Bench Planer??

[jimmyG]

I have some pine boards that are s4s but they aren't perfectly flat and was given some nice rough sawn cedar also.

My question: How many of you use a planer in your shop?  My work space is tight but I'm seriously thinking a planer might be a useful tool to have...

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

I do. I have an older Delta 12" unit and also a Performax 16/32 drum sander and used the heck out of them. I always bought boards in the rough and dimensioned to whatever I needed. But then again I have a full woodworking shop. If I were to buy a planer today I would look no further than  a dewalt DW 735X Pricey but well worth the money. You get what you pay for believe me Stay away from HF garbage. Do yourself a favor.  

[jimmyG]

5 hours ago, JTTHECLOCKMAN said:

I do. I have an older Delta 12" unit and also a Performax 16/32 drum sander and used the heck out of them. I always bought boards in the rough and dimensioned to whatever I needed. But then again I have a full woodworking shop. If I were to buy a planer today I would look no further than  a dewalt DW 735X Pricey but well worth the money. You get what you pay for believe me Stay away from HF garbage. Do yourself a favor.  

I own a Dewalt table saw and like the quality but I also have quite a few Wen tools as well that work fine for a hobbiest like myself. Was interested in the Wen spiral 13" planer @ HD and with their 10% off deal it would be less than $400. I just have to try and justify the expense and floor real estate involved.

[Bill WIlson]

I too would be lost without a bench top planer.  I've had one for a very long time.  My first one was a Delta, got it probably 30 years ago.  I replaced it with a Dewalt 734 a few years ago.  I use it all the time, especially for scrolling, because I have total flexibility to make wood any thickness I need.  I have access to lots of rough sawn lumber, so even for non-scrollsaw projects, it gets used a lot.

[ChelCass]

I bought hubby one for Christmas.  Bought it from Harbor Freight on Black Friday.  Bauer is the brand and he loves it.  He also has a smaller shop and he bought a stainless steel table on Wheels with two shelves.  One for the planer and one for the spiral sander.  He can roll it into a corner until he wants to use it.  Also the wheels lock so the table doesn't wander.  Like others here he has access to rough sawed wood (Amish) and wanted to be able to use that for he projects. 

[GrampaJim]

5 hours ago, jimmyG said:

I own a Dewalt table saw and like the quality but I also have quite a few Wen tools as well that work fine for a hobbiest like myself. Was interested in the Wen spiral 13" planer @ HD and with their 10% off deal it would be less than $400. I just have to try and justify the expense and floor real estate involved.

I have had the Wen planer for about 5 years and have had no issues with it.  I don't use it a lot but it works fine. 

[kmmcrafts]

I started with a refurbished Ryobi 13" planer that I bought for $100 at a tool store in one of those "outlet malls" and that was a good planer.. I got it back on 2009 and upgraded / downgraded  to a new DeWalt 2 years ago.. I got the one JT mentions and has the extended tables and is a 2 speed.. I didn't get the upgraded spiral cutter head version.. I love it but I also feel the upgrade wasn't worth the added cost other than I knew the old Ryobi gear system was getting worn. I sold that Ryobi for more than I originally paid for it, LOL.. I believe the Ryobi is also the same one as one of the Ridgids brand too but not certain of that. 

I've not seen the WEN brand one but I do have a couple of WEN brand tools that has really served me well.. I've been looking at their Jointer.. I need a new one.. but I may look into a quality used unit to see what's out there in the same price range.. any times a quality used tool is better than a entry level new tool.. 

[Richard Hotchkiss]

Purchased the Dewalt 735x about 5 years ago and have been very pleased with it and no problems at all. Have it on a cart with lockable castors and can roll it outside or in front of the door and the built in blower leaves very little mess inside. Is a bit more in $ than some of the others but very good quality and holding up fine.

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

The Dewalt 734 and 735 have 4 solid column rods that the cutterhead rides on. Why is that mportant is because it locks solid and prevents tilting as the board passes under it to prevent snipe or uneven cutting which you get with cheaper brands. Many of those only have 2 in the center of the head. They are a more professional planner that can take alot of board feet of lumber through it. yes the helix cutters are nice and you get 4 actual sides of sharpened carbide cutters so that is a huge plus but a minus is they need to be be set exactly without any twistNow they are indexed but there is play. the blades can be sharpened. I have a planer blade sharpener for my Delta blades but wish I had the Dewalt. I ran alot of boards through my planer over the years as well as my drum sander. they owe me nothing. 

