Experience with Ryobi 10" planer?

[edma194]

I can pick up one of these for $150, on a cart. Very clean. Blades are supposed to be sharp, will get to see it working.

Anyone familiar with these? Its narrow, yes, but it's all I need for now. It got good reviews in it's time, but is no longer being made. Blades are available, most other parts are now but the availability of parts is likely to dwindle over time.

If I'm going to spend more money on a planer I'd go bigger and heavier, not a portable. Will probably buy this if it's actually running because the price is attractive but still interested in anyone's actual experience.

[rogersk]

If the Model number is AP-10, then it is a very good planer. I bought mine in 1987 or 1988, and have been using it ever since. I can't even guess how many thousands of feet of wood I've run through it. Never a problem. While it is limited to a 10" width of cut, it can handle up to 6 inches in thickness. These planers were made in Japan, and not the same company that Home Depot sells.

Based on my personal experience, the original Ryobi blades are the best, better than the Freud replacement blades available today. The original blades have some sort of hardened steel inlaid along the cutting edge that holds an edge much longer than the Freud HSS blades. You can see it when looking at the edge of the blade. I bought the Shopsmith conical disk sander and sharpening jig right after I purchased the planer and have used it to sharpen my blades since then.

One suggestion I have is to make sure you get the orange colored jig--I've attached a photo of mine. It is used to install the blades, and I think it would be difficult to install them without it.

[edma194]

One suggestion I have is to make sure you get the orange colored jig--I've attached a photo of mine. It is used to install the blades, and I think it would be difficult to install them without it.

I saw the instructions for blade setting in the manual and a lot of requests on line to find a replacement jig. Looks like there used to be one on Amazon that came with a pair of new blades but hasn't been available for a while. If I he doesn't have that I may have to reconsider. I'm sure it's possible to change the blades and get them aligned without it, but it does not sound easy. Maybe there are better instructions for doing it manually somewhere.

[rogersk]

I saw the instructions for blade setting in the manual and a lot of requests on line to find a replacement jig. Looks like there used to be one on Amazon that came with a pair of new blades but hasn't been available for a while. If I he doesn't have that I may have to reconsider. I'm sure it's possible to change the blades and get them aligned without it, but it does not sound easy. Maybe there are better instructions for doing it manually somewhere.

I can't locate my manual at this moment, but I've done it so many times, here is the basic idea. The blades don't attach directly to the cutter head. Instead, they are screwed to the back of a 10" long steel bracket. The bracket then slips into a slot on the cutterhead and is bolted down. What the jig does is make sure the edge of the blade is protruding from the bracket the correct distance. In other words, the blade is adjusted to this bracket, and the bracket can only be installed one way on the cutterhead. It makes it very easy--foolproof-- to install the blades, as long as you have the jig.

If the seller says the blades installed are sharp, then I would think he has the jig. If he doesn't have the jig, then I would ask him how he installed the blades. Good luck!

[rogersk]

I didn't know how to edit my last post, so I started a new one.

Here's a photo of one of the blades installed on my planer. One can see the blade edge protruding from behind the black bracket. The hex head bolts attach the bracket to the cutter head. You can also see the ends of the 2 bolts sticking through that attach the blade to the black bracket.

[edma194]

Thanks, good to have that picture. Here's the instructions from the manual which are a little confusing, but I get the general idea. I really want him to have that gauge.

blade gauge.jpg (49.56 KiB) Viewed 9056 times

[garys]

The gauge looks very nice and useful, but it shouldn't be necessary to set up the blades properly. I've never worked with the Ryobi unit, but it shouldn't be more difficult than any of the other planers to set up the blades.
I have a 30 year old Chinese made 12" planer that calls for just a block of wood to set it up. It isn't difficult to do.

At that price, I would buy it without the setup gauge.

[edma194]

At that price, I would buy it without the setup gauge.

Just heard from the guy. I can't buy it with or without the gauge, he sold it to someone else.

I'm impressed by how well people like these machines, gotta keep an eye out for another one.

[edma194]

These things are in demand. One went up on Craig's List only an hour ago and I still ended up in the number 3 spot.

[edma194]

And there goes another one. First guy in line took it. $250 for the both the planer and a 6" Delta variable speed bench joiner. It even had the knife gauge for the planer. I just set up a Craig's List alert so maybe I can get in line sooner, but many sellers are just going to sell to the first person who shows up.