Popular Woodworking 2002-08 № 129, страница 23
Tool Test Yorkcraft's Planer an Impressive Cast-iron Bargain R During the past few years there has been a wave of quality, reliable and easy-to-use $300+ benchtop planers entering the market. These 12" and 13" planers have made it possible for the home woodworker to surface quality lumber at one-quarter to one-third the cost of larger stationary planers. But deep in our grease-smudged hearts we know every woodworker wants a 15" stationary planer with an induction motor. The problem is most of us don't have the $900 to $1,200 for one of these cast-iron machines. When we stumbled across a Yorkcraft 15" enclosed-stand, 3 horsepower, two-speed planer with bed rollers for $699, our heavy-metal hearts skipped a beat, and we started to figure out where it would fit in our shops. At less than $700, the YC-15P is priced $100 less than other comparable planers. Though the name Yorkcraft may be new to you, the company isn't. This planer is available through Wilke Machinery, which has offered the Bridgewood line of machines that have been positively reviewed and recommended in this magazine. With the planer's tantalizing price, good specifications and good pedigree, we ordered a unit to test in our shop with great anticipation. We're happy to report the YC-15P is as advertised. While there are some cosmetic inconsistencies, this Chinese-made machine has all the features you could ask for in a professional planer, at a good price. Assembly was generally smooth, you'll need friends to help get the machine up onto the base cabinet. There were only a few loose parts to attach, and the planer was ready to run in about an hour. This is a 3 hp, 220 volt, single-phase machine, so check your breaker box to make sure you've got enough juice (Wilke recommends at least 20 amps). A simple two-speed adjustment switches the feed rate from 30 fpm (feet per minute) to 16 fpm, providing a smooth and well-finished final pass. We weren't enthralled with the top-mounted motor, making blade changes more complicated. Other features include: anti-kickback fingers across the entire bed width, jackscrew knife adjustment and a dust hood. When we put the planer to work, one difficulty was in setting the infeed and outfeed rollers. As the height of these guides directly affects snipe on a board, we found the infeed roller brackets easy to bend and with too little fine adjustment. But the planer did a fine in operation, without extensive snipe and plenty of power for the 100 board feet of white oak we ran to test. While we need to use the machine for an extended period to find out how it will hold up, our initial testing shows the YC-15P to be an affordable way for home woodworkers to add a professional machine to their shops. For more information, circle #141 on Free Information Card. SPECIFICATIONS Yorkcraft YC-15P Street price: $699 Motor: 3 hp, 5,000 rpm Feed speeds: 16 & 30 fpm Thickness cap.:1k" to 6" Weight: 427 pounds Performance: ••••O Value: ••••• Wilke Machinery: 800-235-2100 or 22 Popular Woodworking August 2002 HOW WE RATE TOOLS At Popular Woodworking we test new tools and products with an honest, real-world workout. We check for ease of assembly and determine how clear and complete the manuals are. Then we use the tool in our shop to build projects that appear in the magazine. Each issue, our editorial staff shares its results and experiences with the tools. We use a one-to-five scale, with "five" in performance indicating that we consider it to be the leader in its category. For value, "five" means the tool is a great deal for the money, while "one" means we consider it pricey. Though, a unique low-value tool may be worth the price. If our tool reviews don't answer all your questions, e-mail me at david.thiel@fwpubs.com or call me at 513-531-2690, ext. 1255. You also can visit our web site www.popularwoodworking.com to check out previous tool reviews and sign up for our free email newsletter (focusing on tools) that's sent out every other week. —David Thiel, senior editor |
