Woodmaster W-718 Planer - should I buy?

[RyanM]

I have an opportunity to buy a used Woodmaster W-718. The asking price is 1000 and I think that I might be able to talk the guy down to 800.

The machine is about 10 years old but has been used very little (not at all in the past 3-4 years). The guy selling it does not know if it has any accessories to go with it b/c it was his fathers that passed away.

Heres the question, I need a thickness planer and this 18" capacity looks good to me. The ability to use it as a drum sander is nice also. Is the price right and will I get good results with it as a thickness planer? If I can not get the guy to lower the price, is it worth 1000?

Would I be better off buying a dedicated planer?

Thanks for the help, I am just trying to avoid a impulse buy that I will later regret.

[ragswl4]

I have an opportunity to buy a used Woodmaster W-718. The asking price is 1000 and I think that I might be able to talk the guy down to 800.

The machine is about 10 years old but has been used very little (not at all in the past 3-4 years). The guy selling it does not know if it has any accessories to go with it b/c it was his fathers that passed away.

Heres the question, I need a thickness planer and this 18" capacity looks good to me. The ability to use it as a drum sander is nice also. Is the price right and will I get good results with it as a thickness planer? If I can not get the guy to lower the price, is it worth 1000?

Would I be better off buying a dedicated planer?

Thanks for the help, I am just trying to avoid a impulse buy that I will later regret.

I don't know anything about this particular tool but some food for thought.

1. Do you want to spend the time doing the change over from planer to sander.
a.Will that become a pain in the future?
b.Will it have to be aligned each time?
2. Can you purchase a dedicated planer and dedicated sander for nearly the same cost?
3. Given the amount of woodworking that you do is this tool necessary? (throw this out the window if you just WANT it)

Just playing the Devil's Advocate.

[cgallery]

Just playing the Devil's Advocate.

No no no. That is his wife's job. Our job is to convince him to buy it.

Here is my list:

(1) Is this a tool? Is yes, then YOU HAVE TO BUY IT.
(2) Do you already have one? Even if yes, YOU HAVE TO BUY IT (the nicer one is used, the lesser one is spare parts).
(3) Does it have some kewl feature (switch sander to planer, for example), then YOU HAVE TO BUY IT.

[Jeffrey Schronce]

b.Will it have to be aligned each time?

This is the HUGE quesiton here. Woodmaster is a highly regarded machine, however I am not sure about the conversion issue. It would almost have to have quick set knifes. Or maybe the entire drums/heads come out. I would check the manual. There are quite a few owners on woodnet forums. Might want to post the quesiton there.