A 20" planer for a home shop??? Why?

[chris del]

After extensive reasearch I decided the powermatic 15hh was the next planer for me. After selling my old machine I ordered the 15hh this week only to find out they are backordered untill mid june.
I have a delta 18/36 drum sander so I feel that a 15" planer will be all I ever need. Actually, my previous 12" machine was all I ever needed but the choice to upgrade was created by my want for a Byrd head!

So my choices are: wait untill June (or later) for the 15" powermatic or pay another $1000 and get the 20" powermatic 209hh in a week.

Would I ever use the capacity of a 20" ??????? Who has purchased a 15" and regretted it ? why?

[Peter Quinn]

I'd love to have a 20", or a 24", or frankly a 32" would be nice. Comes down to money for me. I have a 15" delta and it is the bare minimum I like to work with. Ideally I would have a 24" planer with a spiral head, segmented chip breaker, sturdy pressure bar and digital power drive table adjustment. That would make panel glue ups Real easy. Would I use it..sure would...do I work with out it...sure do.

You are really the only one who can decide if 15" or 20" is right for you. It really depends on the scale and volume of work you do.

[Johnny Fischer]

Chris,
As time passes you'll probably end up wanting to build items which will require a larger planer. If you can afford the 209HH you might as well invest in one now. Who knows how much they'll cost a year or two from now with the way fuel cost keep going through the roof.
I have the 209HH and think it's a great machine. If I could have afforded a larger one at the time I purchased mine I would have bought a larger one.
Good Luck

[Bernhard Lampert]

I got a 24" planer that I caught at a price to good to pass up. I don't plane a lot of 24" wide stuff, BUT boy does it come handy for the occasional wide glue-up!
There are other, somewhat non-tangible, advantages to a larger planer:
- bragging rights
- increased popularity amongst your fellow wood workers that need a large planer
-ability to do some really nice stuff!

Also, I have never heard anyone compalin that his planer was too big!

Cheers,
Bernhard

[Martin Shupe]

I have a 15" Delta, and I'd gladly trade up to a 20" if I had the $$$.

[Dave Lehnert]

Remember blades and blade sharpening will also cost extra for larger planers. If you have a sander that can handle wide panels, I see no reason you would need the extra size. But on the other had nothing wrong with the bigger unit if that is what you want.

[John Thompson]

I thought about a 15".. purchased the 20" and just tonite I could have used a 24". There are times I could have used a large than 24" for that matter.

Will you need more than 15"? You can find a way with the 15" as I did to-nite with the 20" needing 21 3/4". But better to have it and not need it "now".. as now does not cover tomorrow and the next day...

Sarge..

[Don Abele]

I don't know how the rest of you use your planer, but for me it's a pre-assembly dimensioning tool.

I size all my pieces on the tablesaw, jointer, and planer prior to assembly. The largest board I've ever used "raw" was just a little over 10" so have never had a problem with a 13" planer. Once glued up, if the panel comes out a little uneven, I used to fix that with my ROS. I've since upgraded to a Jet 16/32 drum sander which works great for final dimensioning of stock like glued-up panels.

The price difference between a 15" planer and 20" planer is close to enough to buy a drum sander as well.

Be well,

Doc

[Rob Will]

I have a 24" planer and a 24" jointer in my home shop.
You will never regret having a wide jointer or planer.
JMHO.
Rob

[Steven Wilson]

With a wide planer or jointer you can skew cut the stock to minimize tearout on figured wood.

[David Tiell]

If I were to buy a new planer today, I woud go with a 20" minimum. Most of what I do can be accomplished with my 13" Delta lunchbox, but there are times I am especially thankful I have access to the 24" Delta planer at the woodshop on my local Navy base. If you have the extra funds for the 20" I would go for it. You won't regret it.

[Jack Vines]

No such thing as too large a tool, just some shops (and most budgets) are too small.

thnx, jack vines

[chris del]

Thanks for all the advise. I tend to think of a planer the same way Don Abele does and think a 20" would be a huge waste for me. I have been woodworking for about 12 years now and one would think that if the 12" was good all those years than a 15" should do me just fine. A 20" is huge and would be a great gloat for me but I just dont think it is worth the extra "g-note".....
The only thing that has me considering the 20" is the 2 month delivery on the 15hh.... You would think a company as large as Powermatic would have enough in stock to cover a surge of sales on a product like this. How many customers are simply going to buy another brand due to this long delivery?

Chris

[Craig D Peltier]

Thanks for all the advise. I tend to think of a planer the same way Don Abele does and think a 20" would be a huge waste for me. I have been woodworking for about 12 years now and one would think that if the 12" was good all those years than a 15" should do me just fine. A 20" is huge and would be a great gloat for me but I just dont think it is worth the extra "g-note".....
The only thing that has me considering the 20" is the 2 month delivery on the 15hh.... You would think a company as large as Powermatic would have enough in stock to cover a surge of sales on a product like this. How many customers are simply going to buy another brand due to this long delivery?

Chris

I never heard anyone say they bought too big of a tool. You say 12 yrs so you know better than anyone else your needs. Personally being able to plane half a table width or wide doors etc is a plus to me. There isntm much difference ($0) between a griz 15 with spiral head and a 20 inch with regular knives.

[chris del]

So I broke down and ordered the 20" powermatic 209hh. The after tax cost difference was $975 Cdn. I really didnt want the 20" but I sold my old planer and the 2 month delivery on the 15" was just too long.
I dont feel 100% positive about the decision, but I hope in the future my woodworking will require the capacity of this machine.

Thanks for all the advise.