Byrd shelix cutterhead

[Jaromir Svoboda]

Hi, I like to install Byrd cutterhead in my 15" Powermatic planer. Who does have best price? Grizzly sells it for $619.Thank you.

[Ruperto Mendiones]

Are you sure that Grizz is selling genuine Byrd?

[Charles Coolidge]

Grizzly sells both its Taiwan spiral cutter head and the Byrd Shelix cutter heads. Jaromir you will need a hydraulic press and a new set of bearings for starters on that swap.

[John Schweikert]

Grizzly shows the Byrd for $595 at the moment for the PM 15" planer.

Another source is holbren.com, they offer 10% off with sawmillcreek code. Look up the code in the Deals and Discounts section. I wouldn't just go by price alone but also contents of the cutter head kit. Contact Holbren for more info. It's rare if ever that Grizzly sells anything namebrand at a lower price than competitors. So something tells me that more digging is needed.

[Andrew Fleck]

Grizzly sells both its Taiwan spiral cutter head and the Byrd Shelix cutter heads. Jaromir you will need a hydraulic press and a new set of bearings for starters on that swap.

I bought my Byrd head from Grizzly. The price was decent and they have great customer support. You don't need a hydraulic press. I'm assuming that you suggested that to install the new bearings on the new cutterhead. A hydraulic press would be nice and easy, but you can get some PVC pipe, a wood block, and a mallet and tap your new bearings on just fine. That's what I did and everything works great.

[joe maday]

Call Holbren, speak to Dan or Brian, They will meet the grizzly price ( they did in three occasions for me) and they can install the bearings for you on the cutterhead.

[Myk Rian]

and they can install the bearings for you on the cutterhead.
Best way to go.

[Joe Shinall]

Bought my Byrd from Grizzly. Shopped around for at least a week or 2 and that's the cheapest I found. Loving mine.

[Jaromir Svoboda]

I bought my Byrd head from Grizzly. The price was decent and they have great customer support. You don't need a hydraulic press. I'm assuming that you suggested that to install the new bearings on the new cutterhead. A hydraulic press would be nice and easy, but you can get some PVC pipe, a wood block, and a mallet and tap your new bearings on just fine. That's what I did and everything works great.
Where did you bought bearings from?

[Charles Coolidge]

I bought my Byrd head from Grizzly. The price was decent and they have great customer support. You don't need a hydraulic press. I'm assuming that you suggested that to install the new bearings on the new cutterhead. A hydraulic press would be nice and easy, but you can get some PVC pipe, a wood block, and a mallet and tap your new bearings on just fine. That's what I did and everything works great.

Yes you do.

[Joe Shinall]

Yes you do.

Nope, I did mine without a hydraulic press too. I put bearings on shafts all the time without a hydraulic press. Just the way Andrew mentioned. And I got my bearings from a local place. Took the old ones to them and they matched them up. Could also order them from the planer manufacturer. In your case Powermatic.

[Charles Coolidge]

Nope, I did mine without a hydraulic press too. I put bearings on shafts all the time without a hydraulic press. Just the way Andrew mentioned. And I got my bearings from a local place. Took the old ones to them and they matched them up. Could also order them from the planer manufacturer. In your case Powermatic.

Okay maybe the numerous examples of people who did need a hydraulic press to get the old bearing off were just flukes. lol I just swapped a Byrd into an 8" jointer, it too required a hydraulic press, both old bearings went BANG when they let loose.

[Larry Rasmussen]

I've swapped out a head purchased from Byrd and installed on a 15" Grizzly 6 years or so then on a 12" Rigid lunchbox type planer from the company that makes them for Steele. One topic emphasized when I did the grizzly was be sure to buy the bearing from the maker of the head and have them press it on. This service also available for the next one I did with for the Rigid Planer. Main point was not to use third party sources for bearing if at all possible. I mostly wanted to say that it is a very doable project regardless of experience. Luck from Larry R

[Chris Parks]

I just got quoted $795 for a PM 15s head from Holbren.

[John Lanciani]

Okay maybe the numerous examples of people who did need a hydraulic press to get the old bearing off were just flukes. lol I just swapped a Byrd into an 8" jointer, it too required a hydraulic press, both old bearings went BANG when they let loose.

Count me as another who did NOT need a hydraulic press. used a bearing puller to remove the old bearings and heated the new bearings to install.

[joe maday]

If the bearing installation is concerning to someone, then when ordering/purchasing a bryd head, go to holbred and they will install the bearings for you on the bryd head, you have to purchase the bearings anyway, So just get all from one spot. They will match the grizzly price, they have bearings, they will install and send the completed head to you...Then go to Byrd site to view instalation instructions, or watch a youtube video and take your time.
Possibly order from a parts house such as ereplacement parts or from powermatic the gearcase cover gasket, (maybe the speed/shift rod seal, if it is leaking...better to do now) That way if you accidently damage the gasket your not waiting to reassemble.....Just take your time and if you are unsure..... take photos as you go to see how to reassemble. Heating a bearing if it gets too hot will/could harm the grease, if not assembled right away the bearing can cool and lock itself on the shaft, sometimes using "pipes" or hammering can hurt the seals or the inner cage, these bearings are not designed for side thrust/pressure (esp cheap imports). Why take a chance if you have not had any experience. Yes it is not difficult..... but easier to just order and install.

