Concerns replacing Delta dc-380 planer model #22-680 3 HP motor with 5 HP

[Scott Warner]

Hello everyone, I have quick question and am wondering if anyone out there can help. I have recently replaced my cutter head on my planer with a shelix. I love the finish and how quiet it is, but have notice a decrease in power and am concerned I am going to wear the current motor out. My first project with the new head involved planing down what was described as soft maple, however, the planer was only able to take a 1/16 at a pass. Granted these were rough cut 8/4 and I was getting the lumber down to dimension so it came and went a lot, but it would stall the motor on occasion if I went even slightly higher than a 1/16 and I just really could see why considering what I was taking off. I have read that these cutter require more power because they are always in contact with the lumber, but I didn't think I would see this type of power drop. I would like to upgrade to a Leeson 5 HP motor and am wondering if anyone else has done this or know of it being done. I am concerned about potentially tearing up drive gears for feeders etc seeing how I am amping the whole thing up and it was only engineered for 3 HP. Thank you for any help and feedback.

[Erik Loza]

I'm not familiar with your particular planer but here are my thoughts:

1.) If 3hp was fine before, it still should be.

2.) You might be trying to take too much stock off per pass on this new head. "Low-projection" knives like spirals and Tersa give a great finish quality but the tradeoff is that you cannot hog as aggressively as a straight-knife head. There's just not as much knife sticking out, to do the cutting. That's why they are quieter, too.

3.) Planer bed clean and thoroughly waxed?

4.) Any chance you changed or need to re-adjust the position of the drive rollers or pressure bar, since you did the head swap?

Erik

[Rod Sheridan]

Scott, yes you can increase to a 5 HP motor if you want.

The segmented heads do use more power, that's one of their drawbacks.

They also can have a lower depth of cut capacity than a Tersa or straight knife machine, you might find that the head can't clear more swarf than you're generating now..........Rod.

[David Kumm]

Do you have access to a reasonably priced 5 hp motor of the same C frame size as the 3? The machine should handle it but as has been said, lighter passes are better with the Byrd. I put one on my older 13" DC 33 with a 2 hp motor. I only use it for finish planing of small stock so it is fine. Given the motor swap is likely to cost 300-400, I'd take smaller passes and live with it. Between the Byrd and a new motor, you end up with a lot of $$ in a small planer. I'd also not use the fast speed as that planer can run faster than most Asian clones- stay on slow. Dave

[Bruce Wrenn]

My 380 came with a 2.0 HP motor.

[Peter Quinn]

My 380 also came with a 2hp motor....but it has the same amp ratings as the later 3hp models iir....almost seems like they just changed the rating, not the motors......hmmm.


anyway, I threw a Byrd head on mine, same motor, works as well,or better, depth of cut had not changed, at full width machine does not stall even on full passes. The machine has a limiter originally so it can't take a full width pass at much more than 1/16" anyway, and that's about the deepest cut you should be taking for the sake of the wood. My guess is perhaps some other factor has changed? If your bed rollers are flush with the table,or close and you start trying to hog rough lumber, they may require you adjust bed rollers up a bit. I have taken 1/8" depth passes on 6-8" lumber that has been joined first with no issue.

i don't see the 5hp motor being an issue, the 20" models come with them, same basic bearings and gears, but those aren't meant for 1/4" hogging of timbers anymore than the 15" dc380, just not industrial tools.

[Scott Warner]

Thank you for all the responses. I do have access to a Leeson at a good price. I still need to check compatibility as far as the drive shaft is concerned. The frame matches up. If you don't mind my asking, what type of wood were you able to take 1/8" passes with no issue?

[Peter Quinn]

Thank you for all the responses. I do have access to a Leeson at a good price. I still need to check compatibility as far as the drive shaft is concerned. The frame matches up. If you don't mind my asking, what type of wood were you able to take 1/8" passes with no issue?

Walnut, poplar, white oak, hard maple, soft maple, I've made panels from each. Not a problem yet. Always on the slower feed rate, thats pretty much the speed I prefer, I do run occasionally at the higher speed but its rare, and usually for hogging narrower stuff.

