One more planer question.

[Kent E. Matthew]

How many of you make do with a portable planer?

[Ben Thomas]

just a portable planer vs. jointer, planer, drum sander? Or portable vs. stationary? But for me I go with the jointer, portable planer, drum sander.

[Paul McGaha]

Hi Kent,

I started off with a Rigid benchtop planer. Used it maybe 5 years until I got a stationary planer. Wouldnt go back to a benchtop.

PHM

[Brett Clark]

Makita NB lunchbox here. So far it's done it done everything I need and I've been amazed at the size of stuff that you can run through it. I don't need it, but if I had the space and the $$, I'd have a stationary unit.

[John TenEyck]

Limited space would be the only reason to have one. For the price of a new lunchbox planer you can find a very serviceable used stationary planer. I already had a planer, but when I saw a used Foley-Belsaw planer/molder for $250, with a 5HP Baldor motor no less, it somehow fit into my shop.

[John Nesmith]

Limited space would be the only reason to have one. For the price of a new lunchbox planer you can find a very serviceable used stationary planer. I already had a planer, but when I saw a used Foley-Belsaw planer/molder for $250, with a 5HP Baldor motor no less, it somehow fit into my shop.

Depends on where you live. I have routinely been watching craigslist for years, and I have seen one stationary planer in my area during that time. And of course, they wanted 85% of the new price.

[Chris Tsutsui]

I had both a Makita lunch box planer and then had a Delta TP305 lunchbox planer.

Made some pretty good stuff with it, I just wasn't pleased with the lack of dust collection on both models. It just shoots shavings all over the place.

[Myk Rian]

DeWalt DW735 with a Byrd head. Best portable there is.

[glenn bradley]

I was very happy with my DeWalt DW734. I still have it although I have a 15" spiral head machine now too. The DeWalt did well on material up to 6" thick, had reasonable knife life and even handled my jointing (with a planer sled) while I saved my pennies for a spiral head jointer. My move toward more figured woods lead me to the spiral head planer but, as I said; I still haven't been able to let go of the DW734. It does a great job as a finish planer on most materials.

[Buck Williams]

I'm making do with a Delta 12-1/2" portable, it does the job, I have no complaints about the finished product, and with the cutterhead lock and a little care in feeding the stock snipe is virtually eliminated. I'll confess my ignorance. What do you gain with a more expensive "stationary" planer? I do think that it can be painfully slow taking passes of 1/16" or so when planing a lot of stock, does more HP speed the process?

[Danny Hamsley]

I used the original 2 blade DeWalt portable planer, the DW733 to plane thousands of BF for many projects. The portable planers are very functional if you have time and do not need to crank out many BF/minute. I upgraded to a 15" spiral head Grizzly, and it is a pleasure to use. If you have the $ to go straight to a stationary spiral head planer, do it by all means. If not, you can get by nicely with a portable lunch box type planer.

[Brett Robson]

I have a Ridgid lunchbox with a spiral cutterhead. I have no complaints with it - it does everything I ask of it and fits in my small and overcrowded shop. Providing I feed the stock into it at a slight angle, it produces essentially zero snipe.

[Cary Falk]

I went from a Delta lunch box to a 15" stationary mostly for the noise factor. I am also a tool junkie. It was a great planer. The spiral head is great also.

[adam peek]

I have had a lunch box for about five years. I just brought home a 15" stationary about a week ago and I can already tell you there is no going back for me!

[David Nelson1]

I've had 4 planers over the last 2 years an Delta RC 33 straight blade 13inch, a Delta lunch box 13 inch both of these where deafening, a 612 woodmaster which I still have, I use it for the other function not a planer, and a 20inch Grizzly with a Byrd head. I sold both of the Delta models for different reason and bought the Grizzly. Its quite and produces a great finish. Its a bit bigger than I would need on most projects but the price was right.

If space was the consideration I would get a lunch box with the Byrd head. Its quite, blade changes are a cinch, and it can be put away when not needed.

[Bobby O'Neal]

I get by great with my DW735. I'm a weekend worker, and not every weekend at that. It does great for what I need and my amount (lack) of space.

[Eoghan Brown]

Just picked up the Dewalt 734 for my situation it was price and shop space. So far it does the job, but cautious about the life expectancy of the blades. Consider the amount of daily use, cost and shop real estate. Portable planers are used seldom, can be costly and use a large amount of shop real estate. Works very well. Would I want a stationary planer? well yea,, but it always seems I need more clamps....