Any advice on planers?

[Muhammad]

I need to get a planer---mainly for planing 3/4" 1x10s down to 1/2" but other random tasks as well.

Which features separate the good from the bad, and are there any must-have or time-saving features on your planer?

Any brand recommendations?

 

[Cliff_Johns]

Personally if I were getting another one, I'd get a cast iron stationary one with a regular motor. The new portables are very loud and have some chatter and snipe that you can never completely get rid of -- though they're getting pretty close.

But, the portable planers are getting pretty good these days. It's best to get one with a locking lever and replaceable/reversable blades so you don't have to sharpen them. I've had a makita for some time, but the newer models are all different. A dust collection port is useful as planers generate a lot of wood chips. I don't think multiple speeds are very useful, but others may disagree.

They are very loud -- like a router. I hate loud woodworking. It just seems wrong to me.

When you get one, be sure to bolt it to a sturdy or heavy table, they don't weigh very much and can tip over while cutting if you're not careful.

Cliff

 

[JATO_RaT]

Heres a link that is similar to your tractor book Bench Top Planers It's fresh off the press (Oct 1, 2004) so it should be up to date. I really enjoy Fine Homebuildings articles as well as Tools of the Trade magazine. As Cliff Johns mentioned, having reversible blades is important as well as having a planer that is easy to get adjusted so it planes true all the way across.

 

[ronjhall]

Muhammad
I do not have a planer.
A friend has one that I have used.
He had a Delta 12" before he bought a 15" Grizzly.
There is a big difference in the way they work.
Here is a link to the one he bought.
click Here
His price was closer to $1000 by the time he paid shipping, stand, and spare blades.

 

[Egon]

Perhaps an indication of the amount of usage and budget involved would be helpfull.

I have a portable 12 Delta with reversable blades. It is set up on a long bench outside for most use. The blades are disposale but one can sharpen them on a wet stone.

Perhaps look for ease of changing blades - sturdiness of construction, snipe lock - cost of blades - planning width. All of them seem to very similar.

The cast iron models are definetly more desirable but also cost more. There are some members here with the cast iron models. I do beleive some have upgraded from the portables.

Picture attached, not pretty but works. The planer is moved inside after use. The bench is used for other tasks as well.

Egon

 

[Youare]

I purchased a cast iron 15" planer from a company named Total Shop 20 years ago that has served me well. It was an clone of what Delta was selling in a 12" wide model and looks exactly like what Grizzly sells. It weighs 350 pounds and handles 15" wide stock with ease. I have removed 1/16" of thickness from 12" wide red oak boards in one pass without a struggle.

My cousin has done a lot of work with the portable less expensive 12" wide units out there with few problems. He is on his second one however. I think I paid four times more for my planer than he did for his.

If your need is only for small projects or occasional hobby use the portables are the way to go. I purchased the one I did because I have a portable saw mill and was intrested in a higher production unit.

It's kind of like tractors, get the one that's right for the task and if you can afford it the larger one will make the job easier and more productive.

The one thing I would suggest is a dust collection system if you are going to use this in a building especially your home. The amount of shavings and dust that comes off 1/16" thickness of a 10" board is more than you think. This fine dust that is generated makes it's way to every horziontal surface, ask my wife, and is not the best thing to breathe a lot of.

Randy

 

[khd]

I got the Ryobi 10" back in the mid 80's when portables first came out. It has been a work horse over the years. Certainly not a four post cast iron and definitly needs a additional finish work as after all these years snipe and chatter has become more prevelent. My biggest problem is blades now. I think you can get them still somewhere but not easily as everything has gone to 12"

I've seen where most of the portables are four post versions now. Revresable blades are a great option I would look for and I would stick with the "blue chip" brands as if your like me whos tools last a life time will need to have parts availability in 20 years. (i.e. the stuff Ryobi made in the 80's was in a different class than the stuff they make now)

Regards,
Kevin

 

[Boondox]

For that sort of work I'd go with a portable. I had a DeWalt for years and it did a great job for me, though some of the newer models have nicer features.

Personally, I found dealing with the chips easier without a dust collector on the portable. I'd simply set my stand up outside next to a flower bed or planter that needed chips, do all my planing, then rake or blow the chips onto the flower bed and be done with it. Inside, a good dust collector is a must, but be prepared to empty it often as planers generate a particularly bulky amount of waste.

Oh, and remember that some types of wood are irritants and others outright health hazards, so protect your respiratory tract. My sinuses have a particularly hard time with the walnut family.

Pete

 

[kensfarm]

"I have a portable 12 Delta with reversable blades"

I'm w/ Egon.. I have the newer 13 inch Delta.. it is loud.. like everyone says.. makes a good pile of wood shavings.. I haven't had any problems w/ it.

 

[beenthere]

I have the DeWalt DW733 (12 1/2") portable that has performed well. As a result, I usually watch for and read the frequent reviews of planers, and the DeWalt has always been at the top or very near the top among those tested. Made me feel good that I had made a good choice.
Now I see (ToolCrib catalog) that there is a DeWalt DW734 12 1/2" as well as a DeWalt DW735 13" 2 speed (this one 'looks' like a real good planer, but 'looks' by itself doesn't mean much). I suspect the DW734 replaces the DW733 that I have. DW735
I just was at an auction that a 10" cast Powermatic sold for $250. It was real heavy duty compared to the portable that I have and had the enclosed cabinet below.