lunchbox vs stationary planer

[Ken Platt]

Another happy upgrader from lunch box (Dewalt) to stationary (Grizz 13", maybe G1073?). I found that I had to run boards through the Dewalt over and over in order to take off any significant amount, which I usually had to do with my bandsaw milled boards. It was mind-numbingly boring. With the Grizzly, much much faster. I should have upgraded years earlier.

Ken

[Matthew Hills]

Hi-
Will folks please comment on the advantages of stationary planers vs lunchbox planers. I have a Makita 2012 and wonder if the finish that comes off of a planer/jointer combination machine will be substantially better. I'm aware that it will me much quieter to run. Thanks.
-Howard

What is the quality issue that you're having?
(washboarding or tearout or snipe? figured wood or straight-grain?)

Fresh blades will be better than dull, whether on lunchbox or stationary planer.

Matt

[Russell Smallwood]

With regard to using a stationary planer, I will say that those who are seeing significant marks from the serrated feed roller do not have their planer set up properly. The planer blades should be set below the teeth of the feed roller. I have bought and used 4 stationary planers and set them up according to specs from Bob Vaughan. There used to be a great video on this.

I started with a screamer lunchbox planer, and they do a great job for short boards. Universal motors will not last long, the gears will eventually sheer, and you cannot take much thickness off the board. Moreover, I have found that snipe is generally worse on those lunchbox planers than on a well tuned floor planer.

I started with a Ryobi and have had one of the "elite" DeWalt lunchbox planers. If you do not ever want to do setup on a planer...get a lunchbox planer, but live with it's limitations. I have seen the edges on the DeWalt planer blades fold over on oak and walnut. I hope they have fixed that. I also have/do own a Robland 12" J/P that works great, a Sunhill 20" with a Byrd Style head I installed, an old beast Williams & Hussey 12" planer/molder, and a Parks 12" planer. If you aren't willing to go to Harbor freight and buy a dial indicator, you have no business in buying a floor planer.

With regards to a Byrd head, if you wont buy a torque wrench, you shouldn't buy one. So many of our machines require 3+ hours of setup to ensure that you get proper results. They are not set up properly from the factory, regardless of manufacturer for the floor model machines. The setup time is offset by the throughput on the bigger machines. I use almost exclusively roughsawn lumber, including exotics, and I have burned up the lunchtop versions. I am not a mechanic, so I feel everyone's pain in the setup, but I feel like much of the negative comments on floor planers are related to poor setup by the owners.

I personally use my Robland planer with straight carbide blades for most uses, and don't find the minor sanding difference between this and the old lunchtop planers justifies the very slow feed rate of lunchtop planers.

Hard to add much to this post. Setup is key and you can get great results from stationary equipment if you set it up properly. I finally gave up on lunch box planers when mine slipped my clamps and toppled over in the middle of surfacing a 12' 6/4 piece of cypress. Some kind of helical head is a must IMHO. I have them on both Jointer and Planer and wouldn't go back to straight knives.

[Cary Falk]

The finish on my lunch box was smooth as glass. The finish on my 15" stationary with spiral head is not quite as good but I sand everything so it doesn't matter. You can adjust the outfeed marks out of a stationary planer. The infeed roller marks are only there if you don' remove enough wood. I ended up replacing the infeed an outfeed with rubber rollers. I would never go back to a lunchbox. My stationary is quieter, more robust, wider, and faster.

[Marc Burt]

Had a Delta lunchbox for years switched to the jet combo as well. For me I can hog off way more per pass than the Delta could and the big machine doesn't hestitate. It really speeds up stock prep.

finish is no better or worse. Blade changes were easier on the Delta. (I don't have the HH - stupid shortsighted decision)

[glenn bradley]

Lunchbox planers are 'finish' planers. Lighter cuts, portable, and replaceable indexed knives are the norm. Stationary planers generally come with factory settings for rough material but, those settings are designed to be adjustable. Insert heads deal with difficult figure better than knives and floor models are generally more powerful an quieter.

I adjusted the roller marks out of my floor model and changed other settings to be more appropriate for material that is not straight from the saw mill. use a lot of figured material so an insert head was a must. I almost kept my DW734 around as I had it pretty well dialed in but, space requirements won out and it went down the road.

[Ole Anderson]

I would say go with a lunchbox (I have the Delta 22-580) if you plane rough sawn only occasionally or if you get your boards sized 1/16" over final size like I do.

[Homer Faucett]

I would say go with a lunchbox (I have the Delta 22-580) if you plane rough sawn only occasionally or if you get your boards sized 1/16" over final size like I do.

You can easily pay for a floor model in the price difference between rough sawn and previously prepped boards and do any kind of volume in your shop. Cost per board foot adds up quickly.

The question becomes what you want from woodworking. Is it an expensive hobby? A self sustaining hobby? A money making venture?

If you are doing large flatwork of any sort, and you want to do sustainable or money making, I personally think a floor planer is one of the top 5 machines you want if you want to be cost effective over the long haul.

[Homer Faucett]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSM7Jrg34a8

Here is the best generic planer setup advice I have ever seen or read. Robert Vaughan is a woodworking machinery guru. If you have a floor planer, I'd invest in watching this and following what he recommends.

I have bought 3hp floor planers for $100 that were simply out of alignment. Yes...it's a pain. Yes, it's a time investment. It all goes back to what are you looking for from woodworking?

I see alot of guys who just like to buy gadgets and really never make anything worthwhile, only to sell it all at a loss 5-10 years later.

[Mike Cutler]

Okay, I gotta ask;

Do folks really get a finish ready surface off of a planer, or jointer? I mean absolutely no other work. From the machine, to the finish bench?

I have had a 15" jet for quite a few years. It's a nice machine, but the material coming off is not finish ready. No indeed/outfeed roller marks, but definitely not ready for a finish coat. Everything goes through the sander next for me.

I've only been around the lunchbox planers, never owned one, so I can't comment on quality.

[Mel Fulks]

Ready for paint, not stain

[Homer Faucett]

Okay, I gotta ask;

Do folks really get a finish ready surface off of a planer, or jointer? I mean absolutely no other work. From the machine, to the finish bench?

No. You need to use a scraper or sander. I do not think that finish ready off of any machine is any more real than Unicorns and leprechauns.

[Roger Marty]

My 13-month old DeWalt DW734 keeps overheating on me. The thermal breaker trips after several 1/16-1/32 passes on on red oak.

I've changed out blades which helped for several months, but now the problem is back. Blade is sharp enough to remove arm hair.

DeWalt says I should ship it to a service center.

So consider this an anecdote in favor of a machine with an induction motor.

No idea what I'm going to do. I've tried getting rid of the extension cord. I don't see any clogs in airflow. I guess I'll try replacing the thermal breaker myself before shipping the machine away.

[Patrick Lesher]

I recently got a used Powermatic 15 with a Byrd head to replace my Dewalt 735. I almost wish I would have kept both. The PM is taking me a bit to get used to and set up. My initial impression is that it does a great job at taking off a lot of material but doesn't really want to take a little at a time. My mode with the 735 was 1/32", 1/16" or so at a time. The PM Byrd head leaves a really nice finish and doesn't rip up the material like the 735 would some times.

They are just different machines and take different practices.

[Jon Nuckles]

Okay, I gotta ask;

Do folks really get a finish ready surface off of a planer, or jointer? I mean absolutely no other work. From the machine, to the finish bench?

Not here. Better surface off the DW735 than the stationary Delta, but both require further prep.