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What Are The Best Planer Reviews for a Smart Woodworker?

Woodwork might seem to be a plain and simple profession but it is not. There are a lot of delicate areas in woodwork. All these tasks require a number of efficient and delicate tooling. One such tool is a planer. Without the planer, woodwork is almost incomplete. 

There are many different kinds of planers available in the markets these days and each one of them has their own unique features. Each of these planers is priced individually on the basis of their features. So, how do you pick the best planers? Well, in order to get the best planer reviews for yourself, you need to know quite a bit about the different kinds of planers available in the markets and how to make your selection right. 

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**Below, you'll see more detailed reviews, but you can also click the links above to see current prices and read customer's reviews on Amazon.

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Let’s delve deeper and know more about planer reviews.

Types of Planers

Planers are used to cut pieces of heavy or rough materials by using linear relative motion between the piece and a single point cutting too. They are usually used in carpentry and also used to plane or smooth rough boards and misshapen edges. 

Planers can be of various types, including, wood planers, surface planers, hand planers, cordless hand power planers, and bench-top planers.

  • Manual Planer
  • Electric Planer
  • Stationary Planer
  • Hand Held Power Planer
  • Bench-top Planer
  • Surface Planer

All rough boards of lumber have irregular surfaces. These irregularities can be shaped and planed using a surface planer.

Surface planers can trim boards to their required thickness throughout the length and breadth, on both surfaces.

Things to Keep In Mind While Buying Planers

There are a few things that need to be in mind while buying planers and this will guide the buyer to the best planer. They are:

Blades

The blades of the planer need to be such that it maximizes the efforts. Carbide blades are preferred more over HSS. Their durability, as well as power, are better.

If the machine supports double-edged blades then you must opt for that for effective action. The carbide blades are strong enough for heavy-duty use as well.


Depth Scales

Lookout for some good quality depth scales attached with your planes. The clearer the visual is, the better it is. Thus, a digital planer might be slightly more preferable. The depth scale is a major part of the planer and so while buying ensure that your tool has a good one.


Features

There are quite a lot of other features that are available such as blade changing facility, fence, dust holder and the like. These are basically some of the accessories that come with the planers and sometimes they are inbuilt also. So, depending on your requirement you can make your selection. 


Tool Storage

This is another very attractive feature of planers. A tool storage system must be present on your planer. Otherwise, do not opt for such planers.

These planers with tool storage will help you to keep everything in one place and keep you sorted just when you need to use the machine.


Cord Length

The cord length for the planer might be a deciding factor as well. Generally, longer cord lengths are preferred over shorter ones as they do not tangle much. 


Direction of Chipping

Generally, the planers provide only one chip direction but it is preferable to use the ones in which the chip direction can be changed. This would ensure that while using, you can direct the dust in such a direction where the collecting system is present for you.

The direction of chipping might also vary from person to person. Thus decide on the kind of work and then make your choice. 


Budget

Most importantly your budget is a key determining factor in which planer model you are buying. Decide on your budget and then take your final call.

Product Name

Product Image

Quality

Price

Our Rating

A

$

90%
Quality

A

$$$

90%
Quality

A+

$$$

97%
Quality

A-

$

85%
Quality

A+

$$

95%
Quality

**Below, you'll see more detailed reviews, but you can also click the links above to see current prices and read customer's reviews on Amazon.

5 Best Planer Reviews

Designed to deliver smooth edges and to plane away chips, or any misshapen surface, the WEN 6530 Electric Hand Planer, is one of the handiest hand planers available, at a reasonable price. It provides a range of cutting depths and comes with a kickstand for added protection. It provides up to 34,000 cuts per minute which makes it a versatile electric planer.


