Can I buy a Grizzly planer w/o motor?

[dirk martin]

I want to hire my Amish neighbor to do a large amount of planing for me. All small boards.
He has a couple of planers, already, but they are huge, and don't do a very good job for my needs.

His dad's using this planer a lot now, for other work, so his son can no longer use it.

So I'm planning on buying this model for my neighbor to use for my work.
The G0453 has been replaced with the G0453w, by Grizzly.
I'll also get the Shelix cutterhead.

Since he's Amish, anyone know if I can order that planer without the motor, and save a few bucks?
Or without the enclosed stand, for that matter, too?

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Dirk,

I think this question has been answered in the past by Grizzly and the answer was no. Call Grizzly and ask them.

[Sean Troy]

I want to hire my Amish neighbor to do a large amount of planing for me. All small boards.
He has a couple of planers, already, but they are huge, and don't do a very good job for my needs.

His dad's using this planer a lot now, for other work, so his son can no longer use it.

So I'm planning on buying this model for my neighbor to use for my work.
The G0453 has been replaced with the G0453w, by Grizzly.
I'll also get the Shelix cutterhead.

Since he's Amish, anyone know if I can order that planer without the motor, and save a few bucks?
Or without the enclosed stand, for that matter, too?

I gotta ask, how would the planer work with no motor? There is no way to set it up to use by hand that would get the cutter going fast enough to cut correctly?

[Charles Taylor]

I gotta ask, how would the planer work with no motor?

They'll drive it via belts from a diesel engine or something like that.

[John Lanciani]

I gotta ask, how would the planer work with no motor? There is no way to set it up to use by hand that would get the cutter going fast enough to cut correctly?

A lot of the Amish shops use a Diesel to drive a hydraulic pump and they install hydraulic motors on the machines.

[Erik Loza]

A lot of the Amish shops use a Diesel to drive a hydraulic pump and they install hydraulic motors on the machines.

The whole Amish thing is very interesting to me. I have sold a fair amount of machines to the them over the years and it seems like some groups permit the use of this or that, while some don't. I did have an Amish customer ask me once if I would sell him an edgebander without the motor and had to explain that it would be cheaper for him to just buy the machine as it was, then remove the motor and perhaps sell it separately. Maybe just me but I've always had positive experiences in dealing with the Amish. At the trade shows, it will be Dad and then his sons and I just ask them directly, how they run the machines and it's always been good conversations, nothing secretive. Over the years, I have had some tell me that they ran the machine as it was, but off diesel generators. Some were with compressed air and one was a giant mainshaft, with (I guess, it was only described to me on the phone) each machine being driven off belts from that. Interesting stuff.

Erik

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Erik, where my wife grew up there were Amish. I believe it's up to the local church and elders what is permitted. My first experience in the area was riding at dusk with my father-in-law. I saw a several kids with books in hand heading for the barn as dusk settled. I ask my FIL why they were doing that. He said "They are Amish. They use kerosene lamps in the house for lighting but have electricity in the barn. They are going to the barn to do their homework."

[eugene thomas]

Around me every Amish shop been in they use diesel engine to power a main shaft and they use belt to each tool or whatever . Seen one shop that had brand new 718 router with cable sticking out of top... few weeks later same shop had guy with hand needing some healing time from same router...

[dirk martin]

They plan on running this planer by removing the motor, and then have a long belt that goes outside to a round marry-go-round to the nearby school playground. When the children are on break, they will run on the marry-go-round, and power the planer. Proper gearing, will get it up to speed. 6 strong boys at a time, running in shifts, should work fine....or 10 young girls. There is concern, however, with the girl's long dresses getting caught in the pulley, but that's not a big deal. If I pay an extra $1/hr, the school teacher has agreed to push the children, using a switch (thin tree branch) from a tree.

Ok...all kidding aside....

I work with the Amish a lot.....more and more, every month.
I've never known any to allow A.C. electricity, so I find that barn story, odd.
They can use batteries.

They always modify their machines to be belt driven.
Often to be run by a single gas engine.
Other times they'll have a larger engine running a main shaft (that may run underground), that has many pulleys on the shaft. They then engage belts on those pulleys that go to individual machines. I always hated how I have a 5HP motor on each machine, even tho I run each, one at a time. It would be so much cheaper and smarter to use one motor in my shop, if I could easily use it on each of the machines. The Amish have solved that.

My neighbor that makes doors, does have a large hand router that runs from a flexible shaft, coming off the main underground drive shaft....all driven from a huge diesel engine.

[Wade Lippman]

I give up; what's the difference between running a planer off a belt attached to a diesel engine and running it off an electric motor?

I once had an Orthodox Jew ask me to turn a light on for him because he couldn't do it himself; either way he was responsible for the light turning on. I didn't get that either.

[dirk martin]

I give up; what's the difference between running a planer off a belt attached to a diesel engine and running it off an electric motor?

I once had an Orthodox Jew ask me to turn a light on for him because he couldn't do it himself; either way he was responsible for the light turning on. I didn't get that either.

I cannot speak for your Jewish friend, but the Amish stay "off the grid", so that they are as self reliant as possible. They easily stockpile gas and diesel fuel, so they can keep going, if there's a disruption to the power grid (which we all know is rather common).

When I was a dairy farmer, I recall how we'd all stop dead in our tracks when we'd lose electricty from a storm....couldn't milk the cows, pump the milk, or run the silo unloaders. The Amish hardly blink an eye.

[Erik Loza]

In Costa Rica, we stopped in this shop that sold turnings and wooden scultptures. I looked out in back and the guy was running his lathe off a VW engine with a canvas belt.

Erik

[Rick Lizek]

Some manufacturers will sell it without the motor but it will cost more than with motor. It becomes a custom order ! Probably change the warranty as well.

[Ronald Blue]

Why not leave it at your place? The Amish in my area have no problem using electric tools if they belong to you and it's on your property. I have used them to do work and they wheeled my radial arm saw out to where they were building the deck and went to work. While they don't use electricity at their places they don't mind using it off property. They also only use horses and gas powered balers for their own work but when they built a shed for my father they were more than okay using his loader tractor to make the job much easier. Just as they won't own a car or truck but will gladly ride in one.

[Dave Lehnert]

Grizzly planer without the stand.
http://www.grizzly.com/products/15-H...campaign=zPage

If anyone would have what your looking for it would be Keim Lumber in Charm Ohio. http://www.keimlumber.com/
They have tools that has been modified for the Amish. For example, they had Bosch Sliding compound miter saws that have been converted to air power. But believe me, You are saving NOTHING! In fact you are paying a premium for the tool.
Kinda funny looking at the video, you would never guess such a large store is in the middle of the country. If you come in the back way it is on a gravel road.

Photo is the parking lot out front

Amish 2012.jpg