Grizzly Problems

[Will Hon]

I love my Grizzly 1023SL... a magnificent TS for the price, and I have nothing but praise for it. But, I bought a G0505 "portable planer", second hand have you, but have had a serious problem with it ever since I fired it up. It ran great at the guys house I bought it at, and he even let me run some wood through it. Then I got it home and didn't use it for about a month and now i'm having some problems. You can only run a board through it for several passes before the machine just shuts down mid cut (NO THE BLADES AREN'T DULL). You can also smell some smoky essence in the air. If you wait awhile and reset the motor it will come back on in 5-15 minutes. It also sounds like the motor is revving up fast and then slowing down continuously. Any ideas? I'm hoping the motor isn't going bad, but thats the feeling I have.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Will,

I'm not familiar with that Grizzly planer but I can tell you that there is a big warning in the owner's manual for mine. You are running that with some form of DC on it aren't you?

[David Christopher]

Will, it sounds bad but I wouldnt give up yet. I would lube every bearing and everything else that I could find then check the brushes...it dont sound like brushes but stranger things have happened....check it all out and keep your fingers crossed.............good luck

[Rob Young]

Will, 1) very important to use a dust collection system with the little benchtop planers. They clog up something awful 2) very important even with a DC attached to occasionally get in there and clean things You may be replacing the motor soon but it might come back to life with a good cleaning and some new brushes for the motor. PM me your phone number if you want to set up a time to get together and look at this thing (I'm in Lawrence).

[Will Hon]

I did pull the brushes and they looked fine, still had nice length, and without any noticeable breakage. I have always used it with my dust collection as well, but as for the person before me, I have no idea...

[Jason White]

If you're absolutely sure that the blades aren't dull, trying waxing the bed and extension tables to make them slick. Also clean off the rubber rollers with a solvent to remove any pitch, dust, etc. Also get the compressor hose and blow the bejesus out of everything.

If it's a 2-speed planer, make sure the rollers are fully engaged after changing speeds.

Jason


I love my Grizzly 1023SL... a magnificent TS for the price, and I have nothing but praise for it. But, I bought a G0505 "portable planer", second hand have you, but have had a serious problem with it ever since I fired it up. It ran great at the guys house I bought it at, and he even let me run some wood through it. Then I got it home and didn't use it for about a month and now i'm having some problems. You can only run a board through it for several passes before the machine just shuts down mid cut (NO THE BLADES AREN'T DULL). You can also smell some smoky essence in the air. If you wait awhile and reset the motor it will come back on in 5-15 minutes. It also sounds like the motor is revving up fast and then slowing down continuously. Any ideas? I'm hoping the motor isn't going bad, but thats the feeling I have.

[Phil Thien]

(1) Are you using an extension cord?

(2) Are there any other items running on the same circuit?

(3) How much are you removing in each pass?

[Kevin Godshall]

There is a thermal cutout that will trip whenever the motor gets too hot. If you're planing hard wood (hickory, white oak, etc), you need to make sure you have razor sharp blades and are taking very little (less than 1/4 turn) per pass. Wider boards put more load on the motor, causing more heat as well.

I have re-built mine 4x now. I put the lube to everything moving and I sharpen my blades more and more often, the more I re-build the parts.

I have had dust build up around my brushes and inside the motor and make a regular routine of blowing out and cleaning out every part whenever I can (I don't use dust collection).

Possibly, the thermo cutout is weak and bad, if everything else is in good order. You can go to the Grizz site and there is a complete Parts Manual and Parts Purchase page right there (go to your model planer like you're gonna buy one and the pages are linked there).

I've had my lunchbox planer for over 4 years now and I've fixed every problem I've ever had with it. I think with a bit of diagnostics and process of elimination, you can isolate and fix your problem.

[Kevin Godshall]

OK, sorry, just re-read the OP. If the motor is varying in speed, there is definitely something electrical. If your brushes are clean and fine, then your motor is suspect. I replaced mine last year, but mine ran to failure, and was caused by a bearing on the cutter head that exploded and cammed everything up.

It is quite a task to remove the motor, but I took mine apart and tested it separate off the planer and that's how I isolated my problem.

I've put thousands of bd feet thru my little planer and have been very pleased with it. It has paid itself off many times over.

[John Thompson]

How deep were you taking with one pass and what species wood?

