My old AH-115 is squealing like a stuck pig. It is a combo planer/and 7′ jointer, 20+ yrs old and has seen miles of wood.
I have the new bearings at hand, but it is an understatement to say getting to the cutter head attachments and totally tearing down the machine is daunting, esp with a crappy exploded view drawing.
The jointer head is fine, it is just the planer head that is getting ready to sieze up. It is a heavy sucker, on wheels, but I can’t easily move it outdoors ( where I have more room, and less dust in the house, yes, IN the house) .
I think I want to pull the belt off the planer cutterhead, and dedicate it to being a jointer, I LOVE the long tables and extendable support with a roller built in.
So, thinking that, I want a portable planer..Ridgid is where I am headed ( in my mind). Something I can just cart out side, do all my milling and stow away inside when I am done, rake away the shavings, and get on with life
So, Ridgid, DW, Delta…the Big three.
Cast your votes now and tell me what sucks worse on all three, please.
TIA. BTW, I wanna stay in the 400.00 or so range.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
I have irriatable Vowel syndrome.
Replies
I've used a friends' Rigid a few times.
It's a nice machine.
So's my Parks, but if it died I'd buy a Rigid.
Joe H
Edited 11/18/2006 11:06 am by JoeH
I have the delta 12.5 in, single speed. Has served me well, I like the cutterhead lock feature. No snipe whatsoever. I rigged it with dust collection. No complaints. also no experience with the other 2 machines. (I also still have the original ryobi 10 incher, made in japan, wasn't it the first one that started the trend of portable planers? still runs fine)
I HAVE to have a 2 speed, I am so used to roughing pass at full tilt and then final at slow speed with a light cut, I use a LOT of figured or gnarly woods.
I am also kinda liking the idea of disposable blades, changing knives is not a big deal, but GOOD sharpenig service is missing here.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
I have irriatable Vowel syndrome.
I hear you about teh 2 speed. The delta I got was used but you couldn't have told from looking at it. With manual. I paid around $150 for it, among other stuff. If I was buying a new one I'd get the 2 speed 13".
I also agree with disposable blades. I don't like down time. Zero. One day I was shopping at lowes for blades, just to keep a set around. I had seen them for $25~30 in other stores, and here they were for $10, they have two edges. I bought a few. Unless you find a very good sharpening outfit, they cant get them as good as factory sharp, some places remove lots of material.
I still have the original blades on after 6 years or so, spares still unopened, mostly plane softwood for trim and casing... I keep the old ryobi for roughing and on questionable old lumber. Neither machine owes me anything.
sharpblade,
Your experiance is much differant than mine.. Mine arrived less handles, I should have returned it to Delta but foolishly read the manual that said not to just call this number!
Grim is the only way I can desribe my experiance.
In the end I would up selling it and buying A Grizzly 20 inch planner..
Now that's a machine!
It's done over 30,000 bd.ft of all hardwood with such little effort it's hard to describe except to say I'd gladly pay twice the price to get another one if it was required!
My 2 cents:
I'm in the market for a new planer as well, just waiting for a project to write it off on. I have been looking hard at the Dewalt because it costs more ;) But really because it has a blower so all ya need is a 4' peice of hose and all the chips go right into the garbage can.I have a small dust collector but planing fills it up too fast and its a pain to empty.
Also it is short enough to stash under my workbench for the 9 months of the year I don't need it.Also don't have any yellow in my shop yet and variety is the spice of life eh?
cheers Rik
Makita. 'nuff said.
Got a ruff$ on that? IIRC they were kinda pricey, and I have not seen one up close and personal-like in any stores around here.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
I have irriatable Vowel syndrome.
Been pretty satisfied with the Delta 13" 2 speed. Good bang for the buck.
I have the Delta 13 " with two speeds. It works just fine, but I don't use all the bells and whistles that drive the price up. It is really heavy.
