Helical cutter head advice

[thomas prusak]

I have a powermatic 60 b 8" jointer with knives. Before replacing the knives which from what I have read is not an easy task, I thought I would look into a helical cutter head. Opinions of these helical cutter heads vary wildly. Will someone try and guide me in the right direction please. Should I go with new knives, a helical head or perhaps use the money towards a bigger better jointer . Thank you in advance for any help.

[Kent Chasson]

That's the first time I've heard that "opinions vary wildly" on helical cutters. I put one in my 8" jointer and would never go back. That's pretty much the same story I've heard from everyone I know. They are quieter and can cut highly figured wood with almost no tearout. Not to mention the saved time and expense of sharpening. I'm just a one person shop so I don't use my jointer a tremendous amount but in 2 years, I have yet to rotate the cutters and they still cut better than sharp straight knives.

The only difficulty in my installation was having to grind down my gear puller to get it to fit between the bearing housing and the cutter. All told, it was a half day job and time well spent.

[Van Huskey]

I would NOT buy a new jointer or planer without a carbide insert (helical, shelix whatever) head, period. If I bought a big old piece of iron I would buy it with plans laid out (and money) to get a carbide insert head in it ASAP. If you search here the opinions of the people that own them is almost universally positive.

[thomas prusak]

Is Byrd the brand cutter that I should be looking at? Or other

[Van Huskey]

Is Byrd the brand cutter that I should be looking at? Or other


If I was replacing a head it WOULD be a Byrd, even if one argues it is no better is it US made and the prices are very close to the import heads. Check Grizzly and Holbren for prices, I think Holbren still gives SMC members 10% off.

[thomas prusak]

Thanks so much van. Made in USA , what a concept . Maybe it will catch on! I'm going to order the Byrd. Thanks aGain.

[Chip Lindley]

I have a powermatic 60 b 8" jointer with knives. Before replacing the knives which from what I have read is not an easy task, I thought I would look into a helical cutter head.

Spiral insert heads are state-of-the-art. No doubt about that. I read very little negative about them. Only a few instances of gunk under the inserts which cause unsatisfactory misalignment. Some experienced cracked inserts from over-torquing the screws. The Shelix heads leave slight ridges down the board. But that's no worse than a little washboarding from straight knives. For the most part, spiral heads have many satisfied customers. They should, considering their cost.

I believe you must take what you have read with a grain of salt concerning setting straight knives; ..."not an easy task" is only a half truth. I believe your PM60b has jack screws to adjust the knife height. Those jack screws make it very easy to adjust the height of new knives. If the jointer is otherwise in good alignment, the job can be done without using anything but an Allen wrench and straightedge or block of wood. Older jointers without the jackscrews DO require much trial and error to pry the knives up or push them down to perfect height. Those are the PITA ones! So, you can only believe half of what you read.

I can sharpen HSS knives in my shop. A new set of carbide inserts will seriously set you back when that day arrives. If you work with highly figured or very abrasive woods, the spiral head is a no brainer. But, I have planed and jointed with straight knives for 25 years with quite decent results. I've learned to compensate for a little tearout with a good drum sander.

Enjoy your new spiral head when you acquire one. You will miss out on the rudaments of sharpening and installing planer and jointer knives, but you will learn the basics of installing bearings and aligning your cutterhead.
Merry Christmas!
~Chip~

[Stephen Cherry]

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2983839096587014177#

Try it a few times. I use a wixey digital height gauge, and it is not very hard at all.

An open mind, patience, and the digital height gauge is all it takes. I install the cutters a little high, snug the two outside fasteners, and tap down with a crab mallet.

[Mark Henshaw]

I have just started using the Grizzly 12" jointer/planer with the spiral head. This is my first experience with the carbide cutters and can see, hear and feel a large difference. The cut has less tear-out on the birdseye maple I have been using, is quieter and leaves a remarkably smooth finish. A quick pass with a ROS results in a finished surface. I am certainly a converted believer. As a side note, I was very worried when I first examined the cutters as they did not feel sharp at all, at least not when compared against the HSS blades I was used to. I was pleasantly surprised when I put the first board through with good success.

[Cary Falk]

Opinions of these helical cutter heads vary wildly.

People that have not put them on their jointer hate them. Those that have love them. I have a BYRD in my jointer and a Grizzly in my planer. Both give equally nice surfaces.

[thomas prusak]

Hi chip

When you say good drum sander, what sander are you talking about.

[Chip Lindley]

Hi Thomas! It's a Woodmaster 7.5hp 3820 double drum! Excellent machine!

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[Ted Friesen]

I'm not sure that US made is necessarily better. I upgraded my DW7325 to a Byrd Shelix cutter head and broke three cutters in a year. Byrd flat out refused to replace the broken cutters and failed to provide any help in diagnosing what may be the cause. It definitely wasn't over torquing or dirt under the cutter. In the last six years my foreign made Grizzly Jointer hasn't broken a single cutter. So, bad batch of cutters from Byrd? Probably, even though they are made in the USA. Poor customer service? Absolutely.

[Matt Day]

Ted, don't forget to check the date of the threads. This one is 6+ years old.

[Jim Riseborough]

Usually dont find used ones on Ebay, that should speak volumes. I have one in my 15" planer, cuts beautiful.