hl 850 e planner for doors.

jhall

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Jan 28, 2011
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I may have a job replacing doors with blanks  in a house and was wondering how people like the hl 850 e planner.  I have a old rockwell (portacable) and it can do the job but it makes a mess.  Plus, not sure about parts and blades for it.  the idea of having a stand is a huge selling point for future projects.  Is there an update coming in the near future?
 
The 850 is a little heavy for doors. Good for thick oak doors though has some power!    I don't really use it for doors but the 65 is better for doors. 

The bench setup for the 85 is dead handy I use da alot good for small pieces

Jmb
 
i don't plan on doing lots of doors.  I hope to use it for deferent things.  Just think it would help justify one if i can use it and help pay for it.  The 65 is close to my rockwell but it makes a lot of mess.  Dont know that i can justify having 2 similar sizes just for dust extraction.
 
No update in the near future for the HL 850.  I use it on doors.  So do many other carpenters.  It's a bit big and bulky compared to the Porter Cable 126 / 9118 , however the dust collection adds a lot to the benefits.  Just go easy and make sure you are able to make a smooth pass from start to finish without jerking it or getting the hose or cord caught.  Know how to use a plane, whether powered or hand tool, first.  Press down on the front shoe as you enter the work and gently shift your pressure to the rear section of the plane/planer (full area behind the cutter) as you finish your pass.  Otherwise you will get unevenness and gouges that will be difficult to correct with more passes, unless you cut the piece with the TS55 for a clean start.

Gary Katz has info on using the HL 850 on JLC and maybe This Is Carpentry as well.

Understand that with the HL 850, zeroing the cutter height is a bit tricky.  You can't go by the gauge near the handle.  0 mark is never on and there's a slight amount of variance when using the gauge and lowering the front to get a zero cutter height, then doing it from the other direction, raising the front to get a zero cutter height. -- You'll see two different readings on the gauge, is my point, so it's not to be trusted.
 
I replaced few doors recently.  TS-55 with rail did this job extremely fast and neat with 4 degree bevel on side.
 
Festool: HL 850 E Planer Package - $600 (Los Angeles)

Date: 2011-07-18, 10:50AM PDT
Reply to: sale-w4dtz-2500533633@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]

Package Includes: HL 850 E Planer, Bench Unit, Angle Stop and Systainer #4 (allows you to store unit fully assembled w/base and angle stop)

the planer was used once on an installation.

This might help you.  [big grin]
 
I just replace 6 hollow doors with solid Poplar 4 - panel doors. I made the 3 degree bevels with a Lie-Neilsen #4 and the hinge mortises with the L-N butt mortise plane and a chisel. No dust, no noise. Priceless.
 
The 850 is a wonderful planer to use. I don't use it for doors too much though. Old, heavy doors, yes. New material SC or HC doors sometimes but not often. I still use a Bosch planer for doors mostly. Lighter, easier, cheaper and in my opinion superior to the 65. I know guys like the 65 but I wouldn't spend that kind of money on a planer with such poor features. Now having bashed the 65, back to the 850.
I also can't justify the 850 price for a door planer. My 850 mostly lives in the bench unit clamped down to the MFT3. For what I use it for I am fine with the price and am extremely happy with performance. Used the 850 to plane down some Cedar last week. Nice, clean, smooth work.
 
The 850 is a lovely planer with plenty of power but can be a bit unwieldy on the edge of a door.  It feels a bit clumsy.  I got the 65 about a month ago & i wish i bought it years ago.  Like the 850 the extraction is excellent but it is so nice to use, much better on the edge of a door.  Not sure if you can get a stand for it or not.

Woodguy.
 
woodguy7 said:
The 850 is a lovely planer with plenty of power but can be a bit unwieldy on the edge of a door.  It feels a bit clumsy.  I got the 65 about a month ago & i wish i bought it years ago.  Like the 850 the extraction is excellent but it is so nice to use, much better on the edge of a door.  Not sure if you can get a stand for it or not.

Woodguy.

Yeah I think the 65 has a stand also! 

The 85 is to big and clumsy I dont know how you plane a door but I prefer to plane doors laying down with an electric plane    on edge with a smoothing plane but I have seen a lot of trades men who also plane doors on edge with an electric plane but thats okay if you want to plane a few mm top to bottom equally but its hard ''scribe'' a door to a frame having it on edge I think as you cant really see your pencil marks if fitting to existing crappy frames of course.      So if you like planning doors on its side the 85 is to heavy the 65 is brilliant for that on edge then weight doesn't really come into it as your resting on the door any way.

