2nd? hand planers - what to consider?

I´m contemplating over having myself a planer, might just be a really a bad case cast iron desease..
Not sure it´s gonna go down right Now but I started getting familiar with what´s on the market.

Short version
Essentially - what the ... to think of when scouting for an old planer.

Longer elaborated version:
Anyhow, main use would be to treat small medium sized machines and other tools + plus some jobs common in the area I think would work well in a planer.
My challenge is there is approx nill old planers around, so I have no first hand experience or even shops to visit and speak with.
I´ve read many good threads on here but not too many from this perspective.

Considering budget and space I´m looking into the 2-2,5m / 6-8´´table travel, single column. I belive? that should work out well for lathe beds used for centre dist up to 1250-1500mm /50-60"? as the bed ways are at somewhere the sadle width longer than centre dist - approx. Larger lathes than that I feel quickly become a very different animals.
Or is a 2m/6´ foot planer just too short? Just like a 30" lathe is so often 10" too short when only having that one?
Also the planers themselves becomes beasts going much past 8´, considering rigging, transport, setup and even foundation.
Some also have milling attachments and even grinding, milling I think would be good and still not to harmful to the machine but grinding attachment makes me a bit nervous on an old machine considering higher risk of damages to the V-ways. Otoh, grinding attachment is extremely appealing thinking about hard lathe beds...

But please, I´d love to hear the comments, concerns, experiences, Any advice from you guys who got real life experience from both running and making use of them, in either configuration.

The length of the planer stroke be twice the length of the piece you will plane if you need precision. You must PM me for more details on installation and foundation because I installed a couple of planers and use planers maybe once every week. But I recomend strongly you look for a long horisontal mill and add milling head. That is MUCH better option. Planers are good only for certain things and not accurate enough most time. Good to take a casting down to milling /grinding spec and with good planer even to scraping spec but no more.

You will need a bigger planer then 6' if you want to work on lathe beds 1500mm between centres. As you have the headstock area, the working saddle area then the tailstock area.

I have no experience with planers and little to add to this thread, other than saying that I completely understand your wish. But if you have not gone through it, you might enjoy reading this inspiring long thread from PM member Swatkins (20 pages) about the collection, restoration and use of a 1943 Rockford planer. I believe that this is the kind of machine that you need for the type of work you have described. The table is 93 inches = 2.3 meters in length.

Here is a "before" picture:



and here is the "first chips" video: