Jet 20" 5hp with helical head (initial review)
Hey folks,
I had a thread a month or two ago about looking into old iron planers, specifically 16"-18" planers. That thread went into a bunch of different directions, but there was some good advice in there and I ultimately gave up on getting an old tool. Instead, I purchased and have been using the new Jet 5hp (single phase) planer with the helical cutterhead. I wanted to write down a few things in case someone else finds it helpful:
First, I absolutely love the planer. I had a lunchbox previously, so my love of this tool is sort of like an Amish guy with a buggy describing his first ride in a Cadillac. Snipe, gone. Dust collector clogs, gone. Planer bogging down, gone. Wood tear-out, gone. Ear-piercing motor whine, gone.
I can't tell you how this planer compares to a Felder or a Hammer or even a Powermatic or a Grizzly. All I can say is that it's smooth, ridiculously quiet, and can hog off more than I can ever see myself needing it to. The helical head leaves the wood surface ready for 150 grit sanding. I'd say it is comparable to the finish I got with my lunchbox. This surprised me, because I was expecting an inferior quality cut with the Jet. One neat surprise is that the shearing cut creates much smaller shavings, so my 1.5 hp Delta 50-760 DC has more than enough power to handle it. With my lunchbox, I'd get clogs every now and then, particularly if I was trying to bite off 1/32" or more in a pass. The shavings from the straight knives of the lunchbox were more like spaghetti sometimes.
Random stuff:
- This planer is made in Taiwan in the same factory as its Powermatic twin. If you look in the published material anywhere, it says that the planer is made in China. If you call Walter Meier customer service, they will look it up and tell you it is made in China. If you call Walter Meier tech support, however, they will tell you that the planer is actually made in Taiwan. Apparently, there's some sort of convoluted buying agreement that requires that the documentation SAY that it is made in China. There are people who put a lot of stock in the Taiwan versus China thing, so I thought that might be a helpful factoid. This whole thing made me roll my eyes a little, but the tech guy and his manager swore to me that it is made in Taiwan. Shrug.
- The Powermatic has a Byrd head. The Jet has a helical head that is strikingly similar. I'm not saying they are identical. I honestly don't know. FWW's review from last year gave the Jet helical head the highest marks. That review is consistent with my experience as well.
- When the shipping company delivered the tool, it fell over when the driver was getting it off the truck. One call to Jet and everything was handled. They took the unit back and rushed me a new one from Tennessee. I got the new unit in 3 business days. I found the Jet folks extremely helpful and nice.
-Uncrating the unit took me 10 minutes. It took two strong men to get the unit of the mini-pallet onto the shop floor. It took about 30 minutes to build the mobile base around the tool, rocking each side of the unit up and then sliding the mobile base pieces in place. It took about 2 hours to get the long cast iron planer beds installed and dialed in properly. Lots of fussing with the infeed and outfeed tables. I bought a Wixey digital gauge but haven't installed it yet.
-It's a 5" dust port, and reducing that to a 4" dust collector is a PITA. I have to buy a small chunk of 5" hose, then get a 5" to 4" reducer. For now, I've just been cramming the 4" hose inside the 5 inch port. It's been working quite well, but isn't a long-term solution.
-I love the rollers on top of the unit.
- Aside from milling lumber, I've planed 15-20 end-grain cutting boards so far on it. It seems to work well, but I've taken tiny passes (maybe 0.02"). You have to relieve the back edge or it will tear out badly. But it works in a pinch. Not a substitute for a wide belt, in my opinion.
That's all I've got, FWIW.
John
