Suggestions Please.

[ChelCass]

Hubby is in the market for a wood planer.  What would you suggest? Something that won't break the bank.  IF he doesn't buy it by Christmas then I will get him one for Christmas. Thanks.

[FrankEV]

A few months back I  purchased the Craftsman planer from Lowes.  $349 if I remember correctly.  My 10% military discount wiped out the tax +.  It was actually cheaper at Lowes then what I could find on-line and one of the least expensive for a brand name.  Dewalts similar unit is over $100 more.

It is a 12" planer and about the physically smallest and relativly lighest unit I could find.  My shop is small, so I needed the smallest I could find.  It works fine foir me as I don't plan to use a lot.  It is called a bench top model, however I mounted it permanenly on a little roll around table I made for it, so I can store it out of the way when not using it.

HTH

 

 

 

[OCtoolguy]

I've had 2 Deltas. One I bought new and ended up selling it because I didn't use it. The 2nd one I bought used for $100 and it works great. I always look for good used tools and so far I've not been disappointed. If I were to buy another planer I think I'd look hard at the Dewalt "pancake" unit. It sort of lies flat as opposed to standing up. I've not heard or read of one owner who didn't like it. They are a bit more pricey but tools are not something to scrimp on if you don't have to. Buy the best and cry only once.

[Scrappile]

Just a few months ago I purchased a DeWalt 734 on sale.... I love.  I think @OCtoolguy is thinking of the DeWalt 735, a little more expensive and a step up from the 734.  I would have bought it if it had been on sale....  But, I know this 734 will serve me well.  It is replacing a Delta that I have had for years and worked it hard.  So I think the Delta is a great one also.  

[kmmcrafts]

Back in 2008 we was on a small vacation and the girls wanted to go to the outlet mall.. there was a tool outlet in this mall and they talked me into going. I browsed that store for most of the time those girls shopped. I ran across a refurbished ryobi 13" planer for $100 I couldn't believe my eyes. I asked two different store workers if that was the correct price and both assured me it was. I figured if it lasted the 6 month or so that it was actually warrantied for I'd get my use out of it. Well, I'm still using it.. never did anything to it other than change the knives several times..

Lots of people rave the DeWalt ones.. I had planed to buy a DW once this ryobi stopped.. but that hasn't happen yet. Now days they have the helical head ones and many times I wish I had one that was more like 15" so when the ryobi does die.. I'm not sure I'll go with a DW now... Might depend on my budget at the time the ryobi quits.. 

I'm not sure where in Michigan you are and I can think of the name of the town where that outlet mall was.. but we was staying in a waterpark hotel just up the road from Bronners Christmas store.. the outlet mall wasn't too far from there.. Probably not even there anymore but might be worth looking.  

[WolfmoonCT]

I've had the Dewalt 733 since 2000ish..   It now has some major scratch in the platten that I have no clue how it got there, and is leaving lines down my boards. and it's got a difficult time to get down to 1/4" thick where I do most of my planing.  I thought about a 734, but I just ordered the 735x from Amazon.  Comes with the tables and extra knives.  Not cheap, but next year I want to put a shelix head on it, and I could not get one for the 733. I want to be able to plane down some of that figured and quilted maple.   735X is $615 right now on Amazon.

[CSull]

I have a cutech spiral head planer. They have several models, you can view them online. I have been very happy with it, especially since it uses inserts instead of knives.

[Scrappile]

Question is your husband a hobby woodworker or business?  How often would he use one?  Approximately General what are you willing to pay?  I for instance, use mine occasionally, only do hobby and I do not need the top end one... All the time I used my Delta, I never had the helix head, they are as much or more than the planer, and I was totally satisfied with the results I got with...  Other are not.. 

Edited September 30, 2021 by Scrappile

[WayneMahler]

I have a Ridgid planer. Can't remember the model number. Easy to change the three knives and they are not that expensive. I use mine quite a bit and have been extremely satisfied with it. I believe they still come with a lifetime service agreement. 

[OCtoolguy]

1 hour ago, WayneMahler said:

I have a Ridgid planer. Can't remember the model number. Easy to change the three knives and they are not that expensive. I use mine quite a bit and have been extremely satisfied with it. I believe they still come with a lifetime service agreement. 

That lifetime service guarantee is worth a whole bunch. I'd buy one for that alone. Between Ridgid and Wen some of the tool makers are going to get a run for their money.

 

[Wichman]

I have the HF (Bauer) lunchbox planer. I got it from the returned section for $185. I have a local store about 3 miles from my house and they carry the replacement blades for $25.00 a set. So far it works very well, nice smooth cuts. I have it set up on my miter saw stand (I bought extra brackets for other tools). I can easily feed 8' boards through it by myself.

[kmmcrafts]

Not sure on the newer Rigid planers but the older ones are the same one as the Ryobi that I have.. I'd say they're pretty good planers.. I use mine a lot.. as in every board that comes through my shop has went through the planer.. Where I get my lumber 3/4" is actual 7/8" so many times I resaw and get a 5/8 and a 3/16 out of it, even if I need just a 3/4" I plane it down to that. 

@Wichman I often wondered about the Bauer from Harbor Freight they look pretty solid and the price of the knives is good... I've read reviews and they all have been pretty good on it.. 

[ChelCass]

10 hours ago, Scrappile said:

Question is your husband a hobby woodworker or business?  How often would he use one?  Approximately General what are you willing to pay?  I for instance, use mine occasionally, only do hobby and I do not need the top end one... All the time I used my Delta, I never had the helix head, they are as much or more than the planer, and I was totally satisfied with the results I got with...  Other are not.. 

