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Thread: Are Shelix heads worth the cost?

  1. #16
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
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    Yea this really comes down to a thinking game. My workshop budget just recently expanded, but I still have a very small shop and don't expect to have anything bigger for at least 3 years. So come to think about it, a larger stationary machine may be out of question. I guess what it really comes down to is whether or not it's worth putting a Shelix head on a bench top jointer. It may be a slight stretch but I should be able to fit it into my budget. The big question of how much it's really worth is still out there, but that's something I really got to think about. All this advice I've gotten and the advice still coming in are really making my decision a bit easier though.

    Something I've read online is that Shelix heads on jointers aren't worth it. I have a jet jointer with straight knives, but they say it's pointless to upgrade that to a Shelix if I have a Shelix head on a planer, because I can just do touch up work on the planer and the router is more for rough work. Sounds like good advice there, especially with the fact there's no way I have room for both on budget!

    Something off topic that I found interesting is that the new Shelix head on Amazon with free shipping is $50 less than the price on the website of the the maker of Shelix.

  2. #17
    I have a insert cutter head on my jet jointer. I wish I would have done it sooner. I find myself using the jointer twice as much as before. I say, if its in your budget go for it. You won't be sorry. Anyone who says they aren't worth it, doesn't have one. I never heard anyone say they wish they had their straight knives back.

  3. #18
    I never regretted buying a Lie-Nielsen because I knew if I didn't find myself using it I could turn around and sell it at 90% of retail.

    Point being you can't do that with a new machine or a machine upgrade like a cutterhead. If your woodworking equipment dollars are finite... well, I seldom regretted any tool I ever bought but I sold plenty of them after I found they weren't useful to me anymore. The only machines I lost money on were the ones I bought new.

  4. #19
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Lewiston, Idaho
    Posts
    28,504
    You will get about as many opinions as there are members at SMC about Shelix and similar heads.

    I have a similar head on a 8" Grizzly jointer. My reason for buying it? No alignments when you change blades/bits/cutterheads. Loosen or remove a screw, rotate the cutterhead 90º, reinstall and torque screw and GO!

    If I ever have to replace my Ridgid 13" lunchbox planer, I will probably look at replacing it with a something with similar cutterheads as it's quieter and no alignments after cutter changes.
    Ken

    So much to learn, so little time.....

  5. #20
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Northwestern Connecticut
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    7,149
    Re: Shelix head on jointer. Definitely worth it. In fact, I chose to do that one first. You can't plane off the edges of boards, they are visible and need good surfaces, I was getting as much tear out there or more than on faces. It's true that a shelix planer may clean up wide faces behind a straight knife jointer, but not always enough room to flatten and clean up deep tear out.

  6. #21
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Location
    Glen Mills, PA
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    I know it would be worth it in a jointer, I wasn't debating that. I just heard that if I had to choose between a jointer and planer, I should buy a Shelix head for the planer first

  7. #22
    I have experience with your original question, about putting the shelix on the DeWalt or getting a bigger machine.

    I had the DeWalt lunchbox. I was planing a lot of reclaimed lumber and really going through blades. I got a Byrd head for it. It was a fairly easy install, the machine got much quieter and dust collection was better.
    The negative was that the Byrd head actually takes more horsepower to run, so my depth of cut per pass was reduced.
    I had the oportunity to trade up to a Bridgewood 15" with straight knives. I did that and never looked back. It's "only" 2" wider than the DeWalt, but it's way more than twice the machine. Even with the straight knives, it outperformed the lunchbox in every way. It was a screamer though, like an air raid siren.

    If I had it to do over again, I'd skip the lunchbox and go to at least a 15" stationary machine.
    I'm currently saving up to put a Byrd head on my P-24...