If I were replacing it, I would go back to the 12 1/2" model I used for years. Way lighter to carry around, same cut quality, but much cheaper (none of those bells/whistles).
http://tinyurl.com/ylnb6a
The only other planer I have used is the Ridgid, which was pretty good -- and the lifetime warranty would be pretty enticing.
PS -- I still think of you whenever I use my Silky Gomboy, which is often. <G>
********************************************************
"It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."
John Wooden 1910-
Lifetime warranty.....hmmmmm. Good point.
I finlly broke down and got me two more of the Gomboys, one for the shop, one for the job and at least two hanging around everywhere else. Love them things. LOL
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
I have irriatable Vowel syndrome.
I have the Dewalt 2 blade single speed, works for what I do.
I was looking at the newer Dewalt 3 blade with multiple speed.
I noticed you didn't mention Dewalt, is there something going on with them that I didn't hear about?
“It so happens that everything that is stupid is not unconstitutional.†—Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia
I did mention dewalt in the big three, i just have not heard anything good or bad about them, but included them cuz they are readily available, unlike many other brands. I don't have too many shopping choices nearby, it is Lowes, HD, or online.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
I have irriatable Vowel syndrome.
LOL OOPS
I missed the DW“It so happens that everything that is stupid is not unconstitutional.†—Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia
I just did some googleing ( and it felt GRRREAT!) and ,,pard me..snork...ok, that Makita is single speed and 71 lbs and 469.00..and discontinued.
Mr. ridgid is 85 lbs, 13'' ( sheeeesh) and single speed as well for about 379.00 with a life time gaurantee'
Delta 's website crashed my puter...hmmmm?
And I have yet any info on the Dwalt as to speeds or prices
So the search carries on.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
I have irriatable Vowel syndrome.
Another vote for the Delta 13" 2 speed. This link might work:
http://www.amazon.com/Delta-22-580-13-Inch-Benchtop-120-Volt/dp/B0000648AS/sr=1-1/qid=1163886489/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-3972778-9408735?ie=UTF8&s=hi
$369 w/ rebate. Gets an average 4.5 star rating from 113 reviewers.
I haven't run a lot of really figured wood through it, but have run a whole lot of hard maple with excellent results. On most woods I can't tell much difference between the speeds. Disposable blades are sweet, fast change. The chip extraction could be better, but it is decent (and I'm sure would be better if I had a better DC setup).
I would have to say that the 400$ range is what sucks!!!
:)
I was considering the Default 13" (500$?)
or the Makita (best built of the portables IMNSHO)
but for 775$ and an hour-and-a-half road trip I could get the grizz 15"
"I believe that there is no God. I'm beyond atheism. Atheism is not believing in God. Not believing in God is easy -- you can't prove a negative, so there's no work to do. You can't prove that there isn't an elephant inside the trunk of my car. You sure? How about now? Maybe he was just hiding before. Check again. Did I mention that my personal heartfelt definition of the word "elephant" includes mystery, order, goodness, love and a spare tire?
So, anyone with a love for truth outside of herself has to start with no belief in God and then look for evidence of God. She needs to search for some objective evidence of a supernatural power. All the people I write e-mails to often are still stuck at this searching stage. The atheism part is easy.
But, this "This I Believe" thing seems to demand something more personal, some leap of faith that helps one see life's big picture, some rules to live by. So, I'm saying, "This I believe: I believe there is no God."
Having taken that step, it informs every moment of my life. I'm not greedy. I have love, blue skies, rainbows and Hallmark cards, and that has to be enough. It has to be enough, but it's everything in the world and everything in the world is plenty for me. It seems just rude to beg the invisible for more. Just the love of my family that raised me and the family I'm raising now is enough that I don't need heaven. I won the huge genetic lottery and I get joy every day.
Believing there's no God means I can't really be forgiven except by kindness and faulty memories. That's good; it makes me want to be more thoughtful. I have to try to treat people right the first time around.
