Shelix upgrade

[Matthew Carver]

Has anyone installed a Shelix planer head in a Wen planer? They don't list them on their site, but I know that a lot of those lunchbox planers are the same.

[Dan Hahr]

No offense, but that'd be like putting a Corvette engine in a Kia.

I've got a Dewalt 735 and I think that's still too much of an upgrade.

Dan

[Matthew Carver]

No offense, but that'd be like putting a Corvette engine in a Kia.

I've got a Dewalt 735 and I think that's still too much of an upgrade.

Dan

yes, I know and agree, but I'm assessing my options. Its a lot of dough. How do you like the Dewalt setup?

[Dan Hahr]

Very happy with it. New knives leave a beautiful finish on most woods. Rarely felt a need for a helical head. If I were you I’d upgrade to a better planer first and see what you think. I’ve never used any Wen products but I think you get what you pay for. I see used Dewalts for sale around 3-400 bucks.


Dan

[Matthew Carver]

Very happy with it. New knives leave a beautiful finish on most woods. Rarely felt a need for a helical head. If I were you I’d upgrade to a better planet first and see what you think. I’ve never used any Wen products but I think you get what you pay for. I see used Dewalts for sale around 3-400 bucks.


Dan

Thanks Dan, I've been watching for a DW but folks around here seem to think their used ones are still new.

[Greg Parrish]

I had a DW735 and put the shelix head in it. I installed the smaller head, as it came in two diameters when I did it. It worked well for knife longevity and for figured Woods, but I also found it bogged down more often and the finish wasn’t as finished and smooth as the straight knives. Main benefit to me was the noise level dropped dramatically.

I now now have a hammer A3-31 with helix head and realize the Dewalt just didn’t have the umph for the shelix unless taking tiny bites. It tripped the circuit breaker a lot on big bites once I put the shelix in too.

[Matthew Carver]

I had a DW735 and put the shelix head in it. I installed the smaller head, as it came in two diameters when I did it. It worked well for knife longevity and for figured Woods, but I also found it bogged down more often and the finish wasn’t as finished and smooth as the straight knives. Main benefit to me was the noise level dropped dramatically.

I now now have a hammer A3-31 with helix head and realize the Dewalt just didn’t have the umph for the shelix unless taking tiny bites. It tripped the circuit breaker a lot on big bites once I put the shelix in too.

Greg, I'm not familiar with Hammer. I'm limited on space in my 12x20 shop. The dewalt or lunchbox upgrade is appealing for me. There are guys around with bigger setups, but I don't like being dependent on their schedules.

[Greg Parrish]

Hammer is part of the Felder lineup. It’s a larger jointer/planer combo floor standing machine. But for not much different than the cost of a shelix head and a Dewalt dw735, you can buy a grizzly tabletop machine that would have a heavier motor and capacity. Lots of benefits from a heavier machine but I get your reasoning for exploring it as I went that route too initially. Good luck.

[Matthew Carver]

Hammer is part of the Felder lineup. It’s a larger jointer/planer combo floor standing machine. But for not much different than the cost of a shelix head and a Dewalt dw735, you can buy a grizzly tabletop machine that would have a heavier motor and capacity. Lots of benefits from a heavier machine but I get your reasoning for exploring it as I went that route too initially. Good luck.


Which tabletop did you mean? To get a helical seems like you'd be way over the 1k mark of the DW.

[Greg Parrish]

Which tabletop did you mean? To get a helical seems like you'd be way over the 1k mark of the DW.

I was talking about a 4 post like this but it’s not helix. The helix would add a bunch more. I just meant it would be a heavier machine that could still fit a table top. Other brands can be found with similar style. Maybe even a used one. Moving to a machine with a full sized motor and steel frame would just give you more cutting power and lower noise.

I think the helix for this one adds adds quite a bit to the price. Just do lots of research and think it through. I personally wish I had skipped the Dewalt benchtop route and bought a full machine first. Would have saved some funds in long run. That said, some never go larger than the Dewalt which is fine too. Think it through and make best decision for you. :)

https://www.grizzly.com/products/Grizzly-15-3-HP-Heavy-Duty-Planer/G0815