# Bandsaw vs. Planer - Which to purchase?



## boutaswell (May 7, 2011)

Ok, let me preface this whole thing by saying…I am very much an amateur wannabe. I have built a couple of things, my router table, my workbench of which I think I did pretty well on them, they are basic though. I've done a few small boxes which is what I'm trending toward, doing smaller items. I'm sure I will expand in the future but right now, that's where it's at. And let me reiterate, at this stage, it is more of a hobby but is serious. I don't need something that will stand up under "production" use. Right now, I can visualize the largest wood I would be resawing or planing would be maybe 6-8 inches in width, thickness, depth, however you look at it and maybe up to 18-24 inches long. Like I say, smallish boxes and stuff like that.

I have the funds to purchase a low end planer or a bandsaw but not both at this time. I have looked at the Porter-Cable PC305TS and the DeWalt DW734 as my options since I want to get them from a close by source, Lowes or HD. The DeWalt is definitely the better of the 2 but is a few bucks over what I can comfortably cough up.

I know next to nothing about bandsaws but there are a few that fall within my budget and planer knowledge is about the same. Since the pieces of wood I'm visualizing using would not be more that 2 feet long at a time and no wider than 6.8 inches. I understand that wood run through a planer should be of a minimum length and then you have the snipe to worry about, more from the PC than from the DeWalt. As much as I would like to get the DeWalt planer, that's probably pretty much out of the question at the moment so it's between the Porter-Cable and a bandsaw.

Even after planing, I'm going to need to sand and then there's the wood lost from snipe. I'm thinking that resawing may be what I want to do at the moment. I can go from cutting a board in half to shaving off 1/4 or 1/8" (I'm presuming) and then sand to finish. You know, the more I write this, the more I think I'm answering my own question. The planer is pretty much a single purpose item whereas the bandsaw can have many secondary uses. I guess if I go bandsaw, low end, bench top or floor stand version would be the question.

Any and all advice would be appreciated and considered.

Thanks,
Richard


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## RibsBrisket4me (Jul 17, 2011)

You CAN resaw on a table saw. Look on youtube. It's not perfect but doable. A jigsaw can cut curves for you.

I'd get the planer first as properly dimentioned lumber is critical to each project.

For planers I recently upgraded to the new Ridgid 4331. It is in my eyes, the best value in a planer on the market.

For $399, you get a 15 amp motor, a cutterhead lock, 3 knives, in/outfeed tables included. The dust port is also included and has a shop vac style adapter if you don't have a dust collector yet. I get minimal to no snipe, and this is a beefy stout machine for $399.

Just my 2 cents…


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## thebigvise (Jun 17, 2010)

Without question, I'd get a planer. Norm Abram said that the three most important tools are the table saw, the jointer, and the planer. A band saw is a nice addition, but it is not fundamental to most projects. I agree with bullethead that properly dimensioned lumber is essential to any project, and the three named power tools are needed to accomplish this fundamental early step.


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## NormG (Mar 5, 2010)

Chicken or the egg. Planer. I have the dw==dw734, great machine, no snipe yet


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## RussellAP (Feb 21, 2012)

There isn't a planer out there for under $600 that's any good. I'd go with the band saw. Check out the BS at HF, It's a good one. It's the same thing as what Lowes carries under the PC label, but it has 4 speeds. I still don't know why you need 4 speeds with a BS but….


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

Whatever your tool situation you need to have some
way of getting board faces parallel and the boards
free of significant cup and twist. This means using
a bench and hand planes if you lack the machinery.

Boards can be worked to thickness with hand planes
but it is a little tiring to do it. Neither a planer nor
a bandsaw nor any other machine is essential to
making things from boards. You do however need 
some way of dimensioning your boards to size and
some way of making joints to attach the boards to
one another. Hand planes, some chisels and a 
hand saw can serve.


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## wee3 (Mar 6, 2012)

Planer,get the best you can afford,good luck.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

With a planner you need dust collection unless you want to just let chips fly everywhere. cheep band saws are a real pain from my experience. I think I would explore the used market on Craigslist and get the best tool for the best money you can afford in either tool. If you can afford a dust collector then I would get the planner first,if not a band saw.


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## Sawdust4Blood (Feb 16, 2010)

I own both a bandsaw and the DW734 planer. I love both but I definitely recommend getting the planer first. I often tell people that no one tool paid for itself faster than my planer. Personally, I'm with Jim in thinking that if you buy a sub-$500 bandsaw with the intent of re-sawing even small boards, all you will be buying is a lot of frustration. On top of that, you still need to plane boards after you re-saw them so it's not an either or situation.

