Shopping for a new beast of a planer

[dirk martin]

Hey gang....
Right now I've got a Woodmaster planer, with a 7.5" motor and spiral head.
I'm considering a serious upgrade, now that end of year says I can afford it.
I'm looking at the Laguna P25

My favorite features:
Digital setting of cut depth
Variable speed feed
Anything over 15" of width is plenty for me
Minimum thickness it can plane, is 1/8. I do a ton of thin material.


Any other suggestions besides this Laguna model?
Must be single phase.

[Jared Sankovich]

Hey gang....
Right now I've got a Woodmaster planer, with a 7.5" motor and spiral head.
I'm considering a serious upgrade, now that end of year says I can afford it.
I'm looking at the Laguna P25

My favorite features:
Digital setting of cut depth
Variable speed feed
Anything over 15" of width is plenty for me
Minimum thickness it can plane, is 1/8. I do a ton of thin material.


Any other suggestions besides this Laguna model?
Must be single phase.

At that price point I'd be looking at a used low mileage scmi s630 or s520 and a phase perfect.

If sticking to new Pacific rim machines cantek seems to be well liked.

[Brian Gumpper]

If you like that machine, save a little money.

https://www.grizzly.com/products/gri...terhead/g0603x

Same machine, different color and I kept getting a 5% discount offer.

[Bill Dufour]

Only one 5" dust port? My Powermatic 18" has one 6" dust port.
Bill D

[Larry Edgerton]

I have a SCMI 520S and it is all the things you want, except single phase. I went with the Tersa Head and would never have anything else at this point. Changing all 4 knives takes 4 minutes, better cuts than my previous PM with a Byrd. Its a 4 speed, which I actually prefer to electronic speed control. 16-72FPM. Almost no sanding.

[dirk martin]

I have a SCMI 520S and it is all the things you want, except single phase. I went with the Tersa Head and would never have anything else at this point. Changing all 4 knives takes 4 minutes, better cuts than my previous PM with a Byrd. Its a 4 speed, which I actually prefer to electronic speed control. 16-72FPM. Almost no sanding.

Very nice machine, Larry. I think the Tersa head would be fine too, and I love the quick change...but that 3phase requirement, is kind of a show stopper.

[Larry Edgerton]

Very nice machine, Larry. I think the Tersa head would be fine too, and I love the quick change...but that 3phase requirement, is kind of a show stopper.

I run my whole shop on a converter. 3 phase is not available here. Once you have a converter, all other 3 phase equipment is a possibility. Rotary converters are fairly cheap. Phase Perfect is nice, but not a necessity. I would not be afraid of a used SCMI or equivalent, Mine has run hard for 25 years and , has never failed. I see them on the used market for around $5k, as are other premium brands.

You are on the right track, having this planer has been a great thing. Repeatability, quiet, and did I mention repeatability? Its nice to watch the readout and know that .75 is always .75. Having had both, I seriously have to recommend a Tersa, just so simple and fast. Quiet because it has no gullet, and the cut is as it gets. Power height adjustment is awesome. Whatever you get have fun!

[Larry Edgerton]

I run my whole shop on a converter. 3 phase is not available here. Once you have a converter, all other 3 phase equipment is a possibility. Rotary converters are fairly cheap. Phase Perfect is nice, but not a necessity. I would not be afraid of a used SCMI or equivalent, Mine has run hard for 25 years and , has never failed. I see them on the used market for around $5k, as are other premium brands.

You are on the right track, having this planer has been a great thing. Repeatability, quiet, and did I mention repeatability? Its nice to watch the readout and know that .75 is always .75. Having had both, I seriously have to recommend a Tersa, just so simple and fast. Quiet because it has no gullet, and the cut is as it gets. Power height adjustment is awesome. Whatever you get have fun!

I bought mine at a trade show, the floor model and saved a ton as they did not have to take it home. Just a thought......

[Phillip Mitchell]

You have already had several good recommendations to look for good condition used 3 phase industrial + a phase converter.

You're going to have a hard time finding something in this build quality range in single phase and there's a reason for it. Most real, truly heavy duty planers are 3 phase. I would not put new Laguna in the same category of quality as industrial Euro brands like SCMI, etc.

When I upgraded my planer in 2019 (to an older 20" 9hp SCM with Pro Scale DRO), choose to add a phase converter at the same time to open up my options for a more industrial machine. It started with a used Kay RPC and now I have a Phase Perfect and almost all of my main machines are 3 phase. I am in a small shop in my walkout basement, not an industrial space, fyi. Very glad I made that's choice and have the option of used 3 phase equipment.

Is there a reason you seem set against adding in a converter and considering 3 phase?

Edit: I just looked up the price on the Laguna (!?!) You seem to have ample budget for a nice condition, newer, used SCMI with digital bed positioning and readout and Tersa head or similar and a top of the line phase converter (Phase Perfect)...and maybe even some leftover.

[Kevin Jenness]

I agree with Philip and Larry. I wouldn't hesitate to buy a good used machine like an SCMI, especially with a Tersa or helical head, and a phase converter. A rotary phase converter opens up the door to a universe of industrial machinery and need not be that expensive.

[Alan Lightstone]

With digital electronics, do you need a Phase Perfect, or will a rotary converter fry the electronics? Not suggesting anything, just don't know the answer to that.

I just took the Phase Perfect route and a Felder D951 planer. Love it, and much cheaper, but not 25" of course, but you said anything over 16" would work (it's 19-7/8"). The Digi-Drive and Power-Drive are really fantastic.

[Larry Edgerton]

With digital electronics, do you need a Phase Perfect, or will a rotary converter fry the electronics? Not suggesting anything, just don't know the answer to that.

I just took the Phase Perfect route and a Felder D951 planer. Love it, and much cheaper, but not 25" of course, but you said anything over 16" would work (it's 19-7/8"). The Digi-Drive and Power-Drive are really fantastic.

Not sure about that? Mine is a mechanical readout like an odometer. I actually prefer it, nothing to go wrong and it has been perfect for many years. I kid that I check my dial caliper with my planer once in a while. You do have to raise the table with a pair of switches, one high speed, and a fine adjustment button, but its easy. As long as it does not have a crank!

Be curious about that question? I have a 50HP RPC, can't afford a PP that large.

[dirk martin]

Is there a reason you seem set against adding in a converter and considering 3 phase?

Mainly because I wanted to stay with a new machine, and not used.
But, perhaps I need to adjust my thinking.
So, not being familiar with the used planer market, where do I search for something like this?

Here's my new desires:

Used ok.
$16K or under, including a phase converter. I think the needed Phase Perfect would run about $3k, thus leaving $13k for the planer.
20" or wider.
Digital bed positioning, and readout.
Tersa head, or spiral.
Minimum stock thickness 1/4"

Nice, but not Must Have:
Segmented infeed (sectional infeed)
Infinite variable infeed speed

Where do I look for a used quality machine like this? I'm in Wisconsin.

[Nick Crivello]

You did say beastly, right??

https://bloomington.craigslist.org/t...698017588.html

[andrew whicker]

That's a huge budget and you live in the rust belt.

Go used and you can get nearly anything your heart desires.