A 20" planer for a home shop??? Why?

[chris del]

After extensive reasearch I decided the powermatic 15hh was the next planer for me. After selling my old machine I ordered the 15hh this week only to find out they are backordered untill mid june.
I have a delta 18/36 drum sander so I feel that a 15" planer will be all I ever need. Actually, my previous 12" machine was all I ever needed but the choice to upgrade was created by my want for a Byrd head!

So my choices are: wait untill June (or later) for the 15" powermatic or pay another $1000 and get the 20" powermatic 209hh in a week.

Would I ever use the capacity of a 20" ??????? Who has purchased a 15" and regretted it ? why?

[Peter Quinn]

I'd love to have a 20", or a 24", or frankly a 32" would be nice. Comes down to money for me. I have a 15" delta and it is the bare minimum I like to work with. Ideally I would have a 24" planer with a spiral head, segmented chip breaker, sturdy pressure bar and digital power drive table adjustment. That would make panel glue ups Real easy. Would I use it..sure would...do I work with out it...sure do.

You are really the only one who can decide if 15" or 20" is right for you. It really depends on the scale and volume of work you do.

[Johnny Fischer]

Chris,
As time passes you'll probably end up wanting to build items which will require a larger planer. If you can afford the 209HH you might as well invest in one now. Who knows how much they'll cost a year or two from now with the way fuel cost keep going through the roof.
I have the 209HH and think it's a great machine. If I could have afforded a larger one at the time I purchased mine I would have bought a larger one.
Good Luck

[Bernhard Lampert]

I got a 24" planer that I caught at a price to good to pass up. I don't plane a lot of 24" wide stuff, BUT boy does it come handy for the occasional wide glue-up!
There are other, somewhat non-tangible, advantages to a larger planer:
- bragging rights
- increased popularity amongst your fellow wood workers that need a large planer
-ability to do some really nice stuff!

Also, I have never heard anyone compalin that his planer was too big!

Cheers,
Bernhard

[Martin Shupe]

I have a 15" Delta, and I'd gladly trade up to a 20" if I had the $$$.

[Dave Lehnert]

Remember blades and blade sharpening will also cost extra for larger planers. If you have a sander that can handle wide panels, I see no reason you would need the extra size. But on the other had nothing wrong with the bigger unit if that is what you want.

[John Thompson]

I thought about a 15".. purchased the 20" and just tonite I could have used a 24". There are times I could have used a large than 24" for that matter.

Will you need more than 15"? You can find a way with the 15" as I did to-nite with the 20" needing 21 3/4". But better to have it and not need it "now".. as now does not cover tomorrow and the next day... :)

Sarge..

[Don Abele]

I don't know how the rest of you use your planer, but for me it's a pre-assembly dimensioning tool.

I size all my pieces on the tablesaw, jointer, and planer prior to assembly. The largest board I've ever used "raw" was just a little over 10" so have never had a problem with a 13" planer. Once glued up, if the panel comes out a little uneven, I used to fix that with my ROS. I've since upgraded to a Jet 16/32 drum sander which works great for final dimensioning of stock like glued-up panels.

The price difference between a 15" planer and 20" planer is close to enough to buy a drum sander as well.

Be well,

Doc

[Rob Will]

I have a 24" planer and a 24" jointer in my home shop.
You will never regret having a wide jointer or planer.
JMHO.
Rob

[Steven Wilson]

With a wide planer or jointer you can skew cut the stock to minimize tearout on figured wood.

[David Tiell]

If I were to buy a new planer today, I woud go with a 20" minimum. Most of what I do can be accomplished with my 13" Delta lunchbox, but there are times I am especially thankful I have access to the 24" Delta planer at the woodshop on my local Navy base. If you have the extra funds for the 20" I would go for it. You won't regret it.

