Powermatic 15HH issue

[Randy Henry]

I bought a PM 15HH planer a couple of years ago (still under warranty). The outfeed has gradually gotten worse, even after checking/adjusting everything. I called PM and they said to drop the outfeed roller to .032 below the cutterhead, rather than the .020 as the manual stated. After doing that, and constant adjustment of the tension springs on the roller, it never got better, actually a lot worse. Ended up having to pull boards out of the machine, with horrible cut quality. I rotated the knives, just to rule that out. I called PM again, and they sent out a repairman. He had never worked on this style of planer, so after I educated him on how it all worked, he checked everything, and determined a new outfeed roller would cure the machine. A week later, he comes back, installs the new outfeed roller, and it worked better, but not like it did when I first got it. Today, I was using it, and on some of the boards, I had to pull some of the boards out. It does not matter if I take a small pass or heavy pass, same symptoms. The tables are flat/co-planer, the chip breaker is even with the bottom of the knives, and the table is waxed regularly. The tech set the table rollers app. .004 above the tables, and it did not seem to help. Does anyone who has this machine ever had the same problem, and what am I missing to correct it? Thanks.

[Matt Day]

I don't have the 15hh, but rather the basic same machine from 30 years earlier and a different color.
I was having similar issues where I had to pull the stock out of the machine and yank it side to side on an angle - clearly not something that should happen. I tried increasing the spring tension if the outfeed roller and changing the height of it to no avail. For me it turned out to be simply too much friction between the stock and table, so I raised the height if the table rollers and that did it.
I wasn't taking measurements in the 'thou range or anything, just raised it until it worked.
Oh, also make sure the chip breaker and pressure bars aren't too low and pinching the stock.

[Chris Parks]

I saw something on a video that had never occurred to me before, lubricate the rubbing surface of the chip breaker as well as the tables.

[Clay Fails]

I bought a PM 15HH planer a couple of years ago (still under warranty). The outfeed has gradually gotten worse, even after checking/adjusting everything. I called PM and they said to drop the outfeed roller to .032 below the cutterhead, rather than the .020 as the manual stated. After doing that, and constant adjustment of the tension springs on the roller, it never got better, actually a lot worse. Ended up having to pull boards out of the machine, with horrible cut quality. I rotated the knives, just to rule that out. I called PM again, and they sent out a repairman. He had never worked on this style of planer, so after I educated him on how it all worked, he checked everything, and determined a new outfeed roller would cure the machine. A week later, he comes back, installs the new outfeed roller, and it worked better, but not like it did when I first got it. Today, I was using it, and on some of the boards, I had to pull some of the boards out. It does not matter if I take a small pass or heavy pass, same symptoms. The tables are flat/co-planer, the chip breaker is even with the bottom of the knives, and the table is waxed regularly. The tech set the table rollers app. .004 above the tables, and it did not seem to help. Does anyone who has this machine ever had the same problem, and what am I missing to correct it? Thanks.

I have a PM 15HH and sometimes have the same issue, but to a lesser degree. Keeping the tables waxed seems to help. Overall I must say I'm not tbat happy with this planer, considering how much I paid for it.

[Charles Coolidge]

Hmmm take some 400 grit paper to the out feed roller to give it some bite? Here's the thing, the Grizzly version of this planer which has 90% the same parts made in the same factory has a textured out feed roller. Very shallow like 1/6 x 3/8 rectangular treads, it feeds the wood through just fine, I ran it with the table rollers below the surface of the tables. The problem was it left these rectangular imprints in the freshly planed surface which then had to be sanded off. I purchased Powermatic 15HH precisely because it had a smooth out feed roller vs the Grizzly. Its sitting in the garage brand new unused as I type this. I noticed that when I run my hand over the roller in the direction the wood feeds it feels very smooth, but when run my hand across the roller I can feel the machining, like it was turned on a lathe, if 'feels' like maybe 400 grit. This may give it some bite when new and gradually get polished smooth in use. Bottom line if everything is setup correctly and the tables are waxed it sounds like the out feed roller just doesn't have the bite.

[Cary Falk]

I have the G0453z. I was able to adjust the outfeed roller marks out of the finished board and still have it feed. The rollers are below the table and I keep the table waxed.

[Rick Fisher]

I have the 20" General Version of the same planer and have had the same problem.

The solution for mine is sharp knives and waxed tables. The difference is night and day.

Mine is the 20" GI helical version and I would say I am not overly impressed with mine either.

I recently bought a used 20" Griggio which needs restoration .. I hope it will be my last planer.

[Randy Henry]

The old outfeed roller and the new one have a very small ridges turned into them..it's not smooth. The PM tech said the old roller was bent. After it was out, I rolled it on the infeed table to see where it was bent at, seemed perfectly flat to me. While it's still under warranty, I'm reluctant to modify anything to that degree, as I would probably void out the warranty.

[Matt Day]

Did you wax the table or raise the table roller like we suggested?

[joe maday]

More than 10 years ago my brother had similar problems with a jet 15" planer, The outfeed roller was serrated similar to what has been discribed in earlier posts. constantly walking a fine line between having to pull the boards out of the machine or having light "lines" across the boards from the roller pressing down on the surface of the just planed boards. Very frustrating. He exchanged the outfeed roller with a roller from a reliant 15"planer. They are rubber covered and you can set the pressure and the height without the worry of indentations. It worked so well that he exchanged the infeed roller as well. This lasted many years untill finally he gouged the infeed roller by getting a little careless when inserting a rough board, a corner of the board gouged the roller. I also have installed the rubber rollers on the infeed and outfeed of my 15" jet planer, well pleased, they work great and no dents or marring of the freshly planed surface. The rollers that are used are the outfeed rollers for a 15" delta Planer, direct replacement for many of the Taiwan/Chinese planers. They work so well I'm surprised they are not standard or at least an option. Coupled with a bryd head and it is a "dream machine" any board , any direction, never a problem feeding and never a problem needing to pull a board out! I understand that the original posters machine is under warranty but it's a choice...use as is ...or improve it.

[Cary Falk]

The rollers that are used are the outfeed rollers for a 15" delta Planer, direct replacement for many of the Taiwan/Chinese planers.

Good luck getting Delta parts these days.

[joe maday]

The delta otfeed roller is availible from many sources other that delta...ereplacement parts and sears parts as example, sears has them in stock. now at 155.64, the price fluctuates, I've seen them for as low as 97.00, it depends on availability.

[Randy Henry]

Tables get waxed regulary with Johnson's paste wax. The table rollers are set above the table at .004. At that height, I get roller indentations on the underside of the board, so I'm thinking about setting them level with the table.

[joe maday]

My table rollers are set even with the table surface, and yes the table is waxed....occasionally...not very often....just to keep rust from forming...the planer is in an unheated garage.