Upgrading from Lunchbox planer--where to go?

[Jameel Abraham]

I've been using a Dewalt lunchbox planer (12") for the past probably 10 years. I've replaced the feed rollers once, and now I'm getting some bad snipe with correct adjustments. Thinking maybe everything is getting too loose. I like this planer, but if I were to upgrade, where should I go? These big machines have steel rollers and such, so how is the cut quality? Rarely have I needed more than 12", but 15" would be nice. So if I don't need more width, are there any advantages to going with a bigger machine vs. a functional lunchbox?

[Tom Cowie]

Hi Jameel

Here is what I upgraded to , Powermatic 15HH. It has the Byrd helical head. It cuts smooth ,has lots of power and is very quiet. It has the 4 sided inserts in place of the normal three blade set up..
60212
You might notice my Dewalt is behind it . Not going to give it up just yet. I'm keeping it for those "ifeeee" boards..

Tom

[Nancy Laird]

Jameel, We bought a 15" Steel City - took delivery in December - and we LOVE it. Attached the tables and it was ready to roll. Just one minor glitch--the battery in the digital readout for the thickness gauge was dead, so LOML called SC. Scott Box, the president, answered the phone and the next thing we knew, we had TWO new batteries and a spare digital readout. It's much quieter than our old planer, has an integral mobile base, cut quality is superb, and it is a great machine.

Nancy

[Jim Becker]

The biggest concern I have for your situation is that I believe you often work with thin stock, at least for your musical instruments. The "portables" are frankly better suited to processing very thin stock than the bigger machines are...and yes, one issue is due to the feed rollers which are serrated metal on the stationary machines. That potential issue is marking of the stock if you need to "tweak" the thickness "just a hair"...sanding the marks out is a pain and results in a change to your thickness. The other potential issue with the stationary machines is how thin they can go. Even with a sled, the machine may be aggressive enough to rip apart a very thin workpiece piece.

For the first issue, thickness "tweaking" can be done with a drum sander. For the second...it really depends on the machine itself and how well it will process very thin stock. (A spiral/helical head may help with this...maybe..I don't know) Some folks use a stationary machine for general lumber processing and keep a portable with the rubber rollers available for "working thin".

Out side of that...maybe a combo wide J/P is in your future... ;)

[Ted Miller]

Jameel, I would make sure that a larger machine with a pressure bar or chip breaker would not cause you grief on thinner stock being used...

[Tom Cowie]

The biggest concern I have for your situation is that I believe you often work with thin stock, at least for your musical instruments. The "portables" are frankly better suited to processing very thin stock than the bigger machines are...and yes, one issue is due to the feed rollers which are serrated metal on the stationary machines. That potential issue is marking of the stock if you need to "tweak" the thickness "just a hair"...sanding the marks out is a pain and results in a change to your thickness. The other potential issue with the stationary machines is how thin they can go. Even with a sled, the machine may be aggressive enough to rip apart a very thin workpiece piece.

For the first issue, thickness "tweaking" can be done with a drum sander. For the second...it really depends on the machine itself and how well it will process very thin stock. (A spiral/helical head may help with this...maybe..I don't know) Some folks use a stationary machine for general lumber processing and keep a portable with the rubber rollers available for "working thin".

Out side of that...maybe a combo wide J/P is in your future... ;)



Jim is right. If you are making mostly thin stock you may want to reconsider the bigger planer..

Tom

[Jameel Abraham]

Thanks everybody.

Beleive it or not I actually don't use the planer much for making instruments. I usually resaw my stock, then get close with a hand plane, scraper or thickness sander (homemade one, btw--I'd love a Performax or Delta!). I'm using the planer for the large stuff.

Jim, your points are just the kind of info I thought I might be missing out in having only used a lunchbox type. I noticed the Steel City 15" has a urethane outfeed roller. Interesting.

Jim, regarding a J/P combo. I can get a Grizzly 15" with Shelix, plus a 12" Jointer (Grizzly or Yorkcraft) for less than the combo. I have a hard time seeing the advantage, other than footprint, of course.

[Chris Jenkins]

I agree with Jim. There are many 15" machines out there that will treat you right, but I have heard many a people keeping their lunchbox units in addition to their stationary planers specifically for thin stock.

I currently have only a 13" lunchbox. I would like to upgrade to a larger machine, but space is a concern in my basement shop. Plus I have access to a larger machine at work that I can use for free, so it gets that much harder for me to pull the trigger on a machine I don't necessarily need.

[Paul Johnstone]

I have the jet combo planer/molding machine. I think it is only 13" wide. I must confess that I have not yet made molding for it, even though I bought some crown molding knives about 8 months ago.

Just another thought. The 13" is a huge upgrade from a benchtop planer. It's quieter and can take deeper cuts. I seldom have a board wider than 12" so the extra width wasn't a big deal fo rme.

If you have the money to spend, I'd definitely would not get another lunchbox planer. The "full size" ones are a lot nicer, although like you I used a lunchbox planer for over 10 years and it gets the job done.

["Michael Hinkel"]

Recently got the Steel City 15", $200.00 rebate. Ordered locally, delivered and set up assembled to my shop for $50.00. Battery dead in digital read out, e-mailed them, new battery AND saw blade on the way for my troubles.

[Al Willits]

Having not a lot of exprience, I'll say my York 15" works pretty nice.
You didn't say what you wanted to spend, so there's a bunch of choices if there's no limit.
I had a budget, so my choices were a bit limited, but the York cuts very nice and is a 2 speed feed.
I'd buy one again...

Al

[Nancy Laird]

SC must be having a battery-supplier problem. This is the second dead battery I've heard about. Hmmmmm. I'll have to relay this information to someone who knows---hubby.

Nancy

[Bill Fleming]

Did you have option the Byrd cutter head in place in the standard Powermatic 3 blade spiral cutterhead? If so what was the price add for this?

Thx Bill

[John Miliunas]

Having not a lot of exprience, I'll say my York 15" works pretty nice.
You didn't say what you wanted to spend, so there's a bunch of choices if there's no limit.
I had a budget, so my choices were a bit limited, but the York cuts very nice and is a 2 speed feed.
I'd buy one again...

Al

I'm with Al on the Yorkcraft from Wilke. Nice machine at a great price. :) I must say, though, having the Shelix on my jointer has me spoiled; Looking to save enough $$$ to get one on the planer, too. :) :cool:

[Jameel Abraham]

I was talking with Wilke the other day about the 12" Yorkcraft Jointer (another want of mine) with the Shelix. They weren't that crazy about putting the Shelix on a jointer since jointed faces will most likely get planed off anyway. I've also had great luck jointing figured wood on my 6" Jet. Take it slow and light and I never get any tearout that would be an issue. On the other hand, putting a Shelix on that 15" YC planer sounds like a fantastic idea, and for the price, you can't beat it, since it's so much lower than the other Taiwanese names.