For what it's worth, I bought my DW734 at a Lowes when it was reduced as overstock and I paid about $340 for it. You won't touch a good bandsaw (at least not new) capable of re-sawing 8" wide stock for less than $350.

Finally, if you're cash limited, I would recommend buying a good condition used quality planer or bandsaw rather than buying a new cheapo. New is gone the minute you use it one time but quality lasts for years.


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## boutaswell (May 7, 2011)

Well, those aren't the answers I wanted to hear but then again, I wasn't looking for confirmation of what I wanted. I wanted to hear what would be the best path to take. I've tried resawing on the TS but I just don't quite have it right just yet. Course, with a planer, any little problem from that can be taken care of. I'll check out the Rigid also since it is the same cost as the DeWalt 734. Thanks for all the input. I sill think I'd like a band saw but maybe I'll go the scrollsaw route instead. As for hand planes, my Dad could use the heck out of one but I may as well be using a bush hog; just have no knack for it.


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## Boxguy (Mar 11, 2012)

Richard,

I would go with planer. It opens up whole new vistas of what you can do with wood and what wood you can use. Standard dimensions work well if you are building houses or rough projects, but are too limiting for building nice boxes or any refined work. With a planer, any scrap wood source can become part of a project (assuming you avoid nails, staples, and screws).

Always buy the best tools you can afford. None of my early tools were new. Cheaply made tools always, always, always lead to disappointment. They will rob you of any fun you might have working wood and will let you down when you need them the most.


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## RibsBrisket4me (Jul 17, 2011)

Richard, the DW 734 is better than the OLD Ridgid 4330. Make sure you looke at the NEW Ridgid 4331.

734 vs 4331 is a toss up to me, for the hobbiest, both will serve well and pay for themselves…..see where you can get the best price.

At the post office you can 10% off coupon at HD in a "moving change of address packet", also I asked the HD mgr about a discount on my new planer and I had the choice of 10% off being retired military or for opening a HD credit card.

Best of luck!


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## MoPower (Feb 6, 2009)

I would go with a good quality planer first, OR which ever you find a super good deal on first. Just remember, resawing can be done on the table saw to a limited extent and the old jig saw can do a lot of what the band saw can.

So unless you run across a brand new Powermatic band saw with all the whistles and bells for $500, I recommend getting the planer.


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## BillWhite (Jul 23, 2007)

Stay away from the new PC stuff. Get the DeWalt.
Bill


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## HalDougherty (Jul 15, 2009)

Craig's List! Look for a while in the tools section and don't be in a rush to buy. If it's anything like the listings in my area, you'll get both tools for about what you would pay for one new one.

I'd tell you about some of the great deals I've found, but you'd just bang your head against the keyboard… The last purchase I made from someone on Craig's List was for a big floor model lathe (Grizzly G1495) and the duplicator attachment (Grizzly G1067Z) They both were only $200. I had to remove a little rust and one screw was broken off and had to be removed and another one substituted. Not too bad for about $1500 worth of tools new from Grizzly.


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## dhazelton (Feb 11, 2012)

I think you need to analyze the types of projects you want to do and your source of wood. You talk about large blocks of wood that you want to utilize to get 1/2 inch or 1/4 inch slabs. Can't to that with a planer (you can but there would be a heck of a lot of waste). There's a variety of ways to smooth wood as you already know. I would probably buy one of the more powerful Grizzly band saws for resawing. Or I would look on Craigslist/eBay for an older Delta 14 inch band saw that you could upgrade to at least a 1 hp motor. You wouldn't even need a riser block with the dimensions you describe. There are also a lot of the Delta 24 inch scroll saws out there for in the hundred dollar range, and they are monsters! There is a TON of used quality stuff out there. I personally shy away from Harbor Freight for anything with a motor, but that's just me and people have had decent results with their equipment.


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## gfadvm (Jan 13, 2011)

I am very happy with my Ridgid planer and I have milled miles of lumber through it (despite Russel's comment about sub $600 planers). If you plan to resaw any wood you will need a planer to clean up the bandsaw marks and to obtain a uniform thickness. Go for the Ridgid planer and then the bandsaw.


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## angrybird (Mar 23, 2012)

I would go with a band saw as a planer is a machine i would love to get but cant afford, my band saw has done alot of work and paid for it self.


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## nwbusa (Feb 21, 2012)

Another vote for the newer Ridgid planer. It's a good tool at a competitive price.


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## NiteWalker (May 7, 2011)

I'd get a planer, then the bandsaw.
The 734 is a good one.


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## ssnvet (Jan 10, 2012)

I use my jointer and planer all the time….

