Planers: small VS large

[Brian Runau]

I have looked at planers and seeing portable units like Dewalt and then looking at larger units like Jet 3HP. $500 vs $1100. Money not the real issue. Heard Dewalt blades need to be changed regularly and nick easy. Jet is larger with more HP to get through wood, but heavier to get set up.

Any opinions, more HP and larger produces better results and will hold up better over time?

Thanks

[Matt Benton]

Portable planers have two advantages, footprint and cost. If neither is an issue for you, get the better machine...

[Fred Hargis]

I'll offer my opinion. The stationary (again, it's an opinion) don't do quite as nice a job as the lunchbox. They have a steel serrated feed roller that puts marks in the wood that are very hard to remove with an extremely light pass....you need to get down a little more than you might with a lunchbox with it's rubber coated feed roller. But that's really the only advantage I see in the lunchbox. The stationary is a one time purchase...they will likely outlive you. Yep, you get the extra weight, usually 240V service, and some more maintenance than the lunchbox (there's a gearbox, and chains, and other lube stuff) but I wouldn't go back. Oh, yeah...they are a lot more quite but still require earmuffs unless you go with the spiral head (always a good choice). When mine had knives, with the DC running it was easily the loudest machine in my shop (a really load howl). With the spiral head, it's down to the level of everything else, I just wear earplugs with it running now.

[Philip Rodriquez]

If money is not an issue, go with the larger planer unless you need a portable machine. Griz makes a great planer with a SC (which I have). My Jet 1.5 HP DC is actually louder.

As for the feed roller issue, you can adjust the rollers to eliminate the tracks. It takes some time to tune, but the adjustments are simple to do.

I would not recommend a 15" planer to someone that is not mechanically inclined. There are lots of parts that can be fine tuned... but you need to understand what they do.

[Ronald Mancini]

I have 2 Grizzly 15 inch planers, and there is no problem with them (bought one at auction for a steal). You should be mechanically inclined to buy them because, as has been said, performance is a function of the setup. One of my planers will plane a 1/8 inch off any wood you throw at it in a single pass. The other one is set up for a cleaner product, but I still say that all planed wood must be run through a sander to get that fine finish. Lunchbox planers are fine, but they can't do the heavy work that a stationary does. I regularly plane 1/8 inch off two 6 inch boards when I make T&G for floors or ceilings.

[Rod Sheridan]

I would go with a stationary planer.

I had a General 14" for years, very good machine.

I now have a Hammer 12", even better machine.

The Hammer, and the lunchbox planers have disposable knives, a real boon if you don't like setting up planers.

If you find a stationary planer with Tersa knives, then you have the advantage of the easy change knives, with the performance of a stationary planer.

As others have stated, a stationary planer has more adjustments, because it has more internal parts than a portable planer.

Not all stationary planes have corrugated steel feed rollers, some come with optional rubber rollers.

I wouldn't buy a portable planer if I had the space for a stationary planer.

Regards, Rod.

[george wilson]

I have found that a lunchbox planer will actually plane some woods smooth that a larger planer would tear. At work we had a 20" Powermatic,and I picked up a 12" Delta at a sale. The higher speed cutterhead may be the reason. At home,my 15" Bridgewood 4 column planer planes beautifully smooth,actually better than the 20"Powermatic had. It's the same machine others sell rebadged,with the motor underneath,not on top.

I got the dispoz-a-blade system for it. Grizzly sells them. Makes blade changing very quick and easy. Now I've got about $300.00 more invested in the planer,and am thinking about getting a 20" 4 column model,though the planer is in mint condition,and not very loud,either. I worry about weight,as my wood machine area is actually the original 16' X 22' garage that I had the bigger building added on to. It is on a slope,and has only a 6" cinder block foundation under it. Was made in 1949. They used to park big old cars in it,but the larger planer adds a couple hundred more pounds.

[Frank Drew]

If they still make it, Makita's 2040 planer has a 15-1/2" capacity, rubber rollers for mar-free feeding, and is built almost like a stationary machine, even though it's short enough to fit under your table saw's outfeed table.

It's not for a high-volume production environment, but it is a good machine for a one- or two-person furniture shop.

[Cody Colston]

Lunchbox vs stationary depends on how much planing you intend to do. I buy all of my lumber rough cut which requires jointing and planing prior to use. I had a Dewalt DW733 that did a good job but was slow. I replaced it with a Grizzly 15" a few months ago and never intend to go back. The Dewalt is still sitting in the shop and I haven't decided what to do with it yet.

The Griz does leave light marks from the infeed roller but they are easily sanded out with the ROS. If I wanted to take the time to fiddle with the adjustment, it would probably not leave any marks at all although I still don't consider any planer leaves a "finish ready surface."

I can thickness wood in a fraction of the time I spent using the Dewalt. That's the reason for the 15" planer and it was a great decision.

If you don't do a lot of planing, then the lunchbox planers do a really fine job for a bargain price.

[David Freed]

If they still make it, Makita's 2040 planer has a 15-1/2" capacity, rubber rollers for mar-free feeding, and is built almost like a stationary machine, even though it's short enough to fit under your table saw's outfeed table.

It's not for a high-volume production environment, but it is a good machine for a one- or two-person furniture shop.

I had a 2040 years ago. I would say it was a stretch to call it a low volume planer. It was so gutless, it would start to bog down when it saw you pick up a board. I replaced the tiny, worthless original motor with a 3 hp farm duty motor I had. (Lots of adapting involved.) It worked fine after that.

They quit making them years ago. Probably because they cost way too much for what it was.

[Bruce Wrenn]

I have a couple of Delta 22-540's (lunch box) planers, and both a Rockwell 13", and Delta 15". For lumber in the rough, it goes to Rockwell / Delta. For S2S stuff, it goes through the lunch boxes. The finish from the lunch boxes is better, but it takes forever to hog down boards. So my vote goes to get both. Watch forums, and craigslist for used machines. Here in the last sixty days there have been three 15" planers for sale. Delta 15" - $750, Grizzly 15" $600, and generic (no name) - $200. All were the same basic machine.

[Rick Fisher]

I have a Makita lunchbox and a 20" General with a helical head..

The General wins in every regard, except portability..

Its quieter, leaves a better finish ( no marks)..

I planed 19 1/2" wide rift sawn oak glue-up's with it on the weekend.. didnt even shudder..

The Helical head is a huge plus.. no regrets in spending the extra on it at all..


There is some maintenance with the stationary machine, but its not that difficult.. There are plenty of folks here who would be glad to help..

If you go stationary, I suggest getting one with the built in casters...

[Tony Bilello]

" ............ more HP and larger produces better results and will hold up better over time?"

Thanks

Is this a trick question?

[Brian Runau]

not a trick question, just making sure my thoughts are correct.

thanks to all

Brian

[Chris Friesen]

If you want to take a really thin skim cut at the end, a lunchbox will llikely do a better job because it has rubber drive rollers while the stationary generally has a serrated steel roller.

On the other hand, stationary can be wider, is quieter, and has much more power.

I recently got a 15" stationary with carbide insert head and I'm still tweaking it to reduce the snipe.

[Danny Hamsley]

I used the lunchbox DW 733 for 12 years and planed thousands of feet through it. Anything more than about 25 feet takes a good bit of time, and I had problems with the motor kicking out when planing really hard wood like pecan. I recently bought the 3HP Grizzly with the spiral cutterhead, and like all the others have said, I would not go back the the little DeWalt although it was a hard working little champ in its heyday. The Grizzly with the spiral head hums while the DeWalt screams bloody murder.