Customer Reviews

DELTA 22-560 12-1/2-Inch Portable Planer

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Right out of the box, the Delta 22-560 is raring to go!

The setup is quick and easy and the package comes with all of the parts and tools you need. It also comes pre-installed with double-sided knives and includes and extra set.

Yes, it is LOUD, but it is also VERY ACCURATE. After running several boards through the machine, there is NO SNIPE AT ALL! And the finished surface is smooth as can be!

The machine is pretty hefty (70+ lbs.) and the controls are easy and percise (the depth indicator was accurately set at the factory, but can be easily adjusted following the directions.)

My only regret is that I didn't spend the extra $20 and get the "Delta 22-565" that comes with a dust-chute(my next, much needed, purchase) and a stand.

I also wish that the depth-of-cut indicator (divided into 16ths of an inch) was in divided into 32nds.

HIGHLY RECOMENDED!!!

This tool has turned out to be fantastic. It's extremely loud, and really should be used with dust collection, but produces a nearly perfect finish. It eats up anything I throw at it. I would definitly recommend getting this tool. You'll want a jointer too, stay away from the 070 and get a bigger one.

I've had this planer in my shop now for 2 months. I've run approximately 750 bd ft of red oak and maple thru it and am still on the original set of knives. The set up was easy, the operators manual is pretty complete and this planer really performs. It is a little loud (especially in a small basement shop), but it outperforms some other planers I have used. I highly reccommend the 4" dust collector attachment, it really makes a differance. The blade lock is a real plus and the heigth adjustment is surprisingly accurate. I highly reccommend this planer to anyone who resaws rough material and planes it down for project use.
UPDATE...January 2004....Although I have had some problems with some Delta tools in the last few years, this tool is not one of them. I am on the first edge of my second set of blades, and couldn't even guess how many board feet of material has been run thru this planer. It is a solid performer and I have had zero problems with it. Changing blades is so easy and accurate, and replacement blades are realativly inexpensive, especially when you consider you actually get four cutting edges with each package. I too have experienced "ridges" in some pieces, but a couple minutes sanding with 60 grit on the oscillating sander cleans them up easily. I don't worry about these little "defects" as I am going to sand the boards after planing anyway. I only change out blades when I notice the planer is working too hard. The new two speeds supposedly eliminate this problem, but it isn't a big enough issue for me to want to change. I haven't experienced much "snipe" as I do take care to support the pieces as they come out of the planer. This machine has served me very well for the last few years and if I was to "upgrade" it would be to a much larger unit. Still recommend the Delta 121/2 planer highly.

The 22-560 is my first protable planer and I gota say this thing takes a licking and keeps on ticking. I have ran over 4k bft of longleaf pine through this thing and aside from slight buildup of resin on the knives from time to time I have no complaints. The majority of the material I work with averages around 100 years old, and about 18 ft long, and using a simple set up of LEVEL roller tables I am able to start a board and walk away. Occassionaly I need to clean the infeed rollers as it tends to build up with resin, a charateristic of LL Pine, but I would rather stop to make this adjustment then deal with some of the problems I have read about concerning other planers. The machine has paid for itself several time over, and with maintainence I anticipate long continued use. I recommend this planer to anybody who is in the market for a portable planer regardless of the job size. I suggest if you plan on doing full scale production stuff with this little machine, give it a break after an hour or so so it can cool down.

I have had this tool for a while now and didn't really use it that much. Boards I ran though it had lines and nicks in them and needed a lot of sanding to get smooth. Recently I needed to plane down a bunch of stock so decided to change the blades and try to get it adjusted right. I did not have any problems getting the blades out like some early reviews commented on so Delta must of fixed the over-tighten problem on the blade screws. I cleaned the blades and the area around them and since they still looked sharp put them back in. The machine ran perfect after that. Boards are smooth needing little finish sanding with no nicks or snipe at all. This thing creates a lot of dust and chips so I really recommend the dust collector accessory for it. Take a hour or so when you first get this machine to take the blades out and clean them and the area around them before you start using the machine, you won't regret it.

I purchased the Delta 22-560 as my first portable planer in February of 2001. Prior to the end of the first year of use (casual wood worker) I had to take it in and have the cutter head assembly replaced. When I received it back from the Porter Cable/Delta repair shop, it sounded twice as loud as it did before I took it in. Today, as I was planing 2" red oak, I began to smell rubber burning and the unit quit cutting. (At least it did not spray the parts through-out the shop as one other user described.) Disassembling it, I determined that the cutter head assembly nut had come loose and could not be tightened without the pulley on the cutter head "throwing" the belt off because of a wobble in the pulley. I will not buy another Delta planer (even though I have been a Porter Cable/Delta purchaser for years) and am considering either a Makita or the Grizzly 15 inch.

When I bought this item I followed the advice of another review, that being to take the blades out and give the machine a clean. This was going along nicely until I had to remove the bolts that clamp the blade in place. The bolts were that tight that when they `cracked' sparks literally shot out.
Some bolts were that tight that I had to get a small piece of pipe to use as a lever arm. This problem was consistent for every bolt I tried. I had to give up trying when the tightness of the bolts damaged both the supplied wrench and the bolt head. I have informed Delta and am hoping they reply with an explanation.
Now after that little whinge the machine is quite good to use. The reason for not a higher rating is only due to this assembly error.

I helped my Dad get his 22-560 going and I liked it so much I bought myself one. Both were easy to set up with the infeed and outfeed tables and knives properly set from the factory. The surface is great. I may throw away all of my medium and coarse grit sandpaper.

I have always been a big supporter of Delta tools, However, I'm afraid I cannot give this product great praise. The fact is, the only reason I am giving them 3 stars at all is for the overall end product it can produce. Now I've used four different brands of planers and never encountered the types of problems I've had with this peice of equipment! Easily enough broken down, but jeeze I've had to take this thing apart 4 times this months... I've only used it 5 times this month! with moderate 1/16th cuts. Today the belt shredded to peices for the second time in 5 months. I'm about to find a Jet 15" planer online, The more expensive machine will pay for it self compared to all the time I lose trying to fix the delta!

Hope this machine was just a lemon, but prehaps this will help someone else.

I purchased the delta 22-560 portable planer in 2001. It has served me well for most of the time until about 2005 when wood chips were forced under on knife bending it and the locking bar. I was unable to remove the locking bar screws without striping the hex head of several screws. This completely ruined the locking bar because it was bent and must be perfectly flat in order to work at all. I ordered new screws and locking bar. I tried to use standard button head cap screws as a replacement, but the heads are too tall. You have to purchase the screws from delta. The were about $2.00 each plus shipping. I remember thinking it was pretty expensive. I think the locking bar was about $40. Today, Dec. 2009 it happened again. I would not recommend this planer to a friend.

I am now looking at reviews to before I purchase my next planer. I am not a professional wood worker, but I expect tools to work without destroying themselves.