Generic Planer

[Doug Walls]

I've been saving up for a DeWalt DW735 and I came across a stationary (cast iron)15” planer that I can get for about the same price. The planer is an old display model that's at a tool store near me, It has a 2HP 220V motor with a two speed gear box (16 & 20 FPM) and a 3 knife cutting head with a cutter speed of 5000 RPM. It's basically the same design as the 15” Woodtek, Bridgewood, and Yorkcraft planers. Anyone use one of these style planers?

[Gerald Senburn]

I've never used a planer of that particular style, but it's hard to imagine it's not a big improvement on a DW735. I had one and it definitely earned its nickname "The Banshee". I recently got a used Grizzly 15" and my goodness, what a difference!

[david brum]

As far as I know, most generic 15" planers came from Geetech, a Taiwanese company. No one seems to complain about them and all the parts seem to be interchangeable. There are two basic styles of 15" planer. Yours has the motor in a cabinet, so you're only raising and lowering the cutting table. The second type has the motor on top, so you have to move the motor and cutter head up and down as the height is adjusted. I have the second type. It's nice that the table remains the same height so you don't have to readjust infeed/outfeed supports, but it requires some muscle to raise the cutter head. As I'm cranking the head up, I kick myself for not getting the other type (like yours) of planer.

These things are mostly a huge improvement over any benchtop planer. They are quieter, far more robust and everything is adjustable. You can't go wrong if you don't mind some tinkering.

BTW, it looks like yours has the same type base as mine. Mine has holes drilled into the feet. I attached post-style casters directly onto the foot holes and it works beautifully.

[Derrell W Sloan]

No contest - if you have the room go for the 15'' planer. I went from a ridgid 13'' to and old grizzly 15'' which is essentially the same as the one pictured above. The difference is night and day. The ridgid was a nice planer but it was very loud and would bog down on wide stuff. The big green machine is a beast that eats wood like nobody's business. If you go with the 15'' you will love it. They are pretty much bullet proof. If you go with the smaller one (especially if the price is the same) you will be kicking yourself for passing up a great deal on a much better tool.

[Bruce Wrenn]

If you buy the 735, you WILL eventually want to upgrade to a 15". So why not skip the 735 all together. I have a Delta 15", 13" Rockwell (it's a beast), along with a couple of Delta 12" lunch boxes. The 12" are used for finishing work.

[george wilson]

My Bridgewood 15" planer planes much smoother than I could ever get our massive 20" Powermatic at work to plane. I love mine. I'll say that these 4 post planers won't do a REAL heavy cut,though. The carpenters next to me had a new Jet,and tried to take off 3/16" in a pass. The table slipped down on the columns a bit. I was asked to investigate,and decided it was a design limitation. I never plan to abuse my planer like that,though,and it has performed excellently.

[Doug Walls]

Thanks for the replies everyone!
My thinking was the same as everyone has pointed out, A lot more machine for the money!

[Doug Walls]

These things are mostly a huge improvement over any benchtop planer. They are quieter, far more robust and everything is adjustable. You can't go wrong if you don't mind some tinkering.
That's always a help if you can fine tune them! I'm not even sure you can adjust the lunch-box style units?



BTW, it looks like yours has the same type base as mine. Mine has holes drilled into the feet. I attached post-style casters directly onto the foot holes and it works beautifully.
Did you add any additional braces at the bottom?