16 x 8 thickness planer

[Robert Marshall]

Does anyone know anything about this 16 x 8 thickness planer, advertised on Craigslist for $450 ("new").

http://athensga.craigslist.org/tls/5159615733.html

Who makes it? Is a manual available? Is it a reliable machine? Is it worth $450, assuming it is unused (or largely so)? Can it be serviced somewhere, if needed?

Thanks!

Robert

[Keith Hankins]

Does anyone know anything about this 16 x 8 thickness planer, advertised on Craigslist for $450 ("new").

http://athensga.craigslist.org/tls/5159615733.html

Who makes it? Is a manual available? Is it a reliable machine? Is it worth $450, assuming it is unused (or largely so)? Can it be serviced somewhere, if needed?

Thanks!

Robert

No way its new. Looks like an itzugushiumi (sorry for the humor). If ain't got no identifiable brand, I'd pass. It looks a lot like the old old grizzly's from late 80's but could be wrong. I'd not risk it myself, unless he'll take 200 and you want to risk it. I'd pass.

[Michael Weber]

I'd go look at it. I don't think it's a bad price assuming it works, the blades are good and it adjusts like it should. It comes with a stand, dust hood, in and out feed rollers. Still has the lifting bolts attached. If it has a brand or model google it. You can likely find a manual online if it doesn't come with one. Not a recommendation just saying if it works I would buy it before I would consider any of the lunch box planers some of which are more expensive. Oh yeah, see if it comes with the knife setting jig.

[Matt Day]

Am I the only one who thinks it's really a 15" planer? 15"x6"?

[Robert Marshall]

Curious as to why you think it is 15 x 6, instead of as described?


Am I the only one who thinks it's really a 15" planer? 15"x6"?

[Matt Day]

Because there are about a dozen manufacturers that have sold basically the same 15" planer for over 30 years, and the one in question looks like one of them to me. The main difference is the location of wheel that adjusts the table height.

Do a google image search for "15" planer" and see what I mean.

[Robert Marshall]

You're right, it looks a lot like a number of others that are all described as 15". For example, this Grizzly 15", which auctioned (date unknown) for $770:

http://www.auctionflex.com/showlot.ap?co=11217&weiid=9048683&lang=En

15 or 16 wouldn't matter much to me. Both are pretty wide boards! I think my best bet is to try it out, see how it works.


Because there are about a dozen manufacturers that have sold basically the same 15" planer for over 30 years, and the one in question looks like one of them to me. The main difference is the location of wheel that adjusts the table height.

Do a google image search for "15" planer" and see what I mean.

[Matt Day]

Sure is worth a look, but sure isn't new. I'd bet it will take a good going-through to tune it up, but you should plan on that with any used machine purchase. $450 isn't a bad deal, but I'd offer $350 and see where that goes. I'm sure parts are interchangeable with other planers out there (Jet, Grizzly, PM, etc).

Once tuned, it will make a good machine for sure. Just make sure the motor works, the cutterhead spins, the bed moves up and down, and there's no obvious damage; all else is fixable pretty easy.

[Mike Schuch]

Yes, I recognize that planer. I bought one about 15 years ago from Harbor Freight. From their catalog not their just opened retail store.

Unloaded it from the shipping truck. Assembled the planer. Fired it up and fed in a 2 x 4. The 2 x 4 made it in about two inches and then stopped. I pulled the cover off and found the sprocket on the feed roller had cracked in 2. Called Harbor Freight and they promptly sent me a new sprocket. Tried to install the sprocket on the feed roller shaft but it wouldn't go on. Hit the sprocket with the afore mentioned 2 x 4 and the new sprocket cracked in two. I put some calipers on the shaft of the feed roller and found the shaft was not properly machined. The shaft had a taper to it and was very rough. Packed up the planer and took it to the local HF (That had just opened) then got a refund from the HF home office. All in all HF was actually pretty decent to deal with.

A year or two earlier I bought a 6" jointer from the HF catalog. Stupid jointer worked perfectly up to about a year ago when I sold it to a friend (still working perfectly) when I received my fathers 8" jointer. My friend is still using the HF jointer and loves it. The worst part about the HF jointer was that is worked so well that I could never justify upgrading to a bigger nicer jointer.

I am pretty positive that planer is from HF. Not all HF tools are complete junk (my 6" jointer being a great example of a very good HF tool). The particular HF planer I received was not machined properly and the cheap pot metal sprockets were very fragile (it took nothing to crack them in two).

About a year the HF planer disappointment I bought a used Sunhill (also Chinese made) 15" planer from a shop that did custom stair cases. The Sunhill planer still does all the planing in my shop and has never given me a lick of trouble. Sunhill is out of business now so getting replacement parts is impossible. Byrd does sell a helical carbide head for my Sunhill planer.

If my memory servers me properly I think I paid about $450 for that planer 15 years ago... (I actually sold my HF jointer for $200 which is more than I paid for it and my friend was ecstatic).