So, about 5 months ago, I bought this 20" planer from a local tool distributor after trying out the Jet J/P combo, which didn't impress me a whole lot. It was "used"...sort of. It was being consigned by a guy who was tired of fighting with the shipping co and Powermatic to get cosmetic repair work done, as the base had been banged up a bit during initial shipping.
There was also one 3/16" long hairline crack in the casting of the head. It was at one of the posts, but had been professionally repaired by the shop "to Powermatic's standards" with a 1/4" steel plate bolted into newly tapped holes to about 1" to either side of the crack, which was visible through the paint.
I got a good deal on the planer (like $300 off or something), so I didn't have too much issue with the cosmetic stuff. So the base had some scratches and a dent on it - I didn't care. And the crack looked ok to me. AND...the salesman (owner, maybe?) said these exact words to me, "We will treat this warranty like a new planer warranty, because it hasn't seen any use, and we've been through it."
It was a holy nightmare to get into my shop - it took over 24 hours by myself in the cold February rain with the tractor, 4x4, come-along, ramps, boards, ropes, pulleys and chains, but I got it in there. I did say a bad word, once. (*cough*)
So. It's in the shop, I used it a few times on some Alder. It started to get awfully "rattle-y" in the base of the unit. Sounded like something had come loose and was grinding/rattling/vibrating around in the base unit. I called the place I bought it from, and after a short talk with the repair guy (its funny, they didn't seem excited to do any warranty work, regardless of what the salesman had told me. He said, "But it's used, how could we warranty it?"), I took off the base cover and found two bolts and various nuts, washers and bolts laying on the concrete under the motor. I replaced them all and cranked them all down tight - just motor retaining bolts. I fired it up and it ran quietly. All is good.
I ran about 20 more bf of Alder through it last week, and realized that the outfeed roller is no longer turning, or has come out of adjustment badly, because I have to pull (HARD) to get the wood out the outfeed side once it's passed under the knives. Always with snipe and burn marks. (*sigh*)
A couple of days ago, I had a friend over, and fired it up so he could hear the howl of a well tuned, well-built machine. Ha! What we heard was that noise again, this time, it was REALLY loud. Rattling, screeching, crashing around. Just horrible. I turned it off and pulled the plate again. Nothing visibly wrong, so I took off the motor cover that hides the cooling fins/end of the shaft. Guess what I found!?
The cooling fin piece is now a little mangled ball of aluminum with a huge hole in it. It's obviously come off the shaft and it's what's been crashing and banging around inside the motor cover. The fins are all bent over sideways, and the 5/8" shaft-hole is about 2" and oblong with bent metal everywhere.
While I was at it, unfortunately, I noticed that small crack in the casting in the top has now turned into NINE cracks over about a 6" span all along the side, both under and around that plate modification. Crap!
I'm not impressed with the ~$2,300 planer that's in the shop. It's not running right, looks like the head was cast badly from all the cracks (the paint is cracking right along with it & you can see them), the motor bolts have fallen off twice now, regardless of how tightly I put them on, and the outfeed isn't working. Aside from ALL of that, when you start it it has always started with a "BANG!" and then settles out. It did this at the dealer, too. They said it was normal for this size of machine. I listened to another 209, sounds NOTHING like mine. It's quiet, no vibration, no startup noise.
So. It comes to this. What does anyone recommend? This planer has been turned on and RUNNING FOR LESS THAN TWO HOURS. I haven't talked to the dealer again, so I'll approach them today. I don't want to go in making demands, but something happened to this planer other than "shipping damage". (I had to wrestle it a lot getting it into the shop, but it was NEVER damaged or even dinged. A little light surface rust on the tops before I got steel wool and WD-40 all over it. It still looks "as new".) I hate to go in making demands, but I'd like either this one repaired back to "new" condition or another planer. Is there a safety issue with these head casting cracks? Are the vibrations of the machine just tearing the head apart? I'd hate for that to happen while it's on and have to duck shrapnel and blades!
Heck, I'd even take a smaller planer that worked well at this point. I should have gotten that warranty in writing, and I didn't. I should have listened to everyone who said I didn't need such a big planer, and I didn't. Long list of shouldas.
The other kicker I should mention is that I will NOT move this planer again. EVER. If they want to come out and replace it with a smaller/new planer or have Powermatic come out and do repair work, that's fine with me. I will never lift this planer again. Did I mention that I don't plan on moving it myself?
Any recommendations from you guys? Similar experiences? Is this something Powermatic should step in on? Was this thing rolled off of a truck at 75 MPH? Is it a lemon? Is it safe? Will it ever run correctly? How far should I push, and what do you feel the Machinery company should be responsible for? How would you approach the company/salesman?
Thanks for the advice, sorry it's so long.