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Thread: Wen Three blade thickness Planer

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Cocoa,Fl.
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    7

    Wen Three blade thickness Planer

    I am considering this as an addition to my workshop https://www.homedepot.com/s/Wen%2520...0planer?NCNI-5
    I have searched the site but not much info here. Done some U tube videos they seem positives. Again I am every other weekend warrior. Can I do better for very similar layout?
    I would appreciate any feedback.

    Full disclosure I have posted a similar question in other wood working forums.
    Last edited by Ian Scott; 03-05-2018 at 9:13 PM.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Midland MI
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    887
    I had a similar ridgid planer. It almost made me give up woodworking, super slow, can only take a very light cut and crazy loud.

    If you have 220 in your shop watch craigslist I bought my last 2 planers a 12 in and my current 20 inch used for $300-$500. If you want a cheap lunchbox planer like that buy a used one, so when you want to sell it you don't lose much.

    The Dewalts get good reviews but they are alot more money.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Cocoa,Fl.
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    7
    Unfortunately no 220 for me at the moment and I cannot see it coming soon. As for Dewalts their lowest priced one is about $150 more than the one I am looking at. The others are a lot more expensive. As for Craiglist I have been watching it for the last month all I can find is items way out of my price point,junk or just over priced.
    Last edited by Ian Scott; 03-06-2018 at 10:14 AM.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Location
    Fairfax, VA
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    103
    The Wen lunchbox was my entry planer, which I quickly "upgraded" to a used Dewalt 935 a year later. I took good care of it and was able to resell the Wen for $200 for a profit of $25, believe it or not. The Wen was cheap, but did it's job fine with the exception of some snipes. Knives lasted quite awhile too, compared to the HSS that Dewalt sells for their unit. If you get a Wen, it's cheap enough that you can learn to tinker with it as part of maintenance and will be able to recoup much of your initial money when it's time to upgrade as there's a much, much bigger market for cheap used tools compared to the super expensive versions.

  5. #5
    I don't own that planer so I can't really speak to its dependability. However, before you buy it, check on the availability of replacement knives. If your HD doesn't stock them you should, once you have located a dependable source for them, invest in a set to keep on hand. Nothing worse than trashing a set of knives in the middle of a project and then having to wait a week for a new set.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Central Michigan
    Posts
    1,508
    I would get one of these for a portable planer with the spiral heads if I was looking for a small planer.


    https://cdn3.volusion.com/hfahp.dymo...jpg?1438361934
    Last edited by richard poitras; 03-06-2018 at 9:41 PM.
    Richard Poitras
    Central, Michigan....
    01-02-2006


  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Cocoa,Fl.
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    Interresting $329 for a 12.5 inch with a spiral cutter. My concern is the cost of the cutters this model takes 24 double sided cutters a replacement set is $135 approx. A set of replacement blades for the wen is around $20 from ebay. So my question to the experts is will the carbide cutters last three time longer than the HSS replacement blades. That is assuming no damage to either.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Sep 2016
    Location
    Central Missouri, U.S.
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    1,263
    Ian, I have one of the Cutech planers, although it's a slightly heavier duty machine than Richard linked to. Their cutters are not spiral, like a true helix head. More accrately called a "segmented" head. You do get an advantage in that if you get a ding on one cutter, that's all you have to replace (or rotate), but don't expect that your cuts will be free of tearout, like with a true helix/spiral head. The csrbide cutters do last a lot longer than HSS cutters.

    I don't know the Wen machine. The Cutech that I have is a good lunchbox planer, a sturdy machine that I've had zero problems with.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Cincinnati Ohio
    Posts
    4,731
    Walmart has it for $242.17.
    I do not own the planer but purchased the WEN 8" variable speed bench grinder, It is well made tool.
    "Remember back in the day, when things were made by hand, and people took pride in their work?"
    - Rick Dale

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