New guy here, Planer question..

[Scott Braun]

So what do you think about a Delta DC 580 20" planer?? Had a guy contact me with one of these, its a little far (3 hrs) and a bit expensive (asking $1500) says its in good shape and comes with a mobile base. Waiting for some pictures.

[Mike Kees]

Scott I would drive 3 hours for just about anything. That planer absolutely. I bought a sliding saw and edgebander from a guy in Winnepeg this may. It is a 13 hour drive one way to Winnepeg from where I live. My shop is full of machines from Calgary which is three hours away. Dont let a little drive keep you from a real good planer. Good luck,Mike.

[Rod Sheridan]

Scott

One question, and not to second guess you, but why go so small for a planer?
I have the 15" Jet and it's been a very solid machine, but I now have some rough cut walnut, up to 20"+ wide, that won't go through the Jet and it would be a shame to rip it to fit.
Just a question, as I am considering picking up a planer on Craigslist to handle this walnut.

My question is always "how wide is your jointer?"

That's the limiting factor for me..................Regards, Rod.

[Scott Braun]

My question is always "how wide is your jointer?"

That's the limiting factor for me..................Regards, Rod.

My Jointer is 6" wide. Explain to me please, why that should be a limiting factor.

[Jay Michaels]

I just had to turn down a $500 Powermatic 6" planer that looked brand new. He upgraded to an 8" helical. It was an hour from me but I had no way to transport it. Heartbreaker.

Go Grizzly!!

Have you considered just renting a Ryder truck with a liftgate?

If you find a great deal on a planer, the $50-100 for a one-day rental would easily be worthwhile.

[David Kumm]

I can face joint a board twice the width of my jointer so I figure the planer needs to be sized accordingly. It is not practical for me to have a planer over 21" even though my jointer is 16". The jointed side when double the jointer width won't be perfect but it is good enough to run through the planer or sander face down and finished up when the other side is dressed. Dave

[Van Huskey]

I understand the equal width jointer and planer opinion, which I generally don't agree with in that big planers are still useful even with a 6" jointer since you can run multiple boards at a time, which is especially important for the OP since he is kinda going to be running his own "sawmill".

If the OP is willing to part with the money my first choice would be a Powermatic 225, if not then a 180 or 160. These "rough" planers are just what the OP needs. He could turn his entire 100 acres into chips with any one of these.

[David Kumm]

In addition to the planers on the machinery exchange on Woodweb, there is a nice looking SCM 520 in MN on CL. The old PM machines are great planers but have some quirks and are heavy so know what you are getting. Avoid the " quiet head " on those machines and only buy an old straight knife machine if it has an onboard grinder. Dave

[Darcy Warner]

The wider the better, too and bottom even better

[Scott Braun]

I understand the equal width jointer and planer opinion, which I generally don't agree with in that big planers are still useful even with a 6" jointer since you can run multiple boards at a time, which is especially important for the OP since he is kinda going to be running his own "sawmill".

If the OP is willing to part with the money my first choice would be a Powermatic 225, if not then a 180 or 160. These "rough" planers are just what the OP needs. He could turn his entire 100 acres into chips with any one of these.

Well I'm not looking to turn my whole place into chips! Just looking for a stouter planer. I only do this for myself, making my own lumber instead of buying it. And I have lots of things to spend my money on, cant spend it all on a planer..

[Brian Holcombe]

If you’re making lumber then face jointing it before planing is a priority. Otherwise whatever goes in is the same twist/bow/cup that comes out...just thinner.

[Doug Landphair]

Scott, I was in the same position you are a couple of years ago. I had a 13" Delta planer which worked very well but was painfully slow. I had the opportunity to buy a new 15" Jet with the helical head. The difference is night and day! The Jet is so much quieter, faster and easier to use. With 3 hp there's plenty of power. And I love the smooth cut of the helical head!

I would say that almost anything in this size is going to make a big difference in your woodworking. As others have pointed out the brand may not be as important since many of these machines are made Tiawan.

As for 15" or 20" that's a question only you can answer. If you're going to go into a custom milling business you may want to go with the larger 5hp 20" model. But if it's just for your hobby needs I think the smaller is going to be more appropriate. But that's your call.

Have fun llooking. Let us know what you decide.

[glenn bradley]

My Jointer is 6" wide. Explain to me please, why that should be a limiting factor.

There is a school of thought that your planer should match your jointer maybe? I frequently plane glued up panels that exceed my jointer's capacity so I'm not sure that this is what is being said. At any rate, many folks use a 6" jointer forever without issue. Same for a lunchbox planer.

I moved to an 8" jointer which meets my need 90+% of the time. My planer is 15" which is also suitable 90+% of the time. For wider stuff I plane by hand or use my drum sander as appropriate.

To your original question, there are Grizzly machines that have been in service for decades, also the other colors. Many imports are clones of proven designs which helps with parts availability.

[Rod Sheridan]

My Jointer is 6" wide. Explain to me please, why that should be a limiting factor.

Hi, if I can only joint a 6" wide board, I don't need a planer any wider.

I don't plane glue ups, so the limiting factor for me is the jointer width.

If I have an 11" wide board, I'll need a 12 inch jointer and planer...................Regards, Rod.

[Scott Braun]

Scott, I was in the same position you are a couple of years ago. I had a 13" Delta planer which worked very well but was painfully slow. I had the opportunity to buy a new 15" Jet with the helical head. The difference is night and day! The Jet is so much quieter, faster and easier to use. With 3 hp there's plenty of power. And I love the smooth cut of the helical head!

I would say that almost anything in this size is going to make a big difference in your woodworking. As others have pointed out the brand may not be as important since many of these machines are made Tiawan.

As for 15" or 20" that's a question only you can answer. If you're going to go into a custom milling business you may want to go with the larger 5hp 20" model. But if it's just for your hobby needs I think the smaller is going to be more appropriate. But that's your call.

Have fun llooking. Let us know what you decide.

Thanks, not sure I can afford a helical head or not. My biggest problem with the 20+ planers is footprint and weight. Everything in my shop is on mobile bases and gets moved around depending on the project at hand. I know they make mobile bases for the larger planers, but lots of them are still 1000 pounds or more.