Believing there's no God stops me from being solipsistic. I can read ideas from all different people from all different cultures. Without God, we can agree on reality, and I can keep learning where I'm wrong. We can all keep adjusting, so we can really communicate. I don't travel in circles where people say, "I have faith, I believe this in my heart and nothing you can say or do can shake my faith." That's just a long-winded religious way to say, "shut up," or another two words that the FCC likes less. But all obscenity is less insulting than, "How I was brought up and my imaginary friend means more to me than anything you can ever say or do." So, believing there is no God lets me be proven wrong and that's always fun. It means I'm learning something.
Believing there is no God means the suffering I've seen in my family, and indeed all the suffering in the world, isn't caused by an omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent force that isn't bothered to help or is just testing us, but rather something we all may be able to help others with in the future. No God means the possibility of less suffering in the future.
Believing there is no God gives me more room for belief in family, people, love, truth, beauty, sex, Jell-O and all the other things I can prove and that make this life the best life I will ever have."
I dunno..that 3 knife cutter head and 10K RPM would make for a smoooooooth finish at slow feed speed. I can only hit Lowes around here tomorrow, I was up in Lex today but HD didn't even have a parking slot for about a halfmile..it was mobbed, I didn't even try to go in..
I wish they'd build a HD here..
By the time I decide the feeling will pass and I'll stick with my old standby..LOL
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
I have irriatable Vowel syndrome.
Aint it funny how the current "tool need" is so important for a while then you eventually focus on something else, or another tool is needed and the first one becomes a non-priority...
til the next time you need it and you kick yerself !!!"I believe that there is no God. I'm beyond atheism. Atheism is not believing in God. Not believing in God is easy -- you can't prove a negative, so there's no work to do. You can't prove that there isn't an elephant inside the trunk of my car. You sure? How about now? Maybe he was just hiding before. Check again. Did I mention that my personal heartfelt definition of the word "elephant" includes mystery, order, goodness, love and a spare tire?
So, anyone with a love for truth outside of herself has to start with no belief in God and then look for evidence of God. She needs to search for some objective evidence of a supernatural power. All the people I write e-mails to often are still stuck at this searching stage. The atheism part is easy.
But, this "This I Believe" thing seems to demand something more personal, some leap of faith that helps one see life's big picture, some rules to live by. So, I'm saying, "This I believe: I believe there is no God."
Having taken that step, it informs every moment of my life. I'm not greedy. I have love, blue skies, rainbows and Hallmark cards, and that has to be enough. It has to be enough, but it's everything in the world and everything in the world is plenty for me. It seems just rude to beg the invisible for more. Just the love of my family that raised me and the family I'm raising now is enough that I don't need heaven. I won the huge genetic lottery and I get joy every day.
Believing there's no God means I can't really be forgiven except by kindness and faulty memories. That's good; it makes me want to be more thoughtful. I have to try to treat people right the first time around.
Believing there's no God stops me from being solipsistic. I can read ideas from all different people from all different cultures. Without God, we can agree on reality, and I can keep learning where I'm wrong. We can all keep adjusting, so we can really communicate. I don't travel in circles where people say, "I have faith, I believe this in my heart and nothing you can say or do can shake my faith." That's just a long-winded religious way to say, "shut up," or another two words that the FCC likes less. But all obscenity is less insulting than, "How I was brought up and my imaginary friend means more to me than anything you can ever say or do." So, believing there is no God lets me be proven wrong and that's always fun. It means I'm learning something.
Believing there is no God means the suffering I've seen in my family, and indeed all the suffering in the world, isn't caused by an omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent force that isn't bothered to help or is just testing us, but rather something we all may be able to help others with in the future. No God means the possibility of less suffering in the future.
Believing there is no God gives me more room for belief in family, people, love, truth, beauty, sex, Jell-O and all the other things I can prove and that make this life the best life I will ever have."