I rarely use my band saw


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## Durnik150 (Apr 22, 2009)

I'm going to go against the flow here and recommend the bandsaw. In most hobby considerations you can find the wood s4s or finished on all four sides. This would make a planer unnecessary. The bandsaw will not only help you resaw wood (something I rarely do) but will help you make curved cuts for boxes and much more.

The BS was one of my first purchases and is still my go to tool. Best of luck.


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## boutaswell (May 7, 2011)

Thanks for all the input guys. I've had to put things on the back burner for a while but in the mean time, I just try to improve on what I can do now. Still haven't decided what direction I'm going in.


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## bondogaposis (Dec 18, 2011)

You are going to need both in the end and it matters little which you get first. The important thing is to get one of them now and soon you will be budgeting for the other. Go with what's on sale that fits your budget. For boxes both of these tools are indispensable and that is why you are getting opposing views here as to which is needed first.


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## tyskkvinna (Mar 23, 2010)

You mention wanting to resaw, but you haven't mentioned if you want to resaw wood you already have, or if the bulk of the wood you can get is very thick… or if you just want to resaw it. If you are in a position where the wood that is easiest for you to come by is 4/4 or thicker, it makes sense to resaw. If that's not the case, a planer would be a good stepping stone.

I love both my planer and bandsaw.. but you have to put a lot of effort into the wood after the bandsaw to get it smooth. Or you chuck it through a planer.


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## BinghamtonEd (Nov 30, 2011)

Richard, someone else mentioned the HD coupon, Lowes has the same thing via their website for 10% off. I got my Dewalt 734 off Amazon, which ended up being cheaper at the time. I have used it quite a bit and love it. Runs like a champ and no snipe problems.


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## SnowyRiver (Nov 14, 2008)

I would get the planer first. I think you would use it much more than the bandsaw. Like others have said dont forget to look at Craig's List and Ebay. You can find a lot of good used planers and bandsaws there for much less than new.


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## lumberjoe (Mar 30, 2012)

I was in a similar situation and I went with a planer. In my opinion, both are must haves. I picked up a very inexpensive used planer. I will be selling it soon (for more than I paid for it) and getting a better one. To save yourself a lot of aggrivation:

1 - get a planer with a cutter head lock! Mine tends to drift, which leaves me with mid-board snipe, uneven boards, and it trips the breaker when it decides to take a 1/4" bite.

2 - Dust collection is a MUST. Not only for the mess factor. Those little chips that get inside the planer will raise the height of your work piece, and they will get all gunked up in the chains/belts.

I am getting the ridgid over the DW734. They seem like very comparable units. My motivating factor is the replacement knives (both use double sided disposable knives) are 20$ cheaper for the Ridgid

From my experience, ALL planers snipe. Some say that they have a planer that doesn't, I say prove it. Both places I have purchased hardwoods from have amazingly expensive planers. One place has a planer that removes material from both sides in one pass, and sands. I'm willing to bet that machine costs upward of 25k. There is still a lot of snipe. Plan for it, get to know YOUR planer, and find little tricks to reduce it.


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## dkg (Dec 14, 2009)

If don't plan on planing a lot of wood, a small 15" bench top planer works fine. They run about 400.00 and they are portable. A bandsaw is another matter. I have a beast that has 20" wheels and takes 158" bandsaw blades. I hate moving the thing. It does cut nicely though and when resawing, one pass thru the widebelt sander at 80 grit takes care of the kerf. I use my bandsaw for resawing and milling logs up to 12" in depth.


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## sixstring (Apr 4, 2012)

I've been doing nothing but resawing on my table saw the last few weeks; mostly reclaimed 5×12 beams. Hell, I resawed down to little 1/8" strips to make my wife an earing rack. It's not difficult if you build the proper jigs and while there is some waste involved, it's entirely doable.

Get the planer. I suggest the big Dewalt DW735 since it works flawlessly for me but I also have an ancient Ryobi that I have no real complaints about… just depends on what you are running through it (not good for the beams i mentioned above, but certainly for small pieces like you mentioned.)

Next tool is the jointer. A 4" benchtop model may be just enough for you and they can be had on the cheap from Craigslist, along with all the other tools you'll start wanting sooner than later.

My next tool is a large bandsaw so I can resaw my beams to get wide 12" planks. But that'll have to wait since these arent at all cheap, new or used.


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## lumberjoe (Mar 30, 2012)

Forgive my ignorance, but how do you resaw with a table saw? I think I understand the concept, but the board would have to be jointed first, and could only be about 6 - 6 /12" wide?


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## dkg (Dec 14, 2009)

The maximum depth of a single pass on a table saw is about 2.75" so by flipping the board around you can resaw a 5.5" wide board.


