Spinning the spiral cutterhead is a 15 amp motor with a rotational speed of 10,000 RPM at a feed rate of 26 feet per minute. The helical cutter head consist of 6 rows of 24 quick-change carbide inserts which are very easy to replace compared to the knives of a straight knife cutterhead. Now Im not saying theyre quiet, just more quiet. Thats because a faster cutter head means therere more cuts taking place per inch of the wood as its fed through the machine. You can find great thickness planers that are both new or used, and you can also find bad thickness planers that are both new and used. The Hammer planer / jointer machines are one of my top recommendations because they are cheaper than buying both a stand-alone jointer and planer of any other brand in this size. By Joshua Farnsworth | Updated Feb 28, 2022. Related: Jointer or Planer Which Tool Should You Get First. A large and easily accessible paddle switch ensures you can easily turn it off whenever you need to. Years ago when I upgraded from a 12-inch wood planer to a 15-inch wood planer, it was a game changer. The mustard yellow machinery told other woodworkers that you were serious about making furniture or musical instruments. The lighter weight is usually not a problem because it can be bolted to a workbench to prevent movement and vibration during use. I havent tried an Oliver planer, but I do personally own a Oliver hollow chisel mortiser machine and can tell you that the quality is top-notch.
Use ear protection. And you can just get planning your wood on day one. The mobile base was the only real complaint that I had, as it eventually lost hold and would slam down every time I put it down. One of the main advantages is the ease of replacing the carbide inserts of the helical cutter head compared to that of replacing the knives of the straight knife cutter head. You can see them here. But if you dont want to spend time rehabbing an old machine, and you like the idea of having a helical cutterhead, then go for a new thickness planer or a used thickness planer that is more modern. This guy is using what is considered the best benchtop planer, the Dewalt 735 thickness planer (which you can find the best price here). Thus, choosing the right one especially if its your first one can be quite difficult or confusing. The cast iron tables were very supportive, and the spiral cutterheads left a nice surface with minimal machine marks and very little tearout (only a little on highly figured wood). Now lets talk about buying a new thickness planer.
These wont get dull quickly and you can even reverse them with they finally do. Dust collection is a breeze as theres an adjustable dust port at the back to which you can attach your dust collector or shop vac, to keep a clean working area. But overall it was a good thickness planer. Its quite pricey compared to the competition. It makes sense, because they are manufactured by the same company. *Note:some high-end thickness planers do have knife cutterheads that are quick and easy to change the knives on. There should be precise gauges and visible linear scales, and clear directions on how you can use and adjust them, so you can plane or trim your boards to the particular dimension you want. Your home garage is even big enough. Just like the other machines reviewed, this Craftsman CMEW320 benchtop planer comes equipped with a 15 amp motor for maximum power and speed. Dewalt DW734 Benchtop Thickness Planer, 6. Laguna has traditionally been a manufacturer of higher-end woodworking machinery, and in addition to their portable benchtop planer (see it here) they have a line stand-alone wood planers that range in bed size from 16-inch to 22-inch, with horse power between 5HP and 10HP. They feature 2 to 4 straight knifes slightly longer than the length of the planers width capacity, equally spaced around the cutterhead and running parallel with its axis. Its a 6 row helical-style cutter head with 26 high speed steel (HSS) precision sharpened inserts. This is the style of thickness planer that youre most-likely to find in a professional woodworking workshop, and its the type Ive had for years (until recentlyIll talk about my upgraded combo planer / jointer below).
