Apart from the consistent thickness, they provide a smoothened finish on the surface of different pieces of wood after cutting, which is quite useful in making several projects like level tabletops, joinery, and others. Here is a quick outlook on the key factors to consider before investing in the benchtop planer.
Motor Power –
The motor power should provide adequate power to perform the work. However, the amount of power required depends on the particular projects you are dealing with. While dealing with softer wood (like cedar or pine), we need a less powerful motor of 1 – 1 ½ HP. If dealing with hard materials (like maple or oak), then look for a 2 – 3 HP planer. So, pick the planer with enough HP to do your work.
Cutting Capacity –
Cutting capacity (or planing width) depends on the size of the workpiece you have to plane. The maximum capacity of this planer will be 12 – 13 ½ inches. Ensure to choose a model with a bit more capacity than your required level, yet remember that larger machines are more expensive.
Blade Style –
Straight and spiral are two styles available for thickness planer blades (or knives). Straight knives are like long safety razors that are attached to cutterhead to shave layers of materials in a single pass, yet give rough and inconsistent results. Spiral blades have multiple smaller knives that produce consistent results, yet they are more expensive than a straight one. To shorten your shopping time in search of the best options, we compiled some Best Benchtop Planers. Also, we recommend you read our detailed “Buying Guide” to learn more about these tools and know how to choose the best option, as per your requirements.
Best Benchtop Planers
7 Best Benchtop Planers Reviews
1. Dewalt Thickness Planer
If you have previously bought or searched about power tools, you must have come across Dewalt. Dewalt is a pretty popular brand that makes many high-quality power tools. On the 1st position on our list of best benchtop planers, we have Dewalt DW735. There are a few notable properties that make it our primary recommendation for the best benchtop planers. It is powered by a 15 amp motor that can run at 20000 RPM. Because of such a high-speed motor, Dewalt DW735 is capable of a high cutter head speed of 10000 RPM. It also has two-speed switching options that can be set on either finishing operation or dimensioning operation. Talking about the blades, Dewalt DW735 uses 3 knife cutter head blades, which are pretty good in terms of reliability and operation. You won’t have to worry about the dust and chips as it comes with a built-in fan-assisted chip ejection system that will remove the dust from the machine at the time of operation. It supports 13 inches wide wood pieces for planing operations while offering a maximum ⅛ inch depth of cut per cycle. Dewalt provides a long 3 years of warranty on this product, which is better than a few other options. Best Features:
15 amp motor 20000 RPM motor speed 10000 RPM cutter head speed 2-speed adjustment settings Uses 3 knife cutter head blades Built-in dust removal system 13 inches wide workpiece supported ⅛ inches depth of cut 3 years warranty
Pros:
The warranty period is pretty good A very fast benchtop planer
Cons:
Dust collection could be better Loud in operation
2. WEN PL 1303 Benchtop Planer
WEN is one of the most popular brands manufacturing a wide range of power tools with a lot of satisfied customers. So, it comes at the 2nd position in our list of top benchtop planers. This Wen PL 1303 corded electric planer with 15A motor supports 13 inches wide and 6 inches thick workpieces/plane boards with ease. You will notice a material removal gauge on the front of the planer that let you know about the cutting depth of each cycle. Also, it is one of the fast planers providing 30000 cuts per minute along with a 26 feet per minute feed rate. It offers a standard 3 reversible 13-inch SK5 blade design that aids in easy operation. The dust collection system with 2.5-inch and 4-inch works quickly to maintain your work area cleaner by removing chips and sawdust. With its rubber grip adjustment handle on the top, you can easily adjust the height of the planer. Whereas, the handle quarter rotation will let you adjust the height by 1/64 inches, and the depth adjustment knob varies from 0 – 1/8 inches for a simple and precise operation. If you want to attach a separate dust extraction device, you can connect the device to the dust hose connection port. Furthermore, the product is backed by 2 years warranty period and provides good customer care support. Best Features:
15 amp motor 30000 cuts per minute 26 feet per minute feed rate Supports 13 inches wide workpiece Uses 3 knife cutter head blades Can cut hardwood and softwood Safety key on the power switch Rubber grip height adjustment handle Offers 2 years warranty
Pros:
