No comments about CT-102 5HP, 3Ph Professional Two Speed Production Shaper.

No comments about CT-102 3HP, 1Ph Professional Two Speed Production Shaper.

No comments about Grizzly G0510Z 3/4 HP Shaper.

3 comments about Delta 43-495X X5 3/4-Inch Solid Spindle 3 Horsepower Shaper, 230-Volt 1 Phase.

1. I just set this machine up yesterday and I love it already. I have been in the cabinet business for years and this is the most easily adjustable fence I have ever used. This shaper is worth the price.



2. This is a pricey tool and I thought long and hard before my purchase. I am soo happy that I decided to make the purchase. The shaper performs as well as it looks. It came with less than .0015 run out in the spindle and .00213 tolerance across the entire 40" of the tabletop. It's fit and finish is great and its ability to shape makes my 3hp router look wimpy. The fence system hold downs are a little arkward but time and use has settled my negitive feelings about the usefulness of the system. Do not hesitate to purchase this machine, it is a joy to have the power and accuracy given by this unit. I say this after holding my breath hoping Delta had not forgone quality for price in shifting production to Taiwan---They have not in this machine, it is the equal of the other USA machines that I have owned for many years. HOPE THIS HELPS.



3. Please read my review of the Delta 43-437 before you buy this shaper!
   
   Bob Koretsky
   Home hobbyist

5 comments about Grizzly G1035 1-1/2 HP Shaper.

1. I think it is unfair to rate a tool poorly because one didn't understand the shipping policies. I agree that buying large tools via the Internet is a hassle, but that is the buyer's choice.
   
   Now for the shaper. I love it! I don't use my router much at all since getting this shaper. I bought the router bit spindle adapter and switch back and forth easily between router bits and cutters. I recently bought a full set of cutters for raised panel doors and this tool makes life easy! One pass and you are done--nice smooth cuts.
   
   I'm very happy.



2. I recently purchased a G1035 shaper to primarily edge profile and it does a great job of this with the 3/4" bore shaper cutters I use. Both the fence and table insert adjust well. The 1 1/2 HP motor is strong enough although larger raised panel cutters will require an extra pass or two. I installed the optional 3" dust collection port and it works well. I have the machine wired for 110V and use 20 Amp service.



3. There is nothing to complain about. This shaper does a very nice job, no bogging down on panels. The extra wing is a must. Easily reverse directions with flip of a switch. Chip removal shoot can be used with a shopvac - that's all I have and little to no clean-up afterwards. The fence should have the quick adjustment levers, if it doesn't already.
   Bottom line, if you don't like the shipping rate, try to find a comparable product for the same price $$$ or make a trip down to MO or WA.



4. The instructions are not very good, they told me to loosen and drop the moter so that I could put the wiring and switch over the moter, I did this and it would not work, after I droped the moter again and moved the switch and wiring back to were it was and reinstalling the moter, the switch and wiring slid under the moter and was able to be intalled with out any fuss. I wasted at least an hour following the directions. It would have taken maybe 15 minits to intall the wiring and switch if you just slid under the moter. I have bought 5 large pices of eq. from Grizzly and I love there products for what I paid, but have had problems with the directions on every one of them. It seems that as time has went one the design may have changed, but the directions have not.



5. First, let me say that I like the basic design of this shaper. If properly manufactured and assembled, it would pack a lot of capability in a small footprint.
   
   That said, the unit I received had numerous quality defects -- one of which merits a safety recall and two others that make the unit unfit for use. I've spent a couple sessions with Grizzly to fix the problems, but most of the problems still remain.
   
   There were three main defects upon opening and assembling the unit. First, the spindle bearing unit had excessive end and side play. I could literally move the spindle back and forth and up and down. There's no adjustment for the bearings, according to Grizzly, so the entire bearing assembly was defective.
   
   Second, the unit came set up for 110 volts (it's a dual voltage motor), but both the power and switch to motor cords were only the metric equivalent of about 18 gauge. This would be adequate for 220 volt operation, but undersized for the higher (2x) current draw at 110 volts. This defect could lead to a fire in your shop, especially if the shaper is used for long periods of time and the cord heats up and breaks down.
   
