please help me make my final decision.......15" or 20" planer?

[robert cohen]

Been back and forth on this one for months now. Do I spend the $$ to get a 20"(Grizzly or Yorkcraft) or save a little $$ and get a 15" planer? My only doubt in settling for a 15" is when I will need to plane a 16" wide glue-up will I curse my decision to get the smaller one? Probably 95% of the planing that I will do will be in the 15" and under range, but sometimes I might have the need to plane a glued-up panel wider than 15".

What do you guys think that own the 15"? How bout you 20" owners? Help me ?.............. http://www.forums.woodnet.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yellowcry.gif

[Mike Thomas]

I have a Powermatic Model 15 and am now looking at an older 24" planer for just the reason you give. Haven't made up my mind yet. But my rule of thumb is buy as much as I can afford. I usually don't regret it. Good luck.

[Richard Wolf]

It isn't just the size, it's also the horse power. You will find a 5hp, 20" planer much faster at removing material than a 3hp, 15" machine. Horse power is good.

Richard

[Neil Bosdet]

Bigger is better in this case (as long as you don't buy crap) IMO. I have a 13.5" and will be upgrading to a 20" this year. A 15" would have solved many of my needs but not all. I would go with 24" if the price didn't go up so dramatically.

[Rick de Roque]

I have the 20" 5HP Shop Fox planer. I use the extra 5" all the time.When I plane down my stock at the start of a project it goes much faster because I can put boards thru 2 - 3 wide (5" - 8" each) and the planer never boggs down. Also I have made a number of chests and the sides and top are 17" - 20" and it really speeds things up.I have never regretted that purchase. I'd go with the 20".

Rick

[Dan Drager]

Good God man, what is wrong with you? If you have the funds, and your significant other doesn't see it as excessive, Buy the damn 20". You can't go wrong with a price like this.

http://www.grizzly.com/products/G0454


Make sure you shoot us a nice gloat thread when you get it home.

[Rick Lizek]

When I worked in the factories we would glue up wide panels and send it though the planer or widebelt. In my home shop I take a few extra minutes to make sure the boards are flat and use curved cauls to glue up my panels. The curved cauls are much better than the Plano clamping system and uses the standard clamps found in the average shop. I also only have bar clamps and quick clamps. I don't own any Bessy's and don't plan to get any. I've tried them and they aren't to my liking. This extra few minutes of preperation means my panels are perfectly flat when they come out of the clamps so all I do is scrpae off the glue and sand the planer marks. My rule of thumb is I don't need a planer any wider than my jointer, simple as that. I also glue my panels up in one shot. I've glued panels 4' x 8' single handed and all I have to do is scrape the glue off and I'm right at my finished thickness as well. Doesn't anyone else do this?? I get the impression that most folks have such a difficult time making panels.

I'm actually trying to eliminate as many unnecessary tools as possible and keep things simple.

[Al Willits]

Always nice to get the biggest, baddest, most horsepower unit ya can, but disposable income may determine what you get, I went though the same thinking you did and ended up getting the 15" York, at least 95% of my planning is and probably will be under 15", so I used the money I saved to buy other tools.
Unfortnately I can't buy the biggest, baddest everything so I have to decide what I really need and what I just want.

If you can afford it, get the 20", if money is a question, maybe think about the 15".

Al....who's saving for a drum sander, something he doesn't need, but wants....:D

[Rich Torino]

I agree with Dan..... get the 20 before you either 1)spend the money on something else or 2) she changes her mind...

[Andy Livingston]

Size matters! In this case, bigger is better! I bought too small and am sorry to this day:o. That Grizzley looks like a heck of a good deal.