Easy height adjustment of the planer Provides a decent warranty period
Cons:
Expensive product Dust collection could be better
3. Craftsman Benchtop Planer
Craftsman is yet another lesser-known brand that makes affordable power tools. They also have an affordable benchtop planer mentioned below. Craftsman CMEW320 is a 15 amp benchtop thickness planer, which is the most affordable option from our list. Along with the minimal price tag, it can provide a decent speed of 16000 cuts per minute, whereas the cutter rotates at 8000 RPM. The cutting mechanism is a 2 knife quick-change system that will give you smooth cuts and quick changing options. As it is a pretty powerful machine, you can use hardwoods along with softwoods without any problem. The blades are made of high carbon steel, which ensures long life blades with high hardness. It has a poly V cutter head that is known for the better cutting depth it provides. It can be an ideal option for you if you are looking for a benchtop planer for your home as it can cut up to 12 inches wide wooden workpiece. Craftsman is giving 3 years of the warranty period that will come in handy in the long run. Best Features:
15 amp motor 8000 RPM cutter speed 16000 cuts per minute possible 2 knife quick-change system Can cut hardwood as well as softwood Poly V cutter head for a better cutting depth 12 inches wide workpiece supported 3 years warranty
Pros:
The warranty period is pretty good Very affordable price tag
Cons:
External dust collection system required Cutting speed is comparatively slower
4. Mophorn Thickness Planer
Mophorn is a little unrecognized brand that makes various power tools. They also make a benchtop planer, which is included in our list. At the 3rd position, we are presenting a benchtop planer from Mophorn. It is powered by a powerful 1800 watt motor which runs at 9000 RPM. Unlike previous options, it has a 2 blade cutting mechanism that provides a maximum cutting depth of 6 inches. The feeding speed for the Mophorn benchtop planer is 315 inches per minute that is decent for small scale cutting jobs. There is also a crank handle on top, which adjusts the height of the cutter head upon rotation. There is a dust exhaust interface that collects the dust from the working area for easy cleanup of the machine. The unique feature of the Mophorn benchtop planer is the detachable heavy-duty stand. If you do not possess a table to put the benchtop planer, you can use this heavy-duty stand to use the planer without any problem. There are a few safety features such as overload protection and overcurrent protection that will keep the user safe at the time of operation. Best Features:
1800 watt motor 9000 RPM motor speed 10000 RPM cutter head speed 315 inches per minute feed rate Uses 2 blades cutting system Built-in dust removal system Crank handle on top to adjust the height 13 inches wide workpiece supported 6 inches maximum cutting depth Heavy-duty detachable stand Safety features
Pros:
Detachable stand for ease of operation Very good build quality
Cons:
There is no warranty description available Cutting speed could be better
5. POWERTEC Benchtop Planer for Woodworking
POWERTEC is a reliable brand with a wide product range that includes power tools, dust management, sanders, hardware and planer/jointer knives. Their portable PL1252 planer is suitable for a wide range of DIY and professional woodworking projects. It is specifically designed for repurposing wood (worn, weathered or old). It can support plane boards up to 12.5 inches width and 6 inches thickness. It comes with a powerful 15amp motor which capable of providing deep cuts into hard wood types that include walnut lumber, raw oak, and pallet wood). Its stainless-steel cutter has 9,400 RPM which delivers over 18,800 cuts per minute. So, you can complete the task easily and quickly. An ergonomic rubber grip is provided for comfortable usage. As it comes with heavy-duty base, this planer is durable and long lasting. The POWERTEC brand provides 1-year limited warranty on this product. Best Features:
15amp motor 5 inches plane board 2-blade cutting system 9,400 RPM and 18,800 cuts per minute Stainless steel cutter Anti-wobble design Ultra-sturdy body Rubber-grip handle 1-year warranty
Pros:
Delivers flawless finish Carrying handles for easy transport Versatile and convenient
Cons:
Build quality could have been better
6. Makita Planer
