Lunchbox planers with "helical" cutterheads.

[mike mcilroy]

Anybody use one of these. My Delta lunch box died and I really like the idea of the helical cutterhead for funky grains but I can't afford a new Grizzly 15" with helical head. I was hoping maybe there is one of this type that would be good enough. I am a hobbyist so it won't see daily use but I do use wider 10" to 12" boards when I can and I do like to use curly maple, ash and walnut. I would like to know if the cutterhead style in these planers produce as good or nearly as good of cut as the helical head in the bigger machines. Also interested in how much harder the smaller machine has to work does it strain or not will it have a very short life compared to regular knife counterparts? Just looking for real use reviews.
Sorry to run on and thanks.

[Nick Decker]

This one seems to get discussed fairly regularly. Here's a recent thread that might be of interest:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?258690-Shelix-head-for-DeWalt-735

[mike mcilroy]

Thanks Nick I'll check it out.

[Terry Starch]

A helical head is way worth the money. A friend of mine made a endgrain cutting board. He then put it in the straight blade planer and it kicked it back and he broke his left wrist. It was my first planer and it was a Ridgid 13" planer. I had it for 10 years. Now I have a Jet 20" planer with helical head and it planes everything way better. It also has a kick back, the Ridgid didnt. So maybe that's why also.