Powermatic 209 20" planer used

[Alex Horvath]

Hi,

I have a Makita 12" 2012 which I think I finally killed, rollers are shot and I think a gear is damaged. I'm taking it apart but lets be honest it's a light duty planer.
I think what finally did it in is using it for rough softwood lumber because splinters etc dig into the rollers. By habit I just joint one side of my lumber and in retrospect it was dumb not to joint the second side to clean it up for the planer. On the plus side it seemed to be very accurate as I could plane long boards to within +/- 0.001 or so end to end.

I just started checking Craigslist for planers (obviously not considering lunchbox planers). I see lots of jointers but few planers.
There's a Powermatic 209 20" (single phase, standard cutter) available for about half retail.

Way overkill for a garage shop but i think it will fit under my workbench.
I'm a bit concerned about transporting and getting it in my shop (~800 lbs), if it did not have wheels I think I would pass as i don't have many (or any) friends.
I have a truck but I think best to rent a trailer as they have a very low deck and a long ramp.

I'm not really familiar with the planer ecosystem other than what I see on Amazon (Jet, Powermatic etc.).
Reviews on Amazon for the Powermatic 209 are mostly good with a couple of pros claiming it does not hold the thickness setting and a roller adjustment issue.

Should I seriously consider this or are there better choices for my needs that are likely to show up in the used market?
Obviously I don't need the Rolls Royce of planers but I don't want to buy a unit with known problems either.
Not really in a hurry and can spend up to $1500 or so.

Thanks

[Mike Cutler]

Alex

Everyone will have a different take, but here's mine.
If you can get a 20" planer into your shop, get it. It's not overkill. Having a large planer and jointer is always good. You may never plane a 20" wide board, but you can certainly skew a board thorough that planer.
If the planer is working and there's nothing wrong with it, 50% of retail is not a bad place to start. Age, usage and knife condition will factor into it.
I have no experience with Powermatic, but I haven't heard a lot of negatives through the years with respect to their products. It's definitely a machine to consider.

[Matt Day]

First note, is that a planer is meant to cut rough wood. You don’t (shouldn’t) need to joint both sides before planing.

Next, 800 pounds isn’t that heavy, but it is in a different league than standard hobbiest stuff. So you’ll need to rethink machinery moving and it sounds like you’re on the right track with a low deck trailer.

Is your shop on ground level or do you have stairs to tackle?

To load and unload, an engine lift will do it.

[Bill Adamsen]

I too covet a two foot wide planer. But for a casual woodworker, not this planer in this situation. Let me explain.

A non-indexed straight knife planer without a mounted sharpener would have to be pretty special to bring into my shop at any cost. Looking at pages 12, 13, 14 and 15 (knife setting) of the operation manual should give any casual woodworker pause ... unless you like spending your entire weekend setting planer knives. I just changed the indexed knives on my 410mm Wigo head (Leitz version of Tersa) and with all the cleaning inspection and lubrication and such it still took perhaps an hour+. Even that's a lot of time not producing something. I shudder thinking about what it takes to change and set straight knives on a machine like the PM 209. Not to say there aren't advantages to the large straight knife planers ... there are, but few woodworkers are likely to benefit from those advantages.

I suspect the best machine of that class for a woodworker is either a modern indexed knife machine (Tersa) or indexed spiral cutter. That typically points to one of the 520mm machines of which there are quite a few to choose (SCM, Laguna, Grizzly ... on and on). But even most of those are likely to weigh a half ton more or less.

What I do when I need really wide planing (wider than 410mm) is to load the material and drive it straight to my local mill with really large jointers and planers and have them surface the material. It costs very little. Each time I consider which machine I would acquire (a Newman S-248 or S-205, a Buss 4L, Porter 405 ... etc.) and then I think about the logistics and actual usage and come back down to earth.

[Matt Day]

On the other hand Bill, how often do hobbiest woodworkers have to change knives? So infrequent (every few years?) that isn’t not a deal breaker to me.

[Bill Adamsen]

On the other hand Bill, how often do hobbiest woodworkers have to change knives? So infrequent (every few years?) that isn’t not a deal breaker to me.