If you are a power tool enthusiast, you must have heard about Makita. Makita is a well-known brand that makes premium products like the benchtop planer mentioned below. Here, we have a benchtop planer from Makita. Makita 2012NB is a premium benchtop planer that is powered by a 15 amp motor. The maximum motor speed is 8500 RPM that allows a fast cutting operation for low loads. This benchtop planer is special because of its lower noise rating. Unlike many other benchtop planers, it only makes 83 dB sound that makes it comfortable for the user. It supports up to 12 inches wide wooden workpieces for cutting, which are cut by a 2 knife cutting system. The feed rate for cutting on Makita 2012NB is 28 feet per minute with adjustable cutting depth settings for precise operation. Similar to a previous option, it also has four-post designs that include a diagonal cross-section on both sides for better stability. There are LED lights on the periphery of the structure that helps to visualize the work area without any problem. Makita gives 1 year of the manufacturer’s warranty period on Makita 2012NB. Best Features:
15 amp motor 8500 RPM motor speed 83dB noise rating 2 knife cutting system 28 feet per minute feed rate 12 inches wide workpiece supported Adjustable depth of cut 1-year warranty
Pros:
Low noise operation Very affordable price tag
Cons:
The warranty period is short Cutting speed is low
7. Grizzly Industrial Benchtop Planer
Lastly, we have a benchtop planer from Grizzly Industrial Inc. Grizzly is a well-known brand which is famous for its industry-grade power tools Before finishing up our list, we have 1 last benchtop planer from Grizzly. It has a standard 15 amp motor that is used to cut wooden workpieces, which are up to 12 ½ inches wide. The maximum depth of cut that can be obtained is 3/32 inches. It has pretty decent cutting speed as the cutter rotates at 10000 RPM. As for the cutting mechanism, it has 2 dual-edge high-speed steel cutting knives installed in the cutter head for accurate machining. The feed rate on this benchtop planer is 32 feet per minute, whereas up to 52 cuts can be obtained per inch. There is a safety lock on the main power switch to prevent accidental power on. There are a few more safety features such as overload protection and over current protection to ensure the safety of the user. You will be getting 1 year of the warranty period from Grizzly industrial Inc. on this benchtop planer. Best Features:
15 amp motor 10000 RPM cutter head speed Uses 2 knife cutter head blades Dual edge knives 3/32 inches maximum cutting depth 12 ½ inches wide workpiece supported 52 cuts per inch Various safety measures 1-year warranty
Pros:
Safer to operate Cutting performance is good
Cons:
The warranty period is pretty short Loud in operation
What to Consider While Shopping for the Best Benchtop Planers:
Benchtop planers will cut the wood boards to your desired thickness with a less dirty mess. If you want to purchase one, then here are some must to consider factors to seek out before making its purchase to make it suitable for your needs.
1. Motor Power:
The motor of a benchtop planer should get sufficient power to perform its job. Yet the amount of power required will depend mostly on the type of project you are dealing with. While working mainly with softer woods, such as cedar, pine, and fir to build a birdhouse or country-style furniture, you may require a less powerful motor with 1 – 1 ½ HP. Usually, this planer won’t require much power to shave/trim a top layer off of the materials. If you are in the making of crafts and arts-type cabinetry or joinery, then you have to work with species, such as maple, oak, and walnut. All these hard materials need more motor power of about 2 HP from the planer to cut them down. Irrespective of the HP rating of the planer’s motor power, ensure to pick the model with a 15-amp motor. This thickness planer will draw a lot of power (or about a 15-amp motor) will make sure that it can easily handle the task/job at hand without breaking down.
2. Blades:
The blades or knives of this thickness planer are available in two styles – spiral and straight. Each set has its pros and cons, and knowing about them will help you to decide the correct option.
Straight Blades –
They resemble like long safety razor or long straight blade and are attached to the cutterhead or inside the spinning barrel. It is strong and sharp that can slice off layers of material easily in a single quick pass. However, inconsistent and rough results are its main drawbacks. Here, the wood gets in contact with a large amount of surface area simultaneously. Thus, it leads to friction and slows down the motor at every swipe, and thereby causing ripples and choppiness, which is smoothed off the surface later. This straight planer knife is affordable than spiral blades.
Spiral Blades or Helical Knives –
These spiral cutterheads feature multiple smaller knives rather than a single long straight blade (as a straight blade), which makes it work differently. These small knives counterbalance spirally from each other around the cutterhead. Compared to straight blades, these spiral blades produce more consistent results and are expensive. You can reversible the blade when it is dull, and while running into a stray screw or nail with the planer, then it damages only one blade rather than the entire knife.
