, in my opinion). Look close and tell me the difference.


http://www.grizzly.com/images/pics/jpeg288/g/g0453z.jpg



http://www.newwoodworker.com/reviews/graphics/photos/tools/pm15hhrvu/pm15hhlead500.jpg



You're paying for gold Paint........................................just my 2 cents.


Jeff...............................can't afford gold;)


PS....I didn't mean to knock PM or Tom Hintz (I love his site and have learned a lot from it) The Jet Planer is the same thing too.

Good Luck in what ever you decide



JEFF:D