Planers

Planers  are said to be the last tool woodworkers will buy. Ostensibly, all it will do is make one face of lumber smooth and parallel to its opposite face. Wood may not be uniform when acquired, even if it purports to be, but your planer will fix all of that. If you're comfortable working with 1-2 inch thick wood pieces for just about everything, you'll have no need for a thickness planer. But if you're getting more specific (like 5/16-inch dividers, 7/8-inch cabinets etc.), you're going to want a planer. The jury is still out on the benefits of a planer versus a jointer  but Woodworking.com has an interesting article on the values of a planer.

What To Look For

Hand vs. Bench Models  If you want a bigger, stronger planer for tough wood or larger quantities of lumber, get a bench model. If you're doing little jobs, you can get a hand planer.

  • Portable  versions are less expensive, smaller (65 lbs or less), and can only handle stock that is 12-13 inches wide. Not as powerful as their stationary counterparts, they run on 120 volts -- inadequate for producing high volumes of lumber.
    • Produce smooth cuts most of the time; sometimes produce snipe (a nick at the end of a board of wood).
    • Cutterhead locks can minimize sniping.
  • Stationary  versions are twice as powerful, take off more than twice as much per pass and cost more than twice as much as well.
    • Can handle much wider pieces of lumber and don't produce any snipe, like on portable versions.
    • More durable and require less maintenance.
    • Large size restricts them to a single location.
  • There are also planer/molder  and jointer/planer  combination models that serve dual purposes.

Size matters because it dictates the length of wood that the planer can support.

  • 13 inches is excellent for a serious woodworker (homemade cabinets, anyone?) but if you're dealing with smaller matters, don't be ashamed.

Knife Strength: You may need something that can get through heavy lumber.

  • Most quality planers will offer sets of blades and replacements. There is also the option of buying only disposable knives, which means less struggle with resharpenable knives.
  • Some knives may also be double-edged so you can flip them around when one side gets dull.
  • Replaceable knives require knife-setting gauges so they're reinstalled at the correct height.
    • Look for ones with pin indexes -- these match holes in each knife for easy reinstallation.

Depth options should be available, including stops and indicators, so you can decide how thick to cut your planks. Popular Mechanics found most depth-of-cut indicators to be faulty so be careful if you're considering buying a model with this feature.

  • They found a dial that measures cutterhead height changes in 1/64-inch increments far more effective.
  • Look for a carriage stop that's adjustable over the full range of the planer.

Dust Collectors  keep your wood shavings from going everywhere.  Get one for your planer or you'll be sorry.

Non-electric planers seem to exist too. But let's be honest, those are wimpy.

Popular Mechanics rated seven portable benchtop planers (ranging from 60-85lbs). All planers had 15-amp motors and two-knife cutterheads. They recommend hearing protection  when using these models. You can see the specs of the tested models here. The test itself is somewhat dated (2002), but still has a lot of good information on what to look for in a portable planer (prices ranged from $300-$500).

Top Benchtop Planers

Received the 2003 American Woodworker Editor's Choice Award.

  • Fastest and easiest blade change system on the market.
    • The Makita's reversible knives are very narrow, and designed to be tossed when dull.
  • Dial scale is clearly marked in five 1/64-in. increments and fully adjustable depth stop for repeat cuts.
  • On the infeed side, Makita offers a simple pin that indicates the amount of cut, and a full-range thickness stop to simplify multiple planing to a consistent thickness.
  • Double insulated with a 2-prong plug.

The Delta 22-580  was the only machine with two speeds: a faster feed rate and fewer cuts per inch (cpi) for sizing and a slower feed and more cpi for finish cuts.

  • Slower feed rate did produce a slightly smoother surface, the faster rate is just fine--especially if you plan to sand.
  • Snipe-haters rejoice. This planer wins the prize with measurements that range from .002 in. down to zero, locked and unlocked.
  • Full-range stop mechanism and blade-zero indicator.
    • Can adjust cutterhead by 1/64-inch increments.

Heavy, deep-set knives that are designed to be resharpened.

  • May have to gauge knives before use.
  • Uses a depth-of-cut indicator unlike the Makita and Delta models.
    • Not as accurate as the dial scale.
  • Comes with a vacuum hookup accessory.
  • Popular Mechanics rated this planer, the Craftsman 21713  and the Ridgid TP1300  about the same.

Additional Links

Related Products

Jointers

Lathes

Woodworking Routers

Sanders 

Power Saws

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