3. Cutting Capacity:
Based on the size of the wood you want to plane, you have to set the cutting capacity of the tool, as this capacity refers to the planing width. The maximum capacity of most planer options will be around 12″ – 13 ½”. Though it is best to choose a tool with a bit more capacity than the required quantity, yet larger models are expensive to purchase. So, it is essential to find the proper balance between the size and your budget, why because purchasing a larger planer is a waste of money when you won’t require maximum capacity.
4. Number of Knives:
It is essential to consider the number of knives before purchasing benchtop planers. Most planers come with 2 knives, yet some options offer 1 additional knife. So, a total of three knives is ideal to create a smoother cut, as they easily handle harder wood, and thereby blades might less quickly get dull. There are a few planer options that use reversible knives. It means the user can swap the tool around and use it in the other direction whenever they get blunt. This feature will extend their lifetime and won’t let you replace them quickly. Ultimately, the blades will tend to get dull at some time. So, check the ease of removing and replacing the blades for the particular model you want to purchase.
5. Cutting Depth:
With this feature, we came to know that how much material a thickness planer can remove in a single pass/cut. A general rule is that a more powerful planer will remove more material in a single pass and has a larger cutting depth. Yet, pieces of wood that are thinner than the planer’s maximum handling capacity (width-wise) might draw less on the motor, and thereby allow blades to smooth and accurately remove more material than if wider piece. Prefer to choose planers removing up to 1/8-inch at a time as your best option for the sake of speed, as it let you remove a lot of material in a couple of passes. In case, if the project you’re working on requires removing more than this range, then you have to use a bandsaw or table saw to remove the much material quickly and then use this planer to take off the last bit and get your desired thickness.
6. Snipe:
It is a line that is sometimes visible, left on the back or front of a workpiece, where more material is removed by the planer than throughout the board field. So, this is a hideous mark most wood planers leave on their workpieces after passing through them. Since it relates to leverage, avoiding this issue can be complicated. Overhead rollers are used by planers before and after the cutterhead for holding the workpiece flat along with providing something to register in the cutterhead against the board. Usually, these rollers work well in the board’s middle, yet do not perform well at the tail end or leading part, while a single roller touches the wood. It is the gravity, which causes enough leverage on the long end of the board to lift them inside the planer to cutterhead, which makes it remove a bit more material than the intended level. Though it is unavoidable up to a certain degree, yet some planer options work better than others to reduce this effect. Leaving the boards for a longer time than required planing is an ideal way to prevent snipe on the finished products, as it let you cut off sniped ends before using them for a project.
7. Size, Portability, and Weight:
Size, weight, and mobility are one of the biggest advantages of benchtop planers over traditional models. Usually, planers are heavy, large tools that cause enormous pain to move, but not with benchtop planers. They are smaller, compact, portable, and weigh 65 pounds (or less). The small, lighter, and portable tool is an ideal option for those who move the planer around, like taking it to your jobsite for work. While the heavier machine will less vibrate, which makes it the best option for those who use the planer in one location/dedicated workplace. Most models feature handles on their sides to move it with more ease and thereby let you relocate the machine easily after using the machine (store it effectively). Also, the smaller footprint won’t occupy much space in your workplace, and thereby allows some room to well-arrange your tools.
8. Gauge and Depth Stop:
It can be tedious to cut off the intended part of wood from the workpiece. Usually, it might take at least 5 – 6 passes to make a hardwood board of 1-inch thickness to 5/8-inch thickness. We use either a tape or a combination square (a time-consuming process) to measure the thickness of the given board before each pass and thereby make necessary adjustments to the cutterhead for an effective cutting. Instead, use a built-in gauge and depth stop to measure and work faster to reach the intended thickness. Thickness planers with in-built gauges feature will help you for a quick determination of cutterhead’s height from the deck of the planer. It let you know the thickness of a wood piece after once passing through the wood planer. While a depth stop feature will lock in that selected measurement, and then raise the cutterhead to pass numerous boards through. It effectively lowers the cutterhead in between passes till you reached the expected thickness. The depth stop won’t allow the tool to go lower than this range.