[Jack Vines]

No such thing as too large a tool, just some shops (and most budgets) are too small. ;)

thnx, jack vines

[chris del]

Thanks for all the advise. I tend to think of a planer the same way Don Abele does and think a 20" would be a huge waste for me. I have been woodworking for about 12 years now and one would think that if the 12" was good all those years than a 15" should do me just fine. A 20" is huge and would be a great gloat for me but I just dont think it is worth the extra "g-note".....
The only thing that has me considering the 20" is the 2 month delivery on the 15hh.... You would think a company as large as Powermatic would have enough in stock to cover a surge of sales on a product like this. How many customers are simply going to buy another brand due to this long delivery?

Chris

[Craig D Peltier]

Thanks for all the advise. I tend to think of a planer the same way Don Abele does and think a 20" would be a huge waste for me. I have been woodworking for about 12 years now and one would think that if the 12" was good all those years than a 15" should do me just fine. A 20" is huge and would be a great gloat for me but I just dont think it is worth the extra "g-note".....
The only thing that has me considering the 20" is the 2 month delivery on the 15hh.... You would think a company as large as Powermatic would have enough in stock to cover a surge of sales on a product like this. How many customers are simply going to buy another brand due to this long delivery?

Chris

I never heard anyone say they bought too big of a tool. You say 12 yrs so you know better than anyone else your needs. Personally being able to plane half a table width or wide doors etc is a plus to me. There isntm much difference ($0) between a griz 15 with spiral head and a 20 inch with regular knives.

[chris del]

So I broke down and ordered the 20" powermatic 209hh. The after tax cost difference was $975 Cdn. I really didnt want the 20" but I sold my old planer and the 2 month delivery on the 15" was just too long.
I dont feel 100% positive about the decision, but I hope in the future my woodworking will require the capacity of this machine.

Thanks for all the advise.

[Dave Bureau]

1 thing i like is being able to run 6-8" wide boards side by side to save time.

[Chris Padilla]

With a wide planer or jointer you can skew cut the stock to minimize tearout on figured wood.

Agree! Life is even better if you can match your jointer and planer's size. The new combo machines allow that.

There's nothing worse than an 8" jointer and a 12" planer!

To that end, I have a MM 16" J/P. This machine is pure heaven! :)

[Art Mann]

There's nothing worse than an 8" jointer and a 12" planer!
:)

Uh . . . How about a 6 inch jointer and a 12 inch planer? ;)

[Lance Norris]

Wwhen I was in high school 77-81, we had a 32" Powermatic. In that type of enviroment where everyone wanted to build tables and cedar chests and similar large projects, the extra width was used for glue ups. I understand the OP question about size, but it sure would be nice today to have that capacity available. I bought a 15" stationary planer because I simply couldnt fit a 20" down into my basement shop, and didnt think my electrical supply could handle a 5hp motor.

[Dick Bringhurst]

Hope you and your neighbors can deal with the noise. Dick B.

[Mike Cutler]

I dont feel 100% positive about the decision, but I hope in the future my woodworking will require the capacity of this machine..

You will.
That's a very nice planer you purchased. Very nice indeed. There's no need for any buyers remorse.
I'll take a "virtual beer bet" that 5 years from now you'll glad that things worked out the way they have

[chris del]

Hope you and your neighbors can deal with the noise. Dick B.

I had the pleasure of seing a 4 posted machine with offshore helical head at the wood show and it was so quiet compared to any other planer I have used. I expect the authentic Byrd head to be just as quiet. But just in case my shop is very well insulated with Roxul "Safe and sound" insulation. Not a single complaint from a neighbour in 3 years and I am in the shop sometimes untill 2 am!!!!!

[David DeCristoforo]

I would think the "better" question would be "Why not???". I can tell you this. If you have a smaller planer, you may never feel the need for a larger one. But if you have a larger one you will almost always find ways to utilize the extra capacity. Maybe not every day but often enough.....

[Rob Will]

Wwhen I was in high school 77-81, we had a 32" Powermatic. In that type of enviroment where everyone wanted to build tables and cedar chests and similar large projects, the extra width was used for glue ups. I understand the OP question about size, but it sure would be nice today to have that capacity available. I bought a 15" stationary planer because I simply couldnt fit a 20" down into my basement shop, and didnt think my electrical supply could handle a 5hp motor.

