9 Best Planers in 2022
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Planers are an essential piece of equipment for your workshop, so you need to consider your options carefully when it comes to finding the best one. There are various types of planers available that can be used to trim and smooth various materials, but they are mainly used for lumber. Depending on the type of planer you choose, they can be transported to various workstations.
There are a lot of different options when it comes to planers and it can be difficult for you to find the best one for your needs – especially if this is the first time you are trying to shop for this kind of equipment. This review is designed to narrow down your options so you can easily find the best planer for your workshop. We have used customer ratings and other in-depth reviews to find the nine best planers for your workshop.
View the Best Planer, Below.
- PORTER-CABLE PC60THP Hand Planer
- DEWALT DW735X Thickness Planer
- WEN 6530 Electric Hand Planer
- WEN 6552T Benchtop Corded Thickness Planer
- Bosch Woodworking Hand Planer
- Makita XPK01Z Cordless Planer
- PORTER-CABLE Thickness Planer
- DEWALT DW734 Benchtop Planer
- TACKLIFE Electric Hand Planer
1. PORTER-CABLE PC60THP Hand Planer
This planer has a heavy-duty six amp motor that can provide a lot of power and ensures that it can be used for long periods of time without cutting out. It comes with a dual side dust extraction that allows dust to be removed from either side of the device to keep it clean and in good working order for longer. This planer has three chamfering grooves.
This planer is easy to use and is very precise as it has an 11.5-inch aluminum shoe that provides additional control. It delivers smooth and precise cutting on a range of hard materials and it has a max no-load speed of 16,500 rpm. This offers smooth material removal, making it versatile.
This planer is easy to use as it is portable and offers smooth removal of a range of different materials.
Check Price on Amazon ➞2. DEWALT DW735X Thickness Planer
This is a very powerful and heavy-duty planer that can be used for large cuts in wide materials to save you time and effort. It has a three-knife cutter head that provides 30% longer knife life, making this a good investment that can be used time and time again. The motor is 15 amp, which is incredibly powerful and this device is easy to use.
This planer also comes with fan-assisted chip ejection vacuums to exhaust all debris out of the machine so it cannot cause damage or interfere with your workspace. It also has a two-speed gearbox that can be used to change the feed speed so you can optimize cuts based on the materials you are using.
This is a very powerful planer that can be used on a range of wide materials and has a 30% longer knife life.
Check Price on Amazon ➞3. WEN 6530 Electric Hand Planer
This hand planer is easy to use as it is lightweight and made to be portable. It has a six-amp motor that can provide approximately 34,000 cuts per minute. This makes this planer highly efficient and versatile as it can be used on a range of materials. It has 16 positive stops that can be used to adjust the cutting depth anywhere between 0 to 1/8 inches based on your needs.
This planer can make rabbets up to 7/10 inches in size and comes with a rabbeting guide included. As it is lightweight, this planer is easy to hold and control so you can be very precise when working. It comes with a range of accessories to make the process easier, including a dust bag, a kickstand, and a parallel fence bracket.
This planer is easy to use as it is lightweight, compact and has a powerful motor, making it suitable for precise jobs.
Check Price on Amazon ➞4. WEN 6552T Benchtop Corded Thickness Planer
This is a heavy-duty planer that can be used to repurpose rough and worn wood to provide an incredibly smooth finish so it can be used again. It has a powerful 15 amp motor that will provide over 25,000 cuts per minute at a 26-foot per minute speed rate. This makes this planer highly efficient and precise, so it can be used for a range of different jobs.
This planer has an onboard planning gage that can be used to inform you of the amount of material that is being removed at each pass. It also has a fan-assisted dust port that will remove chips, sawdust, and other debris from the device so it can provide a better performance and work for longer.
This planer is heavy-duty and highly powerful and comes with onboard accessories to make the process easier.
Check Price on Amazon ➞5. Bosch Woodworking Hand Planer
This hand planner has a 6.5-amp motor that offers a lot of power and control. It has a 16.500 RPM speed that can provide fast stock removal and will create a smooth finish to all wood and materials. Even though it is powerful, this planer is lightweight, making it easy to hold and control so it can be used for a range of precise tasks.
