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Met up with the guy at his storage unit today and picked up a Delta TP300 planer, a Hitachi M12V router, JessEm phenolic router table insert plate, a handful of 10" saw blades of various styles, and a couple of miter saw accessories all for $180. Good deal? I thought so.

His storage unit was one of the interior, climate controlled ones. And he walked in to find it had been leaking for a while and his two big table saws - a Powermatic 64a and a brand new Delta Unisaw he's never even used covered with thick rust. Water was pouring from the ceiling right on to the table saws as we were there. A big jointer that looked like a small aircraft carrier also had some surface rust on it. He was quite upset about it. I told him if the storage unit's insurance covered replacing the table saws and he wanted to sell the rusted ones cheap to give me a call!

robinson46176 wrote:That sounds about right. They cost around $22 to $25 for the standard blade if I recall right. Back in the 1980s I was paying about $13 for my big mill. I cut a few nails in half but ruined very few blades. Usually they just cut the nail and kept sawing. I know blade charges are common practice but I never did charge anyone for a blade. I ruined so few that when I hit a nail the blade was usually getting dull anyway and I just chucked it and put on a new one. I don't think I ever hit a nail with a brand new blade. Why make the customer pay for a new blade when the one I ruined was already maybe half worn out. I just considered it part of the cost and risk of doing business. If I have a wreck hauling my new little mill to a guys logs should I expect him to buy me a new truck? As I said they were $13 and most places wanted more than that to sharpen one. I was buying from a custom shop in Indy and I would just walk in with my specs and they pulled it off of a huge roll and butt welded them while I waited unless I thought to call it in ahead.

Francis,
Whenever a blade hit a nail it would wander off the straight line clueing us immediately that the cut was wasted. The sawyer would replace the blade with a new one and subsequent cuts were right on until it hit another nail, I had seven logs lumbered that snowy afternoon and paid for, as I remember, three blades. The logs were white oak. My experience is the reason why I suggest that prior to using a planer for finishing rough cut lumber the board be scanned with a metal detector.
Dick

I have six or seven routers and only one planner. Obviously, I find a lot of use for routers. While I consider my planner a must, it gets used far less often than do my routers. It's been said by many that the router is the most versatile tool in the shop. I can't say that I'd argue that, providing you throw enough money in for accessories (e.g., over arm router base, router table, dovetail jig, etc.) and bits.

The main reason I would consider going for the planner first would be because I could afford it. A planner cost a lot of nickels for the initial investment. A router, as indicated, can be built on and the initial investment can be as little as a couple hundred bucks, or less. Coming up with initial equipment investments can be a struggle and, of course, that struggle increases with the amount.

I had a Belsaw planner, but after using a portable and considering the small amount of planning I did in a year (under a thousand feet), I went with a portable. I bought the Delta, which, at the time, was the head of the pack. It's proven a good unit and most snipe is due to my neglect, when it happens at all. Since I purchased it, DeWalt moved to the lead and it looks like a really good unit.

So, if money is going to be an issue, spend more while you can. If it's a matter of use, my vote would be for the router and some support tools, as noted above.

Don't forget, you can also run ads in craigslist to meet other guys like us. You have something they don't, and they have something you dont, such as a planner. A little horse trading (e.g., materials for work) could help you both.