   Third, one of the fence adjusting screws had a "drunken" thread. The thread was completely bunged up in the middle (probably a broken cutting tool during manufacture in China) and the fence could not be adjusted.
   
   There were other minor defects. For example, I had to rework the spindle mounting clamp in order to get it to clamp without a wobble.
   
   I called Grizzly to outline the three main problems. To their credit, they had me return the old spindle and then sent a new spindle. However, with the tighter bearings of replacement spindle the shaper vibrates excessively and walks a bit on the floor. It vibrates more and is noisier than any of dozens of other power tools I own, some many decades old. I suspect that Grizzly is using very cheap bearings, based on the bit of play in one spot on the new spindle and also the vibration. As a direct comparison, I have a much older Grizzly shaper that's far better with respect to vibration.
   
   Grizzly sent a properly sized line cord, but the wrong cord to go between the switch and motor. In order to allow reversing, this should be a five conductor cord. What they sent was a three conductor cord. Quite simply the wrong part and yet another quality of service issue. They tried again, but just sent another undersized cord.
   
   When a proper fence adjusting screw did not arrive, I called again to hear what was going on. It turned out the fence they sent me was an old style (2005 vintage) with a 1/2-13 screw. The new ones, according to Grizzly, use a 3/8" adjusting screw. So, my made-in-2007 shaper had both a defective and an obsolete (supposed-to-be-for 2005) adjusting screw. Apparently Grizzly either doesn't know its own bill of materials or its supplier isn't building to it.
   
   So, despite several calls, some effort on the part of Grizzly, and lots of wasted time on my part I have a machine that vibrates excessively, whose fence cannot be easily adjusted, with a cord that could burn up in prolonged use.
   
   At about the same time as buying this shaper, I also bought a HVLP spray gun and a jointer blade system from Grizzly. Both were improperly described in the catalog. The dimensions on the planer blades were wrong. The HVLP spray gun was described in both the Grizzly catalog and in the enclosed manual as having both fine and regular spray heads. It only had the regular head -- and Grizzly basically said too bad, we're not going to stand behind our description. They actually told me to try my luck with Campbell Hausfeld, their supplier. If this trend continues, will Grizzly have their customers calling China to get missing parts?
   
   Sadly, you can't trust the catalog or Web site to be accurate, and judging from my shaper experience a call may not get you accurate information either.
   
   Grizzly was one of the better importers of tools in the past. But in my recent experience it appears the company isn't paying much attention to quality control either from its Chinese suppliers, in its own State-side assembly, in parts service, manual descriptions, or even catalog descriptions. You may get a good machine as others have, but also be aware that your chances of getting a "lemon" from Grizzly may be fairly high.

5 comments about Delta 43-455 Heavy Duty 1-1/4-Inch Solid Spindle 5-Horsepower Shaper with Micro Adjust Fence, 230-Volt 1 Phase.

1. I purchased the unit 4 days ago and now I'm retuning it due to the lack of customer service and poor quality control. The first problem was with the table top which angles up on one side and not perpendicular on the edge where the wing extension attaches which causes it to angle down. The second more pronounced problem is with the spindle housing which is badly tilted towards the front of the table. I have tried for two days to get a hold of Delta's customer support with no luck. They have not returned my emails and their answering machine says the voicemail is full and cannot take my message with no alternative to speak to a live person. I was able to get a hold of a local Delta repair station where they told me there was no way for me to "true-up" the unit and it would have to be brought in to, "see what they could do with it." For the amount of money I was spending I expected more.



2. Please see my review of the Delta 43-437 before you buy this shaper!
   
   Bob Koretsky
   Home hobbyist



3. I have owned this unit for about 2 years now. It has done everything that I have asked it to do, and I am a pretty demanding customer. I run a millwork shop and have used this thing for cutting door stiles and mouldings. My only gripe would be the lack of more speed adjustments. 7000 rpm is pretty fast when you swinging a 4inch corrugated head from it. Overall, I am pleased. If you say that Delta doesn't supply great customer support, your crazy. In 15 years I have been in contact with them at least once a year and they are always very polite and knowledgable. I have even had them warranty something that was out of warranty just to be nice. I didn't even have to fuss. This unit has run side by side with the industrial shapers in the shop and has never failed. It is heavy duty, but not industrial. Would be great for a cabinet shop or for a small millwork shop.