JMB
 
jhall said:
I may have a job replacing doors with blanks  in a house and was wondering how people like the hl 850 e planner.  I have a old rockwell (portacable) and it can do the job but it makes a mess.  Plus, not sure about parts and blades for it.  the idea of having a stand is a huge selling point for future projects.   Is there an update coming in the near future?

You should look at using the TS 55 or TS 75 with a longer guide rail to fit these doors.  There are a few posts here concerning door planing and/or fitting.

 
jmbfestool said:
woodguy7 said:
The 850 is a lovely planer with plenty of power but can be a bit unwieldy on the edge of a door.  It feels a bit clumsy.  I got the 65 about a month ago & i wish i bought it years ago.  Like the 850 the extraction is excellent but it is so nice to use, much better on the edge of a door.  Not sure if you can get a stand for it or not.

Woodguy.

Yeah I think the 65 has a stand also! 

The 85 is to big and clumsy I dont know how you plane a door but I prefer to plane doors laying down with an electric plane    on edge with a smoothing plane but I have seen a lot of trades men who also plane doors on edge with an electric plane but thats okay if you want to plane a few mm top to bottom equally but its hard ''scribe'' a door to a frame having it on edge I think as you cant really see your pencil marks if fitting to existing crappy frames of course.      So if you like planning doors on its side the 85 is to heavy the 65 is brilliant for that on edge then weight doesn't really come into it as your resting on the door any way.

JMB

You just need more practice and your HL 85 (our HL 850) needs lights so you can see the pencil marks easier.
 
Ken, if they put lights on the 850 your lot will probably ban it  [poke] [bite tongue]
 
Ken Nagrod said:
jmbfestool said:
woodguy7 said:
The 850 is a lovely planer with plenty of power but can be a bit unwieldy on the edge of a door.  It feels a bit clumsy.  I got the 65 about a month ago & i wish i bought it years ago.  Like the 850 the extraction is excellent but it is so nice to use, much better on the edge of a door.  Not sure if you can get a stand for it or not.

Woodguy.

Yeah I think the 65 has a stand also! 

The 85 is to big and clumsy I dont know how you plane a door but I prefer to plane doors laying down with an electric plane     on edge with a smoothing plane but I have seen a lot of trades men who also plane doors on edge with an electric plane but thats okay if you want to plane a few mm top to bottom equally but its hard ''scribe'' a door to a frame having it on edge I think as you cant really see your pencil marks if fitting to existing crappy frames of course.      So if you like planning doors on its side the 85 is to heavy the 65 is brilliant for that on edge then weight doesn't really come into it as your resting on the door any way.

JMB

You just need more practice and your HL 85 (our HL 850) needs lights so you can see the pencil marks easier.

[tongue]   

No not lights it need a camera underneath pointing towards the door and a screen above so you can see the side of the door where your pencil mark is with out needing to bend down to look underneath

JMB

 
jmbfestool said:
No not lights it need a camera underneath pointing towards the door and a screen above so you can see the side of the door where your pencil mark is with out needing to bend down to look underneath.

:P
How about just a simple adjustable mirror attachment. Shouldn't be too difficult to jury rig one up.
 
Try ripping out the back-up camera and display from your vehicle.  Glue it onto your HL 85.  Hope that helps.  [tongue]
 
Ken Nagrod said:
Try ripping out the back-up camera and display from your vehicle.  Glue it onto your HL 85.  Hope that helps.  [tongue]

Ripping out!  Jezus lol I would gently remove it  [tongue]. Glue! Jezus! Lol I would make a pretty bracket!    Or!  I just do what I normally do and lay the door on it's side so I can see what Im doing lol

Jmb
 
See what you're actually planning or planing?

JMB, you need a better plan.

That seems more difficult to run the planer sideways along the door edge - gravity and the HL 85's weight, not to mention the arm position required to run it that way.
 
Ken Nagrod said:
See what you're actually planning or planing?

JMB, you need a better plan.

That seems more difficult to run the planer sideways along the door edge - gravity and the HL 85's weight, not to mention the arm position required to run it that way.

Wa I never wrote planning [tongue]

Yeah dats y I use a 65 like I mentioned!  Your trying ur best rnt you!
[eek]

Jmb
 
JMB,

Think of it like those weird things your mother stuck on your plate for dinner.  Try it, you'll like it.

Now I'm trying!  [wink]
 
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