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## lumberjoe (Mar 30, 2012)

That's not really worth it to me. Most of the stock I get is in the 8 to 9" range, so I either have really small pieces or a lot of waste. Plus I assume the side that rides the fence and the edge that rides the table needs to be flattened first (unlike a bandsaw which won't kick back on you). Looks like the quest for the bandsaw continues


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## dkg (Dec 14, 2009)

I own a Delta, but I have been hearing good things about Grizzly bandsaws.


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## lumberjoe (Mar 30, 2012)

The G0513X2 (17") is looking like the winner right now, unless someone can tell me why I need to spend 150$ for a foot brake


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## dkg (Dec 14, 2009)

Looks good. Have fun cutting. My bandsaw has a foot break which I think it is a nice safety feature because the blade will spin a long time after the motor is turned off. Of course you can always jam a piece of wood into the blade to stop it or not.


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## HerbC (Jul 28, 2010)

First of all, get the planer before the bandsaw. I've recently acquired the Ridgid 4331 and so far have been satisfied with its peformance. You WILL want to do something about chip collection. I've build a cheap chip separator for my shop vac using a metal 30 gallon garbage can and it works quite well.

If you need to resaw boards wider than approximatel 6 inches you can use a combination of a table saw and a handsaw. First cut as deeply as possible using the table saw (multiple passes from both edges) and then use the hand saw to finish the job. It may be a bit rough but you can use your planer to fix that 

Good Luck and

Be Careful!

Herb


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## AHuxley (Apr 22, 2009)

@lumberjoe, I won't own a BS larger than 14" with no foot brake, it has some safety benefits as well as time. however that is just a personal preference but I use mine all the time on my larger saws.


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## sixstring (Apr 4, 2012)

My PM66 TS will cut 3.25" and I've been cutting 5" thick beams into 1" or 2" thick stock (is that the right word?) Just flip and cut. On the few pieces that I've done (up to 8"), I use a handsaw or recip saw to cut the middle. But certainly, there is waste. Since it's reclaimed wood i'm using to begin with, I dont rightfully call it waste since this stuff was already classified as landfill to begin with.

Would never do this techinique with expensive hardwood. Since I have t buy that stuff anyway, I would just buy the appropriate size to begin with. Still… necessity is the mother of invention, eh?


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## gfadvm (Jan 13, 2011)

I have that 17" Grizz Extreme Series and have been happy with it. Good quality blades are essential for resawing and don't last long if you are resawing a lot of thick, dense woods (mesquite,hedge,Jatoba). I also bought a Carter Stabilizer for this saw and REALLY enjoy it. It saves a ton of time when changing blades from resawing to small curve cutting blades.


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## lumberjoe (Mar 30, 2012)

Gfadvm, do you see any advantage in shelling out an extra 150 for the model with the brake? I'm trying to think of a situation I would need to shut off a bandsaw, and then quickly stop the blade.


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## gfadvm (Jan 13, 2011)

I went through that same thought process and decided that for $150 I'd wait for the blade to stop on its own! It could be a saftey thing but I wasn't smart enough to figure out how. I lube my blade by pressing a candle against the sides of the blade and this slows it down pretty quickly.


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## BilltheDiver (Jul 2, 2010)

As many have said, the planer takes priority in my opinion. If you resaw with a bandsaw you will likely need the planer anyway. Again as many have said, go to Craigslist or claz.org and be patient. You will find both tools for the price of 1 new one.


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## AHuxley (Apr 22, 2009)

@lumberjoe I responede in the other thread but as I said I do not nor will I own a bandsaw larger than 14" without a foot brake. Understand if the saw has a micro-switch on the brake AFAIK, all the current saws with a foot brake have a micro-switch, you don't cut the power with your hand and then hit the brake, you simply hit the brake and power is cut and the blade is stopped. I do a lot of bandsaw work and often find myself working beside and on the backside of the table, cutting the saw power is just a foot movement away without ever taking my hands off the work, when you reposition it is always nice to have the blade stpped as well. Although the 513 doesn't have the mass in the wheels like some saws it does take time to stop. For me it saves time and increases the level of safety, I have found foot brakes to be like many other things in life, once someone uses one it becomes a must have, but if you never use one you never know that you are missing something. In the end you may be happier spending the $150 on good Lenox bi-metal blades or some wood etc.


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## LepelstatCrafts (Jan 16, 2011)

I had this same issue a while back so I purchased a the Ridgid planer and a scroll saw. The ridgid planer is great and you can hook either a standard shop-vac hose to it or a 4" dust collector hose to it later. Additionally, it has a built in blower that will eject chips even without dust collection (it'll go all over the floor though). The scroll saw I purchased as a cheapo since I was planning on replacing it with a BS later, which I did.