[jerry cousins]

Holbren told me that they would meet any price,plus $40 for putting on the bearings.. Grizzly is now $595.
jerry

[Larry Frank]

I am looking at doing this with my 15 inch Jet.

I have never heard of heating bearings to put them on. I always thought that it would damage the bearings. What type of bearings is it safe to heat and put on and what temperature????

[Cary Falk]

I am looking at doing this with my 15 inch Jet.

I have never heard of heating bearings to put them on. I always thought that it would damage the bearings. What type of bearings is it safe to heat and put on and what temperature????Put the shaft in the freezer. Put the bearing on a light bulb for about a minute. Should slide right on.

[John Lanciani]

Put the shaft in the freezer. Put the bearing on a light bulb for about a minute. Should slide right on.

Yes, i just use a 50-75 watt ornamental bulb (the ones shaped sort of like a candle flame are perfect) and set the bearings on top. Too hot to touch but not hot enough to start burning off the shipping oil on the outside of the bearings is just about perfect. The bearing will usually just slide right on, if they don't I heat them a little more.

ETA- safe for any bearing you're likely to run in to in a woodshop. The only real danger is melting the seals on a sealed bearing and I think you'd have to try pretty hard to do that with my technique. Creep up on the temperature, you'll know when you get it right even if it takes a few trips back to the lightbulb. Way better than pounding on the inner race to get the bearing on the shaft.

[Charles Coolidge]

Count me as another who did NOT need a hydraulic press. used a bearing puller to remove the old bearings and heated the new bearings to install.

You used a bearing puller to drive the cutter head out of this cast iron housing? Not sure how you would get the puller centered. I figured it was time for a picture, that's great you guys found other ways to drive the cutter head out of this bearing with hammers and pullers and whatever but I maintain no amount of hammering will work on 'some' of these machines, mine for example and the safe way to do this job would be to use a press vs risk beating on it with a hammer but to each is own I don't want to argue.http://www.coolidgeamps.com/pics/planer.jpg

[Ronald Blue]

Bearings are heated and or cooled to ease in installation all the time. However it is more common on tapered roller bearings where the grease isn't an issue. I would be careful to limit the heat and the light bulb idea would be good if you have no way to gauge how hot your getting it. The grease isn't the big concern but damaging the seal would be. If you are driving the bearing into place then the driver needs to slightly larger then the shaft but make good contact with the inner race. If it is going into a bore then it needs to be slightly smaller than the bore and make good contact with the outer race. If you have a press that's great but there are more bearings successfully changed without than with I assure. The equipment I work on is bigger than all but the biggest presses you would find anyway.

[george newbury]

Holbren told me that they would meet any price,plus $40 for putting on the bearings.. Grizzly is now $595.
jerry
That to me is a substantial discount from their $795 advertised price. Is that common among woodworking tools? I was dreaming of a shelix for my 16" Powermatic but the $1400 price was a bit steep.

[Brian Gumpper]

Couple things to answer some questions.

We always have a price match guarantee. The heads used in the import machines are made in high volume relatively speaking and Byrd made a great deal with Grizzly for some reason so we match them too.

Byrd informed us prices are going up 5% with the new year but have not seen anything official yet.

As for the bearings, be careful before you use some of the methods to put on the bearings not because they don't work but because you might find out that after you pull your head out of the freezer and bearings off the lightbulbs, slap them on in haste before temperatures change, only to find out you can't pre-mount one or both of them. The 15" planers being mentioned are a good example of that. Any orders we take with bearings for the import 4 post planers can only come with one bearing mounted on the head.

[glenn bradley]

You don't need a hydraulic press.


Yes you do.


Nope, I did mine without a hydraulic press too.

There seems to be some confusion between what one person needs to do the job and what another person needs to do the same job :). I know there are some jobs where the thing I need to do it is 'another person to do it'. ;)

[Jaromir Svoboda]

I called Holbren today, and they will match Grizzly price. They also will install new bearings and will ship it for free!

[Chris Parks]

I too called them with the same result, awesome service is all I can say and thanks Dan. They were a bit surprised to get a phone call from Oz, it's not every day that happens I guess.

[Dave Cav]

I have installed Byrd or Grizzly heads in 3 planers (a 12" PM 100, a 15" Grizzly and a 24" Delta) and two PM 60 8" jointers (I'm a shop teacher). I didn't use a hydraulic press for any of them. None of them took more than a couple of hours. For the PM 100 planer and the second jointer we got the bearings at the local NAPA. One of the best upgrades you can make, if you can afford it.