Opinions and experiences with Grizzly G0889 Planer?

[Eric Schubert]

I'm looking around at getting a planer. I realize most recommendations point to the DeWalt DW735X, and for many good reasons. However, being a beginner and not spending a ton of my time doing woodworking, I'm looking to save money where I can.

I ran across the Grizzly G0889 planer, which sounds pretty decent on paper. With 3 blades, it should give a fairly good surface. Maybe not as nice as a dual-speed planer, but it's maybe 25% cheaper than the DeWalt. But, is it worth saving the money? Does anyone have experience with this planer? Anything good/bad to share about it?

The only thing that stood out to me was warranty repair/replacement in one post that I saw. They stated they had to pay to ship the planer back to Grizzly, and to get the replacement they were told to buy a new planer and they'd be reimbursed once the warranty department made a decision on their original. If something goes wrong with the DeWalt, I can just return it to HD, Amazon, wherever, and get a replacement with almost no questions asked. Are there other experiences with Grizzly's warranty?

I'm usually in the buy-once, cry-once camp, so I'd rather spend more money if it's worth the investment.

[Earl McLain]

I'm a hobby woodworker--and started with a used Delta 12" planer, sold and bought a used Dewalt DW733 (the old version of the DW734). Then sold that for a DW735--so i've been down that road. The Grizzly you're looking at would be similar to the DW734, at about the same money (maybe less if you can get free shipping or local pickup). If i were starting new--the extra $100-$150 for the DW735 gets me no cutterhead lock to flip on every pass, a chip ejector that could (in theory) blow chips through a 25' hose without a dust collector, knives that are much easier to change and are self-indexing, what feels like a more controllable cutting depth, and nearly 100 pounds with a lower center of gravity. If you later decided to sell and move to a 15"+ machine, the 735 will get you a higher percentage back--not a consideration for me as i'm stopping there.

All three machines will be loud--hearing protection is a must. All three will be relatively light duty compared to 15"+ iron machines. All three will feed much better if the beds are kept clean and waxed--even though they look shiny, resins from the wood get sticky fast. And, all 3 will get nicked knives easier than a big machine.

After a few years with the 735, i swapped to a Byrd head. Had been going through 1-2 sets of knives/year--and after 5 years or so my carbide cutters are still on the first of 4 sides, so for me the Byrd has pretty much paid for itself in that respect. Some folks will scoff at spending that kind of money on a "lunchbox" planer, but it works very well for what i do.

Good luck in figuring out what works best for your work and your shop!!
earl

[Eric Schubert]

I'm a hobby woodworker--and started with a used Delta 12" planer, sold and bought a used Dewalt DW733 (the old version of the DW734). Then sold that for a DW735--so i've been down that road. The Grizzly you're looking at would be similar to the DW734, at about the same money (maybe less if you can get free shipping or local pickup). If i were starting new--the extra $100-$150 for the DW735 gets me no cutterhead lock to flip on every pass, a chip ejector that could (in theory) blow chips through a 25' hose without a dust collector, knives that are much easier to change and are self-indexing, what feels like a more controllable cutting depth, and nearly 100 pounds with a lower center of gravity. If you later decided to sell and move to a 15"+ machine, the 735 will get you a higher percentage back--not a consideration for me as i'm stopping there.

All three machines will be loud--hearing protection is a must. All three will be relatively light duty compared to 15"+ iron machines. All three will feed much better if the beds are kept clean and waxed--even though they look shiny, resins from the wood get sticky fast. And, all 3 will get nicked knives easier than a big machine.

After a few years with the 735, i swapped to a Byrd head. Had been going through 1-2 sets of knives/year--and after 5 years or so my carbide cutters are still on the first of 4 sides, so for me the Byrd has pretty much paid for itself in that respect. Some folks will scoff at spending that kind of money on a "lunchbox" planer, but it works very well for what i do.

Good luck in figuring out what works best for your work and your shop!!
earl

Thanks for the input, Earl. That's really quite helpful. It sounds like DeWalt really put a lot of thought in getting the most from their design.

