Which planer to buy

[Mike Truhn]

I currently have a DeWalt 735 planer and am looking to upgrade. So far I see my choices as:

Jet JWP-15 BHH 15" Helical
Jet 208HH 20" Helical
Grizzly G0891 15" Helical
Grizzle G01033x 20" Helical

I know bigger is better BUT would I be able to roll the 20" planers out of the way even if on rollers easy.
I do not have the space to leave it out in the middle of my shop.

What are the advantages of having a fix table vice a moving table.

If you have other suggestions for models I have not looked at let me know.

I am leaning towards Jet since they are covered by a 5 year warranty vice Grizzlys 1 year.

Thanks

[Brian Runau]

Can you see a time when you would need a 20" planer?

[Jim Becker]

A proper mobility base would serve your need regardless of which size you choose. If you can afford the wider planer, it certainly offers more opportunities for both wide material and easier material handling of odd shapes. A fixed bed planer where the cutter head goes up and down means you can have fixed height infeed/outfeed support if that's important to you or you work alone with long material.

[Bryan Hall]

I went from the dewalt up to the 20" grizzly you noted. Now that I have a planer that big, I can't imagine going down in size again.

However, mine is on the 4 swivel heavy duty bora mobile base. It is mobile, but not easily mobile. The casters don't spin well under that much load and in my small shop even pulling it straight out and pushing it straight back in just a few feet is a pain. I'm looking for a better mobility solution.

[lou Brava]

I had access to a Jet 20" helical and it is a great machine ! Wish I could afford one and had the space for it, best planer I've ever used.

[Bill Dufour]

My old school Powermatic 18" planer would benefit from being raised 6-10 inches. The crank to raise/lower the cut height is down below knee level. I plan to put it on some 6x6's and then big wheels under that.
It rolled okay on the level on 5" wheels with another 600 pounds for the engine hoist for a total of about 2,000 pounds. I could barely move it uphill with two wheels on a gentle garage apron slope.
I weigh over 200 pounds so not a lightweight.
Bill D.

[Tom M King]

The bigger the wheels, the easier it will roll. I have 6" wheels under a 24" bandsaw. A large child could move it on a level floor, but I needed the tractor to push it back up the apron to get it back in the shop. I use it outside.

For planers, 4 or 5" are big enough for any of those planers, and they will move pretty easily on a level floor.

For planers, I like four swivel casters. That way when you're running a batch of parts multiple passes, you can just spin the planer around between passes, and save a lot of board handling.

I don't know of any commercial mobile bases I would buy after just building ones for a drill press, and the 24" planer.

[Brian Tymchak]

I personally wouldn't consider going from 13" to 15" as an upgrade worth the money. I'd go for the 20" and plan on building a sufficient mobile base.

[Tom M King]

These are what I'd use to build a base for a 20" four post planer. Might seem like overkill, but I like that in casters. Side locks wouldn't be bad for a planer. I like either type of locks as long as they can be operated by pushing with a foot, rather than having to pull up on something to release. Some of the top lever locks have a push to release lever too. Those are the only types I would buy. Often when we're running a batch of something through a planer, we don't even bother to lock one wheel. It's not like a tool that you are going to do much pushing against most of the time, but even then, with good casters you only need to lock one or two.

https://www.amazon.com/Heavy-Duty-Swivel-Caster-Set/dp/B07SQRT8QH/ref=sr_1_21?crid=VHX0I3RDAUGH&keywords=5%22+casters+heavy+duty+metal+wheels+swiv el+all+lock&qid=1655429494&s=hi&sprefix=5+casters+heavy+duty+metal+wheels+swivel+a ll+lock%2Ctools%2C67&sr=1-21

edited to add: looks like it weighs 640 pounds. https://s3.amazonaws.com/jpw-assets/a/b/a/7/aba7ace986250d654c0b885adb59a81df0728dbf_708544_m. pdf

[Mitch schiffer]

I had a 20 inch shopfox with a mobile base and it was very easy to move around. The shopfox replaced a jet jpm15 and the Grizzly was replaced by a oliver 25 inch. There wasn't much I liked about the jet but it is a different model the what you are looking at. The shop fox was decent but it really doesn't compare to the oliver.

[Mike Truhn]

Thanks everyone for your input.
Believe it or not my other half said all along go for the 20" so that is what I will do.

[Ric Jones]

i have my first 12 inch delta, and then a dewalt 735 , and got rid of dewalt and picked up a delta 15 inch badged as a Oasis machine, keeping the small delta for the little iddy bitties and as large older machines are hard to come by here in phoenix, i have missed grabbing a 20 inch, but time is on myside, and shops they are closing rapidly here for some reason, i'll have one by end of year, and the 15 inch will find a new home. i tend to work them quite hard when processing. found a couple local sawyers i;'ve been able to get some decent product from.
not gonna go with a spherical or helical till if get finalize on size, then will swallow that pill
good luck with a buy
rj in az

[Jared Sankovich]

Imho I much prefer a pallet jack to a mobile base.

[Brian Tymchak]

Imho I much prefer a pallet jack to a mobile base.

Along these lines, one could buy a 1000 lb lift table (https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200696308_200696308) because those on their own are so darn handy anyway, and then construct a stand for the planer such that the cart slides underneath to lift the planer/stand an inch and move as desired. The planer stand would also provide a parking spot for the lift table when not needed.

[John C Bush]

I have a Griz 20" on a DIY base with Great Lakes leveling casters and it rolls easily-nice smooth slab-. I don't need to lower the pads on the caster often, just when milling larger stock, and as my joints are "maturing" it is a bit of a nuisance to get down on my knees-particularly the new titanium one- and scroll down-and up- the pads. The wheels on my casters are ~1 1/2"s and roll easily but bigger would be better and a a foot lever would be easier as well. Go for the 20" and this is a good reason to buy that Miller MIG 210. Two greart Father's Day gifts for you!!

[Bill Dufour]

Along these lines, one could buy a 1000 lb lift table (https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200696308_200696308) because those on their own are so darn handy anyway, and then construct a stand for the planer such that the cart slides underneath to lift the planer/stand an inch and move as desired. The planer stand would also provide a parking spot for the lift table when not needed.
Never thought of a lift table with a self supporting stand like a pallet. I do not think my lift table can lift my planer. I will have to look at the label and see.
Bill D

[Keegan Shields]

+1 on the pallet jack. So many other uses as well. Storing it can be a pain though. The high lift ones also reach high enough to load and unload heavy tools into a pickup bed.