4. I looked at other machines for quite some time before purchasing this one. I know It's not as high quality as some of the premium Industrial machines, but It has more power, a better fence assembly, and ease of use than any other machine near this price range or even a little more (I gave myself a three thousand dollar budget at the time and ended up with enough left to add a stock feeder). Overall, I feel great about this machine.



5. Looked at shapers for months and compared eveything there was to compare and I have to say this one came out on top every time,If you look good and hard you'll find a seller on amazon selling this for 1775 which I could not believe when I saw some of the other prices for this machine.. I bought this for a big door job I had in the works but it fell through and now I'm just dying to use it..It perrs like a kitten when on, so can't wait to see it in action.I also bought the router bit attachment but shapers just dont spin fast enough for them not to mention attachment was not straight on which led to bit wobble,also make sure your ready to wire this kitten and buy all the nesassary materials to do so , about 100 doll worth, so saving in the price was awesome..only gripe so far was I wish the fence would have been made out of wood, to make one for this asembly is not going to be easy either, but when I get some free time I will.. it drives me nuts to spend good,hard earned money on a machine you have to reinvent, but finding out that its all about money in this great land of opportunity of ours, wish I could make some of that cash on this machine now,ha ha ha .. so untill the jobs come, I'll keep listening to it perrrrrrr and waxing it so it shines bright enough to safe money on the lights in my shop... I love my machines.....

1 comments about JET 708322 JWS-25CS 1/2-Inch and 3/4-Inch Interchangeable Spindle 3 Horsepower Shaper with 1/4-Inch and 1/2-Inch Router collets, 230-Volt 1 Phase.

1. I recently purchased the Jet JWS-25Cs and could not be more happy with the product, pleanty of power!! Setup was easy, no surprises. Fence system is solid. Comes with 1/2 and 1/4 router bit collets. Spindle changes are relatevely easy. Unfortunately you need to open the rear access door to make spindle changes, I wish they designed it to be done from the side access panel to avoid, in my case, having to move the machine away from the wall to open the rear door. I have heard some comments about router bits not working well in shapers because router bits are designed to spin faster. I can tell you that I tried several router bit and they work just fine at the 10,000 rpm setting.

1 comments about Powermatic 1791273 Model 25A 1/2, 3/4, and 1-Inch Interchangeable Spindle 3 Horsepower Shaper, 230-Volt 1 Phase.

1. First of all, I am preaching to the choir when I complain about how disappointing it is that nearly all the old American tool manufactures are no longer manufacturing tools in the US. It does not bode well for our future...but I digress. A case in point is the Powermatic 25A shaper, which is stamped 'made in Taiwan.' The main problem with this shaper is the fence, which would be okay if the manufacturing quality was not so poor. The hold down bolts appear to have been made out of round, and they move the fence around as you tighten them. The infeed and outfeed fences are made to be adjustable in and out from the shaper spindle, to accomadate shaper cutters of different diameters. However, they don't move in a smooth parallel path! Powermatic provided gib screws, but because the castings are so rough, a 1/2" adjustment of the infeed fence causes it to move out of parallel approximately 1/4" !! Moreover, the shaper does have a noticeable amount of vibration with intermittent rattles, even with no spindle or shaper cutter installed. Overall, the quality level is a joke, and Powermatic is apparently becoming equivalent to Central Machinery/Harbor Freight. With this poor level of build quality, the most galling part of my transaction is the premium price I paid for what amounts to a Taiwanese tool with yellow paint!! Powermatic, I am a professional, and I won't be back. I will still buy your old tools, however.

5 comments about JET 708320 JWS-22CS 1/2-Inch and 3/4-Inch Interchangeable Spindle 1-1/2 Horsepower Shaper, 115/230-Volt 1 Phase.

