Upgrade your 25" planer with the Sheartak HD Helical Cutterhead, a heavy-duty spiral cutterhead fitted with 162 tungsten carbide inserts across a 640mm (25.2") cutting length.
Its staggered helical insert layout helps reduce tear-out and cutting noise, makes dust collection easier, and removes the need to sharpen straight knives.
Helical Insert Layout for Cleaner Cuts
The carbide inserts are arranged in a staggered helical pattern around the cutterhead. Each insert has a straight cutting edge set parallel to the workpiece, so the board is planed by many small, overlapping cuts instead of one long straight knife. This helps reduce tear-out compared with conventional straight knives.
Reduced Cutting Noise
Because only a small number of inserts engage the board at any given time, the staggered cutting action significantly reduces cutting noise compared with conventional straight knives, for a more comfortable working environment.
Long Carbide Insert Life
The cutterhead uses solid tungsten carbide inserts with four usable cutting edges. Tungsten carbide typically lasts 8 to 10 times longer than HSS knives.
When one edge becomes dull or damaged, simply rotate the insert 90° to expose a fresh cutting edge. If an insert is damaged by a foreign object such as a staple or nail, only that insert needs to be rotated or replaced, not a complete set of knives.
Easy Insert Rotation and Replacement
When an insert becomes dull or damaged:
- Loosen the Torx screw.
- Rotate the insert 90° to a fresh cutting edge.
- Clean and correctly seat the insert in the cutterhead pocket.
- Retighten the screw to 48–52 in-lb (5.42–5.88 N·m).
Do not over-tighten the screws, as excessive torque can crack the inserts. Too little torque may leave inserts loose or uneven, causing lines or ridges on the board. A torque wrench is recommended when more than one person maintains the machine.
Improved Dust Extraction
The helical cutting action produces smaller, thinner chips than straight knives, making dust collection easier and reducing the likelihood of chip buildup.
Heavy-Duty Cutterblock
The cutterblock is machined from 40Cr structural alloy steel, equivalent to AISI / SAE 5140, a steel widely used for durable, moderately stressed machine components.
Lower Long-Term Operating Cost
A helical cutterhead can reduce sanding time, eliminate routine knife sharpening, simplify maintenance, and extend cutting-edge life. Instead of replacing an entire set of knives, individual carbide inserts can be rotated or replaced as needed.
Before You Order
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Bearings: Bearings in good condition can be reused, but pressed-on bearings may be damaged during removal. We recommend ordering new sealed bearings together with the cutterhead.
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Spare inserts: Many customers add extra boxes of carbide inserts to the same order to save on separate shipping costs.
Specifications
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Cutterhead Type: HD Helical (Spiral) Cutterhead
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Cutting Length: 640mm (25.2")
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Cutting Circle: 120mm (4.72")
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Number of Carbide Inserts: 162
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Carbide Insert Size: 14×14×2mm
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Cutting Edges per Insert: 4
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Cutterblock Material: 40Cr alloy steel (equivalent to AISI 5140)
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Insert Screw Torque: 48–52 in-lb (5.42–5.88 N·m)
Kit Includes
- Sheartak HD helical cutterhead with 162 carbide inserts installed
- 5 extra carbide inserts
- 5 extra Torx screws
- 1 Torx wrench included
Bearings are not included and are available separately.
Do I need to replace the original bearings?
If the bearings in your machine are in good condition, they can be reused by carefully removing them with a bearing or pulley puller. However, if the bearings are tightly pressed onto the shaft, removal may cause damage. To minimize this risk, we recommend replacing old bearings with our greased and sealed bearings, designed for long-lasting performance. For a smooth upgrade, we suggest adding the bearings to your shopping cart before completing your purchase.
We provide premium bearings from NSK, SKF, NTN, FAG, Timken. They are renowned for their high quality and performance, designed to provide durability and reliability in various applications
Do I need to to Add a Few Boxes of Carbide Inserts
We provide 5 carbide inserts and 5 screws as spare parts. However, many of our customers choose to purchase additional boxes, as the shipping costs for separate purchases can make it less economical.
Do I need a Torque Wrench?
To securely lock the carbide inserts, we recommend applying a torque of 48 to 52 Pound-Inches (or 5.42 to 5.88 Newton-Meters). (Note: 1 Newton-Meter is equal to 8.851 Pound-Inches, and 1 Pound-Inch is approximately 0.113 Newton-Meters.) It is crucial not to apply excessive torque, as this could cause the carbide inserts to crack or explode. On the other hand, using too little torque may result in the inserts not being properly secured, which could lead to cracks, shattering, or uneven height on the cutter block, causing ridges or lines on the board.
If one person is responsible for maintaining the machine, they can typically apply the same torque consistently without a torque wrench. However, when multiple people are involved in machine maintenance, ensuring uniform torque application can be challenging. For consistency and peace of mind, we recommend using a torque wrench.
What kind of steel the cutter block is made of?
The cutter block is constructed using GB/T 40Cr, a structural alloy steel of the same caliber as ASTM grade 5140, AISI 5140, SAE 5140, DIN 41Cr4, BS 41Cr4, JIS SCr440, and EN 41Cr4.The primary components of this steel are as follows: carbon (C) at a range of 0.37-0.44%, silicon (Si) between 0.17-0.37%, manganese (Mn) within 0.50-0.80%, and chromium (Cr) from 0.80-1.10%.
In terms of physical properties, this steel exhibits a tensile strength range of 115-234σb/MPa, a yield strength of 2σ 0.2 ≥/MPa, and an elongation capacity of 65 δ5≥ (%). It also has a HBS range of 123-321 and a HRC rating of 30.
This alloy steel is frequently utilized in low to moderately stressed components for machines, engines, and vehicles.