[Martin Wasner]

A shelix head doesn't work well removing much more than a 1/16". Not enough gullet to evacuate chips.

[Scott Warner]

I always run at the slow speed rate and still have issues at times taking a 1/16th and haven't tried to even push an 1/8th. The lumber width is 6"-10" and 10'-12' long

[Morey St. Denis]

Also recently acquired the DELTA Pentair DC-380 pre-owned, with very little operating time. Mine's the model 22-675 of 1999, likewise with a Delta Taiwan-built 2 HP motor. Plans are also to eventually upgrade the cutterhead to a helical segmented carbide model, and I have been well aware that this would likely require at least a full 4 HP for satisfactory operation. Mine was provided however with the set of 3 straight carbide-edged planer knives upgrade, but no infeed/outfeed roller shelf extensions. You will certainly do no harm to the robust drive mechanism with a higher output motor, as the vast majority of power is consumed under load conditions by the cutterhead. It's motor rpm ratios that mostly influence feed gearing, relatively modest torque is required, but that is largely proportional to the rate of feed, depth of cut, (as formerly attested to) & inversely proportional to stock width...

Key specifications for any replacement motor would be induction 2-pole, 3450 rpm, 7/8" shaft dia. & CCW rotation as viewed at the shaft end. Existing motor design employs a 5mm keyway, with axial M8 female thread to retain a 3" nominal OD 3-belt sheave against an annular shoulder on the 25mm rotor shaft. Obviously, nearly any shaft end-bored threading could work for the cap screw & washer, but that stepped shaft shoulder could be tricky to come by. You will likely need to radially tap a set-screw thread into your existing pulley hub for correct axial position and retention, else the far more costly alternative of also replacing your 3X pulley with a split-taper hub type. Depending on motor frame size, base plate pattern and shaft projection, there may not be enough space to get away with just adding a conventional 7/8" ID shaft collar lock, in case you do find the center-tapped motor shaft feature. Tapping a radial set-screw or two into the integral 0.44" hub projection would likely be the way to go.

May I ask if your DC-380 planer already came equipped with a delta model #22-678 shaving collection hood and vacuum adapter, or if you have otherwise since sourced an economical alternative configuration? May I further inquire of everyone reading, as to what is presently a good source and price for this model of 15" Byrd Shelix cutterhead w/o the replacement bearings? Seem to recall that I may have heard Grizzly has offered that same Shelix 15" model sourced in volume quantity directly from Byrd Tool?

[Scott Britton]

I did the spiral cutterhead swap in my Grizzly G1021 15" planer. After the swap I noticed it wasnt cutting right. Exact symptoms you are describing. Had a hard time taking off a 1/16 cut. Motor was struggling to keep up, etc. Read your manual on adjusting the infeed roller, chip deflector, and outfeed roller. The "cutting circle" changes and the rollers must be readjusted for this. I bought a 3HP Jet motor to replace my circa 1990 Grizzly G1021 2HP motor. Although the bigger motor probably wasnt needed, it didnt hurt anything. Again......follow the manual for roller adjustments.

[Scott Warner]

Thank you for the specs. I will be looking at adjusting the infeed and outfeed rollers and chip breaker. The tech at Byrd indicated that the chip breaker would be the first thing to look at adjusting. The shaving collection hood I have came with it and we have modified it to work with dust collector or shop vac depending on what I have available for collection at the moment. I sourced my cutter head from Holbren and had the one bearing pressed on at the factory. The other side you have to do yourself for installation. Morey, here is the motor I am looking at using. I haven't called to find out about shaft rotation and didn't see it in the specs.

[Scott Warner]

So after the change and your adjustments you feel your 2 HP motor would not need replacement?

[Scott Britton]

Yes.....exactly....I could have left the original 2HP motor on the machine. You need to adjust all three things. Infeed Roller, Chip Breaker, and Outfeed Roller. It's very simple to do, in fact I went and checked my 13" Delta DC-33 planer and it was out of adjustment. I found out about this after cleaning and adjusting my "new to me" (Craigslist find) $200 Jet 15 JWP-15CS Planer. All 3 planers cut beautifully without any straining.