I have the Delta 13" two-speed. Super easy to change or shift the knives and it hasn't given me any problems. No snipe. It has a nice feature to set the target thickness from an existing board, which is also handy when setting the depth for the first pass thicknessing after jointing the face. Knives seem to be available (more or less) at my local big boxes, although I do keep spares around. It is a bit heavy though.
The three knife Dewalt has had some issues with gears self destructing. My father purchased one anyway (about a year ago) and suffered the problem himself. Dewalt was able to ship the replacement gears within a week though. I don't know if this is an ongoing problem.
I have the Ridgid; Works well for me.
The $500 Dewalt get's a lot of good press though...
Edited 11/18/2006 10:02 pm ET by Marc
Well my Makita 12" portable was long since replaced by the new and improved model, but I didn't have any trouble getting all the parts I needed last year to rebuild the pressure roller assemblies - springs, bearings, even a roller itself. I guess 20 years of hard use was too much for that little tool to take. Now I guess it will last me until I pass it along to some young buck starting out.
I can't believe you're actually going to make a choice on a lifetime tool like a planer over 50 or 75 bucks. I paid about 5 bills for mine in the 80s and put another 200 into it last year with literally thousands of feet of hard and softwoods run through it. That kind of dependability is all I need to know.
Get a Makita. You won't regret it 5 years from now. Speeds/schmeeds. You stick a rough board in one side, it comes out smooth on the other.
Now, you want to spend a couple hundred more and get a great value? Take a look at the small Grizzly planer/moulder. Now THAT would temp me.
Jim, I am not a daily user of a planer, sometimes months between using it. My AH-115 was 1500.00$ 20 some yrs ago. I could just as well tear it down and swap out the bearings, but I'd just as soon get a portable for about 400.00 in the mean time, I don't expect to get a lifetime of use, but something as a can do right now type deal..I have a few projects that I need to get moving on soon.
I can't get into my needs for two speeds, it is quirk of mine, the only time I used a single speed planer was in shops that had a widebelt sander for clean up..a lot of Curly and quilted maple just tears uot too bad at a fast feed, no matter what you do.
I slow the last two or three passes and don't even change the thickness adjustment, just pass it through again after dampening the surface..it works for me, YMMV.
I may just put all the names in a hat and pick one. The Dwalt with 3 knives sounds interestingand at 10k and a slow feed, I bet I could cut sanding time ( or hand scraping in my usual case) in half or better.
I hear ya on the grizzly, but until I get a shop built that is large enough, I can't spare the room. If I knew someone local that had a MAK. I'd try it in heart beat to see what it has, but alas, all the jobs I have been on lately, if they have a planer on site it has been one of the first 3 I mentioned..so other than you, I have no info on actual performance, not that that is not enough, just that I also can't just hop in the truck and get one before I change my mind, and the wife spends the dough on something sensible...LOL
I am headed th Lowes today and mull it over..if I don't pull the trigger I'll hit HD on Mon or Tues and mull it over..if I mull it over here at the computer long enough, I'll get the Mak. How's that logic? (G)
Thanks, I hope ya didn't get washed out up there, man we are here.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
I have irriatable Vowel syndrome.
If ya haven't bought yet, my vote is for the Ridgid. I have been through several thousand board feet of pitchy pine, hard curly and birdseye maple, and cherry with mine, I am on my third set of knives (as of yesterday), it is a great machine. It comes with a set of steel legs, toss 'em and build a solid stand for it - I made mine out of scrap 4x6 pine and some offcuts of LVL. It weighs more than the planer.
Off hand do you know the feed rate speed? I lost the info when I crashed at the delta site yesterday.
Edit: Never mind, I got it..it seems the Ridgid will produce 57.69 Cuts per inch..I did the 9kx2=18K /26 FPM/12= 57.69
The Dewalt 735 will do 96 and 179 so that equates to smoother. 179 CPI is pretty dang close to what I was expecting to buy..I HATE sanding and scraping out planer marks.