[Will Hon]

sorry, I've havent had time to check the thread today, but it looks like I have some catching up to do...


If you're absolutely sure that the blades aren't dull, trying waxing the bed and extension tables to make them slick. Also clean off the rubber rollers with a solvent to remove any pitch, dust, etc. Also get the compressor hose and blow the bejesus out of everything.

The blades have literally just been sharpened... and I did go about giving it the air compressor treatment...:)


Are you using an extension cord?

Yes, but it is a very heavy duty one. Could this be the source of a problem?


How much are you removing in each pass?

1/32" - 1/16", well within the machines accepted guidelines.


There is a thermal cutout that will trip whenever the motor gets too hot. If you're planing hard wood (hickory, white oak, etc), you need to make sure you have razor sharp blades and are taking very little (less than 1/4 turn) per pass. Wider boards put more load on the motor, causing more heat as well.

I am planing red oak... about 6"-8" wide

I am still really hoping that it isn't a bad motor, because with a machine of this price... might as well just buy a new one. I did contact Grizzly, and there looking into it, suppose to hear back from them in a day or so...

[Matt Meiser]

What kind of smoke smell are you getting? Wood smoke? Or electrical smoke?

[Will Hon]

What kind of smoke smell are you getting? Wood smoke? Or electrical smoke?

electrical...

[Matt Meiser]

Can you try it without the extension cord? What does "heavy duty" mean? 12ga? 14ga? How long is the extension cord?

[Chip Lindley]

SOMETHING is overworking the little planer! The planer starts up and planes ok for a few minutes! I will assume you have cleaned all the dust and chips out of the machine and motor, and lubed everything lube-able!

Sounds most like a motor or weak overload problem to me. The motor/cutterhead bearings could be shot and begin to heat and sieze after a few minutes. The motor windings could be weak and overheat to trip the overload after a few minutes. An amp meter would show you how much the machine draws idling, or under load. That draw would tell you if you have a weak overload or not.

I am betting it takes longer to trip the overload, than the length of time the seller *let* you plane a few boards. You found out exactly how long it takes in your own shop.

Run the planer idling for several minutes. See if the overload trips! This would narrow down your problem to bearings or motor windings.

IF the planer runs ok idling without tripping, you will have to decrease your depth of cut to 1/32" or Less! IF overheating is still an issue, your options would be new bearings, new motor OR new planer!

[Frank Hagan]

If you can test voltage with the motor running, see if its dropping too much below 115v. You might not be able to get to the terminals on a planer motor though. If you have a plug in thing like a KillaWatt, you can check the amp draw to see if its running with high amps. Another, less scientific way is to feel the cord and see if its hot.

It may be that you're trying to run at too low a voltage due to losses in the outlet (bad connection), extension cord, or too long an extension cord. I've had pretty good luck with 100' 14 guage cords and amp loads not over 15amps on a 20 amp circuit, but if you're pulling more than 15 amps you may need a larger guage cord (12 guage if you can find one).

[Mike Cruz]

First of all, I would NEVER run a WW machine on a 100 foot extention cord (unless, MAYBE unless, it was a 10 gauge). At 50 feet, 12 gauge. My brother's Sears Craftsman RAS motor went bad on a 100 foot 14 gauge extension cord. Remember, you already have how many feet of wire, how may junction boxes, how many splices between the breaker box and the outlet you are plugged into. And what is the wire in your walls. If it is a 15 amp circuit, you will be lucky if that is 14 guage...an older house may have 16.

[Will Hon]

An amp meter would show you how much the machine draws idling, or under load. That draw would tell you if you have a weak overload or not.
I have an amp meter, but I wont be home until Wednesday to test it out. But.... I dont know where I could clip it b/c it obviously has to be clipped around 1 wire, but there arent any exposed wires anywhere at the unit.

I'll probably try it plugged straight into the wall then as well.


If I have been flubbing up and running it improperly on the extension chord... how long would it take to mess it up? Its literally probably only been on for 3-5 minutes total on the extension chord.

[george wilson]

I've seen air compressors not start when too much extension cord was used. Too small of a gauge extension cord of not too much length might do the same.

[Matt Meiser]

I have an amp meter, but I wont be home until Wednesday to test it out. But.... I dont know where I could clip it b/c it obviously has to be clipped around 1 wire, but there arent any exposed wires anywhere at the unit.

Make up a short test cord with a set of plugs and some 12ga wire.