Two speed benchtop planers: satisfied?
Jacksmith
| Posted in Power Tools and Machinery on
HI All,
I was just wondering how many of you have bought either of the two speed ‘benchtop’ planers available on the market and if so, are you satisfied? I just bought the Delta ‘280 series because of the price break through Amazon but it is not here yet. Comments?
Replies
I bought the Delta unit soon after it came out and have been very well pleased with it. I have dimensioned and finished several hundred board feet of curly maple to a glass smooth finish without problems. I changed the blades for the first time last week without difficult (be careful-there are two little springs in the hold downs that the instruction manual doesn't mention).
AEW
Ah, that's what I wanted to hear, satisfied customers. Glad to hear you like the machine. Thanks for the warning about the springs. Not knowing about them could result in a nasty cut to the fingers! Happy milling...
John
jd
Delta two speed here. No problems so far as long as you keep it waxed and the rollers clean.
Regards...
sarge..jt
Proud member of the : "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
Sarge,
I've been reading your posts for a couple of years. I lurk often but seldom contribute though I was tempted to jump in on your dovetail session :) ... I may just have to teach myself to handcut those dt one cold day.
How long have you owned the two speed and how much do you use it, i.e. how many bf do you estimate you've run through the tool?
While I'm at it, what kind of wax do you use and what do you clean the rollers with? I suppose if I'm just patient, I'll get those answers from the owner's manual when I get my new toy... should be here sometime next week.
John
john
I have had my planer a little over a year. Don't keep records of footage, but a raw guess of between 2000 and 3000 feet. Some commercial shops could do that in a month or two, so any answer from a commercial venture that uses the Delta would be a more qualified repsonse to it's endurance capability.
Butcher's wax is my choice as I keep in on hand for finish purposes over Watco in certain applications. No silicones is the key, so any car wax without is fine. The silicone won't do anything negative to the metal, but a transfer to the wood can cause problems with finish materials.
I simply use warm soap and water to clean mine as I have it ready immediately after any extended use. I like to get the pitch off before it has a chance to set up and harden. A little stronger cleaning material is required at that point.
Regards...
sarge..jtProud member of the : "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
Thanks for an informative response, Sarge. I have no plans to go commercial so unless I do something really stupid, mine should last several years. By that time, I'm sure it will be obsolete but still serving me well with proper care and maint.
John
Just a quick update in case anyone is still checking this thread; no need for replies. I received the planer Thursday via ground UPS. Box was damaged but plenty of styrofoam packing inside. Nothing dented or scratched. Made one minor adjustment to one side of infeed table. Had not bought the dust chute but made my own of galvanized tin. Hooked up to shop vac (no dust collector yet in my humble garage) and tested on some wavy grained walnut. No snipe visible though I didn't check w/ dial caliper yet. Finish is smooth, requiring very little sanding.
I'm pleased with my purchase and at my rate of use, it should last a long time. Thanks to all for your replies and advice.
John
Ditto what Sarge said.
Marv,
Glad to hear you agree with others who've posted so far. Your reply reinforces how I feel about the choice I made. Thanks
John
JD, the new DeWalt planer has been discussed in a couple of threads recently. You might want to do a search using the model number -- seems like there are a couple of Knotheads who've bought it. I have no experience with it, but 2 advantages it has over the Delta are 3 knives instead of 2, and an automatic headlock, which I'm beginning to hanker for.
forestgirl Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>) you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
I got that recently and it is a very good machine. Accurate, no snipe (I don't know how they managed that) and those 3 knives give a glass smooth finish at the slower feed rate. I would highly recommend the chip removal attachment - it sends everything to a container of your choice. I used a standard garbage can. No dust, no cleanup.
Cheers,
Peter
edit: the auto headlock is sooo nice
Edited 1/13/2004 11:42:12 AM ET by PeterDurand
Forestgirl,
I was sorely tempted by that new Dewalt but couldn't justify the cost w/ my current budget and hobby level usage though I believe it to be a better machine. I saw one demonstrated at the Denver ww show late last year. If money were not an object at this point, I'd have sprung for the Dewalt. I had already placed my order for the Delta when I posted and wanted some feedback from current owners of the Delta. Thanks for your reply.
John
I've been very happy with my Delta as well. Haven't run a lot through it yet but what I hav has been outstanding. One tip - get the dust collector attachment! It's overpriced but gets 90+% of the shavings, and this thing can really generate sawdust.
Enjoy it!
Wayne
Wrudiger,
I was wondering about the 'chute. I know any planer will make a mess in a hurry w/out a system to suck up the waste. Glad to hear you are pleased w/ your machine. Thanks for your reply.
John
ive got the delta 2spd planer. Other then it being loud (universal motor) i have no problems with that planer. Its served me well and have been pleased with its performance.
Glad to hear another satisfied customer. Thanks for your response.
John
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