9. Speed:
Cutting speed, cutterhead speed, and feed speed are three different speeds applied to a benchtop planer for its efficient and effective working. Cutterhead Speed – It mentions the motor speed in which it quickly spins the cutterhead. Here the planer’s motor uses belts and pulleys to spin the cutterhead. For best results, ensure to pick the model offering speed of above 8000 RPMs. Cutting Speed – It mentions the blade speed that strikes the board’s surface in a minute. For instance, a planer with a two-blade cutterhead that works with a cutterhead speed of 8000 rpm will produce a cutting speed of 16000 cuts per minute. Feed – It refers to the distance the cutterhead moves at the start of each cutting stroke. You came to know more about this in the below-mentioned Feed Rate feature.
10. Cuts Per Inch (CPI):
The CPI will let you know the number of cuts the tool’s blade will do on the wood per inch. It is an essential factor to consider, why because the planer blades will usually cut the wood in a circular motion. So, this CPI rating determines the smoothness of the cut. Finally, the higher the CPI number, the smoother the cut will be.
11. Dust Collection:
It is quite common for any planer to create a lot of dust, thickness planer is not an exemption for it. They rip off and spit out miniature pieces of wood, and thereby making the floor under this tool appears as a child’s sandbox, even though after working on a few boards. So, to get rid of this dust issue, most manufacturers designed their benchtop planers to have a dust collection system or dust ports attached to a shop vacuum to reduce this mess while working. Most models have dust hoods that are connected to a 2 ½-inch or a 4-inch hose (sometimes to both hoses), yet some models offer a hood as a tool accessory. Also, this dust collection system helps to remove the dust from the tool before attaching it to the cutterhead and thereby enhancing the tool’s cutting speed and usable life.
12. Feed Rate:
Feed rate refers to the user’s speed of passing lumber/wood through the machine. It is measured in feet per minute (FPM). The average feed rate of these wood planers will be 26 FPM, while some models can offer feed speeds over 30 FPM, in which they won’t provide many cuts per inch. Few manufacturers let you reduce or increase feed speed as an adjustment, changing the number of times the blade strikes the board in every inch. The higher feed speed will let the blade strike fewer times and thereby results in a rougher finished result. While the lower speed will make a smoother board.
13. Price:
The price is another deciding factor when it comes to choosing the best benchtop planer. This factor depends on various aspects like build quality, blades, cutting speed, and others. The more you spend money, the better the tool you will get. The general price range of this benchtop planer will be from $150 – $1000. Ensure to purchase the best one that balances your budget and requirements to enjoy the performance, comfort, and durability, rather than cheaper models.
14. Warranty:
The warranty on the product will give peace of mind and that enhances its durability and longevity. Most models come with a minimum warranty of 1-year, and few models offer a 2-year or 3-year long warranty on their manufacturing defects. Prefer to purchase the wood planer option that comes with a longer warranty.
Conclusion:
A benchtop planer is a must-have tool for every wood based workshop as well as for your garage as a handy wood finishing equipment. You can get a lot of work with a benchtop planer that would require a lot of time and manual labor on the other hand. As benchtop planers are pretty popular in the market, there are a number of brands that manufacture them. As there is a lot of variety, it is a pretty difficult decision to buy one out of all these options. Hence, we have provided a list of best benchtop planers and a buying guide as well to help you along the way. Finally, we will give you some of our recommendations for the best benchtop planer:
You should consider buying the Craftsman benchtop planer if you are on a tight budget. Being the most affordable option on our list, Craftsman CMEW320 has a standard 15 amp motor that runs at 8000 RPM. You will be getting a high cutting rate of 16000 cuts per minute with this planer. On the other hand, if you are looking for a long term and reliable benchtop planer, we will suggest you Delta Thickness Planer. As it is backed by 5 years of manufacturer’s warranty period, you can rest assured that it has pretty good durability. It is also a 15 amp benchtop planer that supports 13 inches of cutting width. Lastly, we will recommend Dewalt thickness Planer as it is the fastest benchtop planer from the list. Even with a standard 15 amp motor, it can provide a phenomenal motor running speed, which is 20000 RPM. That makes the cutter head speed around 10000 RPM, which is way faster than other options from this list.
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