| Review by rbtools | posted 02-24-2021 07:26 AM | 1436 views | 0 times favorited | 4 comments |  |
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- Grizzly G0815 15" planer
- Brand: Grizzly | Category: Planers
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5 star planer that has a “but” which makes it a 1 or 2 star planer
This is a marvelous planer: absolutely zero snip [as long as you lock the cutter head], 8” of travel, 2 speeds, no huge expensive cabinet, heavy, no need for adjustments worked great right out of the box.
Zero snip even when planning 7’ hardwood without infeed nor outfeed tables.
Grizzly sells the Shelix helical cutter head for this planer. I purchased and installed it. The results are perfectly smooth boards that are flat. Every time.
I cannot find another planer that is even close to the price of this planer [with Shelix cutter head about $1700] that is as big [15”] yet compact and cuts perfectly flat.
BUT…. This planer has a manufacturing defect. While installing the helical cutter head, I found the drive gears that drive the cutter head do not fully engage. See pictures. Grizzly tech support took a gear box apart from their stock and told me it had the exact same issue with the gears. These gears will wear out prematurely or break off a tooth.
Additionally, one of the bearings in the gear box just barely touches one of the large drive gears. All bearings and gears were completely seated and installed correctly. See pictures.
I received this planer Nov 2020, just before Grizzly ran out of stock, and it is still on BO. But, the question remains when did this manufacturing defect begin? How many planers have the same issues?
If you have this planer does yours have the same issues?
4 comments so far
Sark
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402 posts in 1411 days
#1 posted 02-25-2021 11:53 PM
Interesting, doesn’t seem like a defect that will be easy to fix…
Bill1974
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171 posts in 4036 days
#2 posted 03-01-2021 03:44 PM
A fix doesn’t look like it’s that difficult. A few new gears, spacers/shims and maybe a shaft or two. Are the gears correctly spaced (center to center)? If that is off then a fix is more difficult.
What was Grizzly’s response? I am guessing they offered to take the planner back and offer a full refund.
I’m guessing like a lot of businesses this year, Grizzly sourced components from any supplier it could get parts from to be able to make products. At the same time being resource strapped themselves and not being able to handle more incoming inspections and having people assemble equipment they normally don’t assemble and a myriad of other production challenges they faced this past year.
rbtools
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7 posts in 2943 days
#3 posted 03-03-2021 05:08 AM
I do not believe there is a fix outside of re-engineering the gears, shaft, and/or housing. The cutter head drive gear [#70] is notched to the cutter head making it not “Shimable”. Gear #73 is part of the shaft and not shimable since it is sandwiched on bearings between the housing and cover.
Grizzly did offer to give a full refund. But I really like this planer, and I have not been able to find another that is even close to what this planer offers. Unfortunately Grizzly ran out of stock just after I purchased it, but I believe all of these planer have this issue. So a replacement would probably not have solved the problem. I sent them picture and believe they know the exactly what is wrong. I can only hope Grizzly will fix the issue on the next production run. I hope.
Alldigets
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25 posts in 26 days
#4 posted 03-16-2021 08:17 PM
Anyone have the Oliver 12 1/2 inch planer with the Byrd Shelix cutter? I’m looking to buy a planer and these are on sale now. Any input would be appreciated.
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