Episode 37 GMC 180mm Power Planer
Keep an eye out for the magic couch, and the blooper track at the end….
I had an operator problem (forgot to turn on the vac), and had to reshoot some of the video. I don’t get paid enough to worry about perfect continuity….
Bloody good tool though! For $199 it’d make a great Father’s Day present.
Filed under: Manufactures and Suppliers, Podcast, Tools | Tagged: Full Width Planer, GMC, Jointer, Planer, Power Planer |
Stu's Shed 
Stu,
I have never seen a power hand planer of that size before “impressive” now can it replace a jointer with a longer bed?
Stu I think what’s more impressive keeping them long boards
From coming off your clamping sawhorse, please do me a favor use two clamps.
The longer the bed, the better the jointer, but for those who don’t one at all, this isn’t a bad option.
I also have a Jet longbed as you can see in a previous video, so I’m not suddenly going to use this one exclusively, but for some jobs, it is sufficient.
Hear what you are saying about 2 clamps, but if you’d have met the Triton Superjaws before, you’d know it isn’t such a big deal in this case – with 1000kg of clamping force, and over a metre wide footprint, those boards were not going anywhere!
Stu:
Interesting tool and a very well done video to describe it. I’ve been curious for a while… what is your “intro” music? It sounds reminiscent of Midnight Oil.
Stu
Do you reckon this would fit the Triton planer holder for the Workcentre?
Cheers
Jeremy
What can I say Hunka Hunka tool. A could solution for me I want Jointer but dont have the space
It’s a monster of a tool , & I think I might clear a space for it in my shed . I’m about to start reno’s here , & think this baby will come in handy .
Great video, Stuart.
Especially liked the out-takes. Heheheh!
Looks good. Seems to be impossible to see one in Brisbane (well I’ve spent an hour of calling every hardware store I can find and not a single place even knows it exists). I will probably just have to special order it. Will be using it for flattening chain sawn rough, dried and warped slab timber for table tops.
Thanks for the review…makes me feel better about ordering one sight unseen.
FYI…there is an equivalent makita planer that retails for about $1000, so $200 odd for this is an absolute bargain! hitachi also make a 92mm wide planer with a longer sole.
Cheers
Hi Stu,
I know this is ancient history now, but a couple of these planers are showing up on sale sites at the moment – do you know if there is any solution for replacement blades, or are you stuck sharpening the ones it came with?
Cheers,
Ben
I haven’t asked directly, but Carbitool in Melbourne, who manufacture router bits also have a range of planer blades, from 6″ upwards. There would be quite a possibility that they could provide something that would work.
http://www.carbitool.com.au
Thanks Stu,
I’ll follow up with them and find out – I did find another place doing blades the right size, but I don’t know the exact shape of the GMC planer blades and whether they’re of a standard design or not.
Did you keep the planer, and if so, do you still use it? I guess the issue for me, as for all GMC tools, is what happens if it dies…
Cheers,
Ben
Hi Stu. I know you did this way back in 2008 but I was wondering if you knew whether the Triton 180mm Triple blade planer is this GMC rebadged or modified? (Not sure if this comment posted twice)
Hi Peter,
Sadly, yes it is. Once GMC got involved with Triton, a number of power tools came out that were Chinese suppliers with rebadged products, as opposed to the (presumably) truly innovative products such as the original 2400W router.
Thanks Stu. Sad but true. Is your GMC planer still running and do/did you find it to big for anything other than large timber? I ask because I can pick one (a new Triton version) up for around $250. I don’t have a planer and I wonder whether I would be better off investing in some thing more manageable.
It still runs because I don’t use it for anything. If I was a builder, it might be useful, but I can’t see any other particularly vital role that it can play.
I use a jointer for much of the work that it would be used for, and smaller, more manageable tools where I do need a portable planer.
For $100, it is a tool that can sit on the shelf in case it is needed one day. At $250, I’d put the money towards a real tool, such as a Jet 6″ jointer.
Bloody hell – who is that thin, not grey guy standing there holding that planer? Surely I haven’t gotten that old that quick!