Best Planer Thicknesser For Small Workshops & Woodworking

Planer Thicknesser

For all the DIYers, Hobbyists, and woodworkers, dealing with hardwood and softwood often creates problems. It is challenging to process wood to balance its thickness and width simultaneously. Therefore, the need for the best Planer thicknesser arises at some point or the other.

A Planer thicknesser is a machine designed to permit the planning and smoothing of large sections of hardwood and softwoods to the required size needed for the project.

Thus, with the best planer thicknesser, you can trim the surface of any wood and, as a result, get a smoother and more refined finish. That is how you would be able to deal with more workable workpieces with uniform thickness.

So, to make your shopping easier and quick, we have reviewed and listed some of the best planer thicknessers in this article.

Best Portable Planer Thicknesser

1. DEWALT Thickness Planer

DEWALT Thickness Planer

The Dewalt DW735 is a professional and compact planner Thicknesser you need. Its 15-amp powerful motor takes on both soft and hardwood, providing clean and deep cuts. The machine has a 20,000 RPM motor (10,000 RPM cutter head speed).

As a result, it easily handles more significant cuts in broader materials. Moreover, the three-knife cutter head delivers a 30% longer knife life and makes knife changes faster and easier. Also, it features a two-speed gearbox with 96 or 179 cuts per inch. You can use 96cpi for dimensioning the material.

This planer is sturdy and portable enough, weighing only 92 pounds. However, the 179 cpi gives the material a more refined finish. The unit provides a maximum cut depth of 1/8 inch, a depth capacity of 6 inches, and a width capacity of 13 inches.

Besides, the planer comes with large infeed and outfeed tables providing 33-1/2 inches of material support. Besides that, the planer’s material removal gauge and extra-large thickness scale help ensure every pass is accurate. All in all, the planer is powerful and efficient enough to manage deep cuttings efficiently.

Pros
  • It features a 2-speed gearbox
  • Quiet and easy setup
  • Portable and durable
  • The presence of reversible knives
  • Dust hose adaptor for chip ejection
  • Larger capacity with accurate cuts
Cons
  • Lack of additional knife set
  • It is heavy a bit, so you can’t move it around too many times

2. WEN Thickness Planer

WEN Thickness Planer review

WEN 6552T 13 inches is a well-known unit from the manufacturers. Weighing only 66 pounds, this is an excellent thicknesser made to perform a good job for many years. This planer provides an unbelievably seamless finish on worn-out wood.

Likewise, it features three reversible blade cutters providing versatility. That also does easy work out of even the hardest of woods. Besides, it has a 15-amp motor that generates 25,500 cuts per minute at a 26 ft. per minute feed rate. It also uses a tri-roller feeding system to help minimize snipe.

For ease, the unit comes with a comfortable rubber-grip adjustment handle. That allows one to adjust the height of the planer easily. Likewise, the foldable in-feed and outfeed tables provide an enormous capacity to support longer workpieces. Besides, the fan-assisted dust port removes sawdust from the workpiece.

The unit features a heavy-duty cast iron base that provides stability and durability. That is how it would be easier to minimize overall cleanup. Additionally, the mounting holes provide extra strength, and one can use the carrying handle to move the unit around. All in all, it is well worth the purchase.

Pros
  • Enough capacity to support longer workpieces
  • Lightweight, sturdy, and durable
  • Portable with affordable price
  • Fan-assisted dust port
  • Fitted with 3-blade cutters
Cons
  • Lack of additional set of blades
  • Not recommended for heavy-duty professional projects

3. DEWALT Benchtop Planer

DEWALT Benchtop Planer review

The DEWALT benchtop planer has a powerful 15-amp motor to handle a wide range of tough hardwoods. It also contains a three-knife cutter head that spins at 10,000 RPM to provide 96 cuts per inch.

Thus, it provides you with one of the finest finishes of any portable planer. The motor is powerful enough to handle larger and deeper cuts, even in hardwoods. It also contains disposable reversible knives that deliver 30% more knife life. Likewise, it makes the knife change fast and easy.

It also contains extra-long infeed and outfeed tables, providing 33-1/2″ material support. It weighs only 80 pounds and is lightweight and portable enough to carry around. Besides, it provides a maximum cut depth of 1/8 inch, a depth capacity of 6 inches, and a width capacity of 12-1/2 inches.

To ensure stability and prevent movement, it contains a four-column carriage lock. That is how one can easily avoid damaged material when planning near the end of aboard.

Pros
  • Large infeed and outfeed table
  • Four-column carriage lock
  • Powerful motor to handle deeper cuts
  • 3-knife cutter head
  • Wide and solid base
  • Operates quietly and is durable enough
Cons
  • A bit on the expensive side

4. CRAFTSMAN Benchtop Planer

CRAFTSMAN Benchtop Planer review

The CRAFTSMAN benchtop CMEW320 is pretty nice and relatively inexpensive. It works quite efficiently and planes even the roughest pieces of old pallets. Above all, it comes with a 15-amp motor that is a deal for more excellent stock removal.

Its 8,000 RPM, cutter head speed provides 16,000 cuts per minute. It also contains a two-knife, quick-change, and solid steel cutter head. That makes sure you have a long-lasting and smooth operation.

The CRAFTSMAN benchtop planer is ideal for dimensioning lumber to the required thickness and even glued-up materials. Luckily, the motor makes it powerful enough to be used for both hard and softwood material removal.