He is a hobby woodworker.  He wants it to plan rough cut boards he buys from the Amish.  Their lumber is so much cheaper price then the big box stores. Plus its just as good or better quality.  It would get occasion use.

[ChelCass]

4 hours ago, Wichman said:

I have the HF (Bauer) lunchbox planer. I got it from the returned section for $185. I have a local store about 3 miles from my house and they carry the replacement blades for $25.00 a set. So far it works very well, nice smooth cuts. I have it set up on my miter saw stand (I bought extra brackets for other tools). I can easily feed 8' boards through it by myself.

He looked at the Bauer.  We have several tools from HF and have never had a problem with any of them.  I bought him a duel bevel chop saw that he uses all the time and he just loves it.  Works perfectly.

[ChelCass]

I found a Powertec 12 1/2 inch 15 amp 2-blade portable Benchtop thickness Planer at Home Depot for $299.00 with a 4/45 rating.  Thoughts???

[Freddie]

Sounds like you have received some good feedback. For what it is worth, I have had a Delta 12” planner since early 1990’s. I have built a lot of furniture using this planner and using rough lumber. Only issues has been a defect in the blade from a piece of metal in a board. It has been a good and solid woodworking tool. My one advise on any brand would be to not remove too much wood with each pass. My only regret is that I wish it was was wider, but cost prevented that. I hope this was helpful as well. Good luck.

[OCtoolguy]

Whatever you end up with, a good dust collection system will help tremendously. They make a mess. 

[Scrappile]

47 minutes ago, OCtoolguy said:

Whatever you end up with, a good dust collection system will help tremendously. They make a mess. 

YEP!!!  but not dust this time it is CHIPS everywhere!!!! It if the piece of equipment that made me finally get a "dust collector" to collect the large pieces of "dust".  Maybe they should be renamed Chip Collectors...

Edited September 30, 2021 by Scrappile

[ChelCass]

Thanks everybody, I will have hubby read all your suggestions and he can decide which planer will work for him. I think he plans to do most of his planing outside as his shop is quite small.  Again Thanks so much for your help.

[kmmcrafts]

2 hours ago, ChelCass said:

Thanks everybody, I will have hubby read all your suggestions and he can decide which planer will work for him. I think he plans to do most of his planing outside as his shop is quite small.  Again Thanks so much for your help.

I did that for a while but it really makes a mess.. even outside... you'll make a large pile of sawdust / chips in no time.. I got to where I put a wheelbarrow where the majority of the chips land and that saved raking / sweeping so much clean-up.. I suggest at a minimum to get a shop vac with a dust / chip separator.. You'll fill up a small trash can or even the wheelbarrow in just a short time.. 

[Bill WIlson]

Put a small tarp down on the ground, underneath the planer.  Makes gathering the chips pretty easy.  Then you just have to figure out what to do with them.

Fortunately for me, I can dump them in the woods, next to my house.

[CharleyL]

I have owned several small planers and continually wanted a better planer. I ended up getting a DeWalt 735 because you can put pieces as short as 12" through it, and snipe is almost non-existent, if you keep the work level both in and out of the planer. I now waste much less wood using this small planer (small? It weighs 95 pounds, but has handles). It also has a built-in blower, so a shop dust collector is not needed, but it does require a chip collector bag or barrel. The first board that I ran through it was a scrap of 2X4 with no dust collection hooked up. The chips hit the shop wall 14' away at almost the same level as the planer.

I have a plastic 60 gallon drum and DeWalt's accessory barrel cover and attachment hose to keep the chips out of my neighbor's pool and I always use my 735 outside the shop in the driveway. It's just too hard to clean the shop when the collection system develops a problem, like the cover coming off the barrel, or a leak develops. My shop is small and I don't have a large dust collector, but probably wouldn't use it for this planer anyway, because I can nearly fill that 60 gallon drum with chips in about an hour of planning.

Snipe problems were my main reason for buying the DeWalt 735, because it was always a major issue with the other planers, and they didn't work well with short boards either. I had some tricks for minimizing the snipe back then, but even with those tricks, snipe was a problem.

Snipe occurs when the feed rollers tip the cutter head as they ride up onto and off of the board. This causes the cutter head to tilt and take a deeper bite (snipe). It can ruin the first and last 6-8" of a board, and when you are planning a board of 1-2' in length, you can have nothing good left to work with.

You can frequently find the DeWalt 735 on sale for in the mid $500 range, but they usually sell for over $600 and they are sometimes coming up used for  as low as $200. I almost never buy used because of a lack of warranty, and who knows what the previous owner has done to the tool. 

Charley

[carl1]

I have the Dewalt  735. I buy all my lumber rough cut, accept a small amount of pine.  I had it for at least 10 years, love it.

[dgman]

I love my DeWALT 735!

[Scrappile]

I guess I was lucky, or the Delta I received was really tuned in... In all the time I owned it,,, I only got snipe a couple times, and that was trying to plane a short piece of wood.. I have read about it from a lot of people with planers... but I did not  experience it to any extent... I will be anxious to see on my DeWalt 734.. although in my current mode of wood working I doubt if it ever gets t the use my Delta did.  I would love to experience a 735 with a spiral head on it to see it it is worth so much money,, I have always been satisfied with the finish I received from the Delta... The few boards I have put through the DeWalt 734 with straight blades have been even better... WIth a spiral ,,, wow,, must be ready to finish right off the machine. 

Edited October 4, 2021 by Scrappile