Going price for one that doesn’t need any work is about $750-800, but I see ads for up to $1K. This is what I sell the totally overhauled and beadblasted ones for, and most of these are done from virgin models that never seen foam. Skil’s that have been used for shaping are usually beat up, having been dropped many times and with motors overheated from being clogged with foam dust. That’s about 80% since many have seen several owners with varying ideas of care and maintenance. In purchasing a Skil, you need to see and run it before buying. There’s a lot out there for sale with cracked baseplates/shoes, spun bearings, dying motors, etc. The fix for most of these is to buy another hammered one for parts which is usually about $300. So a perfect one would be $800, and a thrashed one about $350 + $300 for salvaged parts + $150 new parts & labor. In the end, it comes out to $800 in 2011 dollars. Is it worth it? Well, if properly cared for it will be the last planer you’ll ever buy.
[quote="$1"]
''...if properly cared for it will be the last planer you'll ever buy.''
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I just shaped two boards with my Skil 100. Paid $150.oo dollars for it in 1964. Still running strong, after well over 8,500 boards. They just keep on ticking, with reasonable care. Only things replaced were triggers, brushes, and worn cords.
[quote="$1"]
[quote="$1"]
''...if properly cared for it will be the last planer you'll ever buy.''
[/quote]
I just shaped two boards with my Skil 100. Paid $150.oo dollars for it in 1964. Still running strong, after well over 8,500 boards. They just keep on ticking, with reasonable care. Only things replaced were triggers, brushes, and worn cords.
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Thanks Pete. Man, this group is tough when talking about planers. Hard not to take it personally.
So what is the consensus on the Accurate Planer?
It’s completely bad ass! three of my buds have turned there skills into back ups or wood only after there accurate planer. If I wasn’t broke I would get two and one with a grit barrel.
Will kill seals for AP if resinhead is sponsoring!
The power of this planer is unreal, it's basically a Skil on steroids. After talking extensively with Jed Noll and Ben from Accurate last year I purchased number 11 during the Accurate coming out party. I have really put this planer through it's paces from eps to poly, short and longboards. Mine is the JN2 which is the shorty and it's all I use, the dust shoot works excellent and it feels really good in your hands, the depth adjustment has a very slight click to it and slides very smooth. the motor is insanely powerful and never bogs or gets clogged even at full cutting depth. You have a 1 year warranty and any questions you have Ben will be happy to answer them. It's American made and the craftsmanship is second to none. Is it expensive ? Yes , but so is a refurbished Skil. Tim if you put your planers on E Bay set the reserve at what you want so if it goes for less it is still yours but if it sells for more good for you.
Tom
You’re absolutely write Pete. Ive had 3 Skil planers (Two 5.5s & a 7.5 amp.) for over 15 years now my first one a 5.5 for 25 years. I always pull the trigger and blow them out wile running, through the intake grill after every shaping session. (The original skil 100 manual even tells you to do this.) And periodically I remove the brushes, inspect them, and replace them as needed. I remove the intake grill and blow them out again before putting the brushes back in. I alternate the use between the 3 planes over the course of each year for even usage. So far I’ve only had to replace one set of bearings for the blade assembly on one of the 5.5s. And I replaced the front shoe with one of your great modified versions with the flipped up nose on the 7.5 because It slipped a little out of my hand as I was setting it down and it cracked. None of them show any signs of power loss and I expect that they will last forever. I never cut the back foot shorter on any of them (I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.) When I saw the Accurate plane I just had to get one. I ordered the JN2 shorty and it’s awsome for planing short boards. Serial #00022. It was expensive. But to me It is worth every penny. I would like it even better if it had a trigger like a Skil. (toggle instead of a straight pull.)I also would like it If the depth ajustment had a little bit more resistance to it. It just seems to be a little to easy but I am getting used to It And It would be great if you could make one of your front shoe’s to be installed on the accurate plane. (Hint) Let me know.
[quote=“$1”]
So what is the consensus on the Accurate Planer?
I never altered the back foot on any of my Skil 100 planes buy cutting the back foot shorter. (I just couldn’t bring
myself to do it.) When I saw the Accurate plane I just had to get one. I
ordered the JN2 shorty and it’s awsome for planing short boards. Serial
#00022. It was expensive. But to me It is worth every penny. I would
like it even better if the depth ajustment had a little bit more resistance to it. It just seems to be a little to easy but I am getting used to It. And it would be nice if It had a trigger like a Skil. (Toggle instead of a straight pull.) Also, It would be
great if Pete Casica could make one of his front shoe’s with the flipped up nose to fit the accurate plane. (Hint) Let me
Know Pete.
Damn those Accurate planers are nice. I tried to talk Jed into milling me one out of plastic but he wasn’t going for it… 
That would be the best of both worlds in my books… an extra light skil 100. Hate lugging that heavy thing around in circles. -C
Although it may seem like a good idea to have a light wait plane, keep in mind that It’s the heavy weight of the Skil or Accurate plane that holds the machine down, applying even and constant pressure to the surface of the material (In this case surfboard blanks) for smooth even passes. Light plastic planes like the Clark Hitachi’s to a certain extent need downward pressure applied manually to create pressure on the surface to keep the machine from riding up. Manual pressure can not be maintained evenly and constant witch can cause the machine to catch and dig into the foam. That’s why Clark altered and rounded over the edges of the front shoe and rear foot, but still manually applied pressure can not remain constant. Were with the weight of the Accurate or Skil applies its own downward constant contact. The weight of the machine lets gravity apply the naturally constant even pressure to the surface of the foam so you just merely glide the machine over the surface of the foam for smooth even shaves.
Absolutely. My back says otherwise though… I think it was the late Mike Croteau that once told me to lay down the skil and make the lightest thing I could find work for me. Sound advice in a production enviroment. -Carl
…the F30A ´s are heavies and do not have that problem
The Clark F30s are a heavy machine, so you can use the same gravity technique as a Skil or Accurate plane. I tried one that a friend had about 12 years ago or so. I was already use to using a Skil 100 and compared to the Skil I didn’t like the F30 at all.
Well --------- I got my back up Skil and didn't pay six bills for it. Less than two. Patience is a virtue.
Witch one did you get and how much did you pay? I didn’t realize you were looking for one. I have a nice 5.5 for sale, $450.00 If you know anyone who wants it.
Mitch------------That's a reasonable price. I got one that needs a front shoe. I'll send it to Petec for the shoe , bearings, belt, brushes and cord. It may not need anything other than the shoe, but I like to give'em to Pete to make sure they are in A-1 condition before I start using them. I had somebody in Oregon a week or two ago ask me if I knew of any. I'll tell him about yours. My next one needs to be a 7.5. Lowel
[img_assist|nid=1059706|title=Skil 100|desc=5.5 amp|link=none|align=left|width=640|height=480]Here’s the one I have for sale, It’s In great cond. Was the one you got the one I saw on eBay that sold yesterday for $152.50
I was going to bid on the Planer missing the front shoe on Ebay last night. It looked to me like the track on the main base was broken off on the back side. I hope I am wrong.
I just took another look at the photos on eBay of that planer. You are write about the track, the track is broken. I hope that’s not the one McDing bought.