Are you running on a 20A circuit or 15A circuit? I saw a couple mentions that the DW735X pulls more than 20A when running (in some cases 25A to 30A during a full-depth cut), which makes me wonder about my power situation in the garage. But I want to install more outlets anyway, so might as well run 20A circuits while I'm at it. Would be nice if they offered it in 220V, too... cuts down on amperage.

[Earl McLain]

Running the 735 on a 20A circuit. Universal motor, so 240V is not an option. Like any universal--it's loud.

[Bryan Hall]

Having been through a few grizzly machines, I would strongly recommend the Dewalt. I have it and have used/abused it for years and its a little champion. I'm just now upgrading my planer, but expect to keep, and continue to use, the dewalt for the rougher side of my work. When I didn't have a dust collector the dewalt was just fine with nothing but a shop vac tube connected to it and tucked out the garage door.

I tried to get a Byrd head for mine. They are having some issues so don't expect to be able to get one. I waited 9 months and then asked for a refund on the one I ordered.

[Eric Schubert]

Having been through a few grizzly machines, I would strongly recommend the Dewalt. I have it and have used/abused it for years and its a little champion. I'm just now upgrading my planer, but expect to keep, and continue to use, the dewalt for the rougher side of my work. When I didn't have a dust collector the dewalt was just fine with nothing but a shop vac tube connected to it and tucked out the garage door.

I tried to get a Byrd head for mine. They are having some issues so don't expect to be able to get one. I waited 9 months and then asked for a refund on the one I ordered.

Thanks, Bryan! Sounds like the Dewalt is a workhorse. Did you have any issues working with Grizzly as a company? Or just prefer the design, fit, and finish of the Dewalt over the Grizzly products you've used?

Edit: I should add, I've not bought any tools from Grizzly, yet. I just bought a Dewalt table saw for my small garage workspace. The saw seems like a really nice tool, so far. It's not as big as I'd like, but it should do the job for me right now.

[Bryan Hall]

I purchased a jointer, drum sander, and bandsaw from grizzly.

The drum sander was actually unusable. The alignment of the drum was so poorly mounted that the workpiece couldn't make it out the right side of the machine, it would get trapped in the housing.

The bandsaw.... They repeatedly sent me broken tables. Took three months and three tables to get a usable one. Turned the machine on to a nasty rattle and burning smell coming from the motor.

Lots of people have, and love their stuff. I'd just argue that buying new tools during covid-19 is a real gamble. I think industry wide quality control is really struggling.

My DeWalt tools just work. I have the job site saw and their planer and miter saw. It's all done well by me.

[Eric Schubert]

I purchased a jointer, drum sander, and bandsaw from grizzly.

The drum sander was actually unusable. The alignment of the drum was so poorly mounted that the workpiece couldn't make it out the right side of the machine, it would get trapped in the housing.

The bandsaw.... They repeatedly sent me broken tables. Took three months and three tables to get a usable one. Turned the machine on to a nasty rattle and burning smell coming from the motor.

Lots of people have, and love their stuff. I'd just argue that buying new tools during covid-19 is a real gamble. I think industry wide quality control is really struggling.

My DeWalt tools just work. I have the job site saw and their planer and miter saw. It's all done well by me.

While that's all anecdotal, it's still good to hear your experiences. Thanks for sharing. From a whole bunch of reading, it seems that it can be hit-or-miss with Grizzly products. Maybe some are built better than others. (e.g. table saws vs sanders vs jointers, etc.) I think I'll just keep my eyes open for a deal on the Dewalt, then.

[Micah Puscheck]

While that's all anecdotal, it's still good to hear your experiences. Thanks for sharing. From a whole bunch of reading, it seems that it can be hit-or-miss with Grizzly products. Maybe some are built better than others. (e.g. table saws vs sanders vs jointers, etc.) I think I'll just keep my eyes open for a deal on the Dewalt, then.

I think there's likely a lot more hits than misses.

