Grizzly's new South Bend Planer series - first impressions

[Brad Rucker]

I've had a DeWalt 735 13" planer for about 10 years now. It has been a real champ and I've built some pretty heavy-duty projects with it over the years. Having medically retired two years ago, I've had more time available to do hobby work - when I have the energy - so I decided to order one of the new South Bend planers that Grizzly announced recently. Order went in somewhere in mid-February. They were showing it as arriving in stock on April 7th. That later slipped to the 30th, but I finally received it this past week.

I chose the larger one - the SB1109. It's a 20" planer, 5 HP, 220v, 719 lb beast. We had a big adventure just getting it from the street down the gravel drive to my shop. Thank the Lord for the SAIA driver - he was a blessing for sure.

My first impressions are all very positive:



Shipping / packing was first rate. It came on two pallets with waterproof film on the floor and all around the machine. The shipping crate was completely enclosed (unlike the last Grizzly machine I bought which had a 'birdcage' style crate around it). The machine was unmarked and SAIA didn't put a scratch on it OR the crate. Quite a change from my last experience with UPS Freight (who I wouldn't trust to ship my septic system outflow materials). I will always request SAIA going forward. Grease / oil / cosmoline-like substance on unpainted surfaces worked well. Easy to clean off using Goo-Gone and it protected the machine from any rust.
Runs at about half the noise level of my old DeWalt. You don't even need ear protection to survive it.
Pulls boards through that I would have had to push through on the DW735. No comparison to the power level.
Finish on milled boards is ridiculously smooth and from the little I've been able to use it, it looks perfect.
Digital height gauge set up was a bit different from what the manual specified. I mistakenly trusted it after I set it up via the manual and it was off by about .04". But it was easy to re-calibrate and looks to be spot-on now.
Fit, finish and paint are extremely good. Better than the best Grizzly machine in my shop.
Table wings are hefty, straight and true. Everything about this machine screams quality.


Just wanted to share since I was curious as to how Grizzly would do with this new line. I'm very happy that I pulled the trigger on this one.

[Richard Coers]

I'd hope a planer costing $4,200 would outperform a $600 planer

[Bob Riefer]

Sheesh tough response there. Shrug, and par for the course in this case.

Really happy to hear of your positive experience after a big purchase!!! We want pics!!

[Matt Day]

I mean no offense to the OP, but $4200 for a 20” 4 post planer? What does the extra $1k get you over the Grizzly version?

I’m any case, congrats on the new machine. Glad it got in the shop safely, enjoy it!

[Mike Tekin]

I've had a DeWalt 735 13" planer for about 10 years now. It has been a real champ and I've built some pretty heavy-duty projects with it over the years. Having medically retired two years ago, I've had more time available to do hobby work - when I have the energy - so I decided to order one of the new South Bend planers that Grizzly announced recently. Order went in somewhere in mid-February. They were showing it as arriving in stock on April 7th. That later slipped to the 30th, but I finally received it this past week.

I chose the larger one - the SB1109. It's a 20" planer, 5 HP, 220v, 719 lb beast. We had a big adventure just getting it from the street down the gravel drive to my shop. Thank the Lord for the SAIA driver - he was a blessing for sure.

My first impressions are all very positive:



Shipping / packing was first rate. It came on two pallets with waterproof film on the floor and all around the machine. The shipping crate was completely enclosed (unlike the last Grizzly machine I bought which had a 'birdcage' style crate around it). The machine was unmarked and SAIA didn't put a scratch on it OR the crate. Quite a change from my last experience with UPS Freight (who I wouldn't trust to ship my septic system outflow materials). I will always request SAIA going forward. Grease / oil / cosmoline-like substance on unpainted surfaces worked well. Easy to clean off using Goo-Gone and it protected the machine from any rust.
Runs at about half the noise level of my old DeWalt. You don't even need ear protection to survive it.
Pulls boards through that I would have had to push through on the DW735. No comparison to the power level.
Finish on milled boards is ridiculously smooth and from the little I've been able to use it, it looks perfect.
Digital height gauge set up was a bit different from what the manual specified. I mistakenly trusted it after I set it up via the manual and it was off by about .04". But it was easy to re-calibrate and looks to be spot-on now.
Fit, finish and paint are extremely good. Better than the best Grizzly machine in my shop.
Table wings are hefty, straight and true. Everything about this machine screams quality.