This planer is highly efficient as it is the first-ever power tool to have an ambidextrous lock-off release button that can provide an extended operation so you can keep working no matter what. This is a safe planer to use as it comes with a spring-loaded stand that will elevate the tool to protect the blade when it is being rested against surfaces.
This planer is the first-ever power tool to have a lock-off release button that will provide an extended operation making it efficient.
Check Price on Amazon ➞6. Makita XPK01Z Cordless Planer
This cordless planer has a two-blade cutter head that uses double edge cartilage blades that can provide exceptional performance and smooth cutting. This is a reasonably lightweight planer, which makes it easy to use and can offer precise control. It has a 14,000 RPM motor that has been specially engineered to provide fast stock removal, making it efficient.
This planer comes with an easy-to-read scale that you can use to adjust the depth and get really precise when working. As this is a cordless planer, it is easy to use and convenient while still providing a lot of power. It can run for a long time and has a fast operation so you can finish your work quicker.
This planer is convenient as it is cordless and has a two-blade head that can provide fast operation.
Check Price on Amazon ➞7. PORTER-CABLE Thickness Planer
This planer can provide superior stock removal as it has a 15-amp motor that is very powerful and efficient. It has a two-knife, quick-change solid-steel cutter head that provides smooth operation and will ensure that the device lasts a long time. This planer is ideal to use when dimensioning lumber as it is very precise and can help you reach the desired thickness.
This planer is so powerful that it can even be used to cut through glued-up materials, making it versatile and suitable for a range of different tasks. It is very durable and is made to be heavy-duty to ensure that it can be used for an extended period of time. The knives are double-edged and reversible to provide twice the cutting life and power.
This planner is highly durable and has two knives to provide double the cutting power and life.
Check Price on Amazon ➞8. DEWALT DW734 Benchtop Planer
This planer has a three-knife cutter head and a powerful 15-amp motor to provide superior cutting power. It will deliver 10,000 RPM in cutting power and has a smooth operation so you can get through your work quicker. This planer offers fast and accurate depth adjustment that makes it versatile.
This planner has reversible and disposable knives to provide more power and efficiency. This planer is fully portable, so you can use it anywhere and transport your workspace to wherever it is most convenient for you. It is a benchtop planer that will not damage the surfaces underneath while offering stability and better control.
This planer is efficient and precise as it has a three-knife cutter head and the blades are reversible.
Check Price on Amazon ➞9. TACKLIFE Electric Hand Planer
This planer is made to a professional-standard so you can expect exceptional power, precision, and control. This planer has a 7.5-amp pure copper motor that can provide strong power and the blade rotates at 16,000 RPM. This provides around 32,000 cuts per minute, making this a highly convenient and efficient device to use for a range of tasks.
This planer has durable blades that are made from aluminum and the bottom plate is anti-rust to ensure long knife life. The motor of this planer is softly connected to the frame to prevent overload and ensure that it will always provide the power you need. This planer has 12 positive stops that can be used to increase the increments from 0 to 1/8 inches.
This planer is highly powerful and efficient as it has aluminum blades that are anti-rust and a pure copper motor.
Check Price on Amazon ➞Buyer’s Guide to Planers
When working with lumber and other tough materials, it is very important that you have the right tools on hand. A planer is perhaps the most important thing to purchase for your workspace, whether you are a professional or a hobbyist. These will help you cut, shape and smooth wood so it will be easier to work with and can save you a lot of time.
There are a lot of different options when it comes to planers, as you can see from this review, so it can be quite hard to find the best one for your needs. It can be quite hard to determine whether a planer will be right for the job or if it will be a waste of money just by looking at an image online, which is why we have created this buyers’ guide. Here we will outline everything you need to know about these devices so you can narrow down your options.
What Actually Is A Planer?
In order to find the best planer for your workshop, you need to understand what these devices actually are and what they are used for first. Planers are a tool that can be used to cut a range of materials. Most of the planers in this review are made primarily for lumber, but there are some that have been made for metalwork also.
