When working with wood products, it is typically necessary to achieve the smoothest surface possible for both practicality and aesthetic appeal. Wood planers, also known as thickness planers, aid in the removal of rough areas, irregularities, and uneven surfaces.
Top 8 Best Wood Planers for Woodworkers in 2021
My husband and I have utilized wood products for a seemingly limitless array of activities, including framing and DIY woodworking projects like refinishing kitchen cabinet doors, as past owners of a construction firm and present owners of a fixer-upper home constructed in the 1800s. We have direct knowledge that wood planers are an extremely useful instrument for preparing wood in the best possible condition.
What is a wood planers?
wood planer come in a variety of shapes and sizes, although the phrase generally refers to a carpentry tool or a woodworking equipment. Hand planers, also known as wood planers, are hand tools used in carpentry to shave away wood surfaces to reduce their thickness and make them smooth and even. A jointer, sometimes known as a planer in British English, is a type of planer that is used to create straight edges and flat surfaces down the length of a timber board.
While hand-held jointers are available, the term is generally used to refer to a woodworking machine. A thickness planer, sometimes known as a thicknesser in British English, is a piece of comparable woodworking equipment that is used to create boards of uniform thickness.
How we assessed
We evaluated a wide selection of wood planers based on four criteria: model type, motor, cutter head, and board width. Wood planers are classified into three body types: portable, tabletop, and fixed.
Handheld versions may imply manual operation, although there are several electric handhelds available. This design is ideal for smaller or more complicated work because of its tiny size. Some portable versions are cordless, which might be useful if you are working on distant job sites with limited electricity access.
Benchtop versions are less costly and easier to use than bigger stationary ones. They are more portable, which makes them a popular choice for professionals that frequently need to do work onsite at several places.
Stationary machines take up a lot more area and require more upkeep, but they can handle larger tasks. Motor-related specifications were gathered from manufacturer materials.
Choose the most powerful engine you can afford if you want a machine that can withstand heavy use and difficult jobs. However, if you usually work with softer woods that will not put too much pressure on the planer, a lower-powered motor should suffice. We also considered Amazon user reviews, especially when comparing identical devices at comparable price ranges.
What to Think About
Wood planers come with two sorts of cutter heads: straight knives and helical, or spiral, configurations. A straight knife cutter head has many blades (often 2-4), which are sometimes referred to as “knives.” Helical versions, on the other hand, employ rows of small square-shaped cutters that are held in place by inserts, making them simple to replace as necessary. Helical cutter heads are more expensive, but they keep sharp cutting capabilities for a longer period of time and make the operation quieter.
When it comes to noise, electric wood planers are typically listed as one of the loudest items in any shop or DIYer’s garage. We highly recommend you use earplugs or other hearing protection equipment. Keeping the blades sharp can help; noise tends to rise as blades dull, but you (and your neighbors) will have to put up with some noise. Shallow cuts can help to keep things quieter (and also tend to lengthen the lifespan of your blades).
1.
- Motor: 15 amps
- Cutterhead: three straight
- Maximum board width: 13 in
This DeWalt planer is a strong, sturdy worker with 10,000 rpm speeds and the ability to power cuts up to 18 inches in depth. Because of the three-knife cutter head design, your blades will last longer and will be easy to replace. Choose the speed that is most appropriate for your needs (96 cuts-per-inch would be a good choice for dimensioning and 179 cuts-per-inch for finishing).
It has a firm, stable foundation thanks to its 1934-inch cast metal base. Snipe reduction is greatly aided by the automated carriage lock. Chips are kept out of the path and away from the cutter head by using fan-assisted chip ejection. (This 735X variant is similar to the 735, save for the addition of feed tables and additional blades.)
2.
- Type: Benchtop
- Cutterhead: two straight
- Board width: 12 in.
This Craftsman planer is a dependable and surprisingly affordable benchtop option. At 8,000 rpm, the 15-amp motor can power the double-edged reversible blades. The Poly-V cutter head drive and double-edged high carbon steel blades provide a great degree of flexibility, allowing it to handle any type of wood and glued materials with ease.
It can handle board widths of 1212 inches and cuts up to 18 inches deep. Users love how smooth it runs and how simple it is to set up. To reduce clutter, add a dust-collection device to the built-in dust chute.
Pros
- Can work with a wide range of wood and bonded materials.
