Grizzly - G0815 15" planer (Rating: 2)

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?