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Surface/Thickness Planers

20K views 125 replies 32 participants last post by  Al B Thayer 
#1 ·
:thumbsup:
I have recently moved from Alaska back to TN. I had to sell all of my woodworking tools due to excessive shipping cost from Alaska. I have replaced most of them except the surface/thickness planer.

I have been in the market for a good quality surface/thickness planer. For the last few weeks I have been reading many performance reviews from owners of various makes and models. What seems to be the general drift is that there is something wrong with every planer on the market. From the bench top (12-13 inch widths to the 15 to 16 inch widths). Example: Fine Working magazine gives the De Walt 735 great reviews. Says there is nothing better. Some owners say its a piece of junk. I owned one and my experience was "It was a piece of junk". It would quit running about mid-way through a board. The service center gave me my money back stating that they couldn't fix it.

I once owned a Makita 12 inch bench top and had good luck with it and was almost ready to buy the new 2012nb until I read several negative reviews.

I have read reviews for the Jet 16 inch and the Powermatic 15 inch and some say the Jet belts burn up or overheat after the first few hours of service. Some say the Powermatic has problems also.

Please give me some input about the types of planers you have and use daily. What brand, mode or type would you recommend? Please help.

Thank you,

LiveOakFarms
 
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#2 ·
My planer is old so my knowledge is second hand , in recent times worked with some (mostly retired) pros. they are moving away from Dewalt because of quality down grading, Rigid seems to be their new chose, especially with a lifetime warranty. Anyone have an opinion on Rigid tools?
 
#4 ·
Anyone have an opinion on Rigid tools?

I've never been terribly impressed.......I think they're decent....but not as good as Dewalt or Makita. For portable stuff, it'd be the new dewalt 20v stuff......planers it'd be another dw735......Stationary stuff...i'd probably look at steel city or grizzly if it was a budget purchase. I really like my steel city built table saw.....

I guess thats more than you asked....
 
#3 ·
I have a DW735.....i've run about 400 bf of soft maple, hard maple and oak through it now......on the original knives which still don't need replacing. Its stopped feeding once to which I wiped down the feed rollers which were covered in sap and saw dust (don't plane construction grade 2x4's.....my own fault) with mineral spirits and waxed the bed......that was 200 bf ago or so.......still cutting perfect. I did buy the in/outfeed tables and a wixey for it......but other than that.......its the same as when I bought it.
 
#5 · (Edited)
I have a 15" Jet I like



It's not this same one, but this one has good features. The motor is above which usually means the table stays at a fixed height which allows for same height in and outfeed tables. Unlike where the motor is underneath, like mine where then height of the table changes as you take more off each piece. I could be wrong on that, I donno?
the Jet has good power and is accurate. there are other planers and reviews on this link.... :thumbsup:

I also have this one but have zero hours on it and the price is the same as above:
 
#7 ·
I have had a 2 post and 4 post Dewalt- no troubles. Now a 15" delta. never go back to a lunchbox again. I plane a lot of rough lumber and it is a lot faster.
 
#10 ·
pretty good reviews on this 5 stars all



Very heavy, and the reviewer states that Grizzly and Shop Fox phone numbers are associated with it. Check it out for the price .... seems like a great deal compared to the Dewalts at a similar price.
 
#13 ·
Thanks to all who responded. I am still confused about what brand to buy. I would like to have a quality stationary planer if I had the confidence to pick one brand over the other. I like the Jet 16 inch open stand. I have had good luck with Jet products. I would think the Powermatic 15 inch would be the top quality one but it is not rated any better than the Jet, according to the reviews I have read, and it cost about $500.00 more.

I guess old habits are hard to break. I am still leaning toward the Makita 2012nb. Stop me if you don't agree.

LiveOakFarms
 
#17 ·
15" Delta, a work horse. You need good dust collection with a 5" duct. Handles anything you put through it, 2 speeds, compact, nice folding feed tables, requires 220 outlet. Stationary planers are the way to go if you want a serious planer capable of handling a few hundred LF on a regular basis for many years. They have the adjustability to fine tune correctly that portables don't have as well as plenty of power, substantial hardened blades, options for insert or spiral cutters.
 
#33 ·
Let me begin by stating that this is my personal take on the subject of shopping by reviews.
Most of my life I've been a non-conformist. I use, buy, and endorse products as honestly as possible, drawing from my real life experiences with those products.
That being said, I feel reviews need to be weighed carefully, because, just like elections, the majority always wins.
How many Dewalt 735's have been commented on as compared to any other brand?
I think most buyers end up buying the most popular brand instead of researching the actual differences between brands, and/or needs.
I believe I'll be the 2nd in this thread to say I have the Rigid R4330, bought when first released in 2007 I believe, and am totally happy with it.
The fact that it has no cutter head lock has not given me any problems although many people point that out as the biggest problem with it, even though, I think they are just repeating what they have heard, not actually experienced.
I guess what I'm trying to say is,,,,get the planer YOU want based on your personal needs and/or budget, and I'm sure you will be posting positive reviews about whichever model you buy.
 
#35 ·
WarnerConstInc. said:
You could not pay me to have a lunch box or import machine.
All your festool pieces are imports....I believe you wanted to say you won't have an Asian import tool....

It's funny how Japanese cars were looked at in the 80's, versus today....makes me wonder if the same thing is happening with tools.
 
#36 ·
That's strange. I thought Japanese cars were well regarded in the 80's and the US manufactures had the issue. I know I bough an 82 Accord and talked to several dealerships and had to get on a waiting list to get my car they were in such high demand. I will say I believe the U S manufactures got the message and now produce a better product than in the 80's.
Tom
 
#40 ·
WarnerConstInc. said:
No pacific rim or asian machines or tools for me.

Not a big powermatic fan, but I would not consider anything they made in asia.
So I'm not trying to start a big thing here....but why not? Why is a high quality piece from Germany ok, but not a high quality piece from Asia. I understand disdain for cheap junk coming from Asia....but powermatic saws are among the best you can buy today....similar to festool.
 
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