Suggestions for a new small planer?

[David Brimm]

I'm thinking of getting a planer for my small home workshop. Right now I have all the basics: table saw, band saw, drill press, lathe(s), 6" jointer, miter saw and can accomplish most anything I'm interested in.

The majority of the work I do is small work and rarely use lumber wider than 6" so I've been buying it finished. My thought is that if I get a planer I can save some money buying rough lumber and plane it down to whatever thickness I need instead of my current habit of buying finished wood in multiple thicknesses. I suppose I could buy it rough, rip it to 6" and joint it down to where I want it but that doesn't sound like much fun!

So anyways do you think I should get a planer or go with the ghetto rip and joint plan?

If planer then which one? I don't need anything large or anything particularly fancy but I don't know where to start and what to look for.

[Cary Falk]

My whold woodworking world changed when I got a planer. I no longer was limited to thicknesses I could buy. I started out with a Delta 22-580. I liked it but it has been discontinued. I moved up to a 15" but if I were buying today I would get the Ridgid. It gets great reviews and it won't break the bank. Everybody raves about the DeWalts but I think they are overpriced for what you get, blade life is short, and they are the loudest of the loud. The Makita is the quietest but it is pretty pricy also. You can look on Craig's List. If you can find one cheap enough it might be worth a gamble. I am always leary about buying something with a universal motor used. The motor at some time will go out and it usually costs 1/2 or more of what the machine cost to replace.

[Myk Rian]

Everybody raves about the DeWalts but I think they are overpriced for what you get, blade life is short, and they are the loudest of the loud.
Unless you want to pop for a Byrd head. Even without one it's a great planer. Hardly overpriced, IMHO. Others have the right to argue the point.

[Paul McGaha]

Seems a lunchbox planer would work for you.

There are several good ones out there. Dewalt, Delta, Rigid just to name some of them.

I started out with a Rigid TP-1300 Lunchtop planer. It did a good job, just really loud like all of them are. Same model is made by Steel City these days.

Actually had 1 feature a lot of planers dont have these days. Had a board thickness setting on it that you could select (say 3/4") and it woudnt let you lower the cutter past that thickness.

it seems to me that lunchtop planers can be found used pretty easily as lots of people start out with them and at some point upgrade to a stationary planer.

Good luck with it.

PHM

[Gene Howe]

In 30 years, I've owned only 3 lunch box planers. They have all been Deltas. As a hobbiest, I find them a very good investment.
If I were just starting out, I'd look hard at the Rigid. Less $$ and they seem to do an adequate job.
If you want to spend a little(?) more for a lunch box, the DeWalt with the Byrd head would be a good choice.

[John TenEyck]

If you are at all mechanically inclined I think you should look for a used full sized planer, provided you have the space. If space is tight consider a combo machine. If you can find a used Inca you'll have a 10-1/4" wide jointer and planer in a nice small package. There are other good ones out there as well, but none as small overall as the Inca. You could sell the jointer to help finance it, and maybe spend no more all together than for a lunch box planer. Just a thought. In any case, do get a planer. It will change your woodworking a hundred percent.

[David Brimm]

Ouch, just checked prices for some of the lunchboxes you guys suggested! I'm not sure why but I had in my mind that a small planer would run me maybe $300 but alot of the ones I looked up are $400-$600.. I'll have to ponder this one for a bit. Maybe I'll plane my wood at work or just stick with jointing it to thickness!

[Bill White]

My trusty DeWalt 733 has been a real workhorse. Only has the 2 blade head, but if it works........
Blades can be resharpened easliy enough. I hook it to the DC for practically no after-use cleanup.
Bill

[Jerome Hanby]

Unless you get a great deal on the used market, I don't think you can beat the price on the Ridgid lunch box planer. HD ocassionally has them on sale. Current price is about $400. I got mine for close to $300. Uses disposable knives that are double sided (just flip them around). I'm still on the first edge of my first set! Originally thought they had misrepresented the double sided blades in the desctiption since it said it came with two sets of blades and I only found the set already installed in the planer. A couple of years later, I found the advertised extra set in a long skinny envelope taped underneath the out-feed table.

The way this thing has been cutting, I may wear out the motor before I make it through all four sets of edges!

[phil harold]

I would look for a used Belsaw planer
I just got one for 250 out performs my delta lunchbox and quieter too