Planers

[widefat]

I think I need a benchtop planer. I have a couple of old buildings that are beyond repair - I would like to salvage some of the wood (mostly oak) for projects.
Some of the projects will require squaring up and planing the boards. I have a joiner, but I would need a planer. I think 12 1/2 or 13 inch would work.
So what's good? My benchmark for comparison is Dewalt - 734, 735, 735x. I'm not asking the difference between the Dewalts - I'm asking how other units like Grizzley, Harbor Freight, Delta, etc stack up against Dewalt. Also, not interested in stand alone planers at this time. Need to restrict it to benchtop.
Danke~~

 

[Deere Dude]

I got a 13" Ridgid planer when I couldn't get my sears planer parts. I would think Ridgid is a great brand and the planer is sturdy and accurate. It will be tough to beat that.

FYI Nails and planers don't mix well.

 

[oosik]

I have a benchtop Hitachi 14" planer. It's 120 volt. I've had it for over 25 years. Works great. I've used it on pine to the hardest hard wood I could purchase at the speciality lumber store.

As I remember it was somewhere around $250. As you would expect - on pine I can carve off a fairly deep cut. The harder the wood - the shallower the cut.

Actually it's a combo planer/joiner. It's been VERY handy for me over the years. I can chain saw out a slab from one of my pine logs and plane it down to whatever I want.

A note of caution. I've also used it on some of my old homestead barn wood. CHECK VERY CLOSELY for old nails, staples etc in this kind of wood. An old embedded nail can raise havoc with sharp planer blades.

 

[randy41]

look for one that is easy to remove sharpen and remount the blade(s).

 

[bunyip]

Some are more prone to snipe than others

 

[widefat]

Some are more prone to snipe than others

and those brands and models would be?

 

[herm0016]

you may look at the cutech line, you can get a carbide spiral cutter head for ~ 650. they get good reviews. not a true helical, but much better than a strait knife. if you hit a nail you can just turn the damaged insert and keep moving instead of having to replace or sharpen all 3 knives. for old oak, i would want carbide over the HSS cutters. Cutech has been around a while and they sell the replacement cutters.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Seems most bench top planers, you turn the dull knives around, and pretty much throw them away after both sides/edges are dull...

I have planers, I hate dealing with the knives on them!!

SR

 

[teejk]

I've had the Delta 22-580 for years. I think it's been replaced by the 22-590 but looks like the same basic machine. Took a while to figure out how to minimize snipe but I think that's typical of any of the "lunch box" models with folding tables. Overall it's been a good machine. If I had to buy one today I think I'd go with the Dewalt 735. A friend owns one and it seems like a more solid machine and he doesn't complain about snipe.

 

[Egon]

Of the bench top planers will all produce good results. I have a Delta & DW734. Both preform well with the edge going to the one with the sharpest blades. They all have some snipe which just requires running longer boards on each side to eliminate. The one time blades are expensive but can be honed a few times.

At present my choice would be DW735 ( two speed ) or one with the helical blades.