Poll: Thickness Planer Cutter Head: Straight Blades or Helical Segmented ?

[Steven Woodward]

What type of cutter head do you prefer in a thickness planer ?

When voting, consider including the following to help other readers:
- reasons for my preference
- model of thickness planer
- head manufacturer if known (example Byrd Shelix)
- is preference based on personal experience or is it based on research

[Lisa Starr]

Currently running HSS straight blades on a Grizzly 15" planer. They work fine. When my new Hammer A3-31 comes, I'll be running a Helical type head instead.

[Jim Becker]

Tersa on my SCM/Minimax J/P combo...and I'm extremely pleased. If I had North American traditional "separate" machines, I'd have straight knives on a jointer most likely and something spiralish on a thicknesser. I like Tersa because I can replace them in about three minutes or even move one just a hair if there's a nick and they are also reversible.

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[glenn bradley]

When voting, consider including the following to help other readers:
- reasons for my preference
Less expensive over time.
I was losing too much stock in my highly figured materials.
- model of thickness planer
Grizzly G0453Z
- head manufacturer if known (example Byrd Shelix)
Grizzly's German supplier
- is preference based on personal experience or is it based on research
Tried several at other folks locations. The insert head was a no-brainer for me due to the cost savings (per my usual costs for sharpening and replacement of knives). The better surface treatment of figured woods was also a big factor for me.

[Jay Rasmussen]

I changed the old HSS blades/ spindle for a Shelix carbide insert cutter on my Delta DC-380 a few years ago. I was helping my bro in law redo his daughters kitchen, her husband was on duty in the middle east and we wanted to give him a good surprise when he returned home. My part was the cabinet doors & drawers. He did about 20X the work I did but I'm glad I was able to help. He had a lot of nice white oak that a neighbor had given him but it varied in thickness up to and a little over 4/4. Bottom line - a lot to plane. I was blown away by how well the new cutter head performed. Beautiful finish and a noticeable reduction in noise. The old blades were past due for a change.
I have since down sized and sold Delta but will never forget how impressed I was.

[Alex Zeller]

In the other poll I said I would have bought my PJ882 jointer with straight blades but found a used one with the byrd head. But for a planer, carbide insert head with out any doubt. It's rare that I don't flip the board over when going through the planer and do a pass or two on the face that the jointer flattened up. The insert heads are very nice though. No sharpening, no jigs to set them up, less noise, smaller chips, last longer, other than the upfront cost what's not to like?