Just wanted to share since I was curious as to how Grizzly would do with this new line. I'm very happy that I pulled the trigger on this one.


Thanks for sharing the review. Was curious about the new South Bend line and sounds like it is indeed a level above the Grizzly extreme series and has added features such as separate motor for variable feed as well as built in digital height gauge which looks better than one comes on the Powermatic machines.

[sean meltvedt]

I mean no offense to the OP, but $4200 for a 20” 4 post planer? What does the extra $1k get you over the Grizzly version?

I’m any case, congrats on the new machine. Glad it got in the shop safely, enjoy it!
Matt it gets you a separate variable speed feed motor that should also eliminate the weak drive gear that runs the feed mechanism from the cutter head of the rest of this style of 4 post planers out there.

Cheers, Sean

[Bill Dufour]

SAIA? why two pallets?
Bill D

[Rick Potter]

Is the machine an insert head or blades? Just curious. Sounds like a nice machine.

[Brad Rucker]

My guess is that the factory built it on one pallet and then placed the palletized machine on another, larger pallet that they could then enclose in a box for shipping. The result was a bit of a hassle (getting a 700+ pound machine off even one pallet and onto the cement floor without a hoist or a forklift isn't easy) - but I'm very glad they did it. As for SAIA, they are a freight company - no idea how large they are. I've seen their trucks on the highway from time to time, but never gotten a shipment through them. They were spectacular.

[Brad Rucker]

Insert heads in a spiral pattern.

[Brad Rucker]

As written below by someone else, the variable drive motor. I should note that it was only about an $800 difference when I bought it. Grizzly went up $200 after I ordered, but before it came in stock. They obviously honored my price.

[Larry Frank]

Sounds like a great machine along with excellent packing. Have fun !

[Matt Day]

Matt it gets you a separate variable speed feed motor that should also eliminate the weak drive gear that runs the feed mechanism from the cutter head of the rest of this style of 4 post planers out there.

Cheers, Sean

Okay, that’s definitely an upgrade. I thought it might be the old “paint it a different color and add $1k” aka Powermatic.

[Gordon Stump]

Congrats Brad. That type of planer 30 years ago made in the U.S.A and adjusted for inflation would probably be over $10,000 today. So based on your opinion of the quality I would say this was a great value proposition. Ain't retirement great!!!!

[Brad Rucker]

Congrats Brad. That type of planer 30 years ago made in the U.S.A and adjusted for inflation would probably be over $10,000 today. So based on your opinion of the quality I would say this was a great value proposition. Ain't retirement great!!!!

Great it is, indeed. ;)

[Carroll Courtney]

With that kind of good news, should been pic or two so we can drool

[Robert London]

I want to get a 20” helical planer and have checked that one out on grizzly’s site. Good to hear a review. To pay an extra $1000 over their extreme planer seems a bit steep. I give the variable speed a huge plus, but not sure it’s worth $1000.

I guess grizzly has notched up the finish a bit as well. The SB machine looks to be similar to the shop fox 20” helical planer in weight/specs and sits up higher than the grizzly extreme planer. The SB is the only that has the variable speed.

I see shop fox has raised their prices another 200-300 as well on machines. Lots of good choices to pick from. May boil down to what’s in stock when you need it.

[David Buchhauser]

I think the fact that this particular model is manufactured in Taiwan is a contributing factor to the superior fit and finish. It has been my personal experience that the Grizzly Taiwan equipment is much better quality than much of their Chinese stuff.
David

[Charles Coolidge]

For the $1,050 price difference the South Bend offers...

