Best Wood Planers | How to Choose in 2022 | Comprehensive Buyer’s Guide
What is the best wood planer? These devices are designed to produce flat boards of even thickness. For this reason, the factors that determine the machine’s performance include the accuracy of cuts and the speed of material processing. The latter is expressed in revolutions per minute (RPM) and depends on the power of the motor. Another essential thing to consider is convenience. Models with ergonomic handles, portable design and lighter weight are easier to use and maneuver. In our assessment, 3-¼-Inch Makita Wood Planer fits these criteria best.
I find myself at a bit of an impasse with this particular tool. On one hand, it’s very important, there is something to be said about it, and without a planer, you’ll find a host of projects to be difficult or nigh-impossible. On the other hand, this is an ancient tool, it’s been around since the bronze age, and there’s really not much more that can be done with the concept after inventing electric/automated versions of it (which we’ll be touching on).
This makes comparing them difficult, and really going deep into the theory difficult. At the same time, like I said, it’s a crucial tool in many situations, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t take the time to talk about them at length. So, let’s talk about these, and bear with me if this isn’t as exciting a read as a lot of other tools can be.
What Is A Wood Planer? History
As said before, this is an ancient tool, dating back in some form or another to at least 2000 BCE, possibly much further. We know the Babylonians, the Greeks, the Romans and the Egyptians used a form of this tool for both wood and stone alike, and a variation of it is known to have been in use in ancient China and Japan around the same time too.
Basically, it’s a handheld tool with a flat surface. In the front or center, is a blade at a roughly 45-degree angle (this varies considerably) that resembles a chisel edge or flat head screwdriver tip. They vary in sharpness, though they’re rarely scalpel-sharp due to that being impractical for the tool’s purpose.
How Wood Planers Differ
When the tool is moved forward along a surface, this angled blade will remove a thin layer of material (producing shavings). The most basic use of this is to create even, flat, smooth surfaces across the wood. Stone and other materials can also be worked this way, though that’s a special planer, working with specific types of stone that are soft enough to be worked in such a way (soapstone, limestone and some marbles are prime examples).
Planers can be used to etch multiple surfaces onto wood (which is how hexagonal or other cuts in wood have been done traditionally), create large flat surfaces (for tables, cabinets, and the like), and any instance where you need to work smooth, flat and consistent surface into wood.
Joint planers, which use a narrower or more rounded blade, work on the same principle and etch furrows into the material. This is used to create joints where pieces of wood connect together (again, in some cases, the stone is worked this way too).
Traditionally, as I said, these are hand tools that don’t require a lot of elbow grease, but do require patience and a steady hand. They’re generally not terribly dangerous tools, short of dropping them on your foot. It’s hard for the blade to run afoul of a hand or other extremity, which means this is probably the most generally harmless tool that involves a blade or other cutting mechanism.
Types Of Wood Planers
Planers, be they standard or joint planers, do come with some variety these days. This variety is entirely a product of the modern world where electricity is a thing, as they really didn’t change for millennia short of better build quality and materials. A planer from 12th Dynasty Egypt worked precisely the same way as a planer in the workshop of a WWI-era craftsman, one was just stamped out in a factory, while the other was made by an iron smith.
Today, there exist power tool versions of these which work in a few different ways. Some are on automated tracks that guide them – this is primarily for routing planers. Others just have a powerful application to the blade to make each pass more even and powerful, requiring far fewer passes. Some are a hybridization of both of them.
I have less experience with the advanced power versions of these, though once or twice I have used them. I used a hand planer to shape and smooth the panels for my MAME cabinet – a project I recently completed.
I want to point out how important it is to not apply force too hard and to go against the grain gently, with a planer. I ruined several sets of material before I got the hang of that. I also want to point out just how crucial it is to use a proper joint planer for the actual joints where need be. I made the mistake of trying to use first a shaping drill, and then a Dremel tool to cut the joints and seams of your stuff.
I tried that, and actually thought I had a completed set of panels done. They seemed done, they looked done. When I put them together, they initially seemed done. However, once I put the components in, and some weight was trying the cabinet, they came apart at the seams, and cost me a monitor and a hard drive in the process, destroying a solid 75% of my design work. I had to basically start over aside from the controller components, the circuit board and the power supply. That’s a lot of money and time go to waste. I was unaware of the idea of joint planers at that juncture, and boy was that a painful lesson let me tell you.
Once I got hold of the proper tools, however, I finished it with mostly no problems (aside from a run-in with a circular saw I have mentioned in the past, resulting in needing stitches). At least, all things said and done, I have the best-looking MAME cabinet in the area, and other hobbyists have been non-stop praising me for it, wanting me to build ones for them as well. I’m not sure if I want to or not – it’s fun but it’s a lot of work, even now that I know what I’m doing with all the tools involved. Remember, the right tools for the right jobs.
Wood Planers Compared
1. Makita Power Planer | Best Power Planer
Of course, it has good build quality, though. It’s a Makita tool, and if nothing else, they never fail in that regard.
If you do a lot of projects that need a lot of planer work, this will definitely save you some effort. It’s not cheap though.
Features
- Guide: Yes.
