I've got the opportunity to buy a used delta 22-540 planer that "works fine" (havent seen it yet) with extra set of blades for $130. I've seen mixed reviews of this thing, so I'm wondering if its worth it. I'm strictly a hobbyist, and I dont even spend every night or even weekend in the shop, so it wont see much use, but it will see hardwoods.
any advice from you folks would be awesome. thank you!
Aaron, I have th Delta 22-540 planer. I too am a hobbist and the Delta has been an excellent machine. The only suggestion I have is that with this planer I find you do need to have a dust collector. pkennedy
thanks chief. yeah, the craigslist pic shows a jerry rigged dust collection chute. so i suppose i can try hooking that up to the shop vac or through a garbage can cyclone setup. I guess i'll see what it comes to if/when i get it.
how do you deal with the snipe that so many people complain about?
so the guy says that it was bought in the 90s and used "very little, mostly softwoods."
Another consideration is the universal electric motor. They operate at very high speed. With a used machine, you don't know how much bearing and brush "life" has been used up.
I recently threw away a used Delta compound miter saw because B&D, PC, & Delta service centers no longer supported the product with service and parts. Before buying this planer you might check with B&D, PC, & Delta to see if they still support this planer.
good point. a quick check at the service site indicates that those parts (brushes, bearings) are still used in other models and are available. cool. I wouldve never thought to check that out.
Aaron - The 22-540 was known as a workhorse but also has a fair amount of snipe because there's no cutterhead locking device on it. With proper technique you can minimize snipe but not to the degree that machines with a lock do.
Also, the 540 hasn't been produced in quite some time…unless it's nearly new, I'm thinking $130 is a little on the steep side. A new TP305 (one of the 540's successors) on sale gets down in the $200 range, as does the Ryobi 1301. I'd be more inclined to offer $100.
blah, he already sold it to someone else. well, i guess i'll have to go a little farther afield to get a used one (pittsburgh craigslist). i did learn a few things in the process though, and thanks for all your helpful comments.
Its' not that great of a machine anyway. That was my first planer and like knotscott said, it has no cutterhead lock. I had to hold it in place while I fed the wood in. It was quite difficult when planing long boards.
If I miss a buy like that, I tell myself it's because something better is coming along soon. And it usually does. And remember, if you stop to ask if it's a deal, it will be sold. Do some homework, watch prices on used machines, read reviews, be prepared to buy immediately. And some luck also figures into it.
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