Yorkcraft planer review

[Ken Garlock]

Hi John. That is a nice looking machine you have there, good purchase .

I have a couple questions for you. First, did you consider the 20" version?

2) If so, and other than the $500 difference, what made you decide the the 15" machine?

3) Do you think you will ever have to "work around" the 15" width limit?

Congrat's on a fine looking machine.

[John Miliunas]

Hi John. That is a nice looking machine you have there, good purchase .

I have a couple questions for you. First, did you consider the 20" version?

2) If so, and other than the $500 difference, what made you decide the the 15" machine?

3) Do you think you will ever have to "work around" the 15" width limit?

Congrat's on a fine looking machine.

Thanks! Ken, yes I did consider the 20" version. First, the $$$ did have an impact on my purchasing decision, but in all reality, that was secondary. My primary reasoning was that a 20"-er would indeed constrain my floor space more than I wanted. Even though both units are "mobile", 90% of all my shop machines are permanent placements and I like it that way. The only machine which I need to move to use, is the W&H Molder. I also considered the size of my projects. About the only thing I envision, which would necessitate 15"+ in width out of solid boards would be a dining room table (also on my "honey-do" list!) and final flattening would happen with hand planes, anyway. Other things over 15" would primarily be either, paneled construction or cabinet sides constructed with sheet goods. The only real advantage I could come up with for a 15"+ planer would be the ability to skew narrower boards of "busy" grain for less tearout. My answer to that still remains to save up for a Shelix cutter-head and call it good. In the meantime, the larger boards will necessitate more careful glue-ups for a flatter starting surface and hand planes. If I keep the finished surface pretty even, initial "tweaks" to flattening can be done on the Delta 18/36 drum sander, followed by smoothing planes or scrapers.

[Jay Goddard]

John, nice review. I've been considering the upgrade to a 15" planer for a while. I've been eying the Yorkcraft since I read a pretty good review in a recent WW magazine.

One thing I don't recall if the article reported: Is the outfeed roller steel (smooth/serrated) or urethane?

Of course, I'm most interested in a larger planer for increased capacity as well as the possibility of reducing/eliminating snipe. You mentioned seeing no snipe. Have you been able to produce snipe by taking a heavy cut or planing un-jointed stock?

Also, will you add a digital height accessory?

[John Miliunas]

John, nice review. I've been considering the upgrade to a 15" planer for a while. I've been eying the Yorkcraft since I read a pretty good review in a recent WW magazine.

One thing I don't recall if the article reported: Is the outfeed roller steel (smooth/serrated) or urethane?

Of course, I'm most interested in a larger planer for increased capacity as well as the possibility of reducing/eliminating snipe. You mentioned seeing no snipe. Have you been able to produce snipe by taking a heavy cut or planing un-jointed stock?

Also, will you add a digital height accessory?

Jay, the outfeed roller is finely serrated steel. The stock is pulled through the end of the cut quite nicely. Yes, as a matter of fact, I was able to produce snipe, albeit by virtue of my own stupidity! I had jointed a pretty rough piece of Walnut and not payed enough attention to what was really the highest spot on the board and took way, WAY too deep a cut once it got to that part of the board, which was needless to say, at the end of the board. Still, subsequent lighter passes completely eliminated any of the snipe. And no, to date, I have not had occasion to plane anything not face jointed first. I do have a few boards in the 8"+ category, which are too wide for my jointer and, if they're not too twisted, I may try doing the whole process on the planer without first ripping them down to more narrow widths, but such has not been the case so far. I usually try and avoid that type of situation if I can.

[Effie Lever]

Congratulation John, thanks for a great review.

Effie

[Tyler Howell]

Thanks John,

Good review. Looks like I'm going to have to invite myself for another visit.

[John Miliunas]

Thanks John,

Good review. Looks like I'm going to have to invite myself for another visit.

Well, you might just as well! You've ignored MY invites! (JK) I know you've been busy, but please, if you're passing through, you know you're always welcome. Jill & Casey are always asking me about how you're doing! (Yeah...I keep coverin' for 'ya!)

[Allen Grimes]

Wow John, that was a great review. I've been on the fence about that planer for a while now, but now I'm sold. I don't have any money to buy it now, but when I do I'll tell'em you sent me. Maybe that will get you a discount on that shellix cutterhead you want.

I do have one question, do you have any experience with the Yorkie 8" jointer? I'm not sure if I want to get that or a Grizzly. I think the Grizzly is cheaper, but I don't remember off-hand.

[JayStPeter]

I do have one question, do you have any experience with the Yorkie 8" jointer? I'm not sure if I want to get that or a Grizzly. I think the Grizzly is cheaper, but I don't remember off-hand.

I hear it's on sale now. It depends on where you live and shipping if it's cheaper than the Grizzly though. Personally, I'd choose between the two based purely on price delivered to my door ... 6 one half dozen the other.

Jay

[John Miliunas]

Wow John, that was a great review. I've been on the fence about that planer for a while now, but now I'm sold. I don't have any money to buy it now, but when I do I'll tell'em you sent me. Maybe that will get you a discount on that shellix cutterhead you want.

I do have one question, do you have any experience with the Yorkie 8" jointer? I'm not sure if I want to get that or a Grizzly. I think the Grizzly is cheaper, but I don't remember off-hand.

Thanks Allen! Can't say for certain on the jointer, as I have the DJ20. BUT, I have indeed heard pretty much nothing but good stuff about the Yorkie and, if it's in the price point you want to stick to, I wouldn't hesitate! This, of course, is based on my experiences with Wilke Machinery. I had very little to go on when I bought the planer but, in the past, my dealings with this organization and the quality of tool I received, left little to chance. I remember way back when, in talking to one of the sales reps there about the Yorkcraft line, I point blank asked him regarding the quality. He was very up front with me and said that the fit and finish aren't going to be quite equal that of the Bridgewood line. They still wanted to supply something to directly compete in the lower price point, but would NOT sell something which didn't satisfy what their customers expected out of Wilke! I'd say the man was good to his word! In the case of the planer, he said you could easily run identical boards through the BW and the Yorkie planer and never be able to tell the difference between the two. Yeah, I know, I must sound like a WM rep but, trust me, I'm not. Just as I can go on ranting about mishaps with other vendors, I like to extole the virtues of those sincerely trying to give us a fair shake.

[Allen Grimes]

Thanks John,

Don't worry, I've been around long enough to know that you're a good guy, I just haven't posted in a while because I have been out of the Woodworking game due to money problems. Soon, those problems should end though so I'm getting ready to start buying up some tools.

EDIT: Thank you too Jay, I think that the Grizzly would be the cheaper one for me.

[Joe Mioux]

Nice...gonna give the fine folks at Byrd a call, John??

Yea what Chris said!

John, I hope you have many plane ol' days with your new Yorkie.

Congrats

JOe

[John Miliunas]

Yea what Chris said!

John, I hope you have many plane ol' days with your new Yorkie.

Congrats

JOe

Hey guys, as much as I love my Shelix and, especially since Wilke is also marketing them, I would love to do nothing more! But alas, I need for the money tree to bear some more "fruit"! For right now, I'm really quite happy with it "as is" plus, let's not forget that Tom did throw in that extra set of blades, so I'm good to go for a while!

[Jim Hinze]

Great review. Towards the end of the year I'm looking to upgrade to an 8" jointer and I'd like to get a 15" planer, as my lunchbox DW733 is a bit loud for me.

I'm going to have to put the yorkcraft on the short list...

Thanks agian for the review!

[Dan Forman]

John---Nice aquisition. Just what the Dr ordered for your rehab. Have fun with it.

Dan