Edited January 18, 2024 by JTTHECLOCKMAN

[Wichman]

I bought the Bauer (HF) planer as an open box special ($180, only used once!). I intended to use it to plane the paint off a bunch of 1 x 12 fence boards to replace a fence in the yard. And the silly thing refuses to die, I've generated somewhere around 120 gallons of chips with it, running anything from painted Pine to Elm and Walnut. If you take care in setting it up it will plane with no snipe (or snipe so small that it will sand out).

I've set mine up on removable brackets for my miter saw stand, this gives me 6 feet of both  in-feed and out-feed support, allowing me to work 8 foot boards by myself. So far I have 6 tools and a worktable that attach to the miter saw stand

In my opinion the HF tools are a great way to afford those tools that we just need occasionally.  Try the inexpensive option, then replace with better if you use it a lot.

[OCtoolguy]

4 hours ago, kmmcrafts said:

I started with a refurbished Ryobi 13" planer that I bought for $100 at a tool store in one of those "outlet malls" and that was a good planer.. I got it back on 2009 and upgraded / downgraded  to a new DeWalt 2 years ago.. I got the one JT mentions and has the extended tables and is a 2 speed.. I didn't get the upgraded spiral cutter head version.. I love it but I also feel the upgrade wasn't worth the added cost other than I knew the old Ryobi gear system was getting worn. I sold that Ryobi for more than I originally paid for it, LOL.. I believe the Ryobi is also the same one as one of the Ridgids brand too but not certain of that. 

I've not seen the WEN brand one but I do have a couple of WEN brand tools that has really served me well.. I've been looking at their Jointer.. I need a new one.. but I may look into a quality used unit to see what's out there in the same price range.. any times a quality used tool is better than a entry level new tool.. 

I just saw on Marketplace an old Craftsman with separate motor/belt. 6" on a rolling ztand for $100. I'm very tempted.

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

17 hours ago, OCtoolguy said:

I just saw on Marketplace an old Craftsman with separate motor/belt. 6" on a rolling ztand for $100. I'm very tempted.

I would not do it. 

[Gonzo]

I also have the DeWalt 735. I have the 3 blade unit. Was/is worth the price.  Very easy to change the blades. I also like the chip exhaust on it. Very,very powerful. 

[OCtoolguy]

5 hours ago, JTTHECLOCKMAN said:

I would not do it. 

JT, I should have clarified what I saw. It was a nice old Craftsman 6" jointer. I had one similar to it back before we down-sized and I sold everything. I would agree regarding an old Craftsman planer.

 

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

7 hours ago, OCtoolguy said:

JT, I should have clarified what I saw. It was a nice old Craftsman 6" jointer. I had one similar to it back before we down-sized and I sold everything. I would agree regarding an old Craftsman planer.

 

Oh that is a big difference. 

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

7 hours ago, Gonzo said:

I also have the DeWalt 735. I have the 3 blade unit. Was/is worth the price.  Very easy to change the blades. I also like the chip exhaust on it. Very,very powerful. 

Plus 2 speeds which comes in handy when planning highly figured woods. 

[Rolf]

I have had my Dewalt 735 since 2005, I wanted the extra width. Blade changes are very easy and are two sided. It really needs to be connected to a chip collector. I had the hose pop off during a cut. !   

Absolutely love it. I have also added a Jet 6"jointer. 

I use a lot of thin wood and the planer is not a very economical way to get that.  So I resaw then dimension with the planer. That is a tricky when you get below 1/4. There are lots of ways to safely do it ina planer but too time consuming for me. Plus You should not run anything through it less than 12" long. 

I Now own a 19-38 Supermax Drum sander. for the  really thin woods. 

The tools are on wheels as I also have a small shop. 

[Ron Johnson]

I have a 12” Craftsman that I purchased many years ago My shop is too small to use inside so I set it up outside when needed. I wouldn’t do without one 

[Joe W.]

