Spiral Cutter head in a ridgid R4330 Planer

[Kirk Duff]

Hello all

I'm looking for input on putting a Byrd cutter head in my 13" ridgid Planer. I would love to upgrade to 15" planer But haveing a hard time Getting my head around the price. the shop is short on Room. Finding used and install a byrd head is an option but i live In the northern forest and it is hard to get there first so I usually miss the good deals.

I'm just a hobbist that is doing it for the joy of a smile on someones face. But will not let poor quality work out of the shop. I ran almost 500 bft though my planer last year I Like my hobby alot.

I love the way my ridgid works I'm looking for longer blade life and less/ no tear out on Figured wood.

My Questions are

Has anyone Installed a bryd head in a Ridgid 4330?

Does the motor have the power to Handle the head?

Would you do it again or just spend the money on the 15" grizzly?

Thanks for your input and thanks for takeing the time to help me. I look forward to reading all of your replies.

Kirk

[keith micinski]

Please, Please, just buy a 15 inch Grizzly planer. Your going to get a lot of responses that say "Oh thats a great planer and a byrd head made it even better" but please just get the 15 inch. It wont take up anymore room hardly and will be all you need for the rest of your life. Sell the Rigid and by the time its all said and done your only going to have a few hundred more into the Grizzly and if you get a used one it might even be less.

[Brian Penning]

I'd just keep going with the Ridgid as is.
Save up for the 15".

[Terry Welty]

kinda like putting jet fuel in a lawn mower... I'd invest my money differently.... but if you go that route, let me know how it works.

[Andrew Hughes]

Back bevel the knives in your planer.Not much just a little it helps alot with tear out on figured woods.I did for years on the throw away knives that dewalt planers use.I also did the same on my jointer that had adj knives.

[glenn bradley]

+1 on gold plating a Chevy. Save your pennies. You'll be glad you did.

[Kirk Duff]

Kinda what i was thinking. Just had to know if it had been done yet

[Chip Lindley]

When the cutterhead costs twice as much as the machine, it reminds me of one of my Dad's old sayings:

"That's like putting a 5-dollar hat on a 2-dollar head!"

[glenn bradley]

When the cutterhead costs twice as much as the machine, it reminds me of one of my Dad's old sayings:

"That's like putting a 5-dollar hat on a 2-dollar head!"

2nd coffee on the monitor moment of the new year ;-)

[Brian Penning]

2nd coffee on the monitor moment of the new year ;-)

Er...what was the 1st?

[Paul Ryan]

Hello all

I'm looking for input on putting a Byrd cutter head in my 13" ridgid Planer. I would love to upgrade to 15" planer But haveing a hard time Getting my head around the price. the shop is short on Room. Finding used and install a byrd head is an option but i live In the northern forest and it is hard to get there first so I usually miss the good deals.

My Questions are

Has anyone Installed a bryd head in a Ridgid 4330?

Does the motor have the power to Handle the head?

Would you do it again or just spend the money on the 15" grizzly?

Thanks for your input and thanks for takeing the time to help me. I look forward to reading all of your replies.

Kirk

Kirk,

Last year about this time I went from the Ridgid planer you have W/O the byrd head, and to a 15" mustard machine with a normal knifed head. It is a completely different animal. I never felt the ridgid was very powerfull and is that sucker loud but everything else was nice. But the big boy machine is so much better in many many ways. I never looked forward to planning when I had the orange machine, now it is so easy to fire up the mustard and cut away. My machine is a lot quieter than the ridgid was and with a sprial cutter they are even quieter yet. Dust collection is better as well. Save the money sell your planer for about $200 and get the big boy machine you will be very happy you did.

[Gregory Myers]

Kirk,

I'm so glad you posted this thread because I have the exact same questions. The thing is when you use the Ridgit (the Orange Loud Monster) I find my self constantly pulling out my knifes and sharping them, and it's so easy with the spiral cutter jointer I have. I want the grizzly spiral cutter planer, because planing is the worse part of woodworking for me! I works fine, but I don't look forward to doing it.

I just started to do some jobs for $$ with a goal in mind of upgrading to the spiral planner and a lathe. Let's hope we both get the planer in the near future.

Greg

[Kirk Duff]

This whole thing started for me when i saw a Grizzly 15" Spiral head Run Figured maple at the fast speed and it came out smooth as glass. I have a 700 bdft of maple sitting in front of the planer and finding it hard to get excited to run it all through my lunch box. It will take 3 to 4 times as long with the lunch box but my time has no dollar value so its hard to get reved up and spend the money. And I'm Scottish so spending money is hard anyway.

Up here the options are limited to Laguna, General and King. Yes I can get others shipped in but that adds an automatic $500 - $700 to the price. which changes the whole picture.


Thanks for the input let me know what you buy. I'm still hopeing for the lotto

Kirk