Three great low$$ planers & some expensive ones

[Sbtypesetter]

I have always used the cast iron planers, but a few years ago I had the opportunity to quickly wear out a Ryobi Portable "Bench top" planer.

The prices are as follows: Buy a bench top planer every two years for 10 years because the old one keeps wearing out. $350 x 5 = $1750

Lost time from multiple extra thin passes: 1 hr/ week x 520 weeks @ $35/hr = $18,200

Lost material from sniping, and chipping $5 week x

520 weeks $2,600

total = $21,700

A good used Parks 15, Powermatic 15" or Delta

13" (all used, 220V, and cast iron) $750

Sell at the end of 10 years $750

Actual cost less grease, oil, sharpening, electricity, and the lost time value of money total = $0.00

Hmmm...$21.700 vs $0.00 Now which is the better deal? A smooth clean cut with a hold-down roller and breaker bar, or a table top toy? Better yet, with the Parks, Delta, or Powermatic you continue to support U.S. made products and create a market flow for U.S. goods. Yes, I do know that some of the new Delta products are being farmed out to foreign jobbers, but if you buy an old quality tool it will be U.S. made and at least by a U.S. owned company. The toy planers are just false economy.

[Greg O]

Probaby true, unless you really don't do enough wood working to justify a planer! I have a DW733, I doubt I will wear it out as I don't use it that much. When it really comes down to it I probably don't need one, but I can afford it, so what the hell! If I were crazy into wood working I would buy a "real" planer. My neighbor has an old Foley Belsaw 15" that is a great machine. Greg

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Your figures make a little sense for a production shop. For the home hobbyist, it just proves you are an, well, you don't have a clue. My professional time is billed much higher than the $35 you talk about, but in my wood shop, it is $0 per hour.

As for equpment cost, I did buy a new set of blades for $30 after about 15 months of use.

[martin]

Makes sense if you use the planer day in and day out.But then, why drive at

70mph for 2hrs when youcan drive at 140 mph for 1hrs.

total =

$750

[Puff Griffis]

[John]

Does the typester drive a Hummer? I'm sure he considers everything else a "toy".

[B a r r y B u r k e J r .]

I agree 100% for a millwork or large cabinet shop, but for the rest of us, please allow me to play devil's advocate. I make furniture and cabinetry for myself an others, on a serious amateur to semi-pro basis.

My local woodcraft has a DeWalt 733 that is subjected to store and school use nearly daily, it's already twice as old as your predictions and shows no clues of wear. I also know of plenty of 10+ year old benchtops that are cranking right along, on the job site, with local finish carpenters.

For discussion purposes, let's use ANY project on the NYW web site. I can plane all of the wood for the most complicated project in less than 3 hours of actual planer run time. Typically, I'm done with the planer in an hour for most projects. I resaw wood thinner than 1/2", as opposed to planing it. I probably won't use the planer again for

2-4 weeks. In my eyes that makes my use time less than your lost time.

Not at all true with a properly adjusted 733 or similarity priced portable.

What about the time and costs spent finding and moving one? What about the extra space it takes up that is no longer available? What about the stationary unit that is being sold because it's no longer dependable. What about the cost of starting caps ruined by constantly turning the machine on and off for small jobs? Where did the 220v circuit come from? How much more purchased power does the Park require?

If most of us used your math on all the power tools for the typical serious hobby shop, we could hire Garrett Hack or David Marks to simply make the stuff for less money.

Barry

[BIG JOE]

$35 is awful cheap for shop time. Doesn't leave much left to pay the employee, maybe minimum wage.

Perhaps you are new to the group, but most of us are hobbyists. I have the money a cast iron behemoth, but I'd rather not take up the space for something I use only an hour or two on weekends. And many of us with the portable type of planers have grown rather attached to them and don't appreciate the intolerant comments.