mikerl Posted May 12, 2011 Report Share Posted May 12, 2011 looking to buy a 15" powermatic or delta wood planer. Wonder if anyone can direct me as to which is the best(in terms of quality and performance) to buy. thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikerl Posted May 12, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 12, 2011 Leaning toward Delta or Powermatic but see so many good reviews for Grizz. Can anyone help with suggestions as to which would be the best (in terms of quality of build and performance) to buy. thanks very much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vic Posted May 12, 2011 Report Share Posted May 12, 2011 I'm planning on this when I upgrade from my DeWalt planers. http://www.grizzly.com/products/15-3-HP-220V-Planer-with-Spiral-Cutterhead/G0453Z Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgfore Posted May 12, 2011 Report Share Posted May 12, 2011 I do not have either of the planers that you are looking for, so I really can not say specifically. However, I have a Powermatic jointer and dust collector and a Grizzly bandsaw. I really like my Grizzly bandsaw, but I LOVE my Powermatic jointer. After using them both, I have found that the Grizzly does the same exact thing that a Powermatic does. I do not know if your finished product would look any different, but you will for sure notice a difference when using it. Primarily, in the setup. I have found that the Grizzly can be setup to do anything that I need it to do, but not as quick as a Powermatic would be. The biggest difference for me is the materials used. My Powermatic is SOLID! Every part of it is heavy duty cast iron or steel. The knobs are some sort of very dense polymer. On my Grizzly, there are a lot of very thin sheet metal pieces and several plastic parts. The plastic parts, I have replaced with steel parts, but they were not bought that way. The stand for my Powermatic is a thicker steel with steel reinforcements to make it sturdy, and my Grizzly has a thin steel base. Do not get me wrong, I really do like my Grizzly machine, but it is not in the class with Powermatic. As far as Delta goes, I am not sure that I would pick a Delta over a Grizzly. I would rank them pretty close. Delta is not the same company that they use to be. IMO. I am sure that if you purchase their top end equipment, then you will get some quality stuff, but on the smaller and less expinsive machines, I would be scared that I was just getting a Porter Cable machine with Delta stamped on it. I have really learned to LOVE Powermatic. I just can not afford them unless purchased second hand. However, even a Delta or Grizzly is within a few hundred of the Powermatic, I will save up for the Powermatic. My 2 cents. Jeff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike M Posted May 12, 2011 Report Share Posted May 12, 2011 I've had my Grizz G0453Z with the spiral heads for about 2 years and have been happy with it. The head is the Grizzly model, not the Byrd, so the cutters are at 90 degrees. I didn't see the need to spend the extra money to get the Delta or Powermatic. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shooterscott Posted May 15, 2011 Report Share Posted May 15, 2011 I have a Delta DC380 15" planer and a Ridgid 13" bench top that I bought years ago. The Ridgid has worked very well for most things but in some cases it has bogged down when planing at its fullest width. I had a great deal offered to me on the Delta so I got it. It is a monster, nothing I have fed it is to much for it. I've never used a Powermatic tool I can't afford them, but I know they are excellent tools. The top end Deltas will work very well for many many years IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikerl Posted May 15, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 15, 2011 Thanks to all for the info. Its been a great help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vic Posted May 15, 2011 Report Share Posted May 15, 2011 Thanks to all for the info. Its been a great help. Well, don't leave us hangin'! Which did you decide to go with and be sure to let us know your impressions after you get to use it a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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