Remember that if your wood isn't square to begin with, your project will be difficult to make later on. Go with the planer, ts, and jointer first, then the BS and other major tools. Just my two dollars.


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## thebigvise (Jun 17, 2010)

There is succinct wisdom in what Mike said above in his second paragraph. Norm Abram stated plainly that the foundation of the shop is the planer, the tablesaw, and the jointer. These tools allow you to establish straight and square stock early in the process. These comments in no way diminish the great work of my non-electric colleagues and devotees, and they will agree that straight and square stock is essential for good work.


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## lumberjoe (Mar 30, 2012)

If you have more time and patients than you do space and money, you can substitute a jointer for a router. This video demonstrates the basic idea of flattening a board with a router. While his set up leaves a little to be desired, you get the idea. It works great!






You could also plane with this method, however it's going to be VERY time consuming

You can also edge joint with a router, a piece of MDF shelving with a clean factory edge, and a flush cut trim bit.


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## Camero68 (Jun 5, 2012)

As a band saw beginner, www.bandsawblog.com will help expand your knowledge base for band saw machine and band saw blade basics.


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## boutaswell (May 7, 2011)

Ok, I broke down last week and picked up a DeWalt 734 at Lowes. All I have to say is "What the heck was I waiting for?" That thing opens up so many more avenues. I did some resawing on the TS and ran it through the planer and it's like…"This is exactly what I was hoping for". I've seen grain in wood I never knew existed.


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## HalDougherty (Jul 15, 2009)

You've been given some great advice. I went through the same mental process you are going through now when I started my woodworking shop. I bought the Ridgid planer first because it was almost $200 cheaper than the DeWallt and at the time I bought mine, it came with the stand and infeed & outfeed tables. I don't think the stand is part of the deal now. The new Ridgid is a 3 blade head. It also has a head lock to keep the head secure while it's cutting. Mine also came with 2 sets of blades. So far I've only used those two sets. I have bought two more for when I need to swtich. What I've been doing is resharpening the first 2 sets. I made a simple jig and use sandpaper on a flat piece of plate glass just like sharpening chisels. 
Next I bought a Rikon 10-325 bandsaw to use for resawing. It was one of the few 14" bandsaws that will resaw a 12" board without buying a riser. I was expensive and I doubt you'll find one on Craig's List unless someone is selling out a woodworking shop. 
If I was doing the same thing now, I'd take my $400 and shop on Craig's List for the best deal I could find. Decide based on travel costs how far you are willing to drive then "search all the local Craig's List cities using http://www.searchtempset.com":http://www.searchtempest.com . You can search by the distance from your zipcode and one tab lets you put all the results in one page, unless there are lots of ads. I bought another bandsaw last year to use when I cut tight angles and smaller boards. It takes 30 minutes or more to switch between wide and narrow blades on the Rikon. After you change the blade (5min) you have to readjust the blade guides each time and that takes a while. I found a like new Ridgid for $125. I did have to buy new urethane tires because the ones on the Ridgid had dry rotted. Cheap Grizzly tires fit just fine. 
Another Craig's List find I made last year was Grizzly lathe and duplicator to make duplicate turnings. It's almost $1500 from Grizzly plus freight. I got both parts for $200. There was some rust, but 30 minutes with a wire brush and it looked like new. Search and be patient. You'll find deals like that or even better. I'm searching now for a Woodmaster molder/planer/drumsander combination now and Wow! there are a lot of the 18" model for sale around the country. Only one is within 300 miles from me and it's only 20 miles away and it's the dedicated drum sander for $350. I want the combo machine and there's a bunch of them within 400 miles. One is $1200 with all the accessories… I'd drive 400 miles for one that cheap, if I had the money… 
Another good idea is to reduce your wood costs by buying rough cut sawmill hardwood and surfacing it with your new planer. Before I bought my sawmill I got 1000 board feet of cherry & walnut for $500. You can make a lot of wood products to sell when you've picked up high quality figured walnut & cherry for $050 a board foot. I check the free, the materials, the farm & garden, and the tools section of Craig's List several times a day, every day!


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## Straightbowed (Feb 9, 2012)

there is a place around knowville tenn that has planers the 15" jet for like 800.00 in great condition I would check this guy out on craigslist he has all kinds of woodworking equipment for sale check him out


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## Straightbowed (Feb 9, 2012)

Greenville is the area this man is located has all kinds of good heavy woodworkin equip Craigslist knowville tn


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