I don't mind going a 100.00 higher, I just wish I had all the numbers side by side..I have been jumping from site to site and not writing it down until now..Thanks.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
I have irriatable Vowel syndrome.
Edited 11/19/2006 11:18 am ET by Sphere
OK, my searching has concluded. I have chosen ( drum roll please),,,,,,,,,,
DW735. 549.00 at L:owes.
More CPI, better dust ejection, readily avail. 1/2 hour away, in stock. Good reviews.
The ridgid came in sexcond, with a decent deal, but...something just didn't seem right with the cpi rate.
Delta,just fell by the wayside early..I just wasn't impressed with anything.
Makita jumped at me, but it too had one bad review and I just didn't get the vibe from it, like the DW gave me.
So there ya have it folks, I am off to Lowes this afternoon.
Thanks for the feedback, but ultimatly, I had to follow my gut and common sense, even tho' I blew right past the budget..what the hell it is only a days pay after all.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
I have irriatable Vowel syndrome.
Hey, go for it..it is SWEEEEET. plus a free 5" sander by mail in rebate!
View Image
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
I have irriatable Vowel syndrome.
You gotta get some dirt on that thing real quick.
BTW, is that your new wheels in the background?
Naw, that's my old GMC. I didn't get anything new yet. This sucker won't die..it was running like crap, but I think it was the summer blend of gas or something. She runs just dandy as of right now ( I hope I didn't just jinx myself).
Ya the planer is the only bright yellow in the shop, kinda looks like daffodils in spring time..LOL
I only ran one 1x10 ruff ash through it so far, it started to flurrie/drizzle...so I got her in the house right away. The board came out without a HINT of washboard knife marks, just as I expected. I checked with the calipers and it was within .003 from side to side in thickness. Not too shabby. Thats good enough for guitar tolerances in most cases.
Happy dance all over the yard.!
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
I have irriatable Vowel syndrome.
I have the Rigid. It's a single speed, but with new sharp knives, it should handle unruly grain pretty well; just use a light final passes. The lifetime warrantee is nice, but the real beauty of it is in the disposible blades. They are very fast to install and self align parallel to the cutter head. There is a little wiggle room side to side if you nick a blade. The dust extractor sometimes jams if I'm taking a heavy pass, but it's easy to unjam. Overall I really like the machine and would recommend it to others.
Conrad
Read further along, that was 2nd runner up, I bought the DeWalt today.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
I have irriatable Vowel syndrome.
Hey Sphere - Just wanted to say I stopped at Lowes today and while there scoped out that planer you just bought. Sweet.
I really like the fact that the bed is stationary and the head moves up and down - nice for in and outfeed rollers/flipper set up.
That friggin' thing is HEAVY, too, man. I bet that's gonna be way more stable than my Makita.
But when I cranked the thickness adjustment wheel...ohhhhhhh...very nice. Very, very nice.
Please post a review when you have formed an opinion, will you? Without running it I'd say this is a definite step up in quality from my Makita.
Jim, I only ran some Ash and White Oak ( Quartsawn and really dry, parts I removed from the house...read 100+ yrs old).
The machine is a beast. After a few passes just to get my ears used to how it likes to be fed, and watching the shavings..I started planing seriously. It is awesome.
GLASS SMOOTH. I really can't get a pic. of how tactile the surface is, and ya would need a magnifier to find a knife furrow ( if there were any). Almost as smooth as a spiral cutter head.
Gotta figgure 10K RPM w/ 3 knives at 76 feet per minute is almost perfect.
Long weekend coming up. I'll be pushing it hard to see how long the blades last.
I LOVE IT so far.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
I have irriatable Vowel syndrome.
I have two planers, but the only one I've used in the last three-four years is the little 12 1/2" Delta. It has been a great little machine considering it is a portable. I put it through a few long workouts when I first got it. 200 BF of red oak, both sides, about four passes each side. I was surprised the little universal motor held up.
Not much bigger than my lunch box and lighter too! ;-)