Am I ever going to use a power hand planer?

[Zach England]

Before I was really into woodworking, and more interested in "building stuff", I bought a makita power hand planer. It's the 1912b model, which retails for about $200-250. I recall using it once to trim some parts for my chicken coop, but I don't think I have used it since. I figure if I could sell it for $75-100 I could find an excuse to buy the Veritas low-angle jack plane. I am trying to de-clutter ("de-clutter" actually means "buy more tools").

If I sell it will I immediately come across a task for which this is just the right tool? Will I regret selling it?

[Myk Rian]

If I sell it will I immediately come across a task for which this is just the right tool? Will I regret selling it?
Only you can answer that. If you don't use it, get rid of it.

[Jack Camillo]

If you regret selling it, you can buy my deWalt (iirc): I bought it, cut my finger real bad trying it out (brought it to "port arms" while it was still running), and have never picked it up again.

[Peter Quinn]

I couldn't vote above because I don't feel it is crude or useless. In the wrong hands it can wreak havoc on wood quick. In the right hands it can plane beautifully and quick. Not so different from any hand held plane, just a bit quicker. I have slowly been learning to use mine and my results have improved greatly.

But honestly it has limited usefulness in fine wood working and is more practical for carpenters and in particular door hangers. I have a big ole PC porta plane that I used last weekend to hang a few doors at the FIL's house, puts a perfect 3 degree bevel on a door in one pass and leaves a finish that barely requires sanding. First door i ever used it on took me 2 hours to fix the problems I created in one light pass!

If you don't find it useful, I say ditch it. Remember that the hand planes are just as capable of screwing up your work if not used properly, just not as quickly. You should probably have very good facility with a hand plane before using a power plane anyway, DAMHIK.

[Cary Falk]

I've only seen it used by door installers.

[Mike Henderson]

I've used it to shape wood for furniture. For example, I built a swing and used it to round the back and front of the swing. Doing it by hand would have been a lot of work. But it hasn't gotten much use since then.

The best thing is to have a friend who has one and who will lend it to you when you need it.:)

Mike

[bill mullin]

I whipped this up in about 12 hrs, not including the doors and finish, which I did not do. Every piece of 1x material that you see, and some you dont see, like the finished paneled back, and the glued up legs, were ripped on a jobsite TS, and finished with an electric planer. Maybe not a piece of "fine furniture" by some standards, but the customer loves it. (And yes, it would have looked better with inset doors, but she had a strict budget and wouldn't pay the extra labor.)
As Peter said, used properly, an electric planer can do beautiful work. I use one a lot on my jobsites and have lots of practice. I can't and won't haul a jointer and planer around in my truck.
Having said all that, it is not the best tool available, and if I built a lot of furniture and cabinets, I'd use better equipment.

[Mac McQuinn]

I know quite a few Boatbuilders who use these. Not for finesse but for speed in getting something down to size quickly.

Mac

[Rick Fisher]

Other than doors. I have never needed mine..

[Jim King]

I have burned up at least 50 Chinese planers cleaning up end grain burl and log slice table tops. Nothing better for that use..

[Rob Sack]

I find it works great for scribing cabinets, much better than a belt sander.

[Paul Atkins]

It's like asking a cabinet maker what his use of a hatchet is. Perfectly good tool, but not for final tuning of drawer sides. My hand planer is valuable for it's unique ability. The last time I used it was on the lathe. Well, on the corners of a 8" beam that didn't clear the banjo, and it saved me from hoisting the things on the band saw. Leveling slabs before the planer is a good use too. Checking out the grain on that big piece of who knows what in the yard that has turned a nondescript grey. Again, not for the finish of the Mahogany bar top.

[Vic Damone]

If you shaped surfboards it would be your livelihood and there are some vintage models that are sought after. I've got a cheapo B&D and it gets used for unusual situations. Like a sawsall I wouldn't consider it a fine woodworking tool but when the need arrises I'm always happy I have one.

[dennis thompson]

I have a Bosch & every time I've used it I get disastrous results, I'm sure it's the user not the plane, but I'll most likely never use it again
Dennis

[Larry Edgerton]

Your poll is BS. Just because you don't have the use or the skill to use a tool properly does not make it a useless tool.

If you do not have a use for it, sell it, but don't make generalized statements about its usefullness based on your circumstance.

[Zach England]

Your poll is BS. Just because you don't have the use or the skill to use a tool properly does not make it a useless tool.

If you do not have a use for it, sell it, but don't make generalized statements about its usefullness based on your circumstance.

Of course it is BS. A little levity never hurt anyone.

Thanks for the opinions. On Craigslist it goes.

[Thomas Pender]

A thread about tools be bought and did not really use very much, if at all. Kind of like mortising attachments for drill presses. Same class IMHO. Good luck on Craigs list.

[Rod Sheridan]

Zach, I have one and it gets used maybe once per year or less.

- trimming doors

- scribing

- rough carpentry jobs.

