Powermatic 15HH 15" Helical Head Planer

The ability to accurately dimension wood with parallel faces is crucial to virtually any woodworking task. Producing an ultra smooth, tear out-free surface at the same time is just as important. The Powermatic 15HH has been designed to handle these tasks with the accuracy, durability and repeatability you need.

Built around a fully enclosed, welded steel base cabinet, the Powermatic 15HH uses numerous precisely machined iron castings to insure durability and precise, repeatable operation. A heavy-duty caster system built into the base makes moving the 517- lb planer around the shop easy. A foot-operated brake locks the casters to keep it stationary during use.

A powerful 3hp (totally enclosed fan cooled) motor is mounted within the base cabinet. Power is transmitted to the fixed cutterhead assembly by three v-belts that turn precision-machined pulleys. A full-length belt cover is easily removed for maintenance by spinning off a pair of finger-operated knobs. The motor is operated and protected by a true magnetic switch mounted on the head assembly within easy reach.

The Byrd cutterhead is made from a billet of exotic €œstress proof" steel that ensures unrivaled durability. This cutterhead is extremely effective thanks to its 74 carbide inserts arranged in spiral-shaped rows. The inserts have a 4" radius ground into them and are mounted so they approach the wood at a 14° angle. That creates a true shear cut that eliminates much of the impact and the resulting fiber disturbance other cutterhead designs deliver to the wood. This cutterhead is also quiet - so quiet, in fact, that many users don€™t think it is cutting until they see the results.

The Powermatic 15HH has two material feed rates €“20 FPM (Feet Per Minute) used primarily for rough dimensioning and 16 FPM to increase the cuts-per-inch to create a silky-smooth surface. A push/pull knob shifts between the feed rates on the fly. The rollers are driven by a gear and chain drive with an automatic chain tensioner, housed in a cast iron case. The gear section runs in an industrial style oil bath for maximum control over long-term wear.

To make moving the stock from one side of the POWERMATIC 15HH to the other for repeat cuts easier, Powermatic added a pair of material rollers to the cutterhead. The iron rollers are spaced above the cutterhead, putting the often-heavy stock at a comfortable 43-1/2" above the floor.

An all-metal dust hood comes with the 15HH that creates a short, direct path for the debris directly from the cutterhead. The hood terminates with a 4"-diameter port that is angled to the side so the dust collector hose does not interfere with the stock as it exits. A 500-600 CFM dust collector is recommended.