Question about Grizzly planers.....

[Brian Fulkerson]

I have found the desire to replace my 12in Delta breadbox planer with at least a 15 inch stationary planer. However I am torn between the two planers:

15" with spiral cutterhead:
http://www.grizzly.com/products/15-3-HP-220V-Planer-with-Spiral-Cutterhead/G0453Z

or....

20"

http://www.grizzly.com/products/20-Planer/G0454

Both are almost the same price. (More shipping on the 20" however)

I am expanding my shop to be used as a side business for various furniture projects. I loke the 5HP motor and versatility of the 20" but could sacrafice the better cutterhead on the 15". The 20" spiral version is beyond my budget. I own the G0568 8" Jointer and love it (the blade guard is a little shotty however). Impressed with Grizzly, my focus has been looking at their planers. Even with the shipping cost, I am still saving alot rather than buying other brands.

Your opinions are appreciated. Thanks for the help,

Brian

[fRED mCnEILL]

I have the Griz 20 in planer. I don't need the extra width often but when I do it sure is nice. The spiral cutterhead would also be nice but not indispensible UNLESS you plane wood that requires a spiral cutterhead.

Fred Mc.

[Van Huskey]

For me presonally the 15" w/ HH would be my choice the long term savings would be nice and rarely do I use over 15 inches but need less than 20". Most times I need over 15 it is at least 24".

The other oprion would be get the 20 then save over time for the HH but that is much less cost effective over time.

[glenn bradley]

I am eyeing the spiral head planer as well. After having one on the jointer I keep looking sideways at my planer and asking "Why can't you do that on birdseye maple?" Seriously though as a man who often states that bigger is better, I would have to REALLY need that 20" before I would give up a spiral head. I know a lot of folks say knives do just as well but that is not true on highly figured material in my (limited) experience.

[Philip Rodriquez]

I have a 10" Griz SC jointer and upgraded to a Griz 15" SC planer. No regrets. I, like many, just love the performance of the SC's. It is amazing how much better and quieter the planer is vs. my old 12" lunch box.

IMHO, a 20" would be nice... but the SC is a lot better to have.

[Maik Tobin]

I have found the desire to replace my 12in Delta breadbox planer with at least a 15 inch stationary planer. However I am torn between the two planers:

15" with spiral cutterhead:
http://www.grizzly.com/products/15-3-HP-220V-Planer-with-Spiral-Cutterhead/G0453Z

or....

20"

http://www.grizzly.com/products/20-Planer/G0454

Both are almost the same price. (More shipping on the 20" however)

I am expanding my shop to be used as a side business for various furniture projects. I loke the 5HP motor and versatility of the 20" but could sacrafice the better cutterhead on the 15". The 20" spiral version is beyond my budget. I own the G0568 8" Jointer and love it (the blade guard is a little shotty however). Impressed with Grizzly, my focus has been looking at their planers. Even with the shipping cost, I am still saving alot rather than buying other brands.

Your opinions are appreciated. Thanks for the help,

Brian

Interesting thread...I am in the very same situation. I will need to replace my Delta 13 incher in the next few months and I am also torn between the same two units. While I have some time to waffle, right now I am leaning towards the 15 spiral head. The number of times it will restrict me vs the amount of higher quality planing is what I am thinking....
I will be interested in hearing from others who have been through this as well.

[Brian Fulkerson]

I have heard some rant about the ability to plane boards after glue up. Hence the benefit of the wider planer. It would be so nice to have 20" of room, I just hate giving away the nice cutterhead.

[Van Huskey]

With glue ups I find it rare to have one over 15 inches that isn't over 20. If you do a lot of 18" cabinet doors then it would be another issue. Either way the segmented cutters will save you money and a lot of time in the long run.

[Mark Rakestraw]

Brian,

I have the 15" planer and really want to swap it out for a 20. It isn't that I plane wide boards very often, but I spend a lot of time at the planer. I work by myself, and where the width would come in handy is being able to start the second board through the planer once the first board is 3/4ths of the way through. Once the second board has started I walk around to catch the first board, set it down, pick up the third and start it when the second is 3/4 of the way through. This makes a HUGE difference in how long it takes to run through a stack of lumber. This way you have two boards in the planer some of the time--the one at a time method your planer is running empty while you catch one board, walk around the planer, set it down and pick up the next. Of course I can do this now with narrow boards, the wider planer would allow me to do it with most of the lumber I buy. If you don't plane much volume perhaps this isn't an issue. I do five or six kitchens a year and various other projects, buy all rough sawn lumber and I take shallow passes (I think I wind up with flatter lumber that way).
Mark

[Mark Rakestraw]

I didn't read closely enough before making my first reply advising you to go with the 20". If going 20" means you give up the spiral head, by all means stick with the 15". I switched mine over and it made a huge difference.
Mark

[Rob Holcomb]

I have the 15" without the spiral cutting head. If there's anything I wish I had done diffeently when making my purchase it would have been to buy the 20" planer and buy the spiral cutting head. Since doing both is over your budget, think about getting the 20" planer. You can always add the spiral cutting head later once your side business is making you some money. I would say 40-50% of the time I'm using my planer, I say to myself...Should have gotten the 20" planer!

[Marlin Williams]

I vote 20" as you can always add a new head/blade system but you can just add a bigger bed/cutter.

That and if you are really going to do a business then size may come into play down the road depending on what you will be doing.

[Philip Johnson]

It depends on what you intend to make. I had in mind to make some cabinets and seemed some panels were 16 to 18 inches so I went with a 20. I like to glue panels and then plane so I use more then 15 more then one would think. I would get the 20 and keep the option to upgrade the head later if you find you need it. If recall there was not a huge diffference in price getting the spiral head now or later. It will be more costly to try an make that 15 into a 20 in the future. IF you think you want the 20 and you don't get it, you will always wish you would have.

Phil

[Craig D Peltier]

I vote 20" I have one and its great for glue ups and slabs. As said above you can always upgrade your head later if needed.
The market to sell a 20" planer will be faster I would assume too.
The Byrd heads are good for all wood but only different when it comes to figured verse regular knives.

[Brian Fulkerson]

Thanks for all your suggestions guys. I am also leaning towards the 20" as to add a spiral cutterhead in the future is not much more than buying it now. Also, the "knife" cutterhead on my jointer does just fine thus far. No real complaints. I also assume the added weight to the 20" machine will cut down vibtration and noise??

[Van Huskey]

The Byrd heads are good for all wood but only different when it comes to figured verse regular knives.

I don't find that to be true. When the knives are razor sharp for the first few BD of wood yes, after that I find the Helical heads do a better job on all wood.

[Van Huskey]

Thanks for all your suggestions guys. I am also leaning towards the 20" as to add a spiral cutterhead in the future is not much more than buying it now. Also, the "knife" cutterhead on my jointer does just fine thus far. No real complaints. I also assume the added weight to the 20" machine will cut down vibtration and noise??


You are not going to see much difference in vibration going from a generic 4 post 15" to a generic 4 post 20" and noise will be about the same for the same type/width wood, the big noise reduction will be when you install the spiral/Shelix head.