Under $10k 24" Planer, Oliver, Northfield, Buss, Cresent

[Chris Stormer]

Looking for the best planer I can find for under 10k.

Oliver #299-D
Northfield #7
Buss #44
Cresent P24

Are all of the above essentially equal and I should just base it on price and condition of machine?

The cresent's appear to be a little cheaper than everything else but I don't know if that is because they are cheaper or some other issue.

[Thomas S Stockton]

Chris,
Seems like with that budget you should have many more choices. Some of the old iron is missing some really nice features you can find on newer machines like tersa cutterheads, variable feed speeds and motor driven table raising.
Not really current on the prices of the planers you mention but 10k seems really steep for those models, I would also look at the italian planers.
Tom

[Scott Rychnovsky]

Here is one that has been floating around Craigslist in my area for a while. If it were in good shape, some shipping costs might make sense.

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/ant...468045939.html

Scott

[jack forsberg]

Looking for the best planer I can find for under 10k.

Oliver #299-D
Northfield #7
Buss #44
Cresent P24

Are all of the above essentially equal and I should just base it on price and condition of machine?

The cresent's appear to be a little cheaper than everything else but I don't know if that is because they are cheaper or some other issue.

you can have everyone on that list and still have money left over to restore them to the 9s. planners in that class go for $1000 top and much less most of the time.

[Bradley Gray]

Like Jack said. I have an American Sawmill planer 24 x 8 that I paid $800. for with a blower and duct work. Buy old iron and bank the rest!

[Peter Quinn]

Have you considered a used Italian model, like SCMI, Griggio, SAC, Casadei, etc.? Nothing like a power lift table with digital readout and tersa head to make you lose the nostalgia of owning a bit of history. I used to work in a place with a bus planer, perfect thing for taking off 1/2" per pass, louder than sin, not as I recall even close to as accurate as the casadei in the other building. A budget of $10K should make a lot of used options available to you.

[David Kumm]

Realistically, for a good machine in good running condition you are in the 4-7K range with the Northfield or Oliver. The northfield is still supported so they tend to be higher and the oliver should have the ITCH head at the 6-7K range. An older type 2 299 with a straight blade and grinder will go 3-5K depending on condition. Crescent is really heavy and a nice planer but they run 1-3K tops. I passed on a pristine P24 for 500 a few years ago. Nice machine but didn't have the room. Buss and Whitney are the top of the food chain. Buss may go less than oliver or Northfield just because few know about them and they tend to be very heavy wedge bed with multiple rollers. I'd guess 1-3K unless rehabbed.

Newer Euro planers will be in the 4-6K range too. SCMI, Griggio, EMA, and SAC come to mind. I just bought a 2005 SAC 530 TERSA delivered for 5K which I consider a normal price ( maybe good considering delivery ). I am not a bottom feeder and will pay dealer price if i trust the dealer to have fixed up the machine. Otherwise i figure on 500-1000 minimum for "surprises". You can have patience and find way better bargains but if new to the old machine game, a planer is not the machine to learn on. Too complicated and mistakes in assessment can cost real money. Start with a table saw, jointer, or even a shaper and learn. Dave

PS machine prices can be all over the place so you can widen my ranges and still find machines within.

[Rick Fisher]

I would buy a used Italian planer for the money ..

[Loren Woirhaye]

For a big heavy planer in that class, I would go vintage if the price was really right and I'd be intrigued if there was a knife grinder.

Otherwise, I'd look at a used SCMI or something like that. I love old iron but mostly because of the bang for the buck I get once in awhile when I find a piece that's both cheap for what it can do and close enough to be cheap to move.

Big machines like that can be hard to move and hard for sellers to unload. You should look at auctions for real world prices. If you're looking on Craigslist, a lot of that old industrial machinery is overpriced, imo. Some of the sellers buy at auction and try to flip machines.

[joe milana]

Can we post links to ebay & CL? There's a Northfield #7 with carbide on ebay that looks nice, but 10k! Not sure if that's reasonable. Also, there is a crescent p24 on the Kansas city CL. $1800 Looks rough, but it runs, and looks like a good candidate for restoration.

