I've been thinking about dispensing with my portable planer and moving
up to one of the larger stationary models, probably a 15 inch. If you
have experience using these animules, I'm curious as to whether you
think a stationary table offers any significant advantage. I like the
fact that the Jet and Powermatic planers both have the motor mounted in
the lower cabinet, but that means the head is stationary and the table
moves up and down when you adjust for thickness. Problem? I can
imagine that it would be handy to have auxiliary stationary infeed and
outfeed platforms, but not with a planer of this design.

I'm kinda leaning towards the Delta 15"; comments on this model?

And what about those "return to infeed position" rollers on the tops of
the stationary-head models? Those look kinda handy, and you can't do
that with the Delta; you have to carry the board back around to the
front of the planer to refeed.

On Fri, 11 Jul 2003 14:27:57 GMT, Steve Turner
wrote:

I've been thinking about dispensing with my portable planer and moving
up to one of the larger stationary models, probably a 15 inch.

I'm very unimpressed with these. It probably varies between brands,
but the combination of feature-competition on the "suitcase" models
and cost-reduction on the cast iron 15" four-posts means that there's
little between them now.

I'm using a £400 suitcase and have already refused a few modern
Taiwanese four-posts. When I do upgrade it, it's going to be to a S/H
Wadkin or similar, costing best part of £1000. I just don't think
there's anything in the middle worth having.

I've got a stationary table Rockwell Invicta, and the one up at the school
is a stationary table Grizzly. In a small shop the stationary table is a
nice feature, as you can build your own tables, stands and such to allow
operation with minimum rearranging. In a large shop, not so important, as
you can allow a permanent two foot by say 24' area for the planer.

As to return rollers, I've never used them much, even on the planers which
have them. Best lay boards on sawhorses on one side, table on the other as
the passes are taken. Unless you lower the feed to an uncomfortably low
level, you'll screw up your back hefting the long and thick to the top for
return rollers, which, BTW are for one board at a time operation, not one
project's worth at a time.

Any planer with an honest-rated induction motor and bed rollers beats a
lunchbox type.

"Steve Turner" wrote in message
.. .
I've been thinking about dispensing with my portable planer and moving
up to one of the larger stationary models, probably a 15 inch. If you
have experience using these animules, I'm curious as to whether you
think a stationary table offers any significant advantage. I like the
fact that the Jet and Powermatic planers both have the motor mounted in
the lower cabinet, but that means the head is stationary and the table
moves up and down when you adjust for thickness. Problem? I can
imagine that it would be handy to have auxiliary stationary infeed and
outfeed platforms, but not with a planer of this design.

I'm kinda leaning towards the Delta 15"; comments on this model?

And what about those "return to infeed position" rollers on the tops of
the stationary-head models? Those look kinda handy, and you can't do
that with the Delta; you have to carry the board back around to the
front of the planer to refeed.

I wanted a stationary table, but Greg Leneave at Leneave Supply talked me
out of it, because of more effort in changing the knives. After three
years, I still haven't changed them, so I'm not sure I made the right
choice. I would like an outfeed table, but have done OK with a roller
stand.

You'll love the 15" if you have any heavy/hard work to do. It really throws
the shavings!

I use the top rollers all the time, with a helper and without!

Greg is a good source...much cheaper than Delta.
Wilson


"Steve Turner" wrote in message
.. .
I've been thinking about dispensing with my portable planer and moving
up to one of the larger stationary models, probably a 15 inch. If you
have experience using these animules, I'm curious as to whether you
think a stationary table offers any significant advantage. I like the
fact that the Jet and Powermatic planers both have the motor mounted in
the lower cabinet, but that means the head is stationary and the table
moves up and down when you adjust for thickness. Problem? I can
imagine that it would be handy to have auxiliary stationary infeed and
outfeed platforms, but not with a planer of this design.

I'm kinda leaning towards the Delta 15"; comments on this model?

And what about those "return to infeed position" rollers on the tops of
the stationary-head models? Those look kinda handy, and you can't do
that with the Delta; you have to carry the board back around to the
front of the planer to refeed.

Steve Turner wrote in message ...
I've been thinking about dispensing with my portable planer and moving
up to one of the larger stationary models, probably a 15 inch. If you
have experience using these animules, I'm curious as to whether you
think a stationary table offers any significant advantage. I like the
fact that the Jet and Powermatic planers both have the motor mounted in
the lower cabinet, but that means the head is stationary and the table
moves up and down when you adjust for thickness. Problem? I can
imagine that it would be handy to have auxiliary stationary infeed and
outfeed platforms, but not with a planer of this design.

I'm kinda leaning towards the Delta 15"; comments on this model?

And what about those "return to infeed position" rollers on the tops of
the stationary-head models? Those look kinda handy, and you can't do
that with the Delta; you have to carry the board back around to the
front of the planer to refeed.

I have used several 15" planers of various manufacture, none of them
had return rollers. I have little Jet 12" portable that's about 5
years old with rollers. I've used a couple of 20" planers with
rollers. I would vote for rollers, especially if you tend to tag
team with someone else -- one person feeding and one person catching
to skip plane large stacks of long stock. If it adds heaps to the
cost, however, you can always build/buy/mount a set rollers to the
planer yourself.

hex
-30-

George wrote:
Any planer with an honest-rated induction motor and bed rollers beats a
lunchbox type.

And that's really the main thing for me. A nice, smooth, beefy induction motor
with lots of power that doesn't scream like a banshee. I'm assuming that the
fixed head vs. fixed table thing is a minor decision point, but I'm just
curious if anyone has strong feelings one way or the other.