Rockwell · Planer · 1970 to the early 1980s
Rockwell 22-401 Planer
Rockwell's 13 x 6 in planer first appears in a 1970 manual from the Rockwell Manufacturing Company in Pittsburgh, and it took the place of the old Delta 22-101 13 x 5 in planer. It takes boards up to 13 in wide and 6 in thick under a three-knife ball-bearing head at 13,500 cuts per minute, and the feed is infinitely adjustable from 15 to 25 feet per minute. You can stop the feed without stopping the motor, which helps when a board stalls, and Rockwell even sold an attachment that grinds the knives in place. The RC-33 had replaced it by the mid-1980s. With sharp knives and a motor that suits your shop, a working 22-401 turns rough lumber into usable boards.
22-401 (1970s)Successors: RC-33 (1980s) and DC-33 (1990s)Predecessor: Delta 22-101 13 x 5 in planer
Spec at a glance
- Maker
- Rockwell
- Machine
- Planer
- Motors sold
- Single or 3-phase
- Launched
- 1970
- Made
- 1970 to the early 1980s
- Capacity
- stock up to 13 in wide and 1/16 to 6 in thick
- Cut
- 1/8 in as set at the factory; up to 1/4 in with a 5 HP motor
- Cutterhead
- No. 22-420 three-knife ball-bearing head, 13,500 cuts per minute
- Feed
- variable, 15 to 25 ft per minute; corrugated infeed and smooth outfeed rolls
- Motor
- NEMA 182T or 184T frame enclosed motor, single- or three-phase
- Also listed as
- Delta 22-401, Rockwell 22-401, Rockwell 13 inch planer, Delta 13 x 6 planer
Shop check
Power, iron, fence and freight
- Power and phase
- Rockwell's manual takes NEMA 182T and 184T frame motors and says to use Rockwell's own single-phase motors because of capacitor clearance, so both single and three-phase versions exist. It also says a 1/4 in cut needs a 5 HP motor. Read the motor plate in the photos for phase and voltage.
- Motor and bearings
- Ask for a video of it planing a board. The cutterhead should run smoothly, the feed should pull the board through at an even rate, and the variable feed should change speed.
- Table and rust
- Ask for a photo of the bed and the rolls. The bed should be smooth, and the corrugated infeed roll and smooth outfeed roll should be whole. Rust on the bed makes boards stick.
- Fence, guards and gauges
- A planer has no fence. Check for the cutterhead guard, the pressure bar and the chipbreaker, and for the 22-422 shaving hood if you want to hook up dust collection.
- Trunnions and adjustments
- The table raises on screws to set thickness, and the feed can be disengaged without stopping the motor. Ask the seller to crank the bed through its range and engage the feed. Both should work smoothly.
- Blades and knives
- It takes a set of three 13 in high-speed steel knives (Rockwell part 22-128). 13 in planer knives are a common size. Rockwell also made a 22-426 grinding attachment that sharpens the knives in place.
- Dating it
- Use Delta and Rockwell's serial tables on VintageMachinery.org. An EQ prefix is a Tupelo serial from about 1971, and numeric 163-xxxx and 180-xxxx serials fall around 1975 and 1980. Rockwell's RC-33 replaced the 22-401 by 1983 to 1985.
- Moving it
- We couldn't find a published weight, but it's a cast-iron stationary planer. Plan on several people or a hoist, and take the motor off if you can.
- Safety upgrades
- Check that the cutterhead guard and chipbreaker are in place. Stand to the side of the infeed, never behind it.
Should come with it
- Motor, pulley and belt
- Cutterhead guard, pressure bar and chipbreaker
- Three knives in the head
- Knife-setting gauge if possible
Hard to find if missing
- Variable-feed parts
- 22-426 knife grinding attachment
- Feed rolls
Check the listing photos against these lists, and ask the seller about anything you can’t see. A missing fence, guard or motor should come off the price.
What to check
Feed rolls wear and the variable-feed drive can slip. Knives need sharpening, and the motor may be single or three-phase.
- 01Planing: Ask for a video of it planing a board. It should feed evenly and leave a clean surface.
- 02Feed: Ask the seller to change the feed rate and disengage it. Both should work while the motor runs.
- 03Bed height: Ask the seller to crank the bed through its range. It should move smoothly and stay level.
- 04Rolls: Ask for a photo of the infeed and outfeed rolls. They should be whole and clean.
- 05Knives: Ask whether the knives are sharp or a spare set is included. Nicked knives leave lines on every board.
- 06Motor plate: Ask for a photo of the motor plate. You want the phase and voltage your shop has.
New to old iron? How to check a used woodworking machine covers runout, the table, bearings and the parts that go missing, and dating old iron by serial number shows how to tell what year a machine was made.
Buying guide
Which one to buy
§ Oct 19, 2026For the 22-401 there are knives, bearings and instructions listed, but no planer. These came single- or three-phase, so read the motor plate on the first one that turns up. Then check the photos for the motor itself, the cutterhead guard, the pressure bar and the chipbreaker.
- Listed now
- 0
- For parts
- 0
- Catalog estimate
- $30–$70
Snapshot
For sale on eBay
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