Regards, Rod.

[Zach England]

A thread about tools be bought and did not really use very much, if at all. Kind of like mortising attachments for drill presses. Same class IMHO. Good luck on Craigs list.

That is funny, because I recently sold the drill press mortising attachment on craigslist. I never used it. I tried to set it up and it was such a PITA I sold it the same day. Thanks.

[Mike Wilkins]

I recall seeing George Nakashima using one to level a gigantic slab of some species of wood, and to get a better look at the grain/color. That said, I can recall using mine maybe once in the last 18 months. But what will happen is that soon after I sell it, a genuine need will arise where it would be very handy and quick. That is why it will stay on the shelf, for one of those 'just in case' moments.

[Myk Rian]

Kind of like mortising attachments for drill presses. Same class IMHO.
I use mine all the time.

[Myk Rian]

Your poll is BS. Just because you don't have the use or the skill ......
This has nothing to do with skill.

[Mark Singer]

I use mine. I have an old Rockwell for door hanging and a Hitachi . On long tables where the pieces are too long to handle at the joiner , I use these then a jack and fore plane.

[Rob Sack]

Your poll is BS. Just because you don't have the use or the skill to use a tool properly does not make it a useless tool.

If you do not have a use for it, sell it, but don't make generalized statements about its usefullness based on your circumstance.


With a sharp set of blades, I find that a power planer comes in handy on many occasions and will produce a fine surface if used with care. I find that criticizing the tool as being good for only rough and crude carpentry work to be disengenuous. I also think that this forum's survey measuring the power planer's degree of uselessness to be elitist. I have been building fine furniture for nearly 30 years, and while I do not use my power planer regularly, I am not ashamed to admit that its blades are always sharp and I have used it when the need arose. Just because a hand plane will also get the job done, why shouldn't I use a power planer if it will produce the same result. Following this line of thinking, should I hand cut dovetails when a dovetail jig will produce the exact same shape and size of dovetails? Should I use a coping saw instead of my electric jig saw? Should I get rid of my electric mortiser and start cutting all my mortises by hand? Unless I become independently wealthy and/or retired with too much time on their hands, I will choose whatever tool will, first of all, produce the best results and secondly, save me time in the process. Even Sam Maloof expressed these same sentiments on numerous occasions. Frankly, if it was good enough for Sam, it certainly will be good enough for me.

[Frank Drew]

Leveling slabs before the planer is a good use too. Checking out the grain on that big piece of who knows what in the yard that has turned a nondescript grey.

Perfect tool for these and some other purposes.

Also, someone might ask you to help with some timber framing, and it would come in handy there.

I might not rush right out and get one, but I had one and kept it and it proved useful from time to time.

[Eric Gustafson]

I bought a Ryobi to size a door. At the time I did not have a plane, and the Ryobi was cheaper than buying a real plane. It worked perfect and I was surprised how easy it was use. I haven't used it since, but I've kept it and suspect I have more door work in my future.

[Eric DeSilva]

I bought one a long time ago and have never used it. That said, I've kept it around because I'd like to have the knife(s) (?) on it reground--I asked SMC once upon a time whether there was a shortcut to a hand-adzed finish on wood and one commenter (sorry, can't remember who for credit) said his old shop used to do it with a hand planer and custom cut knives.

[Lawrence Smith]

I bought a used Makita from a local pawn shop for 32 dollars several years ago and I do not regret it. I use it quite a bit when I am building boats especially when I need to scarf two planks together. It sure does save time rather than having to hand plane the scarf. I sure would not give it up.

Larry

[george wilson]

I used my Bosch to fit all the doors in renovating my house. It can do accurate work if handled properly. I might also use it to flatten my workbench top one of these days. It is 4" thick,solid slab of beechwood. Has gone very slightly hollow on top. Setting the planer to a very fine setting,and careful management of the work will yield an accurate surface. I will follow up with a Fein high speed 1/2 sheet sander.

[Brian Kincaid]

Remember that the hand planes are just as capable of screwing up your work if not used properly, just not as quickly.

Deep tearout happens VERY quickly in my experience. Cleaning it up takes forever. I don't have any power planer experience unless you count my jointer. So, no vote for me.

-Brian

[Sean Hughto]

If you ever plan to flatten any large slabs (like those far to big to fit on your jointer or through your planer) the power planer, might come in handy. I flatten such slabs with my 40 my 5 1/2 and my 7, but a power planer is the preferred tool for some guys.

[Gary McKown]

I used one to edge joint for 10 years before getting a jointer. Using the same concept as a rabbet plane, I attached a length of 2X2 aluminum angle to the sole and squared up this "fence" to the blade. Joint by clamping a straight guide to the board a little over 2" below the edge, hold "fence" against the side, and run over the edge until it quits planing. It also works well to plane down doors an exact amount.

This gets less use with a jointer in the house, but is still preferred for long, heavy boards or unwieldy panels.