Besides, it allows maximum stock removal since it features a poly-V cutter head drive. All in all, you would love an easy-to-assemble dust chute. It comes with a vacuum adapter to keep the work area clean. It is an excellent unit with high carbon steel, double-edged, and reversible knives for longer cutting life.

Pros
  • Easy and quick assembly
  • Reversible knives for cutting life
  • Versatile dust collection port
  • Poly-V cutter head drive to remove maximum stock
  • Durable and long-lasting
Cons
  • Some users noticed snipe at the start and end of the workpiece

5. Porter-Cable Planer

Porter-Cable Planer review

It is hard to beat the features of this unit. It features a powerful 120V single-phase 15-amp motor ideal for superior stock removal. Its 8,000 RPM cutter head speed powers 16,000 cuts per minute with a fast 26.2 Ft/Min self-feeding rate.

This unit features a poly V belt cutter head drive for maximum stock removal fitted with a gearbox and sprocket feed roller. Moreover, it has a solid steel cutter head and a double knife. These two ensure smooth operation with more excellent shelf life.

Also, the High carbon steel, double edges, and reversible knives for double cutting life are some of the other plus points. Besides, its patented cutter elevation on four precision ground columns allows superior cut stability.

Shortly, it is a valuable unit yet affordable planer for your shop. It has an easy assembly and setup. You would find it comparatively quiet compared to other brands in its range.

Pros
  • Decently quiet and efficient
  • Provides smooth cuts and fine finish
  • Poly V belt cutter head drive
  • Durable and long-lasting
  • Easy assembly and setup
Cons
  • Produces snipe

6. TITAN PLANER THICKNESSER

TITAN PLANER THICKNESSER

The TITAN TTB279PLN is one of the finest thicknessers available at a very affordable price. A whopping 1500W motor provides 9,000 rpm, making it suitable for professional use, although you would love this unit’s high performance and efficiency. With

the planning width of up to 212mm and depth of 750mm, this becomes suitable to work with large and small dimensions. This width and depth are the highest on the list compared to other brands. Along with the feed rate of 6m/min, this is a pretty impressive unit with a very reasonable price.

The die-cast aluminum table provides durability and stability. At the same time, it gives a dust extraction facility that will clean as you use it. Above all, you would love its vacuum adaptor, which can fit a vacuum cleaner.

That is how it collects and minimizes the spread of dust and debris to keep the work area clean. All in all, it is a great unit that is easy to use and reliable too.

Pros
  • Comes at a very reasonable price
  • Sturdy, durable, and stable
  • Die-cast aluminum table
  • Vacuum adaptor to minimize dust and debris
  • Easy to assemble and setup
Cons
  • It produces noise but is worth the performance

Best Planer Thicknessers Guide

The buying process gets easier and quicker if you have all the information regarding the specifications of the planer thicknesser. It is you who will decide your best planer thicknesser in light of your specific needs

1. Power

it is necessary to check this feature first. The motor should be powerful enough to handle the projects. The powerful motor lets you do most of your heavy-duty projects. Also, it gives a high-quality finish to your extensive projects, like planning large surface areas or hardwoods.

So, it is evident that the machine’s performance depends on its power. There are planer thicknessers with various power options in the market. As a user, you should ensure which option suits your needs the most.

Generally, a machine with at least 2000W is ideal for all heavy-duty tasks. On the other hand, you can use devices with power ranging between 1200W and 1700W for light projects.

2. Planning Width

The width capacity of the machine is crucial since not all devices have the same width. So, the width of the wood with which one will work is an essential factor when choosing the planer thicknesser.

The widths are in millimeters. Smaller models usually support woods ranging between 200mm to 300mm. Larger models let the wood with a maximum width of 400mm pass through them.

3. Speed

You can measure the speed of the machine in rpm and a decent feed rate in meters per minute. So, you have to choose the model with the highest blade speed. If you feed the machine slowly, it reduces the cutters’ life through continuous rubbing and overheating. As a result, you will have to replace them quite often.

4. Dust Collection

A Planer thicknesser is a heavy machine that you have to buy. Make sure it doesn’t cause you any health injuries. Therefore, always look for a model that has a proper dust collection system. A reliable dust port prevents irritations from sawdust.

In other cases, you can separately purchase a dust port adaptor or use a vacuum to get rid of sawdust. So, it is evident that you will not be able to work correctly if your machine lacks a proper dust extraction system.

5. Blades

It is necessary to check this factor since you don’t want to invest in a new machine now and then. To make your investment worth it, check what blades your device supports and whether they are replaceable.

Likewise, there are machines with double-sided blades also. That makes it very convenient to turn the edges and use whatever side you want. So, investing in a machine with replaceable and double-sided blades would save you both time and money.

6. Extension Tables

The infeed and outfeed table are necessary to provide support to your timber. That is how you get a smoother and more refined finish. For a better level of support, you should go for a machine with larger tables. However, if you have limited working space and don’t deal with large timbers, you can choose a more space-saving and compact model.

7. Material

I guess this is the most critical factor. The material of the machine determines its durability and longevity. Many professional machines feature cast iron bases. That provides strength, rigidity, and stability to the device.

Likewise, some models come with aluminum since they want the model to be portable and lightweight. I recommend you search for all-metal models. That would save you cost in the long run.

Conclusion

Finding the Table Top Planer Thicknesser might no longer be frustrating or difficult. This article’s detailed and thorough guide will help you select the best planer thicknesser.

Thus, it is solely upon you to decide the planer thicknesser’s size, quality, and other features. As far as my point of view is concerned, all of the above planners are outstanding, each with unique qualities.

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