How/When do you use the disengage/engage lever on a planer?

[Bob Vavricka]

The DC-580 planer I bought used has a lever to engage and disengage the feed rolls. Other planers I have used don't have a lever to disengage the feed rolls-they are always engaged and turning when the planer is on. If your planer has such a lever, when do you use it? Is there any problem just leaving it engaged all the time. The instruction manual I have doesn't address this.
Thanks.

[Dave Cav]

First of all, no pictures, didn't happen.

Second, congratulations on getting a great planer. I hope you got a good deal on it. We have one at my school woodshop. It's been in service for well over 10 years. The students beat the crap out of it, and it keeps working along. We have had to do virtually no repairs on it other than normal knife changes; last week I finally adjusted the bed gibs probably for the first time ever. Last year I put a Byrd head in it, which was a huge improment in terms of cut quality and reduced maintenance. It's a great planer, and I would recommend that anyone that finds one jump on it.

I don't know what the clutch lever is for, either. We never use it. I do know that all the old school iron planers like Powermatics usually had some sort of clutch to disengage the feed mechanism, and my guess is it's to make it easier, faster or safer to remove a stuck board, or to disengage the feed in case something that isn't supposed to go through the planer, does, since if you push the stop button the planer still has to wind down. The old '70s vintage Powermatic 180 I have at home has a clutch on the feed, and I never use it, either.

Maybe someone else will come in with more reasons.

[Paul Incognito]

My Oliver 199 has this lever as well. I leave it engaed all the time. Like Dave says, it's nice that it's there in case you have to disengage the feed for some reason, but other than that I don't use it.
My Oliver had a leather belt, maybe they need to be more gradually engaged? I replaced the leather with an automotive serpentine belt. It squeals on start-up, but works fine.
Paul

[David Kumm]

Probably a little easier on the motor during start up. Isn't under full load right away. Dave

[Matthew Hills]

My Parks has a lever to disengage the feed rolls as well.
From the 1983 planer manual:
"Note: Use throwout lever to stop feed rolls only in case of emergency"

They don't have this warning in another reprinted manual that I have. (It just warns to not force the lever when re-engaging the feed rolls)

Matt

[Jeff Duncan]

Just curious.....is it multiple feed speed machine? On my Italian planer I have to disengage before I change the speeds.....otherwise I have no idea

JeffD

[Bob Vavricka]

Just curious.....is it multiple feed speed machine? On my Italian planer I have to disengage before I change the speeds.....otherwise I have no idea

JeffD

Jeff, the feed is two speed and requires a belt change so I would be shutting the machine down before attempting to do that.
This planer only has one motor which runs both the feed rolls and cutterhead and the belts are in the same location. When you disengage the feed rolls it drops a pulley down and the motor pulley just slips on the belt so the feed rolls don't turn. There is a brake pad below the pulley that drops down. No way I would attempt a belt change until the motor is at a full stop.