Hey all,
I am looking to buy my first planer. I want to get away from all the projects being the "standard" thickness and want to start varying the thickness. I dont work a lot of wood and just do it as a hobby in my spare time. I want some opinions on what planer to buy. Now my budget is rather limited. Should I go used, reconditioned, etc.? Any inputs on models and features to look for would be appreciated.
Thanks
I've had my Ridgid 13" for 5 years and it's still going strong. The blades are 2 sided so they last a while. They are also inexpensive and available at the depot.
I liked my DeWalt planer enough to buy a second one from a guy on Craigslist…...one for the "rough " stuff , and one for finish work : ) There's plenty of good , used stuff out there if you're on a budget. I've had my original one for at least 10 years now.
There are a LOT of tools I will buy used, Bench Top planers are NOT among that list…
I have a Ryobi AP1301 which is a heck of a good planer for the $$. I believe it is selling for $199.00 again (Home Depot ran the price up to $269.00 for a while there). At $199.00 you simply are not going to get anywhere near the performance of this machine for anything less than $369.00 (The Ridgid). Delta has a model that goes on Amazon for about $289.00, but it has the same faults the Ryobi does such as no cutter head lock, and it is known to snipe more, and completely lacks any sort of dust collection provision (Add on accessory). Where the Delta has an advantage is that the add on dust hood connects to a 4" DC hose…
If I had to buy a new planer and I was tight on budget I would grab another AP1301. If I had a few more $$ to spend, I would pay the extra for the Ridgid 13"...
I bought a Rigid R4330 Planer Refurbished from Ebay. I have never had any issues with buying ANYTHING refurbished. Usually the factory will test them the same way they will a new machine. usually the damage is only cosmetic. This one's only defect is a tiny dent in the outfeed table, but it is still flat so doesn't cause a single issue. It still came with a 1 year factory warranty but only cost me around $300 and comes with a 4" dust port which seems to do an excellent job of removing chips. It works wonders and I'm very happy I purchased it.
A second hand excellent or very good tool is usually a better buy than a mid-quality new tool. I've recently set up a shop in a new house. I had hand tools and small power tools, but nothing big. I've been scouring Craigslist for a couple months and have found some excellent buys-
Dewalt 735 for $200 - good blades, excellent overall condition, only needed a new fan and fan housing.
Also scored a Ryobi BT3000 table saw, Porter Cable brad nailer and router, Bosch router table and stand, HF 2hp dust collector, Dewalt DW716 miter saw, Sherline metal lathe and milling machine, plus many small items. Nothing cost more than half of new sale prices!
I have a 735 and I would recommend looking for one used. The only consumables are the knives and feed rollers and the rollers will last a long time. If you find one run it, put a 3' board through it, grab it when cutting a 1/32" or more off, you shouldn't be able to stop it, if you can the feed roller may be worn. Run your finger across the board if you feel ridges the knives are nicked but that's not a big deal. Knives are $55 a set, $41 at Rockler with a 25% off coupon and are reversible so you get two uses out of them. New feed rollers are $45 a piece (there's 2) directly from DeWalt so if the feed slips talk 'em down $100 or more saying you have to replace them, i.e. materials and your time.
This planer puts the best finish on the wood out of any I have owned and there is no snipe. Others claim to have no snipe but in checking them out this was the only one I found to really have no snipe.
Everybody likes their planers or they wouldn't have them even though they may have had them a long time. What is important is how good a finish the planer puts on the board minimizing the amount of sanding needed and if/how much snipe is left on the board. Liking a machine does not necessarily mean it does the best job. I liked my Delta planer too but I was not enamored with the finish it left on the board and I was definitely not happy with the snipe it put on both ends of the board. That was why I replaced it with the 735 which puts the best finish on the boards I have ever seen and has no snipe. In my opinion those to me are defining factors in choosing a planer and justifies a higher cost, in the long run it pays off in time and materials. And sharpening your own blades is not an easy task unless you have the equipment to do it and are able keep the cutting edge perfectly straight. Let alone grind them to the correct angle and take the time to properly hone them. In my opinion for $20 a pop for a 3 knife cutterhead it's much easier and saves a lot of time to just replace them.
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
LumberJocks Woodworking Forum
2.5M posts
96K members
Since 2006
A forum community dedicated to professional woodworkers and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about shop safety, wood, carpentry, lumber, finishing, tools, machinery, woodworking related topics, styles, scales, reviews, accessories, classifieds, and more!