It's here! Powermatic planer (warning gloat).

[Sparky Paessler]

It finally came. I ordered a Powermatic 15" planer from Amazon the other day and they delivered it this morning. Got a friend to help me wrestle it into the basement (Had to take it apart to get it in.) Got it put together last night and ran some boards through it and it works great. Much better than my old Delta 12" lunchbox planer. (Not that I have anything against Delta.) I have wanted one of these for several years. I got the chance to put up trim for a friend at his lake house the last several weekends (12 hour days) and used the proceeds to buy the planer. Now I just have to figure out where I'm going to park it.

Ready to plane some walnut in East Tennessee!

Sparky Paessler

[Noah Alkinburgh]

Very nice...I don't know where you can park that beast, but if you want to park it or perhaps the 12" lunchbox in my basement I would be happy to help you out :D

Great gloat and super nice looking tool.

Noah

[Dick Howard]

Great looking tool. Give us a full report on performance. Do you get any snipe on it?
Dick in emmett , idaho

[Mike Schwing]

Homer Simpson drooling sounds.....

Nice! Nice! Nice! Nice!

[Peter Gregory]

Originally posted by Dick Howard
Great looking tool. Give us a full report on performance. Do you get any snipe on it?
Dick in emmett , idaho

I've had one for a couple of years and it is a great machine. You can get snipe on mine by putting the board in at an angle (has to be end far from machine up because of rack). I have had a little a snipe on long boards that aren't supported too, but that seems like the way of the world.

Congrats, it is a great machine. Everything is metric based, so get your 4-5-6 key ready.

[Sparky Paessler]

Thanks for the nice comments. I've waited a long time to get one of these. I think that I can find a place to park it in my small shop Noah and anyway it's never leaving that basement again after the trouble I had getting it into it. (I only have a 4' high door from outside into the shop). I'm going to hang onto the lunchbox planer as it is handy to haul out to job sites. I have not used it yet expect playing around with a few boards but was impressed with the quality of the castings and the fit and finish of everything although the infeed and outfeed rollers could be a little better but they do work fine. The table that the wood lays on seems to be very flat both front to back and side to side. Now I can start saving up for the matching 8" Joiner. (I can Dream can't I).

Bring some wood over and try it out!

Sparky Paessler

[Bruce Page]

Congratulations Sparky! You will enjoy the planer. I’ve had mine a few years now and it has been a workhorse. When the time comes to change knives on it, pick up a couple of planer pals and save yourself a lot of aggravation – the OEM knife setting jig is pretty much worthless. (IMHO)


Nobody outside of a baby carriage or a judge’s chamber believes in an unprejudiced point of view. -- Lillian Hellman

[David Blangger]

No doubt about it. They look professional and should give you a lifetime of service.

Great gloat!

[Dan Bussiere]

I am suitable jealous! Good for you, you earned it! But... if you change your mind, I'll help Noah drag it out of the basement. He can have the Lunchbox for his effort.
Dan

[Mike Schwing]

Bruce thats a mighty expensive clamp rack!

[Jason Roehl]

Gosh, Bruce, I wish I could afford a clamp-stand like that! :D

Nice looking planers you guys.

Now let's see some pics of stuff that you make using them!!!

[Steve Clardy]

I switched from a griz 3hp shaper to a powermatic 3hp shaper. Unbelievable difference on the fit and finish between the machines. The powermatic is so much nicer. I too am looking at a new jointer, but the new long bed 6". Never seen a use for a 8".
Bruce, Terry, you guys just kill me when I see pics of your clean shops. You guys polish those tools before you take pics?:D

No time for surgery room cleaning Steve

[Bruce Page]

Yep, the PM does make a nice clamp rack, but since the pic was taken I have found a new home for the pipe clamps. One of these days I’m going to build Jason Falejczyk’s clamp rack…

Steve, I can’t help it if my momma raised a neat freak :rolleyes: I actually do use this thing, as a matter of fact, I’m going to roll it out and plane some cherry in a few minutes :p

Wrinkled Was Not One of the Things I Wanted to Be When I Grew Up

[Ted Shrader]

Sparky -

You will really enjoy having that machine. I have had one for a couple of years now. Works long and hard without complaint.

Congratulations,
Ted

[Peter Stahl]

Was that your first choice? I think I'd have a tough time deciding, lots of nice planners out there.

Pete :)

[Ron McNeil]

Sparky,

Very nice planer. It looks like it will be a real work horse. I think Powermatic makes some nice tools. Enjoy.

[Jim Becker]

I too am looking at a new jointer, but the new long bed 6". Never seen a use for a 8".

I wish for a wider jointer just about every project...I only have a 6" unit now. I'm going to skip right over 8" as my next step is a 14" MiniMax FS350 (or the hopefully to-be-announced FS35 Smart) jointer/planer, hopefully next year. You see, I face joint virtually every board and component of a project to insure I have flat lumber before I go farther. It's made a huge difference in my joinery. I also prefer wide lumber for the style of furniture I build and having wide and flat would be a wonderful thing!

[John Miliunas]

I wish for a wider jointer just about every project...I only have a 6" unit now. I'm going to skip right over 8" as my next step is a 14" MiniMax FS350 (or the hopefully to-be-announced FS35 Smart) jointer/planer, hopefully next year. You see, I face joint virtually every board and component of a project to insure I have flat lumber before I go farther. It's made a huge difference in my joinery. I also prefer wide lumber for the style of furniture I build and having wide and flat would be a wonderful thing!

Gee, and I thought I was in heaven when I got my 6" jointer a couple weeks ago! Now that I've used it, I sincerely don't know what I've done for so long without one! As for anything bigger, it may as well be a 16"-er, 'cuz it just ain't gonna' fit in my shop! Enjoy your new toy....errrrr...I mean, tool! I'm thinking about going to something a bit nicer than my old lunchbox Ryobi. ;)

[Jim Becker]

Enjoy your new toy....errrrr...I mean, tool!

The enjoyment is at least a year away!! I have a major kitchen remodel underway at present and just replaced the HVAC system and hot water system. I've blown my wad for the year! And then it will be the old Stubby lathe versus the jointer/planer decision...sheesh!

[Sparky Paessler]

Was that your first choice? I think I'd have a tough time deciding, lots of nice planners out there.

Pete :)

Pete

I did shop around a lot before deciding on the powermatic. I was tempted by the 20" Shop Fox and Grizzley but really didn't have the room for one that big. I also had a bad experence several years ago with another 15" planer I ordered from an outfit in NC that was an off brand (but a good price). The bed on it had a dip in it 3/16" deep in the center of it. The place did not want to admit that it was defective and we went back and forth for about 2 months over it. I finally returned it. The Grizzle or Shop Fox planers probably would have been fine but this time I decided to buy one of the big name brands to hopefully avoid any problems. I liked the Powermatic and Jet over the Delta because the motor is in the cabinet and I can stack boards on top as I am planing them. The powermatic and the jet are almost the same and also the same price so I decided to go with the Powermatic yellow. I would have loved to buy one of the combo machines and got a 16" joiner in the mix but they were far out of my price range.

Sparky Paessler - planing in East Tennessee