Grizzly planer specifications

[Phil Simard]

I'm in the market for a new planer. I looked at the Grizzly 20 inch with spiral cutterhead G0454Z and 5 HP motor. In their specifications sheet, they claim that the planer can take a 1/8 in. cut on a full 20 inch board. How realistic this information is? Could I easily do that with hard/sugar maple?

[scott vroom]

Yes as long as the in-out feed tables are waxed. The 5HP motor is plenty powerful, but the table friction is your enemy on wide stock/deep cuts.

[george wilson]

I will relate that the maintenance shop next to my toolmaker's shop in Williamsburg museum got a 15" Jet. They could not make it take a deep enough cut,and asked me to take a look. I examined their 4 post planer,and concluded that the table would slip down the posts when under enough pressure. It was a design limitation.

However,I think the 20",being a larger machine,will take off 1/8" in a pass. I have a 15" Taiwan made Bridgewood myself,which planes marvelously smooth,but I haven't tried really pushing the depth of cut since I'm not making large projects.

[Jim Neeley]

Phil,

That depends upon the feed rate; if the feed rate was slow *enough*, 1/4" would be do-able.

That said, why would you want to take that deep of a cut and does it really matter if it only takes 6/64" or 7/64" instead of 8/64 (1/8"). It may be OK for hogging away but you're unlikely to get a smooth finish with that thick of a cut anyway.

Jim

[Phil Simard]

Thanks for your answers!
I agree that 6 or 7/64 would not change nothing to my planing schedule, especially if a want to finish with a light pass on both side for finishing. I was just curious if it was realistic. I Will be upgrading from a Dewalt 735 planer that can barely take 1/16 in on a 6 inch board...

Phil

[Jim Andrew]

You might consider a 15" planer, they are a huge upgrade from a lunchbox. I have taken 1/8" from a 8" piece, but if you stay at 1/16" you can plane at the fast speed. I'm amazed at the speed I can plane down a pile of lumber, although it takes several passes. Better keep a close eye on your barrel, it fills very quickly.