Planers--Birthday Gift--Suggestions

[cc4digital]

I currently have a Dewalt DW735 Planer. It time tor replace it with something better:gar-Bi

I have been looking for a while and like the Grizzly Planners.

I am looking at the 15" models and would love to hear some feed back.

G0453--Uses the Older Planer Knifes
G0453Z--Uses the Spiral-Cutterhead
G1021X2-Uses the Spiral-Cutterhead, Not sure what the difference is between the G0453Z and the G1021X2

My 1st question and the most important question is--
Are the Spiral-Cutterhead that much better than the Older Planer Knifes?
One other thing I notice about the Spiral Cutterhead is they look very expensive to replace.

My 2nd question is much more broad--
Any recomendations, faults, etc regarding the above models?
Any bad experence with the above models? If so, what would you recommend?

Lastly--A few people on this forum have stated to purchase a 20" vs the 15". The 20" are quite a bit more $, but the 20" with the older Knifes could be in my price range.
Again, is the Spiral Cutterhead worth the price?

Thanks for your feedback.:notworthy:

Chuck

 

[DaveO]

A true Helical cutter head is far superior to a standard straight knife cutter head because it approaches the wood with a shearing cut. The spiral heads on those Giz machines aren't helical, they still approach the wood at a straight angle. The advantage they offer is the ease of changing the indexable cutters. Each one can be rotated 4 times before they need to be replaced, and because they are indexed, replacement is as simple as just dropping a new cutter in place, and tightening the screw.
I would choose the spiral head over the straight knife if I could afford it, and a helical head over the spiral if I won the big lottery.
Out of the three planers you listed I think that the G0453Z is your best bet. I can't see any difference between it and the G1021X2 other than a different paint scheme and fancier name.

I don't see much of a need for a 20" planer over a 15", how often are you going to plane a glue up that wide. That's what wide belt sanders are for :icon_thum

I don't have any experience with any of the listed planers, but I do own a lot of Griz machinery and I think that they provide a good quality machine at an excellent price. Their customer service is good, and I like the color :roll:

MTCW,
Dave

 

[gator]

I don't see much of a need for a 20" planer over a 15", how often are you going to plane a glue up that wide. That's what wide belt sanders are for :icon_thum
Dave

I agree with Dave on most points, but, I'm in the other school on this point. I ask myself, how much do I gain with a 15" over a 12½"? And, Can I afford a wide-belt sander and a 15" planer? Yeh, maybe a wide belt sander over a wide planer but that wasn't the question.

George