Global Tooling - GMC Powered Hand Planer, WRP3UL (Rating: 4)
I could not find the GMC (Global Machinery Corporation) brand listed on this group's company name list, so I just selected the next best company, Global Tooling. Heck, maybe they are the same company.
Most Chinese-made tools from this Austrailian company are budget items in the extreme, being on the same, or sometimes an even lower, level as Black and Decker or Chicago Tools. Some work not all that well, and others work just fine.
This is one of the just-fine versions, if only because it is a three-blade item that actually cuts well and is easy to handle and adjust. The double-insulated motor is a 6-amp job, with a no-load speed of 16,000 rpm. With three blades that gets you some pretty smooth cuts. The planing width is 3.25 inches and the maximum cutting depth is 1/8 inch. The frame is partially magnesium, which keeps the weight down to a manageable 6.7 pounds.
One nice feature is that it came with a set of spare cutter blades and a spare drive belt, something that you do not often find on even upscale brands. Normally, customer service might be a potential problem with a fringe outfit like this, but I contacted the company about getting another spare belt and set of blades (it pays to keep spare parts like this on hand) and the response was prompt and accurate.
I have used this device on several occasions and found it to be workable. It might not hold up as well in the long run as some considerably more expensive jobs, but I paid $68 for it at Lowe's on sale (list was $99 before the sale), and it is hard to go wrong at that price. GMC now has a replacement available that touts the magnesium frame, and I imagine that the newer version is as workable as this one.
For lightweight work I recommend the thing.
Howard Ferstler
I could not find the GMC (Global Machinery Corporation) brand listed on this group's company name list, so I just selected the next best company, Global Tooling. Heck, maybe they are the same company.
Most Chinese-made tools from this Austrailian company are budget items in the extreme, being on the same, or sometimes an even lower, level as Black and Decker or Chicago Tools. Some work not all that well, and others work just fine.
This is one of the just-fine versions, if only because it is a three-blade item that actually cuts well and is easy to handle and adjust. The double-insulated motor is a 6-amp job, with a no-load speed of 16,000 rpm. With three blades that gets you some pretty smooth cuts. The planing width is 3.25 inches and the maximum cutting depth is 1/8 inch. The frame is partially magnesium, which keeps the weight down to a manageable 6.7 pounds.
One nice feature is that it came with a set of spare cutter blades and a spare drive belt, something that you do not often find on even upscale brands. Normally, customer service might be a potential problem with a fringe outfit like this, but I contacted the company about getting another spare belt and set of blades (it pays to keep spare parts like this on hand) and the response was prompt and accurate.
I have used this device on several occasions and found it to be workable. It might not hold up as well in the long run as some considerably more expensive jobs, but I paid $68 for it at Lowe's on sale (list was $99 before the sale), and it is hard to go wrong at that price. GMC now has a replacement available that touts the magnesium frame, and I imagine that the newer version is as workable as this one.
For lightweight work I recommend the thing.
Howard Ferstler