Am I crazy for wanting this?

[keith micinski]

I really want this even though it obviously needs a lot of work to get going. What do you guys think a reasonable offer for this is?

http://centralmich.craigslist.org/tls/2134127516.html

[keith micinski]

By the way I would be upgrading from a DW 735 to this. Thats not to much of a leap is it? I mean it's completely rational to go from a lunch box planer to a double sided 30 inch that needs to be driven by my tractor planer, right?

[Alan Lightstone]

Do you need to buy the tractor also? We need to know to categorize you as either a little goofy, not right in the head, or certifiable. :)

[Josiah Bartlett]

You are crazy, but so am I. I would offer $300 and see if they take it. Moving it will be a hassle. This thing is crying out for steam power or a big hit and miss engine.

[Brian Kent]

Totally crazy unless you are single, retired, have a tractor, a big barn, and get a smile on your face every time you think about it. No, even then - you're crazy. But that's OK!

[george wilson]

Better make sure the power feed works,you won't find parts for it. ALL the bearings WILL BE babbit. Do you know how to pour babbit,scrape it,etc.? The bearings in the gearbox will also be plain babbit or bronze. They may well be shot. You'd need machine tools to repair anything wrong with a 1918 planer.

30" knives will be no joke to pay for. You will have to buy industrial price knives for it.

[Mike Cruz]

Bonkers, simply, unequivocally, undeniably, wonderfully, bonkers. I would say GO FOR IT...IF you are a machinist, have the tools and know-how to not restore and maintain it. And know two things: Even with it completely restored, it might/will be hard to sell, and that you probably WON'T get your money back out of it. IF you do this, do it for you, with the understanding that it is probably a money pit. But if that makes you smile and be happy...

[Don Alexander]

The unit is in working condition; however, the bottom cutter head does not turn


that i believe is whats known as a contradiction :eek:

[paul cottingham]

Anything that needs to be powered by a tractor is cool in my books.

[george wilson]

You might want to consider how much trouble it will be to adapt it to run with an electric motor. What RPM usually went into the current pulley,from the tractor,or from lineshafting?

AND,the amount of space it will take up vs do you really have 30" wide wood to plane?

[John Coloccia]

Do you want a planer or a project? If you want a project, go for it. If you want a planer, you may want to reconsider. George is very likely right about the bearings. If you've never seen bearings melt and make a little puddle, here's your chance. I don't have a machine shop home but I have access to some equipment and I'm a halfway competent machinist. I wouldn't want to get that thing running. That Dewalt may be looking pretty good a couple of months from now. LOL.

[keith micinski]

I agree. I already have a tractor. This would stay tractor powered if I got it. Unfortunately I forgot about the whole Babbit bearing thing. I would be able to restore it but it wouldn't be worth it. It would just have to be more of a fun thing to do.

[Chip Lindley]

The OP is totally lucid to lust for a big piece of Americana--a 30" double-sided Buss planer.

The only thing that would separate him from the sane and place him into that category which needs either constant supervision or heavy medication is:

IF...his shop is in the basement!!

[Aaron Berk]

that i believe is whats known as a contradiction :eek:


Don, I'm also betting the seller knows EXACTLY whats wrong.

[Joe Jensen]

40 years ago my dad bought a huge old one like that on a farm auction. The one he had was a single head. HUGE planer, huge noise. We lived on a farm and there was an barn about 12 ft wide and 15 ft deep. We put the planer in there. We powered it with 4 cylinder 25-30 HP Wisconson gas engine. Dad never restored it. It was NOT a precision machine. It did throw a knife once, crazy exciting. The knives were 30" wide, like 1/2" thick, and maybe 2.5" tall. The knife broke the chip breaker and put a cut in the bed. We had a local machine shop (farm country) and the guy was able to weld the broken chip breaker back together.

[Peter Quinn]

Why not just buy a new one for $200K? That would push you from merely odd to a coat that buttons in the back. Yates is still in business, they just don't make little machines like a 30" planer anymore.

http://www.yatesamerican.com/surfacers.html

[Dave Hartunian]

If the price is right and you don't have to get it in the basement, I would go low and see what happens. You have nothing to lose. Bring cash, a trailer and some help plus a camera.
Dave