I work with a lot of local black walnut and lumber. I'm in Kansas, but in an area with a lot of trees. I have access to two sawmills and consider myself lucky. A lot of the lumber I get is curly or has a lot of figuring of some kind. ope is that investing in something like this or segmented head will help me mill my lumber quicker and keep my schedule independent. I currently have the wen 2 knife planer and its very temperamental with figured wood. It makes me dependent on a couple of guys with better gear than I do i.e. helical setups. This is a drag since I'm dependent on other people's schedules and I don't get a lot of time to be in my little shop.
I've been considering a dewalt planer with a byrd helical head but don't know if thats the right logical step. My hI have a 12x20 shop so space is a challenge. I'm not sure I could fit a bigger planer with cabinet stand in it.
What are the thoughts of the community?