Shopping for a new beast of a planer

[dirk martin]

Hey gang....
Right now I've got a Woodmaster planer, with a 7.5" motor and spiral head.
I'm considering a serious upgrade, now that end of year says I can afford it.
I'm looking at the Laguna P25

My favorite features:
Digital setting of cut depth
Variable speed feed
Anything over 15" of width is plenty for me
Minimum thickness it can plane, is 1/8. I do a ton of thin material.


Any other suggestions besides this Laguna model?
Must be single phase.

[Jared Sankovich]

Hey gang....
Right now I've got a Woodmaster planer, with a 7.5" motor and spiral head.
I'm considering a serious upgrade, now that end of year says I can afford it.
I'm looking at the Laguna P25

My favorite features:
Digital setting of cut depth
Variable speed feed
Anything over 15" of width is plenty for me
Minimum thickness it can plane, is 1/8. I do a ton of thin material.


Any other suggestions besides this Laguna model?
Must be single phase.

At that price point I'd be looking at a used low mileage scmi s630 or s520 and a phase perfect.

If sticking to new Pacific rim machines cantek seems to be well liked.

[Brian Gumpper]

If you like that machine, save a little money.

https://www.grizzly.com/products/gri...terhead/g0603x

Same machine, different color and I kept getting a 5% discount offer.

[Bill Dufour]

Only one 5" dust port? My Powermatic 18" has one 6" dust port.
Bill D

[Larry Edgerton]

I have a SCMI 520S and it is all the things you want, except single phase. I went with the Tersa Head and would never have anything else at this point. Changing all 4 knives takes 4 minutes, better cuts than my previous PM with a Byrd. Its a 4 speed, which I actually prefer to electronic speed control. 16-72FPM. Almost no sanding.

[Richard Coers]

If you really want a beast, buy some old iron. I had a 24" Yates American and it had variable speed and could take 3/8" off a board with not so much as a whimper.

[dirk martin]

Brian, that's 3phase. I'm set up for single phase.

[dirk martin]

Only one 5" dust port? My Powermatic 18" has one 6" dust port.
Bill D

Bill, do you really think I'll notice the difference?

[dirk martin]

If you really want a beast, buy some old iron. I had a 24" Yates American and it had variable speed and could take 3/8" off a board with not so much as a whimper.

Richard, it it single phase? Does it have electronic table positioning? Can it plane down to 1/8"....or 1/4"

[dirk martin]

I have a SCMI 520S and it is all the things you want, except single phase. I went with the Tersa Head and would never have anything else at this point. Changing all 4 knives takes 4 minutes, better cuts than my previous PM with a Byrd. Its a 4 speed, which I actually prefer to electronic speed control. 16-72FPM. Almost no sanding.

Very nice machine, Larry. I think the Tersa head would be fine too, and I love the quick change...but that 3phase requirement, is kind of a show stopper.

[dirk martin]

I was considering Laguna's PX22 at 7.5 horse, single phase. Even has the segmented infeed roller, and digital read out.
At $8,200 I'd save a lot of money.

I wonder how much differnece i'd notice, planing with 7.5hp vs 10hp.
Anyone have insight on that?

Looks like the Laguna P25 normally comes with 15hp, but the one on the link at the top of this thread, is 10hp....which keeps it at single phase. The planer is expensive enuf, that I don't need to throw on a $3k (or more) phase changer. And, I'm more than fine planing down no lower than 1/4"....and then finishing off on the sander. I'd like to go SCM, but they jump to 3phase right away when we get to this league.

[Richard Coers]

Richard, it it single phase? Does it have electronic table positioning? Can it plane down to 1/8"....or 1/4"

I said "I had". Sold it about 5 years ago. It was 3 phase, way too old for electronic table positioning, and if you dropped the big bed rollers it would do 1/4" stock. Too much distance from the chip breaker and pressure bar to the head to do 1/8" stock.
Screenshot 2024-01-08 at 10.32.25 PM.jpg

[dirk martin]

I have a SCMI 520S and it is all the things you want, except single phase. I went with the Tersa Head and would never have anything else at this point. Changing all 4 knives takes 4 minutes, better cuts than my previous PM with a Byrd. Its a 4 speed, which I actually prefer to electronic speed control. 16-72FPM. Almost no sanding.

I looked into this more, Larry, and I'm finding it for roughly $15,100. Adding a Phase Perfect (15HP 230V Digital Phase Converter) is another $5,200.
So, we're starting to get well above the Laguna P25. Looks like the SCMI is 11hp, and the P25 is 10hp. So, no difference there.

[dirk martin]

I said "I had". Sold it about 5 years ago. It was 3 phase, way too old for electronic table positioning, and if you dropped the big bed rollers it would do 1/4" stock. Too much distance from the chip breaker and pressure bar to the head to do 1/8" stock.
Screenshot 2024-01-08 at 10.32.25 PM.jpg

I see. Well, 1/4" would be fine, actually. I can sand my stock down to 1/8", just fine.

[Larry Edgerton]

Very nice machine, Larry. I think the Tersa head would be fine too, and I love the quick change...but that 3phase requirement, is kind of a show stopper.

I run my whole shop on a converter. 3 phase is not available here. Once you have a converter, all other 3 phase equipment is a possibility. Rotary converters are fairly cheap. Phase Perfect is nice, but not a necessity. I would not be afraid of a used SCMI or equivalent, Mine has run hard for 25 years and , has never failed. I see them on the used market for around $5k, as are other premium brands.

You are on the right track, having this planer has been a great thing. Repeatability, quiet, and did I mention repeatability? Its nice to watch the readout and know that .75 is always .75. Having had both, I seriously have to recommend a Tersa, just so simple and fast. Quiet because it has no gullet, and the cut is as it gets. Power height adjustment is awesome. Whatever you get have fun!