- Power: 7.9 A, 110v wall socket power.
- Adjustable pressure: Yes.
- Weight: Around 7.3lbs, which is just the right heft for this.
- Safety: Trigger-powered, stops on a dime.
- Loud: Not really.
Performance
I’ve not used this specific one, but it’s strikingly similar to the one I used when helping a friend build his picnic table. I remember thinking it handled like butter, though it was a tad heavy.
Pros and Cons
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Conclusion
This is an excellent handheld power planer, and if you have projects that call for this kind of tool enough to justify the cost, I can’t recommend it enough, really.
2. Powermatic 1610086K Model | Best Combination Jointer Planer
I do know that Powermatic, while not having quite the same pedigree as Makita, is still a force to be reckoned with when it comes to these bigger industrial concepts. This is a full-on, automatic, self-propelled electric joint planer that will cut a very precise, basically perfect joint the first time you try.
Compared to doing this by hand, which I can attest to, it’s quite something. I was shown one of these in action, and I was quite impressed.
Features
- Guide: Yes.
- Power: 60HH, 110v wall socket power.
- Adjustable pressure: Yes.
- Weight: 518 pounds. Yeah industrial tools like this aren’t lightweight.
- Safety: OSHA-approved emergency brake.
- Loud: Well it’s loud, but by industrial tool standards, it’s not “loud”.
Performance
I didn’t get to use this myself, but I got to watch it in action, and while there’s something to be said for a professional always making this look easy, this tool really made it look easy even beyond that. This is definitely the best surface planer. But man, it’s not cheap!
Pros and Cons
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Conclusion
If you need to cut joints often, and I mean very often, this is the tool to do it. But it’s so expensive I can’t see hobbyists willing to pay the used car price that comes with it.
3. Makita 2012NB 12-Inch Planer
When I watched this one in use, it produced a perfectly smooth surface in pretty much no time flat and having done hand planning with an old-fashioned tool, which took the time (albeit it wasn’t hard work physically), and well, I was pretty darn impressed.
Features
- Guide: Yes.
- Power: 220v wall socket power.
- Adjustable pressure: Yes.
- Weight: 61.9lbs, pretty heavy. But it would be heavy given its power.
- Safety: OSHA-approved emergency brake.
- Loud: This thing is very loud, but given the task it performs, what can you do?
Performance
This tool will plane surfaces like nobody’s business. It’s a little on the complex side to use, which is another reason it’s more of a commercial or at least professional take on the idea than other ones on this list. Still, if you know what you’re doing, and you do a lot of this kind of thing, it’s pretty invaluable.
Pros and Cons
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Conclusion
If you’re a pro, or a very major hobbyist, you’ll love this Makita power planer. It’s durable, it’s powerful and reliable. I’d love one of these, but for the cost, I can’t justify the expense.
4. Best Planer For Home Workshop
I had never heard of WEN before writing this piece, so it was a bit of an experience having to research the reputation and full line of products they produced. Most tool manufacturers I at least know a little about.
Honestly, in my opinion, having done that and having tried one of these planers is … meh.
This is a budget planner, it’ll get the job done, but it feels every bit as budget as it is. This is a tool you might get five years out of before it gets wear and tear beginning to show – that is if you use it daily on a professional level.
If you’re just doing occasional tasks that need you to use this planer, you’ll get some lifespan out of it, and for the price, it’ll do the job at least.
Features
- Guide: Yes.
- Power: 6 A, 120v wall socket power.
- Adjustable pressure: Yes.
- Weight: 7.9lbs – it feels as cheap as it sounds like it would.
- Safety: Trigger release – it at least stops responsively.
- Loud: It’s not horribly loud, but it has an obnoxious hum to the motor that does worry me a bit.
Performance
Well, this isn’t fantastic. Don’t expect fantastic from a “notoriously” budget brand, at a budget price. You do get what you pay for. It’s not awful, it’s not going to break a day after you bought it. But If you do a lot of heavy work, this tool doesn’t have the gumption to last through it long-term.
For occasional use, it’s perfect, as an emergency backup, it’s serviceable.
Pros and Cons
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Conclusion
This is fine as a first user’s tool, or as an occasional thing. Don’t use this for industrial scopes though.
Best-Selling Wood Planers in the UK | Comparison Table
Bosch PHO 1500 Planer
- Woodrazor blade system for easy and quick blade changing and high surface quality
- A combined guide and planning depth adjustment knob provides secure guidance
- Single-sided chip ejection system with access for dust bag or vacuum cleaner
- Quick and efficient removal of material on door frames and wooden beams
- Automatically extending parking rest - prevents damage to the workpiece or planer blade when putting the planer down
ToolTronix 650W Electric Wood Planer Sander 82mm with Side-Fence Dust-Bag Blade
- The ToolTronix Planer will assist you with all of your woodworking and carpentry tasks.
- 18000 rpm no load speed - Up to 2mm adjustable planing depth, and 82mm planing width
- 1 chamfer grooves for cutting bevels and chamfers - TCT planer blade, dust bag, side fence, wrench
- Dust extraction facility and Left / right chip ejection to keep your workspace clean
- More details in the description below ....
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