Spiral Cutter Heads

[Jack Frederick]

I have a Delta 37-190 6" jointer and the Dewalt DW-735 planer. I am considering spiral cutters for both, but likely the jointer first, as my current blades didn't stand up very well to that nail. Is it worth it on a lower powered jointer to make the investment in these cutters? I have heard that spirals can pull the power down some as the spirals are pretty much always engaged in the wood. Is there a preferred brand of spirals?

[Carl Beckett]

I would not make this investment, I would upgrade the tools to a heavier class first (then put spiral heads on that if still not satisfied with performance)

[Andrew Hughes]

I’m against the spiral head in a jointer. Insert heads take more power and feed pressure making it difficult to flatin thinner stock. Carbide just doesn’t cut wood like Good Hss.
Setting jointer knives does take practice and patience.
But that’s woodworking in a nutshell. There’s no getting around it.

[Mike Kees]

I agree with both of the other posts. First I would not upgrade those machines. Second Andrew has a good point about feed pressure and power required to turn a segmented head. I used to own that jointer,it worked well for me for quite a few years till I found an 8'' machine. If you get some quality HSS knives it will work noticeably better than with the original knives.I buy knives with 18% tungsten content,they cost more but last far longer.

[Robert Engel]

Well, I'll go against the flow and say yes I think it is a good idea. At least, I'm glad I did it. Aside from a better surface, and less noise, the cutters lasts WAY longer than knives. I didn't rotate the cutters for over a year, and that is with daily use.

There some instances where a spiral jointer is going to be a huge advantage such as figured wood.

Yes, there is a higher amp draw, but it depends on the depth of cut. Generally you overcome this by taking lighter cuts. My jointer is 8" with a 2HP motor and I've never experienced a power issue, even with 1/8" deep cuts.

So I say you won't regret it on either of those machines.

[George Makra]

You know I really have to take amp readings but as far as I can tell the carbide head taking more amps to spin sure sounds like another internet myth.
Here is what I do know I have a older Delta Rockwell thickness planer that I swapped out from knives to a Byrd head the sound is different but probably not as high pitched.
I can cut 3/8 off of ancient oak barn wood all day long to the tune of 100 gallons of chips a day and never even had the lights flicker.

As far as I am concerned both styles are good but none leave you a perfect finish so it still needs to be addressed by either hand planing or sanding.
Then it becomes a matter of preference.

[Carl Beckett]

I wasnt commenting on spiral cutter head merit as much as whether this class of machine warranted expensive upgrade.

imo, a 6" jointer (about $150 - $200 used in my area) is not worth investing much into because you are likely to want to upgrade to a larger machine at some point. 8" is a minimum 12" preferred. Even a 12" or 16" combo is within striking distance of what two spiral heads will cost and would be much better equipment capability.

(or maybe I am off base on cost of spiral heads, I always thought they were expensive - certainly more than the cost of a used 6" jointer).

[Andrew Hughes]

I have a Pm 15 hh planer. It’s quite and will plane away wood with nasty glue or even paint on the edges. But the depth of cut is very shallow not because of the small 3hp motor. But because inserts have a 30 degree face bevel. This is much different then a straight knife where the bevel is on the back of the knife.
I just think it’s better to have more positive rake in a jointer.
I think a lot of guys get fooled buy the looks of a insert head. It has a very small rake.

[Rod Sheridan]

Hello Jack, I personally wouldn't invest in either of those machines.

Sell both of them and buy yourself a 12 inch jointer/planer with spiral head.............Regards, Rod.

[Brian Nguyen]

Why does everyone suggest spending $$$ on bigger, badder machines without asking the OP as to why he chose his current equipment? Nine posts in and no one answered his question: The preferred brand of spiral cutterhead for his machine.

Jack--do you have space and/or monetary constraints that's going to prevent you from upgrading?

Anyways, look into the Byrd Shelix to see if they have one that fit your Delta jointer. They definitely have one that fit the Dewalt planer. Good luck.

[Frank Pratt]

He asked if it was worth upgrading the cutter heads & people answered. When I post a question I would hope I would get more than just a yes or no answer. People are just qualifying their reasoning. That's a good thing & promotes discussion & thought.

I might upgrade that planer if I was going through lots of knives. It is a good planer in its class. Leaving a better surface finish is the last reason to consider though. No planer, no matter how good, leaves a finish ready surface. So the choice between a good & pretty good surface is irrelevant. If you can get less tear out with the spiral head then that is a valid reason.

I would even consider the jointer though. It's only 6" & not a very good one at that. Put the money towards a better, larger jointer.

[George Yetka]

I would say get a new set of blades for your Planer and start squirreling away money to upgrade in the future.
I had some good times with that planer but the knives were a pain. upgrading this wouldnt be a bad idea. but like others said make sure you dont bog down the motor with heavy passes.
A combo machine is a huge investment, Hammers 12" is over 5000 but there are other things that you could do such as an 8" jointer that comes with a HH

[Mark Carlson]

Tough one. I'd upgrade for sure if the jointer was 8in and the planer was a 15in. My 1st jointer was a 6in powermatic. I upgraded it to a Byrd head because I hated adjusting knives. 7 years later I still have the jointer and havn't rotated the knives yet. Starting to think about it though. I dont notice a power issue but I dont ever make deep cuts. Bought a 12in J/P a couple of years ago and kept the powermatic. Its really handy to have and I use it for edge jointing and face jointing narrow stock. The J/P also has a Byrd head. So if you have no plans of replacing the Delta ever, I'd upgrade. The Dewalt planer is tougher for me because I wonder about how long that thing is designed to last and its a really expensive upgrade. Good luck with your choice.

Update: Just googled the delta and noticed it has pretty small tables so I wouldn't upgrade that either.

[Andrew Hughes]

I often wonder how many woodworkers that complain about short hss blade life run dirty lumber over and under their machines.
Wood stacked in dirt or gravel driveways.
I can’t be the only one that’s seen a You tube video showing freshly set knives making test cuts on pressure treated wood or something picked up from the ground.
I wonder how long this spiral head madness with spiral.
I would like to compare this innovation to dovetail jigs that first appeared. When was that 50s or 60s.

[Jack Frederick]

Much obliged for the variety of responses and depth of advise. It is all good and exactly what I needed. As a hobbyist, a retired hobbyist, there is no way I can justify the combi machine. When we sold out of MA and chased the kids to CA a lot of my big power tools didn't make the move..sob! I picked this 6" up for short money and it has been satisfactory. I bought the planer when they first came out, so, what, 15 yrs old. I have resources, but at 70 in my first year of retirement, I am playing the game of how little can I spend. It seems sensible, but then again, some things you just have to have Any of the mid-range machines/manuf you would suggest in the jointer and planer categories? Thanks again!