Planers use linear relative motions between the material and a single-point cutting tool to cut and provide precise trims. They can also be used to shape and smooth wood so it will be easier to work with. There are lots of different occupations and hobbies that could benefit from a planer, which is why there are a lot of models available.
Types Of Planers: Thickness Vs. Hand
There are various different kinds of planers available, as you can see from this review, but the two most common are thickness and hand. The best planer for you will differ significantly based on the work you do, the materials you use, and your experience with these kinds of devices.
Most of the planers throughout this review are electric, which can be easy to use, but it is possible for you to come across more traditional models that have a stationary blade. Either way, these kinds of devices can still be used to trim wood and create a smooth surface to work on.
Hand Planers
Hand planers are made to be lightweight and portable, so they will be easy to hold and control. They can be very precise, no matter what kind of blade they have because they are compact and can be used to create smooth and level surfaces that are easy to work with.
However, it has to be said that hand planers may not be the best tool when it comes to creating level surfaces as they are operated by you and the human hand is not always accurate.
Thickness Planers
This is where thickness planers may be better suited. These kinds of planers operate by setting the blade to a particular height and then shaving everything above this for a smooth trim. They can create uniformly level surfaces without making you do a lot of the work, so they may be preferred in a lot of cases.
Benchtop Planers
Benchtop planers are another form of thickness device which you may want to consider. These will typically weigh 100 pounds or less as they as designed to be kept on your bench, so they will need to be light enough to avoid causing damage while still being secure.
These kinds of planers are technically portable, but it is likely that you will find a good spot on your workbench and keep it there from here on out.
When it comes to finding the best planer for your needs, a good place to start is with the different types available. You will be able to narrow down your options quite considerably by looking at the kinds of planers that are available, what they can be used for, and how portable they are.
Features To Consider
As well as determining the type of planer that will be best suited to your work, there are some other features that you should look out for to narrow down your options further. This includes:
Dust Collection
Some of the planers throughout this review have specific mechanisms in place for dust collection. This is often an excellent way to determine which are the best planers, as those with dust collection features are likely to be the highest quality and the longest-lasting.
This is a very important thing to consider as carving and trimming wood can create a lot of dust and this will dirty everything in your shop. Not only will it cause a messy workspace, but excess dust and debris can also reduce the air quality and it could get caught in the blades, preventing the planer from working as well as it could.
Some of the planers in this review will have automatic dust collectors that will operate during use to prevent it from building up and causing damage. If you want to keep yourself and your device safe, then you should consider dust collection when looking for the best planer.
Speed
Throughout this review, we have addressed how powerful the motors are for the planers mentioned. The motor power, which is measured in amps, can typically determine how fast and efficient the planer will be, so you will want to consider it carefully. The best planers will have a fast and efficient operation so you can get through your work quicker.
There are some other features that will determine the speed of a planer, such as the blade type, blade size, and power outlet, and you will want to take it all into consideration. In this review, we have addressed the speed of a planer through the cuts per minute metric, which has been provided by manufacturers. This is what you should use to determine how fast and efficient a planer will be and, therefore, whether it is the best one for you.
Blade Type
Some of the planers throughout this review come with two or even three blades. When looking into the best planer for your needs, you will want to consider the type of blades that are present and how many the device uses. In most cases, these blades will be made from aluminum, which is durable and may be coated to prevent rusting.
Planers that have two or more blades are, as expected, going to be more powerful and efficient as they will have double the cutting power. There are some other features to consider when it comes to the blades, such as whether they are reversible and how they operate. The blades are one of the most important things when it comes to planers, as they will determine how useful and efficient the device will be, so you will want to consider it carefully.
Conclusion
Planers can be very useful for both professionals and hobbyists. They will make cutting, shaping and trimming various materials much easier and can save you a lot of time. To find the best planer for your needs, you will need to consider the types available and the blades they use.
Did You Know?
Benchtop planers will typically weigh under 100 pounds and they are technically portable but are likely to remain in your workshop.
Expert Tip
Consider planers that have two or more blades as they will be more powerful, efficient and are certain to last longer as you will always have a knife on hand.