I look almost every day, and I don't see machines anywhere near as cheap as you guys claim.

[David Kumm]

Most Ebay stuff is high for planers but the market seems to have firmed up for them lately. My 299 ITCH is as good a planer as you can buy for the 6K I paid but it is a beast if it needs to be moved. Even the grinder is heavy. Unless the planer can sit forever in one spot, the euro are much more user friendly. About 2000 lbs vs 3500. 2K is easy to move with a pallet jack, 3500 needs an electric or forklift. Both the Oliver and northfield helical heads need to be ground in place and you need to develop that skill. Doesn't need it enough to get really good at it unless you run all day long. I never ran dirty crappy wood over an insert head for that reason. A straight knife with an onboard grinder and someone who knows how to sharpen will give as good a finish as you need. For me the Tersa is the best compromise. The thin blades don't dissipate heat like a heavy straight knife but it sure is nice to slip them in and out, shift them slightly when nicked, and remove for a crap set when roughing crap wood. Good and bad with each type. The heavy cast iron machines are bulletproof if in good condition. Electrics are easy to fix and replace. A good Euro isn't quite as well built but will outlast most of us. electrics are much more complicated. Motorized table movement is nice but also check the DC motor controller if variable drive on the rollers. That is the one unit on my SAC that is proprietary. Everything else is modular and off the shelf. Euro may have a second outfeed roller which hopefully will be on a separate motor. Old cast iron machines will usually have only one outfeed roller but the bed rollers will be powered. Only reason to have them in my world is if they are powered. More trouble than they are worth otherwise. Older straight machines are usually 5 hp with a 1-2 hp second motor. Insert heads should be 7.5 with a second motor. Euro machines tend to be 7.5-9 hp. Old cast iron 18" machines are quite different so little of this applies to them. Still good but not built the same as the 24". Dave

[Paul Incognito]

I got a P-24 shipped for under 3k a couple of years ago. It came to me from Michigan, pretty much plug and play.
I think Dave's price ranges are pretty accurate.
For 10k you'll be able to get a really nice machine with a grinder or an insert head.
Let us know how you make out.
PI

[peter gagliardi]

Well, you don't spec your width, but by looking at a Oliver 299, I'm guessing you want 24" plus on width?? Far as I know, Euro stuff stops at 24" . The Buss would get you to 30".
So width will dictate. The 3 best big US planers are Buss, Whitney, and Greenlee, though the Greenlees are rare. All wedge bed, and 8k lbs minimum.
The best bang for the buck is to buy an old US iron machine for $1-2k, then put a Byrd, or Terminus head in -$4k, then put a digital scale on the table -$1-200 .
Planers, and jointers are "dumb" machines, buy a good used unit, and save your money for a "smart" shaper!

[Chris Stormer]

wow,

Tons of great information, thank you guys.

I'm getting my ideas for prices on CL's, XFactory & Ebay and yes they are all over the place. I don't mind paying more if the machine runs well.

I'm looking for solid machines with good features. I think the info you guys gave about Italian machines really opens ups some possibilities.

For example one of the pieces I'm producing is this: http://instagram.com/p/pBbKkYClX5/

I just don't have the proper equipment and it seems that the old iron equipment would give me the most bang for my buck but after reading some of the messages it seems like maybe I should take a really hard look at the SCMI machines.

[Larry Edgerton]

Have you considered a used Italian model, like SCMI, Griggio, SAC, Casadei, etc.? Nothing like a power lift table with digital readout and tersa head to make you lose the nostalgia of owning a bit of history. I used to work in a place with a bus planer, perfect thing for taking off 1/2" per pass, louder than sin, not as I recall even close to as accurate as the casadei in the other building. A budget of $10K should make a lot of used options available to you.

I have had nice old iron, but I would not trade my SCM for any of them. I bought mine new for $13K but they sell used for 5-6k.

Larry