- oddly shipping is $100 less on the SB
- SB has a digital height gauge
- SB has variable feed speed with a lower feed rate available 10fps vs 16fps on the Grizzly
- SB has leveling feed and a slightly wider footprint
- SB has an upgraded height handwheel
- SB has a 2 year warranty vs 1 year on the Grizzly

[Alex Zeller]

I would like to know how flat the bed is. I have a G1033X and there's about a .003" hump in the middle. Not a lot but it makes it so the lower infeed roller is flush with the bed while the ends the roller is raised above the bed. It takes slightly more work setting up the lower roller height as you have to get both sides the same and make sure the roller is flush in the center. I would like to think if Grizzly is going after the Powermatic crowd then they would spec name brand bearings and to have it machined to a tighter spec (as I assume their metal tools are).

[Carl Crout]

I mean no offense to the OP, but $4200 for a 20” 4 post planer? What does the extra $1k get you over the Grizzly version?

I’m any case, congrats on the new machine. Glad it got in the shop safely, enjoy it!

The extra grand gets you the South Bend name stuck on a Grizzly machine.......

[Ken Fitzgerald]

The extra grand gets you the South Bend name stuck on a Grizzly machine.......

I'd suggest you reread the OPs initial post. He stresses that the fit and finish are far better than any other Grizzly machine in his shop. Maybe, the company through the brand name South Bend is going to have a better quality product line.

[Robert London]

Grizzly wasn’t kidding about price increases. Overnight they raised the SB up another $500. It’s now pushing 5k

[Charles Coolidge]

Yeah with shipping which also increased $100 its now $4,994. :eek:

[Paul Haus]

Maybe I missed it but what country is the planer made in? Other than the digital gauge, a quick look doesn't pick up any major difference between it and the Shop Fox for example.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

The South Bend SB1109 to which the OP refers lists Taiwan as the country of origin. The SB1109 has a second, separate feed motor and it's feed rate is variable from 10-28 FPM where as it's equivalent Grizzly or Shop Fox has 2 speed feed rates of 16 or 28 FPM. There are some mechanical differences in weight and foot print size. The OP says his new SB1109 has a much better fit and finish than his Grizzly machines in his shop.

[Brad Rucker]

Yeah with shipping which also increased $100 its now $4,994. :eek:

Now I'm REALLY glad I bought when I did. Sometimes being impulsive pays off, I guess. ;)

[sean meltvedt]

Yeah Brad-I’m more than slightly jealous. I’ve had mine on order since February 16, but it has to ship to Alaska from their Washington location ☹️

[Paul Haus]

So where was it made?

[Robert London]

The SB line is made in Taiwan. Everything else by Grizzly was raised as well. But it seems the SB line had the highest price increase. Now there’s a ~$1300 price difference between the 20” Extreme planer and the SB. Grizzly's other machines are back ordered so long, it could be they can get more people to pay up for the South Bend. As a new product line, maybe the expenses for the steel and other materials are having to be sourced at new higher prices. That does make it one of the most expensive 20” planers on the market.

[Robert London]

They just raised it again to 5295 plus shipping. Sales must be good.

Soon you'll be knocking on $6000 with shipping just for a 20" helical planer.

[William Chain]

That’s Felder/Hammer money.


They just raised it again to 5295 plus shipping. Sales must be good.

Soon you'll be knocking on $6000 with shipping just for a 20" helical planer.

[Robert Mayer]

I still don't understand why Grizzly makes 3 different brands. Just call them all Grizzly and sell upgrades. It dilutes the brand.

[Jim Becker]

I still don't understand why Grizzly makes 3 different brands. Just call them all Grizzly and sell upgrades. It dilutes the brand.

Grizzly is Grizzly. Shop Fox is primarily intended for the retail market. South Bend appears to be targeted to more upscale...kinda like Chevy and Cadillac...