    Hope this helps,
    Paul

  8. #23
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    Albuquerque NM
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    500
    I think it all depends on your situation. I have this Oliver 144 6" jointer that has a 1hp 3ph motor on the head and the motor shaft is also the jointer head shaft. It is so cool that I am sending it out to be retrofitted with a Shelix head. The jointer and stand weigh just over 700lbs. It is just to cool looking to let sit idle. P.S., it has the "Clamshell" head on it now and those are widow makers.
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  9. #24
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    Feb 2014
    Location
    Glen Mills, PA
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    There's not even a Shelix head for my 6" Jet jointer so I guess that's out of the question anyway. I got it for a good price. I got a lot of extra blades with it, and while I never changed straight blades yet, man it looks like a huge pain!

  10. #25
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    So Cal
    Posts
    866
    One thing to realize is that the benchtop planers are awfully noisy and alsp have a shorter life span than stationaly planers. When I first started I had the Delta benchtop and upgraded to a floor unit very quickly. My opinion is that being a benchtop it is too much additional money to put a shelix head on a Dewalt planer. I am not sure how small is your space but it may be a good idea to look and see how you can fit in a floor model or a combo jointer / planer. In my prior house I was in a one car garage and had a 12" jointer / planer combo, a Unisaw, an Oneida Gorilla cyclone in addition to a full size bench etc. Saying this to illustrate it may be possible with some thinking to fit in a larger machine.

  11. #26
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    Feb 2014
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    Glen Mills, PA
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    Quote Originally Posted by Frank Martin View Post
    One thing to realize is that the benchtop planers are awfully noisy and alsp have a shorter life span than stationaly planers. When I first started I had the Delta benchtop and upgraded to a floor unit very quickly. My opinion is that being a benchtop it is too much additional money to put a shelix head on a Dewalt planer. I am not sure how small is your space but it may be a good idea to look and see how you can fit in a floor model or a combo jointer / planer. In my prior house I was in a one car garage and had a 12" jointer / planer combo, a Unisaw, an Oneida Gorilla cyclone in addition to a full size bench etc. Saying this to illustrate it may be possible with some thinking to fit in a larger machine.
    Yea that's mostly my big question: if a table top planer is even worth the Shelix head. I already have a jointer so I don't really have much consideration for a combo machine even though I should of bought one. It would be possible to buy a stationary one, I can just put it on wheels which is possible. Considering I was thinking about spending $600 for a new Dewalt planer, I can probably find a used stationary one for not much more, like in the $1000 range. A planer is one machine I don't mind shelling bucks out for because I feel it's one of the most commonly used machines and it's also one of the closest parts to the final product. Once my shop is complete which is right around the corner, I'm probably going to take on a huge project like a coffee table. I have a lot of woodworking experience, I just never owned my own shop. If I sell the motorcycle I never use that's sitting in my shop, I can extend my budget even more. So maybe going stationary is my answer...

  12. #27
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    Feb 2014
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    Glen Mills, PA
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    I actually just same across a stationary one on craigslist:
    http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/tls/4414486738.html

    I know nothing about old planers though so I don't know if I'm getting a fair deal or not. But $900 is only $300 more than the Dewalt lunch box I was considering

  13. #28
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Evanston, IL
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    1,424
    Two things to add to what has already been said:
    1. Blade changes are much easier on the Dewalt than on some other straight blade machines. The blades are self-aligning, so all you have to do is drop them in and tighten.
    2. The Dewalt gives a very good finish cut for a benchtop unit. In fact, the 735 gave me a better finish cut than the 15" stationary Delta that replaced it. I can certainly remove wood faster now, but I spend more time with the handplane or sander.

    If you have the space and the money, get a bigger machine and a Byrd head. If not, you might be very happy with the 735 as is.

  14. #29
    From talking to customers the biggest reason they seem to want to change to the Byrd head on the DW735 is the factory knives do not last very long and are expensive. One guy kept six sets in his truck and all times and at $50 a set the math starts to work out. WebRep


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  15. #30
    Makita planers have a couple of issues: 1. the rollers age and need replacing. 2. they are 110v machines running universal (brush type) motors, so they are loud and power is limited. The one you're considering is the wider model they sold.

    I had a Belsaw for awhile and really liked it. They are simple to understand and are generally overpowered with 3-5hp motors. You might consider one if you can bear the width limitations.
    Last edited by Loren Woirhaye; 04-25-2014 at 12:05 PM.

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