1. I have had this machine for a couple years and i must say its great.When i bough it i really wasnt on the market for a shaper but rather a higher end router table,couldnt find one with an independtly adjustable fence.I just happened to be at the right place at the right time. My local tool store was having an end of year clearance and i saw this for just over 500.00, Two hours later it was integrated into my home shop.I have had absolutely no problems with it and have done everything from raised panel entry doors to setting it up for edge jointing operations before i purchased a dedicated jointer.I would easily pay the 800.00 for it.



2. I recently purchased this machine and have immediately ran into some problems. It was slightly damaged during shipment. One of the adjustable fences was smashed. This was due to the shipping company, Eagle, moving it on its side. It comes bolted to a pallet and would be fine if it stayed upright. A couple of minor pieces of plastic hardware were defective and the drawbar and nut were broken when I opened it up. I don't know how that happened. I called Amazon and they are fixing the problems. I will write back and let you know how that all went. (All problems were fixed within two weeks.)
   
   The microadjustment knobs on the fence are nice; however, they are too short for my liking. I wished they were 6-8 inches long rather than an inch long. This would allow you put your hand around the knobs rather than your thumb and forefinger because they would stick out past the table rather than just above it.
   
   I think the spring door latch is king of cheap. I hope it holds up.
   
   It is a beautiful machine. The paint was excellent and the table was almost mirror quality. This is true of every Jet tool that I own. It uses 12 AMPs and is easy to run off a good extension cord if needed. It is super quiet!!! Dust collection works great if you have the fence mounted with the included 4" dust chute.



3. I have had this machine for 6 months. Each month I have learned how much this machine is capable of. It is a quality heavy duty shaper, not a toy. I have used both shaper and router bits with no trouble. I have made kickboard, crown, and other moldings along with a dozen or more raised panel doors out of oak and maple without a hitch. The finish on the machine is excellent with everything heavy duty except for my one complaint.
   
   The latch for the access door on the side is a spring latch that seems to be not of the quality of the rest of the machine. But other than this, this shaper is everything that I wanted.



4. I was really impressed when this shaper arrived. It was a lot more sustantial than I imagined from the photo and the price. I am making kitchen cabinets and this tool is exactly what I wanted. I have seen router tables close to this price range. It is a beautiful tool. This is a great tool for the small shop or home craftsman. Between the 2 router chucks and the 2 spindles, this tool is very versatile. Now go order one.
   Ken Vetter



5. For the money it's an OK machine and the router bit adapters are handy, but the fence doesn't move far enough back to change bits. At least one, sometimes both, T bolts must be removed to get the fence out of the way for bit changes.

3 comments about Grizzly G1026 3 HP Shaper.

1. This shaper is a solid value and works well, however, while I was assembling the shaper I noticed the fence was out of line by about an 1/8 of an inch. Manual says to shim the fence boards, but don't bother. Instead take a closer look at the screw holes in the housing cover where it attaches to the table top. One of the holes was clearly not where the other one was. After spending time elongating the hole, I could finally get the two fences to line up. Other than that, no problems. Also, comes with a cast iron hand wheel instead of the plastic one whown in the photos.



2. Price can't be beat. Only drawback (so far) is the clean up of the grease and oil. Have a lot of rags and some kind of degreaser ready. They cover the bare metal with a grease/wax of some sort and put all kinds of oil in the small parts bags. On the up side, I didn't notice any rust and that's the whole idea. I was expecting much less than I got with this shaper. It has a nice fence, good fit and finish and solid running motor. There is no dust collection port on the fence, however. So, it is necessary to fabricate one to attach to the rear. I am skeptical about how well that will work though. The cutter area has many openings where chips can fly and even with rear dust collection chips will find their way out, I believe. All in all, I feel I got a good machine.



3. Useful machine - we have 2 in the shop and they work well in tandem doing production rails and stiles for doors, windows and cabinet ends. Not sure that they are up to the job of working all day on the raised panels that we do but then we also have a 5hp beast that does that with a power feeder. All in all, a good buy for the dollar and I would rather buy three of these rather than one of 3 combo machines that Grizzly make. Better than the Delta and not nearly as expensive as the Powermatic...