"...you can't beat a Delta only problem the're too expensive now ."
Hell, Freddie; FOOD's too expensive now!

 

That's why I hunt.

 

I bought my Delta 12 inch planer around 1995, sat unused for several years in my shop. When I wanted to use it, the four chrome plated rods that guides it while raising and lowering had rusted so bad it wouldn't budge, and broke the handle trying. I disassembled it, put 4 new posts, new blades, new handle, and now create enough sawdust to keep my wife's very large flowerbed properly mulched. I'd almost have to say it's better than new. Worth every penny to rebuild.

 

Where did you find a Blade Setting Jig? I have tried everywhere and cannot find one to set my blades. Any help?

 

I picked up a used Delta 22-540 12 inch planner for $60 the guy said it never did a good job. I checked it and found the knives to be in very bad shape. The other side of the reversible knives were like new. Setting them was the problem. The jig that is suppose to come with the tool was long gone and they seem to be extinct. I ended up getting the Woodstock W1226 Mini-Planer Pal.

I thought they were too expensive at first and continued to look for and try alternative methods to set the knives with no luck. I finally noticed it said Pair not Each so I ordered them. They arrived and I had it set up and working like new in about 15 minutes. The outer magnets hold one jigs to each side of the cutter straddling the knife. The center magnet holds the knife to the correct setting. I did have to remove the springs under the knives so they would not interfere with the settings.

I am not sure if they will work on my Delta 4 inch joiner. I have new knives for that but have been sharpening the old ones in place and so far that has worked. When they stop giving good result I will try the Planer Pals on the new knives and see how that goes.

 

The only concern i have above the current "Delta Saw" company... is that it has changed hands so many times in the past years, it's hard to keep track of who they are owned by and how that's going to affect Delta and their tooling.

I like older Delta and Rockwell tooling. Delta was bought by Rockwell (then Delta Power Tool Division of Rockwell), which gave Delta them some added reputation, product confidence and support. Years later, Delta/Rockwell was bought by a parent Pentair... Which was later acquired by Black and Decker. B&D took the Rockwell "brand name" to some their lines and that is now synonymous with mid-grade quality. Delta stayed on as it's own child company, carrying on the traditions of Rockwell and Delta... as Delta Machinery.

Delta, while still owned by a Canadian parent, pulled it's NA manufacturing and thought that their products needed to be manufactured in Taiwan to compete and stay competitive. Delta was then bought by a Chinese parent (Chang Type Industrial Co.), who thought that American manufacturing was needed for their saws to get back reputation and support. It took me by surprise that it took a Chinese company to decide that a product needed to be made in America to come out better... Just within weeks ago, it was just sold again to a European parent.

 

They got em at ereplacement parts item #1343917 $8.24 Blade setting jig.