upgrading jointer and planer

I’m in the same boat. Hopefully someone will chime in with experience on replacing the cutters with carbide cutters.

I would think you should do well with the 490 machine. I have the Delta DJ-20, which is essentially the same tool. It is big and solid and makes milling rough lumber pretty easy.

-- Willie, Washington "If You Choose Not To Decide, You Still Have Made a Choice" - Rush

Joel: Like many on this site say “patience”. When I got serious about upgrading my 6” Rigid, I checked
CL everyday-nothing for two months. Then last Thursday, an older NEVER used 8” Powermatic showed
up. The posting was only two hours old, I was the first to call. The guy called back, stating he would hold
it for me, if I came and got it Saturday(last). I drove two hours each way in truck, with trailer, and gave him
$800. Now it is in my garage. Unless you need one now, Patience is your friend.

Thanks, Tim.

I have a 15 year old DC380, and replaced the cutterhead with a Byrd.. Worked out very well, wasn’t too hard to do, and allowed me to resolve another problem while I had it apart. Following the Byrd instructions was very easy (they are quite clear) and I choose to re use my bearings, not so much to save money…but time. I would have had to pull them and then run down replacements (which might have cost $20, no big deal). Mine were in good shape, and handled properly (no damage) so i just installed them and reassembled. The second problem I resolved was that the bearing “blocks” that held the feed roller (these aren’t roller bearings, just a block of material with a hole for the shaft) got crudded up and were binding, so I took those apart and cleaned and lubed as well (worth checking, if you do this). All this was about 8 years ago, and i just this year rotated the inserts for the first time; I wasn’t even sure it needed rotation but after that much time I figured I had another 24 years before I have to replace them.

-- Our village hasn't lost it's idiot, he was elected to congress.

Thanks tim, I have been looking seriously for over 6 monthes now I also keep an eye on DC CL as my daughter lives in the area. I bought my Jet disc / belt sander down there. As my son in law says people down there have more money and tend to buy things they reallly do’nt need or want.

Fred thanks I had not thought about the roller I will make sure I check them out. You went 8 yrs without sharpping,I have had this planer for 3 yrs and have had to sharpen the blades 4 times.

Joel

That was my problem before the Byrd, I had 2 spare sets of knives and changing them was a real pain (actually, changing them was easy, the alignment part was a pain).

-- Our village hasn't lost it's idiot, he was elected to congress.

i scored an old model general 8” jointer .I put a byrd head in it .easy to do but surprised that i literally took the whole thing apart . got a generic 15” delta /a copy cat . Says Enco on it .it looks like a delta or any of the other delta impersinations . Got it cheap enough on CL ,though took an easy 6 months i did get a byrd head for it also .I would say that this was a little more complicated to change over .bryd will send new bearings if you request . pretty sure i needed a bearing puller ,other then that pretty basic tools to do the job .well worth it to me . really glad i have the 8” jointer .

I would keep the 60 year old jointer. As they say, “they don’t make them like that anymore”. Old American made machinery is always better than anything from Asia.

I ll buy your jointer. 60 years old is just getting warn in.

EDIT: I just sold my DC15 this weekend and good riddance. Economically speaking I am all for things being made anywhere. Thats the market. As for the equipment I buy and rebuild, you cant beat the stuff that is nice and old. Currently I am rebuilding a Yates American 6” jointer. The only hiccup I will have is getting a converter for this 3 ph machine to run on single ph. No biggie. Really: Keep the jointer or sell it to me. That planer is not too bad. I used one in a small cabinet shop about 20 years ago. Ran it hours at a time. It Brazilian Delta, right?

-- Don't blame me, I voted for no one.

32” bed on your jointer is why I would replace it. Nothing to do with age, it’s simply limited by it’s shortness. As for what to replace it with, put your pennies aside and when a decent 8”+ machine comes up on CL, jump on it. Sure, you could get the Griz, and if being patient waiting on CL isn’t your thing, then go ahead. Jointers are a pretty darn mature technology, so a new Griz is going to be able to do the job.

-- I'm happier than a tornado in a trailer park! Grace & Peace.