True enough ... though "cutting our teeth" as hobbiests is probably the time we are most likely to nick knives with the ill placed staple or grit. I remember painfully changing knives on this type of planer as a kid. Neither my father nor I knew what we were doing. And we didn't do it often enough to have either knowledge or experience. It seemed to take forever and require multiple do-overs. We didn't have youtube to reference a quick best practices. Some of that has of course changed, but I can't help but think indexed knives are the way to go.

[Peter Christensen]

If you don't have an engine crane rent one to unloaded the planer. it will lift the machine high enough off the trailer that you can drive the trailer out from under the planer. Then you can either lower it on to plywood and casters to roll it into the shop or lower it on to some 4x4s or bigger laying across the legs of the crane. Then roll it into the shop and place it where you want it. Get heavy duty locking castors for it later if you want to be able to move it around. If it turns out you don't like that machine after using it for a while you can always sell it and get most of your money back out of it to buy something else.

[Tim Einwalter]

I have the Jet version of that planer in my barn and it's pretty impressive for a Taiwanese machine. The PM version gets the iron bed extensions, a fancy curved base, a bigger motor and better controls. If it has the spiral head, that's a significant upgrade that's worth more than the asking price of the machine. Other than the paint, it's just a gussied up Jet. I believe this same planer is sold by 4 different manufacturers. The good news is that it's been around for a very long time and little has changed on it. My planer is over 20 years old and I don't see any changes with the new units.

Be careful trying to take this thing down a ramp. All of the weight is up high and it's at risk for flipping over and using somebody to cushion it's fall.

[Van Huskey]

The 209 is a white label product built by Geetech for Powermatic and Grizzly (G1033X). It has quite a few differences between it and the more standard 4 post planers most everyone else sells.

Knife setting really is not that hard with the jig included with the planer or a set of Planer Pals.

[Alex Horvath]

Thanks all,

Regarding planing technique, another mistake I may have made is some of my rough 2x4 stock had one end about 1/4' thicker than the opposite end. So if I did not notice this and start the planing with the thin end obviously the planer will choke. I quickly raised the head when this happens.

i assume this is not good for the machine, especially the lunchbox planers but even the 4 posts?

[Jim Andrew]

If the planer has straight blades, you can get a replacement helical cutterhead from Grizzly. I bought the Grizzly planer with helical head, and have yet to break a cutter. And I have cleaned the blades a few times rather than turn them. Toothbrush and spray cleaner from Grizzly.

[Travis Porter]

I have the 209hh (helical head) model. It is a decent machine. I upgraded from a grizzly 1021 which in retrospect I think was a better built machine.

The wheels on this thing are small and do not swivel. They will not be of much use for loading/unloading in my opinion. I hauled mine in a pickup truck (it was loaded by forklift) and getting it unloaded was not easy. It was tough to lift and get out for 3 men. If memory serves I backed my truck into a ditch to get it lower to the ground.

good luck!

[Tim Bueler]

I also have a 209HH. It works well for me planing rough sawn and glued up panels. Final dimensioning is done on a thickness sander. The integral wheels ran the wrong way for me so I put it on a mobile base. Mine has pull out rods used for lifting with a forklift. Wouldn't want to lift this by hand, even with 3 men and a small boy, but with careful planning it could be done. I've seen pictures of very ingenious Creekers unloading much larger machines than this.

[Keith Hankins]

Wow, so erily the same as myself. I have the same makita 2012 I got in 1989. I had got a big old 18" Planer that was 3 phase and I liked it was a beast, but wanted smoother better finishes on my figured woods( Like exotics). As my old beast from the 60's (not the makita) with HSS cutters would have some tear-out.

I looked at a lot of planers and went with the 209hh same one you looking at but only with the byrd head. I cannot praise that planer enough. It's a beast. Smooth and has lived up to all my expectations.

I love powermaitc, and think if the price is right you can't beat them. I got mine new not used, but waited for the 10% powermatic sale that always happens usually in spring and around thanksgiving.

I still have my makita, but gave it to my son to use. It is still going strong.

Cheers.

[liam c murphy]

I have the Grizzly 1033X. Overall, I’m happy with it. I broke an engine crane while attempting to move it off of a pallet. I keep mine on a custom pallet, and I move it around on a pallet jack.