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Shop Power Tools ::
Grizzly G0454 20" Planer
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Our Price: $1,495.00
List Price: $1,495.00
Sales Rank: #79250 (lower is better)
Availability: N/A
Manufacturer: Grizzly
Avg. Customer Rating:  
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Brand: Grizzly
EAN: 0690550004544
Manufacturer: Grizzly
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Grizzly G0454 20" Planer Description
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Put one of these 20" Planers in your shop without breaking the bank or your back. Solid cast iron and steel construction and large planing capacity make this one heavy weight planer. However, with its foot operated caster system, you won't need to manhandle it around your shop. Simply press down on the cast lever with your foot to make this planer mobile. You'll also appreciate the 55-5/8" extra long bed for maximum versatility. If that wasn't enough, you always know you're getting the best deal for your money when you purchase from Grizzly. Features: * Built-in mobile base * Cast iron extension wings * Board return rollers * Adjustable bed rollers * Magnetic safety switch * Four column support with table locks * Two speed automatic board feed * Includes 5" dust port * Precision ground table and wings * Heavy-duty cast iron construction Specifications: * Motor: 5 HP, 220V, single-phase * Maximum cutting width: 20" * Maximum cutting height: 8" * Minimum stock thickness: 3/16" * Minimum stock length: 7.5" * Maximum cutting depth: 1/8" * Feed rate: 16 FPM & 20 FPM * Cutterhead diameter: 3-1/8" * Number of knives: 4 * Cutterhead speed: 5000 RPM * Feed rolls: solid serrated steel * Table size: 20" x 25-3/4" (20" x 55-5/8" with extension) * Overall dimensions: 55-5/8"L x 36-5/8"W x 43-3/8"H * Approximate shipping weight: 935 lbs.
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Grizzly G0454 20" Planer customer reviews:
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Good Solid Planer, but buy the Spiral Cutterhead Version!
I want to say this first: do not buy THIS planer! Buy the spiral cutter-head version. (G0454Z) If I had known 2 years ago what I know now, I would have never bought this version and upgraded the cutter-head, I would have gone straight to the spiral cutter-head version. I know its $800 more, but trust me, you cannot afford NOT to buy the spiral cutter-head version. Beg, borrow, or steal the extra $800 if you have to! Here's why.
- The straight knife planer is very noisy. I know what you're saying, all planers are noisy. Not the spiral cutter-head! I could not believe it! You don't even need earplugs!
- You can not plane off as much in a pass with the straight knife as you can with the spiral cutter-head. The motor works a lot harder with the straight knife vs. the spiral. Remember, the straight knife only cuts 4 times per revolution while the spiral cuts continuously. This planer is rated for an 1/8" cut. Do not try to hog off more than that in one pass, especially with extremely dense woods like Wenge. You will seriously shorten the life of your motor if you plane a lot of very dense woods without a spiral cutter-head.
- Knife changes take only seconds with the spiral. I've always thought Grizzly's knife changing system and setting jig are way too cheesy and clumsy. The knives don't stay sharp very long on the straight knife either, and boy are they expensive! On the spiral you just loosen the screw holding it down, rotate a quarter turn and tighten it back down. Say you accidentally run a board with a nail or piece of metal through the planer. Instead of ruining a set of 4 knives, you've just ruined one side of 4 or 5 four sided knives.
The G0454z is $800 more than this planer. If you buy the straight knife version and plan to upgrade to the spiral cutter-head later, it will cost you over $1,000 for the new cutterhead and a few hours of your time. Changing it over is a royal pain! I swear I had to unbolt everything but the wheels and the motor in order to change cutterheads. I did everything by hand, but a small press would have been very helpful for pressing the bearings on the new cutter-head.
I cannot stress enough about going straight to the spiral cutter-head planer and skipping this one. Hopefully I've sold you. Now some other notes about the planer.
I've had this planer for a couple years now, during which time I've run a few thousand board feet through it. I've run everything from very dense exotics to soft pine. For the most part, it is a very good, dependable planer.
However, I did recently run into a problem that set me back a few days troubleshooting. While trying to hog off too much on some red pine (remember, I warned you), I overloaded it and tripped the circuit breaker. Unfortunately when I flipped it back on the planer wouldn't start. I fried the start capacitor on the motor. Its not an expensive fix, around $20 bucks, but you still have to wait a couple days for a replacement. However, at the same time the capacitor blew up, the contact on the motor somehow went out of adjustment. Its not a hard fix (pop the fan cover off the motor and adjust it) and it is a known problem. Tech support was very helpful through all of it. This is the only real issue I've had so far. Other points:
- The fan on the motor came loose after a few hours of use and had to be retightened. Simple fix.
- The height lock mechanism is cheesy. You simply tighten two t-knobs (front and back). The lock doesn't feel secure, nor does it work that well. The knobs like to vibrate loose if you don't tighten them regularly. I rarely use the table height lock.
- Get a set of infeed and outfeed tables. Otherwise you'll be spending a lot of time catching and dropping boards on the floor.
- The depth indicator is all but useless. I always use a dial caliper anyway. Upgrading to a digital one (if possible) might be helpful.
- While this planer is very heavy (around 900 pounds) it wheels around quite easily. It comes on its own wheel system with a foot operated cam lock. Move it where you want, set it down, and start planing. When you're done, push down on the pedal and wheel it out of the way. DO NOT BUY THE SHOPFOX BASE AMAZON IS TRYING TO SELL WITH IT. IT'S ALREADY ON WHEELS!
- Like I said, it's very heavy. You must have a forklift or skidloader to unload this off the truck, and to get it off the packing crate and bolt the wheels on it.
- You need a big dust collector. A shop vac or small bagger will not work with this planer. I have a large Oneida Cyclone and I still feel like I'm always emptying it.
The feed rollers are hard to get adjusted right if you plane many different types of wood. The pressure needed to pull through dense jungle woods will dent pine, while the pressure needed to pull through pine is not nearly enough for say Wenge, or Goncalo Alves. If you only plane domestics (oak, maple, walnut, etc) it shouldn't be much of an issue. Wax the table with Johnson paste wax. It helps a ton.
Bottom line, this is a solid planer for a great price. All in all, I'm happy with it. The only planer I would buy over this is a large Northfield Planer. I cannot say it enough, get the spiral-cutterhead version instead of this, or go the expensive route and upgrade the cutterhead later. I promise you won't be disappointed.
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