After I got the scroll sawing bug, the kids all chipped in and got me a DW 12" planer.
That led to the next year getting a drill press.
This past year I gave myself (with some side hustle $$) a 14" Jet bandsaw and a 12" Cutech jointer.
I love-love-love recycling old discarded furniture into scroll saw and other items.
thinking (who am I kidding, I'm going to do it) about getting a smaller bandsaw and using the 14" Jet just for resawing. 

[rjweb]

Joe, did you get much snow down there, RJ

[FrankEV]

I have no room for a permanent setup.  Made this roll around stand for a 12 Craftsman planer.  When not in use, it is tucked away in a corner.  When needed, I pull it out and usually move it outside to use.   Easier to clean up after use.   Wheels lock.   Not quite as stable as if on a fixed base, but I don't need to plane large/long boards.  Works fine for 4 to 6 foot lengths.  A outfeed stand roller helps for the longer lengths.

 

[Joe W.]

11 hours ago, rjweb said:

Joe, did you get much snow down there, RJ

Between the two snowfalls, I measured 4 1/2 inches around most of our property.
I don't mind the snow, but the below freezing temps has has the heat pump running non-stop.

[Sycamore67]

The upper midwest has been in the deep freeze for a week or more. It is -5 F this morning and been like this most mornings.  Fortunately, my shop is fully heated.  But, we are kind of used to it and endure it every year. For those down south, the cold is much more of a problem.  My dog is really not happy with the cold.

Oh!....Back on topic!   I have had the DW735 for quite awhile and love it.  The only downside is the weight at 92#.  Glad mine is on a rolling g cart.  

Edited January 21, 2024 by Sycamore67

[Rolf]

13 hours ago, Joe W. said:

After I got the scroll sawing bug, the kids all chipped in and got me a DW 12" planer.
That led to the next year getting a drill press.
This past year I gave myself (with some side hustle $$) a 14" Jet bandsaw and a 12" Cutech jointer.
I love-love-love recycling old discarded furniture into scroll saw and other items.
thinking (who am I kidding, I'm going to do it) about getting a smaller bandsaw and using the 14" Jet just for resawing. 

What are your thoughts on the 12" Cutech jointer.? That is wide cutter for a benchtop. 

I live on Long island in NY it was 16 deg this morning. We haven't had any significant snow in a couple of years.  I spent time in Minot during my AF years, Our B52 flight simulator was in a railroad car right next to the runway.  That was way too cold for me.

Edited January 21, 2024 by Rolf

[Joe W.]

1 hour ago, Rolf said:

What are your thoughts on the 12" Cutech jointer.? That is wide cutter for a benchtop. 

I live on Long island in NY it was 16 deg this morning. We haven't had any significant snow in a couple of years.  I spent time in Minot during my AF years, Our B52 flight simulator was in a railroad car right next to the runway.  That was way too cold for me.

I am liking the 12"Cutech jointer.  It is wide, but comes in handy for those times when I have resawed a wide board with the bandsaw.  I spent some time - an hour or so - adjusting the infeed and outfeed tables when I got it to ensure flat and level.  I believe the term is co-plane.
Of course there is usually something unexpected/unforeseen when buying some tools.  For me, it was discovering the fence end additional supports can only be used at the edge of the jointer.  The purpose of the additional fence supports is to eliminate the fence from flexing.  If you go to the website you will see what I mean.  It's not a big deal, but the way it was portrayed, I assumed the additional supports would be able to be used across the entire width of the jointer and not just at the side. 

For me the biggest benefit of a wide jointer is it reduces the amount of glue-ups I need to do to get a wide panel for use on a pattern or any other item.  I am a scrounger for wood and often find discarded furniture (cabinets/chests, etc.).  It's very satisfying to be able to use the bandsaw/jointer/planer/table saw to mill down the wood and use it for scroll saw/other woodworking.  

  Oh, and Minot - yeah, I remember the phrase from my days in the Air Force:  "Whynot Minot?"  "Freezing's the reason."
I was stationed in Oscoda MI (Wurtsmith AFB), Rome NY (Griffiss AFB) and balmy Keflavik (AFB) Iceland. And Germany.  
Right now we are at 27 degrees with warm weather forecasted Tuesday and beyond.