Large Planer / Jointer reviews???

[Jim DeMarco]

Hello all, I have searched, and searched but have not found any good information. What I am looking for is this:
1. Looking to purchase a 20" planer, have all of the technical inof on just about anything made. Does anyone know of any magazine review on larger shop equipment? I think I have narrowed my choices to Powermatic and Delta, possibly General?
2. Pretty much the same as above, except 8" or maybe 12" jointer. Also can anyone tell me who makes Oliver now??

I prefer sticking to 1ph power, but will consider 3ph limiting HP to about 5 (phase converter can only run 7.5 HP)

Thank you all for any help and/or info you can provide.

Jim

[Rob Russell]

Oliver is an import that bought the Oliver name.

Re your phase convertor, is it a 7.5 HP idler motor? If so, you should be able to run 10+ HP of motors are the same time, with a largest motor of 7.5 HP.

[Todd Burch]

Jim, look at the Minimax 20" combo jointer/planer. I have the Felder 22" combo unit. Having a wide jointer is awesome.

Todd

[Jeff A. Smith]

Jim, look at the Minimax 20" combo jointer/planer. I have the Felder 22" combo unit. Having a wide jointer is awesome.

Todd

I thought the FS/41 (16") was their biggest combo???

Jeff Smith
Athens, AL

[Dev Emch]

General of Canada makes a 20 inch planer. Its very hard to get one as not many of these were sold. During the early to mid 90s, I actually drove to the general plant and picked one up. Saved a bunch on freight and that was worth while.

The 14 inch and 20 inch general of canada planers are awsome. My 20 inch planer was solid cast iron to the floor and the main body was a single casting. It is comes stock with a four knife head. As I ordered this planer, I was lucky enough to get it with a 5 HP single phase baldor motor. Shortly afterwards, I went to three phase and never looked back. In general, this was an incredible planer! I sold this planer with hardly a scratch on it and now I regret it. Not that I do not like the planer I replaced it with mind you... I replaced it with a mint condition 1968 Oliver 299 which is 24 inches wide.

About 2 years after I bought my general planer, general began the general international business and really took away many incentives for buying the north american machines. I paid around $5000 dollars new for this planer. Two years later, this planer was around $10,000 USD and the last I heard, the price was pushing $11,000 dollars. The main reason given was that the accountents had not readjusted the foundary and labor expenses in years and it was time to readjust these costs. Whatever.... this hurts and it hurts bad. I personally believe that the company was just making to much money off the international line and lost its hungry edge. They discontinued the 24 inch planer and the number of 20 inchers sold can be counted on one hand since 1995!

The current oliver is only a marketing front for a taiwan made machine. The company name was sold to this outfit and these machines are blue. The olivers of note are teal green with red & white namplates and the pre 1955 ones have the black and gold eagle nameplates known as "brass chickens". Note that used olivers may have been painted! Often they show up at dealers who slobber them gray in a hap hazzard way.

[Alan Turner]

Dev,
What is that you don't like about the Oliver 299? Any details would be appreciated as I just acquired one, but am awaing the completion of a roof before untarping it. Any tips and tricks would be appreciated.

[Todd Burch]

Jeff, beats me?!!!! If you say so, it must be. Shows you how much I know about the MM line.

Alan, you gotta stop drinking at 3:51am. It's starting to show in your typing.

[John Renzetti]

Hi Todd, There is a 20" model both by MM and the larger SCMI. They are just not imported into the USA. There are only two 20" capacity J/P's coming into the USA now-Felder has them in the bigger 900 and Format line. And Laguna has them from Robland. Laguna used to have a 24" made by Hoffman of Germany, but it was so expensive at around $25k, that there was really no market for it. I don't think they carry Hoffman anymore. Dev I believe bought one of their last Hoffman shapers that was in stock.
take care,
John

[Steve Wargo]

If I'm not mistaken I believe that Griggio also offers a 20" Jointer/Planer to the US. Very quiet machines.

[Jim Hager]

I sure like this planer. I have had it now for 9-10 years and haven't had to do a darn thing to it other than clean it up and sharpen the knives. I run a lot of red oak through it and it does a fantastic job. I believe it is a 5hp, and it runs on single phase but I'm sure it is available in 3 phase too. I really like the ease of adjustment in the bed rollers when I run into some really rough material. I keep the bed waxed and I don't have any trouble with feeding issues. The dust collection is excellent and the hood comes with the planer not as an add on. This is made overseas somewhere but it is well built. Best light duty industrial planer that I have ever used. I wish I knew who made it and if it was available in some other "brand" to make it cheaper for you to buy but I don't. I bought this planer after a really bad experience with a woodmaster. But that is a different story alltogether. Good luck in your search.

[Jim Becker]

Reviews of the wider stuff are unusual...most of the publications cater to the "consumer" market which is much, much larger than the pro and "serious hobbiest" marketplace that buys the wider stuff. A long time ago, WOOD did include a 20" Grizzly in their review of 15" planers, largely because it was priced similar to the others they were looking at and they felt it was a good option in that space.

I'll pile on the motion to consider a wider J/P combo...you get a whole lot of machine in less space and the cost is generally less than buying separates of the same capacity. The ease of knife maintenance with systems such as Tersa that are usually included on them is also wonderful. 20", however, does push you up in the price spectrum...

"Oliver" is being imported, I believe, by the Sunhill folks on the north, left-coast. The reviews of their 10" jointer have been good.

[Alan Turner]

Alan, you gotta stop drinking at 3:51am. It's starting to show in your typing.

Todd, Iv'e never been a good (or accurate) typist, and am even a worse proofreader. But, that said, I never start drinkling till 5 a.m., local prevailing time.

[Todd Burch]

Thats good Alan. Very good. Anyone who starts drinking before 5AM, in my book, is a lush.

(Now, if said drinking started the day prior, continuing to drink past 5AM is commendable. )

[Paul B. Cresti]

Hello all, I have searched, and searched but have not found any good information. What I am looking for is this:
1. Looking to purchase a 20" planer, have all of the technical inof on just about anything made. Does anyone know of any magazine review on larger shop equipment? I think I have narrowed my choices to Powermatic and Delta, possibly General?
2. Pretty much the same as above, except 8" or maybe 12" jointer. Also can anyone tell me who makes Oliver now??

I prefer sticking to 1ph power, but will consider 3ph limiting HP to about 5 (phase converter can only run 7.5 HP)

Thank you all for any help and/or info you can provide.

Jim

Jim,
As others have suggested I would consider a European J/P in the 16-20" range. If you compare apples to apples in quality machinery the J/P combo is cheaper. I am sorry if I offend anyone but import machines just can not compare to a European machine in performance or quality. I did use to own a General 14" planer model 130 and that one is made in Canada. The Canadian made General machinery is built and performs great but it is not cheap at all. The General line is the only other machinery I would consider after the European machines now. There just is no other USA made machines anymore ( a few exceptions: Northfield, Ritter..)
MM does have a 20" j/p but it is under their Formula series and it is not a normal import. You would have to check with them on it. I have the FS41 (16" j/p) and it is great.

[Mark Singer]

Paul knows about this stuff and is very helpful! He helped me make a big decision and he has done lots of research!