Cheap: Large Cleveland Planer Mill

[WithersTool]

I am posting this for our company. We would like to see it used again, rather than scrapped.

It is a 1955 Cleveland Open-sided Planer Mill. The serial number is 1445 and has been in it's current location since 1968. Below are details and specs about the machine.

• 54" x 252" table
• Power knee Elevation and clamping
• Power Head Adjustment
• 60" under knee
• 72" across rail
• 80 IPM minimum - 168 FPM maximum
• Westinghouse D.C. Reversing planer Drive
• 50HP DC Motor
• 50 KW DC Motor Generator Set driven by 100HP AC motor
• Pendant Control
• Air Operated Tool Lifters
• 25HP Futurmill mounted on cross rail

It also includes miscellaneous motors/transformers/planer tooling. It is overall in good condition.

The planer mill is located in Mableton Georgia. It would take rigger a few days to dismantle and load onto multiple flatbeds.

Rigging is the responsibility of the purchaser and must be performed by a qualified and insured rigging company. Must not interfere with current business operations of seller.

If interested, please send an email to [email protected].

Thanks, Michael

 

[Garwood]

Just witnessed a similar sized planer go to scrap. The owner could load it no problem.

If you want to be picky about rigging you're sealing the fate of that machine. There is no use for it. Trucking costs a fortune today. That planer requires the same or less infrastructure that could house a dozen Brother VMC's. That planer would be lucky to make $5000 a year in paying work, but at just $1 a sq ft per month it literally costs $5k just sitting there.

 

[standardparts]

Just witnessed a similar sized planer go to scrap. The owner could load it no problem.

If you want to be picky about rigging you're sealing the fate of that machine. There is no use for it. Trucking costs a fortune today. That planer requires the same or less infrastructure that could house a dozen Brother VMC's. That planer would be lucky to make $5000 a year in paying work, but at just $1 a sq ft per month it literally costs $5k just sitting there.

Checked out their website....looks like they have "been to a few rodeos" when it comes to BIG machines making BIG stuff.
"We would like to see it used again, rather than scrapped" infers they already have a realistic view of where this will end up..

Equipment list (planer mill is listed under vertical mill)

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Planer Mill, Boring/Milling, Pattern Mill, Lathe, Cylinder Grinder, Blanchard Grinder, End Grinder, Knife Grinder, Surface Grinder, Check our Equipment List

witherstool.com

 

[hvnlymachining]

But even a dozen brother vmcs couldn't handle a part just a fraction of the size that machine can handle!

Personally my smaller machines do the bulk of the work here, but the big machines make money faster and draw in my largest industrial customers since we're a job shop, not a factory.
Really wish I had one of these, but my current shop is short of space. And freight would be an opportunity killer.

 

[Garwood]

But even a dozen brother vmcs couldn't handle a part just a fraction of the size that machine can handle!

Personally my smaller machines do the bulk of the work here, but the big machines make money faster and draw in my largest industrial customers since we're a job shop, not a factory.
Really wish I had one of these, but my current shop is short of space. And freight would be an opportunity killer.

My friend that just scrapped a nicer version of this planer used his for the same purpose- Get customers in the door because he could do their big parts and then make doing the big stuff contingent on getting ALL their work.

The problem with the planer was it hadn't done an actual paying job in 10 years. His VTL's and floor mills ran everyday. The planer never ran.

I'm advocating for saving the planer. I'm saying the OP is sealing the fate of this planer by requiring tens of thousands of dollars in rigging expenses for a machine with a negative value that could be moved very economically on a Landoll. Nobody is going to pay that for a planer.

If you're into big work, This G&L would take up the same floorspace as that planer. Grand total including rigging was about $52k. Or, about 1/2 of a new Brother VMC. Why do you suppose the cutting edge best of the best late model HBM went for so little?

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[M.B. Naegle]

I'm in agreement that machines need to make money, but IMO it's a flaw in the business strategy that companies can't leave a little room (or BIG room) for resources that don't see frequent use. True space is money, and money isn't free. But too often things get streamlined to the point that a company can do 99% of jobs they see come in really well, and that 1% that's dragging you down? Just cut it loose. Then when the need for that 1% comes up, it's no longer a matter of how expensive it is to accomplish... it's simply impossible because the resources are no longer available. This is less a challenge to the way we all do things and more a rant. Just wish it was different.

 

[Garwood]

I'm in agreement that machines need to make money, but IMO it's a flaw in the business strategy that companies can't leave a little room (or BIG room) for resources that don't see frequent use. True space is money, and money isn't free. But too often things get streamlined to the point that a company can do 99% of jobs they see come in really well, and that 1% that's dragging you down? Just cut it loose. Then when the need for that 1% comes up, it's no longer a matter of how expensive it is to accomplish... it's simply impossible because the resources are no longer available. This is less a challenge to the way we all do things and more a rant. Just wish it was different.

I bet if that planer was used 1% of the time or contributed in some meaningful way to 1% of the net profits of the business it would not be sold.

I think if you actually do the math on a machine like that it gets so ugly you'd get mad at yourself for keeping it around so long.

A lot of these types of machines did their last profitable work in the 90's. They've been holding the floor down for 25 years when the company's trying to find ways to grow without spending another million bucks on another building. The light bulb comes on and they realize they have 1500 sq ft of space hidden under and around that planer.

The true cost of keeping a machine like that around is pretty high today. Like put you out of business high.

 

[GWIZ]

There are a couple more photos in the gallery on there website. Under about us. Nice parts.

 

[TexasAggie]

Price?