Snipe is one nasty wood defect that occurs when feeding boards in and out of a planer, as a result of the weight of the board pulling downwards at the free ends, thereby pushing the opposite end into the cutterhead, which creates a dip at the ends of the board. A heavy duty anti-wobble base ensures it remains rigid during operation, and also provides a non-marring surface for passage of stock. The Jet JwP-13BT features a precision machined cast iron bed, adjustable in-feed and out-feed tables for work piece support and snipe prevention. Benchtop thickness planers come with the cheaper knife-style cutterheads, rather than a helical cutterhead (explained in section #5). Infeed speed can be changed from 18 feet per minute to 16 feet per minute to maximize cut quality. Its a 2-blade cutterhead with a maximum speed of 9,400 RPM. Makita 2012NB Benchtop Thickness Planer, How To Choose A Benchtop Thickness Planer, this guide here for heavy duty industrial units, prevent sniping at the ends of the boards, Which Dewalt Planer Is The Best DW735X vs DW735 vs DW734, The Best Jointer Planer Combo Machines for Planing Rough Lumber, Jointer or Planer Which Tool Should You Get First, The 5 Best Portable Benchtop Jointers for Woodworking Projects, the type of cutter heads in the ones available. With this new spiral cutterhead made up of 26 staggered and rotatable high speed steel blades (HSS), you have a machine capable of producing the cleanest and smoothest finish on your rough lumber pieces. Helical style cutter head runs quieter and produces better cut quality. Noisy during operation. And I planed thousands of board feet of lumber with this thickness planer and havent experienced any notable problems. The one you should choose should be able to produce a really smooth surface on any type of wood, so that the resulting stock will require very little sanding if necessary. Why do professionals and serious hobby woodworkers prefer stand-alone thickness planers? There are many brands and manufacturers of thickness planers today, each with its own unique set of features. First its important to understand that not all used power wood planers are the same. A reversible dust port makes dust collection a breeze because you can hook your shop vacuum to either sides of the machine. And the quality is higher than Grizzly. Overall, Id say this is a very capable and durable machine you can use to plane and dimension boards both in the workshop and on the jobsite. The shorter beds on some combo machines may not allow for as much support, and while you would get a wider jointer than normal (12-inches wide is common) the planer would be the same size, and 12-inches is more narrow than many planers, like my old 15-inch stand-alone planer. Each insert can be rotated 4 times before its finally replaced because all four edges can be used for planing. It also isnt portable, for woodworkers or carpenters who want to take their planer to a job site. Changing the knife is very easy and fast because theres no need for the use of knife alignment jigs on this one. Aside from inspecting the planer and trying it out, do some research on the brand and model before you even make the trip to look at the wood planer. However, to effectively reduce snipe totally, you also have support your work piece manually with your hand while feeding it into the machine, and also support it, while its feeding out on the other side. It comes equipped with in-feed and out-feed tables which provides solid material support for your work piece. So, you can set the depth stop at 5 inches, and you wont be able to crank the cutterhead less than 5 inches. Should You Buy A Sawhorse or Build It Yourself? The 2-knife quick-change solid steel cutter head comes equipped with double-edged knifes made of high carbon steel. Browse our traditional woodworking clothes to show off your cool hobby! It has a 2-speed feed rate, with a slower speed which provides more torque for maximum stock removal, and a faster feed rate for finishing the surface. But with the following guide, youll know whats important and whats not. Some people call it a floor model planer. I havent used DW734, but it has good reviews. A stand-alone thickness planer is the name I give to a wood planer that has its own base and sits on the floor, rather than on a workbench top. The Dewalt DW734 benchtop planer features a 3 knife cutterhead just like the DW735X. You can see the Felder AD 941 16-inch jointer/planer machine here.
Powermatic woodworking machines used to be manufactured in the U.S.A. but after being acquired by the company that makes JET woodworking machinery, many customers have complained about a decline in quality control. There are some ways to reduce or prevent thickness planer snipe. The way Byrd sets the angle cutter angle produces a shearing action, which gives a finer finish than the Grizzly cutterheads, for example. The cutter head comes equipped with index pins and a spindle lock for safe and easy blade replacement. You can see the two models here: I have also heard that Minimax makes good high-end jointer / planer combo machines, though I havent tried them.
Just like buying a used car, you can get a lightly used thickness planer, and you can get a lemon that has too many miles and too much abuse. I wrote this article to be a valuable resource to woodworkers who are trying to find the best wood planer for their workshop. I own a Felder Jointer-Planer, which I will talk about in the next section on combo planers. The straight knife cutterhead is the main type of cutter head or the traditional cutterhead that comes with most planers, especially the benchtop models. The Delta Power Tools 22-555 benchtop planer features adjustable in-feed and out-feed tables for extra material support and to prevent sniping. The benchtop thickness planer you choose should have a good quality motor spinning the cutterhead and working the infield and outfield rollers. The Felder Group is based in Austria, and they manufacture truly amazing woodworking machines that are known for their engineering, precision manufacturing, and well-thought-out features. Some thickness planers like the Dewalt DW735X and the WEN 6552T come with a fan assisted dust collection port that helps to blow out chips and dust out of the machine. The planing width of thickness planers is a really important feature to consider when buying a wood planer. Steps 1-5 | Beginners Guide to Hand Tool Woodworking, Step 1: Understand & Buy the Right Woodworking Hand Tools, Step 2: Setup your Woodworking Workshop & Tool Storage, Step 3: Learn how to Refurbish, Tune & Sharpen Hand Tools, Step 4: Learn How to Use Woodworking Hand Tools, Step 5: Learn How to Design Furniture for Woodworking Projects, Steps 6-10 | Beginners Guide to Hand Tool Woodworking, Step 6: Learn How to Choose Stable, Strong & Beautiful Wood, Step 7: How to Make Wood Square, Flat, Straight & Smooth, Step 8: JOINERY: LEARN HOW TO LAYOUT & CUT JOINTS, Step 9: Learn How to Assemble, Fasten & Glue-up Woodworking Projects, Step 10: Learn How to Finish Woodworking Projects, 4. On the shelix, the carbide inserts on the cutter head are inclined at an angle to the feed direction so that it produces a shearing action as they slice through the wood, instead of a straight 90 degree cut on the wood which scoops the wood and produces a louder sound. Instead, they feature multiple rows of small square-shaped cutters called inserts that are configured in a helical orientation around the cutter head. Most benchtop planers come with 15 amps motors turning the cutterhead at speeds ranging from 8000 rpm to 10000 rpm. It comes with a stand unlike other units. But if you dont mind using the old style knife cutterheads, and you like rehabbing machinery, then a vintage thickness planer will work great for you. Also featured is a Poly-V cutter head drive for maximum transmission of power from the motor. Certainly you want the best wood planer for your money. Thats serious power. Depth settings stay accurate and scale is easy to read. So smooth that it requires very little sanding. To rotate it, just loosen the screw that holds the knife, rotate it to the new edge, retighten it and youve got a new edge to work with. Feeding your wood stock into a less powerful planer also takes longer due to slower feed rates.
