Grizzly G1021X2 Extreme Series 15" Planer w/ Spiral Cutterhead (2023 Update)

[SteveA]

I have pretty much narrowed my search for a new planer to this machine. Does anyone have any experience with this machine? pros cons? Better sugggestions?

Upgrading from a portable delta, 12 1/2"

SteveA

[C & E]

I'd be all over that machine if I had the cash. I especially like the spiral cutterhead feature which is bound to be better than the century old straight knife set up that we all love to replace and set up properly - Yikes! Go for it and then report back. Best of luck, Chuck

[SonomaProducts.com]

I'm sure this will be a fine machine. The real trouble with the consumer and lower end units is the way they handle the bed rollers. They are only adjustabable with a wrench and a screw driver. They have an ecentric coller at each end and you have to twist it with a screw driver to adject then lock it in place with a tiny little allen head set screw. It is like this all the way up to 24" machines. The set screws will dig in to the coller the firsttime you really crank them down and you can then never make a fine adjustment near that location because it just falls back to the detent you create.

Set up the bed rollers for smooth stock (stock already flattened on a jointer or hand plane). I think the docs will say like 10 thousandths above the table or something like that, maybe 18, can't recall. Just take some time and get both bed rollers set nice and even across the bed, then lock those suckers down good.

This will serve you well. If you try to plane rough lumber, you need to raise the bed rollers. I personaly would just avoid doing that. You need a Jointer to flatten on side first anyway to do proper squaring. These planers will never really manage rough stoock well on the bed. So setup for smooth stock and it should be a dream.

P.S. the reason to get the bed rollers well adjusted is for smooth feeding and to minimize snipe.

[SteveA]

Your description is causing me some dismay, as I was planning on planing (no play on words) some rough red oak and soon to be purchased red cherry for a first-time kitchen project (mine, not a client). My lunchbox had been doing ok with the oak, with some minor exceptions on long wide boards( 8"+), it is the snipe that drives me a little crazy.

I just got off the phone with grizz, having ordered the spiral cutterhead for my 6" jointer. Having nicked the blades a couple of times, and offset the blades to the point that I can no longer cover another nick, and considering the project before me, I thought it was a good upgrade. The company has been nothing but helpful during the machines initial purchase, and bent over backwards to help me with the set-up and several very minor problems.

A 20" is on the edge as far as what the wife would allow, but I can't bring myself to part with 2500 for the pm 15HH, considering that a lot of owners think it is underpowered. The thought of spending that much and not be happy would drive me to find another way to spend my free time.

I looked at the Delta 790X, but since I have not see one, I can't imagine that the folding in/out feed tables are very stable especially since they have rollers instead of a solid wing.

Guess I am not as ready as I might have thought, but I certainly appricate the input

SteveA

Set up the bed rollers for smooth stock (stock already flattened on a jointer or hand plane). I think the docs will say like 10 thousandths above the table or something like that, maybe 18, can't recall. Just take some time and get both bed rollers set nice and even across the bed, then lock those suckers down good.

This will serve you well. If you try to plane rough lumber, you need to raise the bed rollers. I personaly would just avoid doing that. You need a Jointer to flatten on side first anyway to do proper squaring. These planers will never really manage rough stoock well on the bed. So setup for smooth stock and it should be a dream.

P.S. the reason to get the bed rollers well adjusted is for smooth feeding and to minimize snipe.

[dpb]

SonomaProducts.com wrote: ...

... Surely aren't many home shoppers w/ jointer big enough to handle 15" rough stock so I'd certainly not be at all happy w/ limiting myself to only pre-surfaced stock thru a planer.

I've not actually had hands on w/ the Grizz but if the bed rollers can't be adjusted to accommodate rough stock it would be a killer in my book.

Although I follow the description of the problem, surely there's some provision for a clearance adjustment?

The old Delta heavy duty of mine (out of production lo! 30 years now, I suppose) has a design that lets you slip a piece of shim stock under the supports which I use for rapid changes between "high" and "low" positions. I'm sure that wasn't a designed in feature, but it's surely handy.

--

[SonomaProducts.com]

Maybe I am overstating it. The rollers can be adjusted, it is just a somewhat labor intensive effort and like I said the cams do get sort of set into one location. Steel city is the only ones who have tried to do something here and they addedd little wings to end of the cams so it is easier to get them where you want.

I think you can just set up for rouger stock, maybe split the difference between the suggested settings for rough and smooth. You'll just have a bit more snipe but that is pretty easy to deal with in various ways (cut off or sand out, etc.).

Keep in mind, if you are starting with rough stock, you must joint one face flat first or you are at risk of a few problems. So that said, in your case you will be limited to 6" wide rough stock because of your jointer.

A planer has strong hold down wheels so it will flatten out any twist or bow in your stock. So if you just plane both sides, then you'll have a bowed and twisted board with flat faces. Proper approach is to use of a jointer to do the first face and one edge, referenced from that face to get squared planes to work from. Then plane the other face, then use the Table saw to square the other edge to the first. On the jointer, you don't force out the bow or twist, you let the knives cut it away. So lenght matters and it is most common to cut down the rough stock to rough lengths as a first step. You can joint 6" of bow out of a 20' board but you can take 1/4" out of a 2 footer.

Finally I LOVE GRIZZLY. They have sent me very expensive replacement parts just on my word that the one I have is bad. I got a complete outfeed setup for a 20" planer with a 2 minute phone call.

[Rex]

Got a grizzly 1021x2 been a great machine for 4 months. Worked every time. Until yesterday. Comes on 3 seconds then shuts off. Then have to wait a bit and it will do the same. If only the run cap bad don't know why the wait between tries. Voltage on both legs correct. Head spins freely by hand so no bind on motor. Same on centrifugal switch. Don't know why the wait between tries. Unless contacts not resetting.

[Bill]

Technically, I "know nothing". But capacitors hold voltage, and leak it, and my guess (remember, I know nothing) is that this is accounting for the delay. I expect Grizzly can help you with this; good luck!

[Jack]

My 15" Grizzly had two problems after a few months of use. 1st, the drive pulley came loose and was making all sorts of noise. The bolt holding it on had no lock washer so it easily came loose. Easy fix, and I put some lock tight on that.

2nd problem was the motor wouldn't start. I think it was intermittent but many years ago. I replaced the capacitor hoping for an easy fix, but as usual, that's never the problem. Called Grizzly and a nice guy that knew what he was talking about advised I should check the starter switch on the motor, it probably came loose. Yep, that was it, and apparently Grizzly Chinese workers are a bit lax in tightening things. After 15 years or so problems never returned. I recommend you call Grizz and check the starter.

[DerbyDad03]

I recently ran into a "not tightening" issue with a brand new Samsung Washer. I'm not sure I can blame the Chinese workers as Samsung has factories all over the world. The majority of washers are made in South Korea, but they have a plant in South Carolina that supposedly manufactures their US market washers. So I may need to blame my fellow Americans.

In any case, it's a worrisome issue. The one screw that holds a filter housing to the case came loose, causing a really loud tapping noise when the machine went into its jet-engine speed spin cycle. This happened just 5 months into the 1 year warranty. The tech had to take half the machine apart just to get to the screw. The 2 second fix took over an hour.

What troubles me is this: What else wasn't fully tightened that day? Maybe the set screw on the drive belt pully? Or maybe one of the drum guides? Is something going to let go mid-spin cycle, sending parts flying around inside the machine, tearing it apart? If it does happen, it'll most likely happen after day 365 of ownership. '

[Leon]

If you have only had it for 4 months and assuming that you bought it from Grizzly, call Grizzly had have them diagnose and send parts.