If you've heard the buzz about carbide spiral cutterheads on jointers, you'll definitely want to check out the G1021X2 15-in. planer from Grizzly. This planer's cutterhead has dozens of small carbide cutters arranged in a spiral pattern (photo, right), and far outperforms cutterheads with standard HSS knives. Woods that are notoriously tough to plane, such as birdseye maple, come out as smooth as a baby's bottom. The cutters have four sides and are indexed; when they get dull, you simply unscrew all the cutters and rotate them one-quarter turn. Set-up doesn't get much easier than that! This planer has a 18-amp, 3 HP 220V motor, which is enough power to remove up to 1/8-in. of material in one pass. It has two feed rates (16 FPM and 20 FPM) and handles stock up to 6-1/8 inches thick. With its cast iron extensions, the planer's table measures 51 inches long. This industrial-strength machine weighs over 500 lbs.
Source:
Grizzly Industrial, (800) 523-4777, www.grizzly.com Extreme Series ,15” planer #G1021X2, $1,500 plus shipping.
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