Just received my new table saw from them, and it's great. The splitter was a bit bent, and I just called them up and they mailed out a new one the next day. Always very easy to get in touch with.

[Bryan Hall]

I do think grizzly will try to do right by you if you get the right CS person. Some that I talked to where fantastic. Others told me they didn't have time to help me troubleshoot problems and simply offered to mail out a handful of parts to try and fix it.

One thing that is worth checking with the smaller tools: Call around to the local service centers and see who will work on which brands. Your profile location has 4-5 Dewalt service centers nearby. If you buy the the dewalt OR the grizzly from your local home depot, you have a 90 day no nonsense return policy on it as well. So, really low risk on a small machine like that. The bigger stuff... its an ordeal to get it delivered and returned.

[Eric Schubert]

I do think grizzly will try to do right by you if you get the right CS person. Some that I talked to where fantastic. Others told me they didn't have time to help me troubleshoot problems and simply offered to mail out a handful of parts to try and fix it.

One thing that is worth checking with the smaller tools: Call around to the local service centers and see who will work on which brands. Your profile location has 4-5 Dewalt service centers nearby. If you buy the the dewalt OR the grizzly from your local home depot, you have a 90 day no nonsense return policy on it as well. So, really low risk on a small machine like that. The bigger stuff... its an ordeal to get it delivered and returned.


Good points, Bryan. Thanks for mentioning the service centers. Hadn't even crossed my mind.

[Bruce Wrenn]

But from HD, using HD credit card, you now have a year to return. In a year you will surely know if you want to keep the planner

[Rich Aldrich]

I had the DW735 planer and liked it. I was going to put a shelix head in it but was concerned about amp draw. After I replaced it with a used Powermatic 209 HH, I learned that you can take the blower off if you have a dust collector connected (actually recommended by Dewalt). This makes it quieter and reduces amp draw. The reduced amp draw would probably make up for installing the shelix full size head because it takes more power.
Installing the shelix makes it more like a $1000 planer but the next jump up is $1800 plus for a 15” planer. A lot of people say it isn’t worth installing the shelix, but if you do work with figured wood the shelix may be a benefit. I see the difference in Birdseye with the 209HH.

[Bryan Hall]

Also.... pick up the Home Depot extended warranty for sure if you do the grizzly. Dewalt is 3 years while Grizzly is only 1 year for any tool I've ever gotten from them.

[Robert London]

Hey Eric,

I highly recommend getting a better planer with some sort of spiral cutter and ditching the straight blades. A straight blade lunchbox planer is incredibly loud and the knives don't last long.

I bought the cutech 13" with snipe lock and carbide cutters. It's about 650 or so. Not a true spiral or helical system, but loads better than setting straight knives and a heck of a lot quieter. I've been running this thing almost a year and have yet to turn the cutters. I'll probably do so shortly. Made in Taiwan and a nice machine for the money.

https://cutech.tools/collections/planer/products/planer-40200h?variant=31617274282087

[Andrew More]

I would buy a DeWalt DW734 before the Grizzly, and I've had good results with both companies. The question in my mind is how would you replace the blades on the Grizzly. With the DeWalt I can just go to my local Lowes/Home Depot.

[Alex Zeller]

I think that if it was me I would opt to get the Grizzly 0889Z. It's not much more than the DeWalt and you don't have to deal with knives. Most of the stuff I've bought from Grizzly has been very good. I have one that was less than I was hoping for so I see everything they sell as a risk. But I feel it's the stuff made in China that is more of a concern to me. If the G0889Z is made in Taiwan that's the one I would buy. If you decide down the road to swap out the cutterhead in the DeWalt to a Byrd you're going to have a lot more sunk into it. As a bonus with the inserts the chips are very small so they are much easier for a dust collector to remove.

[Charlie Jones]

I replaced my Delta lunchbox with a Grizzly G1037z planer /molder about five years ago. It is a heavy, well built in Taiwan machine with an induction motor. I haven’t used it as a molder yet but it is a good planer. It is limited to 13 inches but it fits well in a small shop. It cost a bit more than the Dewalt. I highly recommend it.

