Planer Upgrade

[David Delo]

I'm thinking about upgrading my HF benchtop planer only because of the noise it makes. I'm well pleased with its accuracy or tolerence. From 8/4 rough sawn lumber on the bandsaw thru jointer and table saw sizing.....I can hit .003 to .005 tolerences all day long. I say that's good enough for the girls I'm running with.

Highand has the spiral head Steel City planer for 499 and Rockler has the Dewalt 735 unit that includes the extra set of knives + the in/out tables + router that I don't need for 629. Will either of these lunchbox planers make a difference as far as loudness is concerned or do I have to go to a stationary unit to get a more quiet machine?

[Van Huskey]

You will see some improvement BUT an induction motor planer is where you will see the biggest difference. The Grizzly G0543P is $995 and is a great 15" planer for the money.

[Cary Falk]

The DeWalt with straight knives is the king of the screamers. The Steel City will be a little improvement because of the head but the universal will still be loud. If you really want to get serious about noise you want a induction motor with a spiral head like the G0453Z. I made the switch from a Delta 22-580. I now don't feel bad about running a board through the planer with the garage door open.

[John TenEyck]

No planer is really quiet, but the old iron machines with induction motors are the quietest. For the price of that new Dewalt, you can buy a great used machine. If you've got the space that's the way to go, IMO.

[Paul Ryan]

Any direct drive planer is loud compared to a belt driven/induction. If you are upgrading to get rid of noise save up for a belt driven machine. A knived machine is much quieter, but a sprial head machine is even more quiet. About 2 years ago I upgraded from a ridgid to a powermatic 15" (same as the grizzly). It is a move I should have made sooner, so much happier using the big machine, I hated getting out the other machine and listening to it roar.

[Myk Rian]

My DW735 was a neighborhood waker-upper until I installed a Byrd head.
Straight knives make noise. Lots of it.

[Clint Olver]

Quiet?

Bye-bye lunch box - Hello cast iron..... A Byrd head will get you the rest of the way.

C

[David Delo]

Thanks for the input. Now just have to figure out how to get it thru the doorway to the basement.

[David Kumm]

The old rockwell or delta rc or dc33 13inch or the powermatic 100 were great little cast iron planers. $500 to 750. A byrd head can be fitted some day when time or money allows. Pretty easy to do -at least on the dc33. I use that as a finish planer for the smaller stuff and the finish quality is really good. Dave

[scott vroom]

I live in a densly populated residential neighborhood and for that reason I never even considered any of the lunchbox planers.....way too loud. I purchased the Grizzly G0453X (spiral cutter) and it is quiet....not nearly as loud as my dust collector.

[Neil Brooks]

I live in a densly populated residential neighborhood and for that reason I never even considered any of the lunchbox planers.....way too loud.

Bless your heart.

Seriously.

I've got awful neighbors.

But ... trying to be the GOOD neighbor ... it's why my shop went in the basement.

Agreed: lunchbox invites the whole town to see what you're up to. I've been keeping an eye out for a good condition Delta DC-380

http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/attachments/f23/7787d1237053162-delta-dc380-15-planer-byrd-spiral-cutter-p1020368.jpg

And ... yeah ... going helical on one of THESE babies .... ooooh. Livin' the dream :)

[Chip Lindley]

Bless your heart.

Seriously.

I've got awful neighbors.

But ... trying to be the GOOD neighbor ... it's why my shop went in the basement.

Agreed: lunchbox invites the whole town to see what you're up to. I've been keeping an eye out for a good condition Delta DC-380

http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/attachments/f23/7787d1237053162-delta-dc380-15-planer-byrd-spiral-cutter-p1020368.jpg

And ... yeah ... going helical on one of THESE babies .... ooooh. Livin' the dream :)

Um...what a conundrum!! Adding a Byrd head and not having anything left for dust collection! Sheesh!

To the OP, remember that you must have 230V service with at least 20A circuit to run any of the big cast iron 15" planers. None I know of, run on 115V.