This is a delightful machine. It's everything one could hope for at a giveaway price. For a small shop, where planing is not an everyday event, it's unbeatable. It's much larger than one would expect; actually, it's larger than most higher powered, higher priced planers. It is quite solidly built. The outer housing uses Lexan (a tough plastic form) instead of metal, but you'd never know it, it's so tough, and the housing is rust proof, to boot.
The innards are solid as a rock. It is a four-post model, and the castings are so tight and solid that there is virtually no play in the cutterhead-feeder mechanisms. The blade changes are amazingly simple, the tools to do so are provided and stored in the machine, and while there are only two blades, they are reasonably priced (average $40 pair for Delta Brand, less for third party brands). The head makes 9400 RPM, for 18,800 cuts per minute.
I tested it starting with soft Pine, then standard American Walnut, each at 1/16" cuts (one full revolution of the handle). The motor did not slow, there were virtually NO planer marks, and NO snipe. The pieces were about 6" wide and 2' long. I then tried the same with white rock maple, expecting a motor overload and freeze. The motor slowed only slightly, but did not falter. Testing it to the extreme, I tried Purpleheart (with a respirator mask, which you MUST wear when making dust with this wood). This is about the hardest wood available. The motor strained too much to suit me at 1/16" cuts, so I reduced the cut to 1/32 (1/2 turn of the handle). There was not slowing, and again, no snipe.
With 13" blades, an extremely rapid cut, and effective dust collector (I just connected it directly to my Shop Vac) and NO snipe whatsoever, the occasional user in a home or hobby shop cannot find a better machine at this price anywhere. I love it!
I make TONS of small fretworked boxes, and am sick of buying exotics for fretwork in 1/4 thicknesses. I can now buy 3/4 thicknesses, rip them with my bandsaw, and quickly plane them to 1/4 or thicker, at half the price.
Pros:
- extremely accurate (I had perfect results down to 1/8"; did not try further)
- solid, tight build of the 4-post cutterhead assembly/support columns
- reversible blades, giving you two very sharp shots with the same set
- EXTREMELY attractive price
- Five year warranty (but if you're not within driving distance of a major city, you must ship it in at your own cost)
- Perfect for hobbyists or small shop.
Cons:
- The motor could be more powerful. The in/out feed rate is perfectly appropriate and dependable, but a larger capacity motor would help with hardwoods.
- It is single speed feed. It is a compromised speed between the two speeds found on higher price machines, but it is a well-thought speed to do a remarkable job with two straight (not spiral cut) blades.
These "cons" about this machine are really not pertinent, because these features are found only on machines costing twice as much. This one is a steal. You may read about the virtues of a "chain drive" (e.g, "Steelex" brand). Don't buy into that. This machine appears to be direct (geared) drive (I've not looked at the parts sheet), and has a motor overload reset button. It'll do what you need doing.
This is a SMALL SHOP planer, not designed for 8-hour/day use seven days a week, or in commercial cabinet shops. That in view, I'd do it again in a second, and recommend it even faster.
Follow up: I've now planed all four surfaces of eight 8-foot x 6" sq. hardwood posts (32 8-foot x 6-inch surfaces). Aside from the trouble of rigging in and out feed tables, it was a breeze. No strain, no signs of blade dulling. The more I use this machine, the more impressed I become with its bang-for-the-buck.
| Brand | Delta Power Tools |
|---|---|
| Product Dimensions | 23.63"L x 21.63"W x 20.13"H |
| Item Weight | 58 Pounds |
| Style | Disposable |
| Power Source | AC |
| Included Components | Planer, Wrenches |
| Manufacturer | Delta Power Tools |
| Part Number | 22-555 |
| Item Weight | 58 pounds |
| Country of Origin | Taiwan |
| Item model number | 22-555 |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Item Package Quantity | 1 |
| Number of Handles | 2 |
| Batteries Included? | No |
| Batteries Required? | No |
| Warranty Description | 5 Year Limited Warranty |