[Ronald Blue]

One has to wonder why people choose to comment without reading through the entire thread. When it's been clearly stated there are differences between the SB and Grizzly that are far more than paint color. Paint doesn't make the base larger or give it a variable speed for the feed rate. I look forward to further updates as he has the chance to use it more. Congrats on the new machine. Enjoy it.

[Jeff Roltgen]

That’s Felder/Hammer money.

(insert negative buzzer sound here)

Try $15,000. My latest inquiries into Felder and SCM are hitting those numbers for a 20" with a helical head. After promotions/discounts you will still be at a solid $13k with shipping, so at about 1/3 the price, Grizz/South Bend still has a big advantage at $5k, as painful as that is to say.

Recently spotted a couple used Felders in the 16-17 year old range asking $6-8k. Again, that's for used equipment pushing 20 years in service. One shows evidence of a major collision in the cutter head bearing/block housing that took a couple viewings to notice.

I'm still trying to get over the thought of spending 5 figures for a planer upgrade if I want "state of the art" vs. yet another reiteration of almost a century old engineering with a DRO and new paint scheme slapped on it. At least with the South Bend unit, seems they're trying to find a mark somewhere in between $3,000 and $13,000 and have made some more advanced steps towards optimizing it's function. Including the separate feed motor is a very significant contribution to the machine's longevity, if you've ever had to rebuild one of those gear boxes.

It's a very different world from just a dozen or two months ago.

[William Chain]

An A3-41 is a 16" jointer/planer, and well within the $5-6k range. Even now with all the COVID crap. I'd take that all day over a South Bend planer.


(insert negative buzzer sound here)

Try $15,000. My latest inquiries into Felder and SCM are hitting those numbers for a 20" with a helical head. After promotions/discounts you will still be at a solid $13k with shipping, so at about 1/3 the price, Grizz/South Bend still has a big advantage at $5k, as painful as that is to say.

Recently spotted a couple used Felders in the 16-17 year old range asking $6-8k. Again, that's for used equipment pushing 20 years in service. One shows evidence of a major collision in the cutter head bearing/block housing that took a couple viewings to notice.

I'm still trying to get over the thought of spending 5 figures for a planer upgrade if I want "state of the art" vs. yet another reiteration of almost a century old engineering with a DRO and new paint scheme slapped on it. At least with the South Bend unit, seems they're trying to find a mark somewhere in between $3,000 and $13,000 and have made some more advanced steps towards optimizing it's function. Including the separate feed motor is a very significant contribution to the machine's longevity, if you've ever had to rebuild one of those gear boxes.

It's a very different world from just a dozen or two months ago.

[Jeff Roltgen]

An A3-41 is a 16" jointer/planer, and well within the $5-6k range. Even now with all the COVID crap. I'd take that all day over a South Bend planer.


I agree, that's what I thought too, until I asked my rep to quote the Hammer (strictly planer, not J/P combo) and he won't even give me numbers on it. Felder and Format only. Evidently they're not confident in selling the Hammer brand for a full time shop (?), so I'm back to $13k Felder or SCM for a 20" machine. I'm left to conclude that Hammer is a hobby grade machine (?)

Again, I contend, with plain and simple facts, You will not be picking up a Felder for South Bend dollars in a 20" thickness planer.

I need to upgrade, but the whole process has me confused to death on where to step next, = no sale for anyone (as if there was any stock available anyway).

[William Chain]

Start with Erik Loza on this board, he'll get you numbers or a rep that'll talk. I live 10 miles from the Delaware warehouse / distribution point for Felder/Hammer. You can get that unit.

We're splitting hairs here - ok you can't get on with Felder down the side, but you can get one a Hammer unit in this range. Which we agree is the better move.


I agree, that's what I thought too, until I asked my rep to quote the Hammer (strictly planer, not J/P combo) and he won't even give me numbers on it. Felder and Format only. Evidently they're not confident in selling the Hammer brand for a full time shop (?), so I'm back to $13k Felder or SCM for a 20" machine. I'm left to conclude that Hammer is a hobby grade machine (?)