Fortunately some benchtop planers allow for the addition of a spiral cutterhead. The price tag is quite a bit higher than the DeWalt planers, at around $750. Is it smooth or still needs a lot of work with a sander? Power thickness planers come in three different styles: benchtop thickness planer, standalone thickness planer, and combination thickness planer (that transforms into a jointer). There are several models of the WEN benchtop thickness planer which include the 6550, 6552, 6552T and so on. WoodAndShop.com recommends products with links to online stores, some of which are part of affiliate programs. This is a major reason I upgraded to this type of wood planer / jointer. On the other hand, replacing the straight knives of a straight knife cutter head can be a huge pain in the behind. For about 5 years I had a 15-inch Grizzly thickness planer with a spiral cutterhead and a 8-inch jointer. It will not stay the same forever. Some manufacturers that previously made high-quality tools may have dropped their quality on their newer machines.
Prices range from $3,750 to $7,350. And planer snipe is a thing of the past for me because of the solid cast iron table. That is why you have to ensure the one you choose has a good dust/chip collection port to expel the dust produced out of the machine in a controlled manner. It also comes with large in-feed and out-feed tables for good material support, with a depth adjustment knob positioned right at the top so you can easily access it. A vacuum port at the back provides easy access to connect a shop vac to get rid of chips and sawdust produced. Therere in-feed and out-feed tables for material support when feeding boards in and out of the machine. Helical cutter heads reduces the sound produce by attacking the wood at an angle instead of the straight 90 degree contact or cuts made by straight-knife models. Talking about part replacement, its also good to check the warranty. The first feature that Ill talk about is the style of wood planer. Planing and dimensioning rough lumber in the workshop or on the jobsite can be quite challenging, but having a good portable thickness planer machine in hand can make all the difference. But if you cant afford a high-end professional thickness planer, dont fret. Last updated on April 18th, 2022 at 05:22 am. This is the first tool from Mophorn Ive had the opportunity to review, but even though I had my doubts prior to this review, I can say now that the performance and quality exceeded my expectations. With a depth capacity of 6 inches and a width capacity of 13 inch width capacity, you can really plane wider boards with this machine when compared to other portable planers with 12 inch or 12.5 inch width. The DW735X has a 13 inch width capacity which is the widest youre going to get with any portable planer. It has a maximum cutting depth of 0.1 inches, with the 2 blade cutterhead spinning at 9000 RPM, thus helping you get a quality and smooth finish on your boards. For power, the Mophorn comes equipped with a 1500 Watts motor which turns the cutter head and roller assembly, allowing you to feed in boards at a rate of 315 inches per minute. Feed rate can be adjusted for a better finish or to remove more material from the workpiece.
And if you dont plan on thickness planing wider boards at all, or your space is limited, then a benchtop thickness planer with a 12 or 13-inch width will work for you. And it is obviously easier to move from home to jobsite, or around your workshop. These are usually the more affordable style of wood planers, and Ive owned and used a good number of these planers over the years. Thickness planers come with two different types of cutterheads, ones with straight knives that run the length of the cutterhead, and helical cutterheads (sometimes called spiral cutterheads). You can read my article & see my video about it here.
I havent used a Laguna thickness planer, and dont know anyone else who has, so Ive included a forum user review of the 16-inch Laguna wood planer here to help you in your research if a Laguna planer interests you. Higher horse power allows for more wood removal and faster wood removal when thickness planing. Both machines run about $599. The cutter head blades are double-edged, thus they can be reversed when one edge gets dull so you dont have to buy replacements right away. Because stand-alone wood planers (and some combo planers) usually have much more robust features than the benchtop planers, including wider cutting capacity, more powerful motors, longer and stronger infeed / outfeed tables, superior cutterheads, and more.
Sitemap 0