I’ve had mine now for about 2 yrs before the big price increases… overall, I like the machine but like Robert, it took me a long time to get the jointer beds ‘near’ coplanar. Very tedious process and I’ve learned to adapt my processing to get a nice flat board. Happily though, the planer needed no adjustment whatsoever and my long boards come out perfectly. With a digital calipers over a 7’ board, I see no deviation along the board down to 1/64”. It is very quiet, extremely limited snipe (usually operator error) and has plenty of power for wide processing of even dense materials. Flipped the cutters only once since I’ve owned. Dust extraction is acceptable with a good extractor. I wish the fence were steel so that I could attach magnetic featherboards for long boards but I have adapted one work acceptably well. I would recommend this machine.
Check your sheave alignment between the motor and cutter head....you will have to improvise a straight edge with some blocks secured to it to get around the back body panel.....also, put a tape measure on your planer bed and measure the ID of the 2 lips that act as guide/side rails....These were issues w my 2 machines with a host of others....sent them both back for refunds
I saw it, but considering it didn’t really tell me anything meaningful, I just disregarded it. Just to be clear, I don’t own this machine or have any stake in whether anyone purchases this machine… but if you’re gonna “review” it, at least provide some useful information to the community so they can make up their own minds.
Hello, thank you very much for sharing. A question from your experience. Do you recommend a indutrial planer with an up or down motor? They told me that the ones with the upper motor have more problems but I honestly don't know. thank you so much
I just bought Grizzly’s South Bend 20” helical. Wanted a larger designated planer and will keep my combo and only use the jointer now. I like the end mounted fence and it saves on space. As for an industrial planer, I like a fixed motor on the bottom and the beds raising up is usually better. Most higher 5hp and up planers have this set up. This is how Grizzly’s extreme and South Bend models are. Most every other 20” planer is this set up as well.
Hi Robert. Thanks so much for the great review. I am just down the road from you in Apex, NC. I am interested to hear some updates about your thoughts on this machine. I am at the same point that you were when you got the machine. I would like to move away from the toys and into a machine that has a more commercial level of build. Where I am trying to go is to be able to process veneers along with traditional jointing and planing. In other words cutting a 1/4" piece off a board on the bandsaw and then processing in on the joiner and the planer and/or the drum sander like you have. I have looked at the A3-31 and while there are many more reviews on the Hammer, I simply cannot see why that machine is so much better than this one. What are your thoughts?
I’m pretty happy with it over the past year. Sometimes I wish I had the 16” machine, but it’s double the cost. Don’t think there’s a better machine out there for $3500 with 5 hp than this grizzly. The hammer is a fine machine and they sell a lot of them. But everting else is 5k and up.
@@robertlondon6728 I don't have a combo machine not a fan of any of them, too much time, I am saying in general, Grizzly has always been cheap machines cheap, now they are cheap machines and they're expensive, sure they're less than some of the other machines but they're not as well made, or even close
@@adamchesis7443 Was referring to your astonishment at the Grizzly prices; was wondering what manufacturer you were comparing their prices too, because them "charging so much" is relative to what the comparisons are, which the Video creator mentions a few times. I agree as a whole that prices got crazy, but they all went up, not just Grizzly.
Greetings from a fellow Bull City resident. Great video thanks for sharing.
I’ve had mine now for about 2 yrs before the big price increases… overall, I like the machine but like Robert, it took me a long time to get the jointer beds ‘near’ coplanar. Very tedious process and I’ve learned to adapt my processing to get a nice flat board. Happily though, the planer needed no adjustment whatsoever and my long boards come out perfectly. With a digital calipers over a 7’ board, I see no deviation along the board down to 1/64”. It is very quiet, extremely limited snipe (usually operator error) and has plenty of power for wide processing of even dense materials. Flipped the cutters only once since I’ve owned. Dust extraction is acceptable with a good extractor. I wish the fence were steel so that I could attach magnetic featherboards for long boards but I have adapted one work acceptably well. I would recommend this machine.
Check your sheave alignment between the motor and cutter head....you will have to improvise a straight edge with some blocks secured to it to get around the back body panel.....also, put a tape measure on your planer bed and measure the ID of the 2 lips that act as guide/side rails....These were issues w my 2 machines with a host of others....sent them both back for refunds
You returned 2 machines because the pulleys were misaligned? Why not just align them?
@@criticaldistancemedia guess you missed the "host of others" part of my comment
I saw it, but considering it didn’t really tell me anything meaningful, I just disregarded it. Just to be clear, I don’t own this machine or have any stake in whether anyone purchases this machine… but if you’re gonna “review” it, at least provide some useful information to the community so they can make up their own minds.
My selection lever was also not engaging the feed rollers. How did you adjust the set screw?
Hello, thank you very much for sharing. A question from your experience. Do you recommend a indutrial planer with an up or down motor? They told me that the ones with the upper motor have more problems but I honestly don't know. thank you so much
I just bought Grizzly’s South Bend 20” helical. Wanted a larger designated planer and will keep my combo and only use the jointer now. I like the end mounted fence and it saves on space. As for an industrial planer, I like a fixed motor on the bottom and the beds raising up is usually better. Most higher 5hp and up planers have this set up. This is how Grizzly’s extreme and South Bend models are. Most every other 20” planer is this set up as well.
Hi Robert. Thanks so much for the great review. I am just down the road from you in Apex, NC. I am interested to hear some updates about your thoughts on this machine. I am at the same point that you were when you got the machine. I would like to move away from the toys and into a machine that has a more commercial level of build. Where I am trying to go is to be able to process veneers along with traditional jointing and planing. In other words cutting a 1/4" piece off a board on the bandsaw and then processing in on the joiner and the planer and/or the drum sander like you have. I have looked at the A3-31 and while there are many more reviews on the Hammer, I simply cannot see why that machine is so much better than this one. What are your thoughts?
I’m pretty happy with it over the past year. Sometimes I wish I had the 16” machine, but it’s double the cost. Don’t think there’s a better machine out there for $3500 with 5 hp than this grizzly. The hammer is a fine machine and they sell a lot of them. But everting else is 5k and up.
I'm astonished at the cost of grizzly these days, it makes no sense to me why they're charging so much.
Where else are you going up get a 5hp Taiwan made combo machine for $3600? Everyone else is 5k and up.
@@robertlondon6728 I don't have a combo machine not a fan of any of them, too much time, I am saying in general, Grizzly has always been cheap machines cheap, now they are cheap machines and they're expensive, sure they're less than some of the other machines but they're not as well made, or even close
@@adamchesis7443 You have a machine you are comparing it to?
@@everettnetzband not sure what you mean I don't own anything that they make
@@adamchesis7443 Was referring to your astonishment at the Grizzly prices; was wondering what manufacturer you were comparing their prices too, because them "charging so much" is relative to what the comparisons are, which the Video creator mentions a few times. I agree as a whole that prices got crazy, but they all went up, not just Grizzly.