Again, I contend, with plain and simple facts, You will not be picking up a Felder for South Bend dollars in a 20" thickness planer.

I need to upgrade, but the whole process has me confused to death on where to step next, = no sale for anyone (as if there was any stock available anyway).

[Brad Rucker]

Quick update after 3 months of use with the new SB planer:

I've run several species through it with excellent results so far - white oak, red oak, hard maple and eastern white pine. The surface I get from this machine has saved me a LOT of sanding time. Not that I don't still sand, but I probably do one-third of the sanding I needed to do with my previous planer.

I've also been really impressed with the way the helical head on the machine cuts. It deals with figured wood and knots really, really well.

One example: My wife and one of our daughters both decided they wanted a shiplap look to cover drywalled walls that are under countertops. The issue was that people would sit on stools and their feet touch and scuff the paint on the drywall. So I was enlisted to put up a faux-shiplap on top of the drywall. I say 'faux' because neither of them wanted a thick shiplap. They wanted boards that were no thicker than 1/4" in order to preserve the look of the baseboards, trim, etc.

That said, I bought several board feet of 4/4 Eastern white pine and resawed it to 3/8". Then I put it through the planer to clean up the resaw marks. This pine was extremely knotty - because my daughter wanted a lot of knots to show on the finished wall. The knots ranged from 1/2" to over 3" in diameter. I kept count and the SB planer only dislodged 2 knots (both about 1" diameter) during the whole planing process. And I fed something like 90+ feet of knotted wood through it. After that, I routed out lap joints on the now pretty thin boards.

I was really happy with the result. Next up I'll be using the South Bend to plane the new structural parts of my new bench. Those are 10/4 hard maple, so a different sort of challenge.

[Bruce Mack]

I'm very glad to hear this. You made a bold move and are rewarded with value.

[Robert London]

It wasn't just SB that went up again, although they seem to have gone up the most since Grizzly released them. It started off at 3900 and now it's 5300. They raised planer prices another 300-400 across the board this week. Their extreme 20" model went up to ~3800. Last year it was under 3k

Even their 15 inch models that could have been had for 1900 last year are now $800 more.

I see it on other brands as well. Jet, Laguna, and all of the stuff made mostly by the same factories all went up another 300-400 in the last few months.

I haven't seen the SB 20" in person. But I doubt a Hammer is better than a South Bend. Hammer is Felder's hobbyist line and they don't have a machine to compete with South Bend for the same money. Hammer does make a stand alone planer, but it's only 16" wide. But I'd take the SB over that one.

The SB had a more traditional layout with top return rollers, a variable feed, long beds and it's more production oriented. The hammer is a bit awkward and it's aimed at space saving DIY environments. The crank wheel is so low to the ground on the hammer, it would drive me crazy adjusting it while planing. You wouldn't last very long planing all day long in a production environment with the Hammer. Your back would tell you get another machine.

[Jeff Roltgen]

Brad- Thanks for the update - was hoping you'd give us a follow up, and not surprised - I've run their 1021X for close to 20 years now, and finish has always been quite good.
Robert- Thanks for the info on the Hammer - kind of what I thought might be the case.

Best news through all of this - hard to find a poor performer in cut quality, now that the industry has almost fully embraced the helical/spiral cutter heads. The rest is budget/power/space, and as pointed out, just plain splitting hairs.

[Rick Potter]

I have also been waiting for a follow up. Glad to hear it exceeds your expectations.

Have to admit, I'm jealous.

One question...have you taken any very shallow skim cuts with it. If so, how smooth a surface is it. This question is asked because my Jet 15" planer could never do a skim cut without leaving roller marks on the surface.

[Brad Rucker]

The smallest cut I've done on it was about 1/32" Don't know if that answers your question, but I haven't seen any roller marks yet.

[Rick Potter]

Thanks. Enjoy that big boy.