                        via Amazon.com

Pros​​​​​

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    Provides up to 34000 cuts per minute with the 6 Amp Motor
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    There are 16 positive stops that will allow you to adjust the cutting depth from 0 to 1/8 inches as per your convenience
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    A 5/16 inch rabbeting guide is provided that allows you to make rabbets of size up to 1 inch

Cons

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    Dust bags might get too messy as saw dust and wood chips tend to fly out
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    Too noisy with its constant buzzing sound

Powered by a 15 Amp motor to allow you to manage heavier cuts on wider materials smoothly and easily, this planer package comes with an extra-large turret depth and a material removal gauge to deliver accurate cuts at all times and return to your most frequently used depths. 

Pros​​​​​

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    Large cuts on wider materials are easily manageable with the 15 AMP, 20,000 RPM motor that has a 10,000 RPM cutter head speed
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    Fan assisted chip ejection vacuum system that ejects chips out of the cutter head
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    Three knife cutter-head delivers 30% longer knife life and makes knife change faster and easier
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    The two-speed gear box allows these changes in the fan speed to optimize cuts per inch at 96 or 179 CPI as per the user’s convenience

Cons

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    Wooden boards having knots cannot be cut very smoothly with this planer
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    Often leave cut lines on the boards and also the blades might get chipped irrespective of hardwood or softwood planks
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    The outfeed and infeed tables that are provided are not coplanar to the planer bed

If you have some rough stock that you want to design and give dimension to all by yourself, then the DEWALT DW734 15 Amp 12-1/2-Inch Benchtop Planer is one of the best investments for you.

It comes with disposable and reversible knives which make it an easy to use option. Further, its ability to provide easy and accurate depth measurement acts as an icing over cake.

Pros​​​​​

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    Powerful 15-amp, 20,000 RPM motor can easily cut hardwood boards and make larger cuts more manageable
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    A three knife cutter head with 10,000 RPM is provided to allow 96 cuts per inch make it one of the finest finishes provided by any portable planer
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    Can easily change device’s depth to frequent settings using the device’s turret depth stop

Cons

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    Dust collection bag gets clogged very fast
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    Quite bulky and heavy (80 pounds weight); therefore a stand might be required for it

Smoothen out the uneven edges, shape your boards or some rough material with this electric hand planer that provides you with some great features to make you work a lot easier. This electric hand planer is powered with a 6 amp motor and has 3 chamfering groves for easy chamfering.

Pros​​​​​

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    Powered with a 6 Amp motor
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    Comes with 3 chamfering grooves
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    Equipped with dust extraction
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    10 positive stops available within the planer is extremely convenient to adjust the overmold depth knob

Cons

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    Cuts are not that precise
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    Dusting bag is not that efficient and zipper of the bag is not durable

This digital planer readout makes your work very easy as it will convert all measurements that normal calipers do in decimals to fractions and moreover this can be fitted in most of the popular planers that are used for any woodwork.

You do not have to drill a sing hole to mount this device as it comes with mounting brackets and the calibrations take only a few seconds due to its customized calibrations system.

Pros​​​​​

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    The digital planer readout can be easily fitted into most portable planers
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    Fraction readouts are precise and accurate using the Precise Fraction Technology
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    Do not need to constantly re-calibrate while working
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    The digital planer readout is also fitted with some advanced features that allow you to remove any amount of material you need, zero the blade and also to measure the thickness of any board that is required

Cons

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    Difficult to mount or fitted to a portable planer though instructions are provided on how to install the digital planer readout
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    The batteries run out of power too quickly and have to be constantly replaced while working

Conclusion

There are quite a lot of planers available in the markets at present but personally, I would go for something that would make my work the simplest. For that, I would prefer the Wixey WR510 Digital Planer which has a digital readout device which helps to read depths in fractions as well.

Thus it is a great device and a good value for money as well. It has become quite a popular planer as well at present due to its benefits over other planers.

However, all the planner have some features or the other that you might be attracted to, so before making your choice survey properly and buy your planer.

Abigail Jones
 

Hi, I'm Abigail. I like spending time tearing my house apart and putting it together back again. Join me on home improvement tutorials, tips on my blog.

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