Cons
- There is no dust-collection system.
3.
- Motor: 2 horsepower
- Cutterhead: two reversible straight blades
- board width: 1212 in.
Grizzly planers have a reputation for being robust, solid equipment that delivers consistent results. According to the business, this model was created as a more portable choice that nevertheless provides all of the strength of its larger machines that demand more room. The 2-hp motor spins at 10,000 rpm and can make cuts up to 332 inches deep.
Lifting handles make it simple to pick up and transport and the extra-large table extensions provide additional workspace. Customers claim that these two blades can cut through even hardwoods with ease.
Pros
- Handles for simple lifting.
- Thicker blades are more durable.
Cons
- Expensive
4.
- Device Type: Handheld
- Cutterhead: two straight blades
- Motor: 6.5 amps
- Width of cut: 314 in.
This portable planer provides the consistent quality that you would expect from a Makita product. It can plane up to 314 inches wide and 332 inches deep in a single pass. It is best suited for fine woodworking and complex, intricate chores, but it may also be used for regular carpentry and simple DIY projects.
It’s about as portable as a wood planer can go, weighing less than six pounds, yet the 6.5-amp motor packs a lot of power into its small frame, generating 17,000 rpm. One thing to keep in mind is that the dust bag and dust-extracting nozzle must be purchased separately.
Pros
- light in weight
- The powerful motor spins at up to 17,000 rpm.
Cons
- The dust bag and nozzle are not included.
5.
- Model: Handheld
- Cutterhead: two reversible straight blades
- Motor: 6 amps
- Width of cut: 314 in.
This low-cost Wen tool is one of the most cost-effective planers available. When you consider that it comes with small extras like a dust bag and a parallel fence bracket, it appears to be a pretty sensible choice for budget seekers. The 6-amp motor is powerful enough to push the double-sided HSS blades up to 17,000 rpm.
It can plane up to 314 inches wide, and its 16 positive steps let you make accurate cuts up to 18 inches deep. The accompanying rabbeting guide makes it simple to create rabbets up to 710 inches long.
Pros
- Very reasonably priced.
- A dust bag and a parallel fence breakaway are included.
Cons
- Because of the portable style, the cutting breadth is limited.
6.
- Motor: 15 amps
- Cutterhead: Helical
- Board width: 13 in.
This Wen planer has a broad range of flexibility since it can handle boards up to 13 inches wide and 6 inches thick. This planer’s 26 staggered HSS blades allow it to effortlessly achieve a clean finish on any type of wood. This style of cutter head is more expensive, as is characteristic of helical types.
This model costs around $140 more than the similar Wen model with a straight-blade cutter head. However, many users appear to believe it is worth the cost, with online reviewers praising its accuracy and ease of use.
Pros
- The heavy-duty cast-iron foundation guarantees maximum stability.
- The maximum board width is rather large.
Cons
- more expensive than straight
- -planers for knives
7.
- Type: Benchtop
- Motor: 2 hp
- Helical Cutterhead
- Board width: 13 in.
This JET planer’s 26 two-edged blades reliably provide accurate, clean cuts up to 18-inch deep. Blade inserts can be swiftly and simply replaced, reducing downtime and keeping your projects on schedule. The blades can spin at rates of 10,000 rpm thanks to the strong 2-hp engine.
To reduce snipe, the cast-iron bed and stability-enhancing design make the operation safe and wobble-free. A 4-inch dust-collection port is also included. Favorite characteristics, according to Amazon reviewers, include its small footprint and low noise level.
Pros
- Compact but potent.
- Some models are less noisy than others.
Cons
- cost-effective
8. Benchtop Wood Planer
Learn how to use a bench-top wood planer properly to avoid typical issues such as tearout, snipe, and ridges. Recycle unwanted wood, clean up cheap rough-sawn boards, and make bespoke thicknesses for woodworking projects. When it comes to smoothing boards and milling them to a precise thickness, nothing beats having a wood planer. Woodworking planers were formerly exclusively found in cabinet and millwork businesses.
A bench-top wood planer may now be purchased for several hundred dollars at home centers and tool stores. If you undertake any renovation, deck construction, or woodworking, you will never be sorry for purchasing a woodworking router planer. In this post, we’ll teach you how to tackle the most frequent tearout, snipe, and ridge difficulties, as well as a couple of our specific project approaches.
