spiral cutterheads – just how quiet?
I own a ridgid benchtop planer that is so loud that I feel my ear muffs are not enough. I plane with my garage door closed to help reduce the noise for the neighbors. That probably compounds the problem as noise ricochets back into my ears but the noise is simply intolerable and I cringe whenever I have to use the planer.
I have been researching buying a new planer with a spiral cutterhead and everyone says they reduce the noise but I have had a hard time finding quantifiable data. I remember reading that my planer puts out 100 + db noise. I think there is a 3 year old article in FWW that says you get a 10 db reduction with the cutterheads – that is a very noticeable improvement but maybe not good enough if your major consideration in replacing planer due to noise – 90 to 95db planer is still too noisy for my taste. I also wonder if a planer with a separate motor and pully system is better to help reduce noise than the types of motors you find in a portable planer. Where can I find some resource that helps quantify the noise levels of planers out on the market?
Replies
I have the Byrd head in my Powermatic 15HH planer and at first I thought it was not cutting wood at all, until it came out the other side nice and flat and smooth. I am not going into Db ratings, (don't have a meter and the individual environment makes a big difference as well) but this head is WAY quieter than the knife head. You also have to remember that lunchbox-type planers have lots of thin panels that can make noise worse yet where the larger cast iron machines soak up some of that noise.
I have a video in the my review of the 15HH (link below) in which the planer is running but it is a vdeo and not he machine running in your shop so it offers an idea of the sound only.
http://www.newwoodworker.com/reviews/pm15hhrvu.html
Tom Hintz
Because there is always more to learn!
Moat of the noise from your planer is from the motor. It's a router type motor geared down to give enough torque. A full size planer and induction motor will be quieter with a standard head and more so with a helical head.
I went from the Ridgid, gracious that was loud, to a York 15" with a Byrd Shellix head. The noise went from unbearable even with earmuffs on to quiet enough to talk in a normal voice while standing beside the planer. It's like the difference between a fuel dragster in full song, and a pickup truck with mufflers. With the Ridgid my family left the house when I ran the planer in my basement shop. With the Byrd head York my wife doesn't even turn the TV up! You will really like the difference in the noise level.
Bruce
What RickL said, it's the motor that makes the noise with a benchtop planer. A floor machine with a spiral cutterhead will be much more quiet, but so will a floor machine with a standard cutterhead. In my book the determiner should be quality and noise second, and on that note a spiral cutterhead will produce superior results.
However, not to contradict myself, but I sold my powermatic 15s and now have a Minimax with a tersa cutterhead. It's quiet and hands down is the best performing planer I have ever owned.
This is good to hear - I had my wife plane a board and I stood outside the closed garage to see how bad the noise was and even with a reasonably insulated garage it still was loud - it is as if I was standing in the front yard running a leaf blower - that level of loudness - it is funny how this is not really mentioned - if I had known it would be so loud I would have maybe waited and bought a decent machine to begin with so this helps to get real world advice from people who own the tools I am considering - thanks to all who posted.
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