A 32" Powermatic planer???

[Lance Norris]

A 32" Powermatic planer???

Maybe it was a 36" I thought 32" I know it was Powermatic cause it was green w/white racing stripe, and it was w~i~d~e.

[Rob Will]

Maybe it was a 36" I thought 32" I know it was Powermatic cause it was green w/white racing stripe, and it was w~i~d~e.

Hi Lance,
Could it have been a 24" Powermatic 225?
Rob

[Craig D Peltier]

Hope you and your neighbors can deal with the noise. Dick B.
I heard on here that the big planers 15 and up are quieter than the lunchbox ones? Is this true? I know my lunchbox is the loudest tool in the shop, think my BS is next.

[Jim Eller]

I had the 15HH. Now I have the 209HH.

I'm happier.

[John Carlo]

I bought a new 22" PM 3 years for $2900 delivered. The larger planer has a 4 knife cutterhead. It is extremely heavy at 1300 pounds. That makes it very stable. The planing results are very smooth. True, most of what I plane is of much narrower widths. But I can spread the planing across the table so that the same area on the blades is not constantly being dulled.

The biggest reason to get the biggest you can afford is friends. God blessed me with a wife that let me set up a pretty good shop and I have an obligation to share it with others. And once the word is out that you have a big planer, you tend to see your woodworking friends a lot more often!

I also have a 12" 5hp Foley Belsaw and it served me very well for many years. I keep it around for when the big one is in need of sharpening or to utilize the Belsaw's molding capabilities.

[michael osadchuk]

I heard on here that the big planers 15 and up are quieter than the lunchbox ones? Is this true? I know my lunchbox is the loudest tool in the shop, think my BS is next.

....yes, the lunchbox planers on 115 volts have a more annoying, higher pitched 'whine", while the stationary 220volts planers tend to have a lower pitch noise...... at this this is my personal experience with Ryobi AP10 (10") lunchbox versus a Delta 15" 220 volt stationary planer

michael

[Lance Norris]

Hi Lance,
Could it have been a 24" Powermatic 225?
Rob

Rob... It was wider than 24" because I have a black walnut coffee table that I made in school, that is 28" wide, and it was run through "The Green Monster". I remember one time someone was building a cedar chest and they were planing a glue-up that was 4/4. The student had the planer set to depth. and someone distracted the student and teacher and somebody else ran over and cranked up the table about 3/4" The kid came back and ran the board through. I was there at the time, and the whole end of the school shook. Out the other side came the most beautiful 1/4" piece of cedar.

[Paul Simmel]

I knew an extremely talented guy who used an 8” jointer and a 12” Powermatic planer for 20 years. I went with the 15” planer eight or more years ago and to be honest I have never regretted it. The few times I have needed to do wider panels, I’d run the two halves and align with biscuits and edge glue with near perfect results and after a little scraping... perfect results Of course during those times I’d have been happy to have a wider planer, but it has never been that much of an issue because, for example, a typical kitchen and much furniture don’t require panels to be wider than 15”. With 2.5” styles you’re looking at a 19.5” door. Many are 18” or less for a 36” cabinet. If you need 20” doors, with 2.75” styles, you are there.

And with table tops, you can’t run the whole thing through a 20” planer anyway. Now you are talking wide belt sander (or scraping).

If you sharpen your own knives (and I do) 16” is about as far as you can go with something like the Makita (forget the number) planer and jointer knife sharpening system, and for me this is a huge consideration at this point in my career. The freedom of being able to completely recondition a set of knives in a matter of minutes is indescribable. I’d honestly not upgrade if I couldn’t sharpen my own knives, now.

And space and power consumption and cost of the planer itself is a consideration.

For most people, I’d say 15” is a perfect place to be… much better than 12”. One certainly wouldn’t be “limping” by with a 15”, 2 or 3 hp planer… that’s for sure.

[Joe Jensen]

1 thing i like is being able to run 6-8" wide boards side by side to save time.

Do you have a helper on the outfeed side?