[Robert London]

Oliver also just came out with a portable unit that already has the BYRD installed.

It's about 150+ less money than buying the Dewalt and then retrofitting the new cutter. If I didn't already have my Cutech, I'd probably buy this.

https://olivermachinery.net/12-5in-planer

[Eric Schubert]

Hey Eric,

I highly recommend getting a better planer with some sort of spiral cutter and ditching the straight blades. A straight blade lunchbox planer is incredibly loud and the knives don't last long.

I bought the cutech 13" with snipe lock and carbide cutters. It's about 650 or so. Not a true spiral or helical system, but loads better than setting straight knives and a heck of a lot quieter. I've been running this thing almost a year and have yet to turn the cutters. I'll probably do so shortly. Made in Taiwan and a nice machine for the money.

https://cutech.tools/collections/planer/products/planer-40200h?variant=31617274282087

Thanks, Robert. I've seen a few mentions of Cutech, but don't know much about them. Discussions have been positive, though. So, I wouldn't rule them out. It seems spiral cutters pull more current during cutting due to the constant contact with the workpiece. But, I'm looking into adding 20A circuits in the garage to handle bigger tools anyway.


I would buy a DeWalt DW734 before the Grizzly, and I've had good results with both companies. The question in my mind is how would you replace the blades on the Grizzly. With the DeWalt I can just go to my local Lowes/Home Depot.

Good point. DeWalt blades are easier to find, especially locally.


I think that if it was me I would opt to get the Grizzly 0889Z. It's not much more than the DeWalt and you don't have to deal with knives. Most of the stuff I've bought from Grizzly has been very good. I have one that was less than I was hoping for so I see everything they sell as a risk. But I feel it's the stuff made in China that is more of a concern to me. If the G0889Z is made in Taiwan that's the one I would buy. If you decide down the road to swap out the cutterhead in the DeWalt to a Byrd you're going to have a lot more sunk into it. As a bonus with the inserts the chips are very small so they are much easier for a dust collector to remove.

Definitely costs more to add the Byrd head later on the DeWalt. I estimate the Grizzly G0889Z would run around $860 shipped to my door. However, if you can get the DeWalt on sale (or even buy with gift cards at a discount), it will be pretty close in cost. But not convenience, since the Grizzly already has the helical head installed.


I replaced my Delta lunchbox with a Grizzly G1037z planer /molder about five years ago. It is a heavy, well built in Taiwan machine with an induction motor. I haven’t used it as a molder yet but it is a good planer. It is limited to 13 inches but it fits well in a small shop. It cost a bit more than the Dewalt. I highly recommend it.

I'd love a larger machine, but it's just not going to happen in our 2-car garage. I need to park the cars in there, so tools need to be portable and take up as little space as possible. I'll likely attach the planer to a rolling cart, which will help.


Oliver also just came out with a portable unit that already has the BYRD installed.

It's about 150+ less money than buying the Dewalt and then retrofitting the new cutter. If I didn't already have my Cutech, I'd probably buy this.

https://olivermachinery.net/12-5in-planer

I'm not familiar with Oliver. I'll have to learn more about them. Shipping is almost $100, so it would be $770+tax+shipping, which totals approximately $920 here. As I mentioned above, if I can snap up the planer on sale, it may not make much difference. But having the helical head already installed is pretty convenient, and the Oliver comes with the Wixey height gauge, too. Lots of nice features listed for the Oliver. I'd just like to know a little more about Oliver as a company before committing to a purchase, since returns and service aren't as easy as running down to the big box store. It looks really good on paper, though. Thanks for mentioning this one.

On the upside, stimulus checks came in, so... maybe I'll get lucky and can convince the Mrs. to go for the pricier option without any real need for upgrades.

[Tim Nguyen]

+1 on Cutech. I bought mine about a year and a half ago. Planer has been fine and handles boards just fine. I am a hobbyist so I don't run a lot through, but I just rotated the blades.