Porter Cable Pc305tpr Reconditioned Pc305tp 125 in Portable Thickness Planer Review
Concluding updated on April 18th, 2022 at 05:22 am
Planing and dimensioning rough lumber in the workshop or on the jobsite can be quite challenging, but having a proficient portable thickness planer machine in hand can brand all the deviation.
With it, you tin turn rough, rugged, old and worn out wood to smooth ones fix to apply for your projects. That's why it is undoubtedly one of the nearly of import woodworking machine tools y'all need in your workshop.
It's also called a surface planer because y'all can utilize it to remove the rough or old surface of woods, exposing a smooth and new surface suitable for fine woodworking projects.
Our Elevation Picks
| JET JWP-13BT | Dewalt DW735X | WEN PL1326 |
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Why Get A Benchtop Thickness Planer
Generally, thickness planers come in the grade of massive heavy duty industrial floor machinery, which are quite expensive peculiarly for the average hobbyist and DIYer.
Hence the need for portable types commonly known as benchtop planers.
A benchtop planer works just like the larger floor / industrial or cabinet planer, just at a lower chapters. With an industrial or cabinet planer, y'all can airplane lumber as broad as 20 inches and above, whereas benchtop planers tin only handle a maximum of thirteen inches boards.
Hence, the portability comes at a price which can be overlooked because having a heavy duty planing machine might prove to exist besides expensive and not ideal especially for a elementary hobbyist or DIYer who uses it sparingly.
On the other mitt, the portability means you lot don't take to own a big workshop to go one. Your home garage is even big plenty.
Also, it tin be used on jobsites by contractors, because it's portable and tin be moved easily by 1 person, unlike big floor models which are meant to stay in the workshop.
There are many brands and manufacturers of thickness planers today, each with its own unique set of features. Thus, choosing the right one particularly if it's your get-go 1 tin can be quite difficult or confusing.
That is why nosotros've reviewed and picked out the 10 best portable thickness planers you lot tin become your hands on today, and also provided a buyer'due south guide to help y'all make the right choice.
If you lot're not looking for a portable or benchtop planer, you tin check out this guide hither for heavy duty industrial units.
1. Dewalt DW735X Benchtop Thickness Planer Review- Editor's Option
The DW735X has a 13 inch width capacity which is the widest you lot're going to go with any portable planer.
Equipped with a 3 knife cutterhead, the DW735X produces a very smooth end on boards that go through it.
Information technology has a maximum depth capacity of half-dozen inches, allowing yous to take a lot of material at one time from the forest you're working on.
Ane of the only portable thickness planers that come equipped with a 2 speed gearbox which allows the user to change the feed speed from 96 cuts per inch to 179 cuts per inch.
This allows you to optimize cuts per inch for both dimensioning and finishing of the lumber surface.
The Dewalt DW735X benchtop thickness planer also features an automated carriage lock that helps lock the cutterhead in place to prevent sniping at the ends of the boards.
A fan assisted dust ejection helps vacuum chips and sawdust off the cutter-head and out of the machine, to continue the cutterhead costless from any hindrance that may bog down the machine.
Additional accessories that come with it include in-feed and out-feed tables, an actress set of blades and a dust hose adapter to connect it to your shop vac, allowing y'all to keep you lot workshop gratuitous from sawdust.
Related: Which Dewalt Planer Is The Best – DW735X vs DW735 vs DW734
What nosotros like about it
Where it can be improved
2. Wen PL1326 Screw Cutterhead Benchtop Thickness Planer
At that place are several models of the WEN benchtop thickness planer which include the 6550, 6552, 6552T and so on. The latest of them is the WEN PL1326.
The WEN PL1326 portable benchtop thickness planer is an upgrade to the WEN 6552T, with the upgrade being the addition of a screw cutterhead instead of the old 3 bract straight pocketknife cutterhead.
With this new spiral cutterhead fabricated upwards of 26 staggered and rotatable high speed steel blades (HSS), you have a motorcar capable of producing the cleanest and smoothest finish on your rough lumber pieces.
Like the previous model, the WEN PL1326 has a width capacity of 13 inches and a depth capacity of 6 inches, assuasive you to aeroplane the widest boards possible on a portable auto like this.
Spinning the spiral cutterhead is a 15 amp motor with a rotational speed of 10,000 RPM at a feed rate of 26 feet per minute.
Dust drove is a breeze equally there's an adjustable grit port at the back to which you tin can attach your dust collector or shop vac, to go along a clean working surface area.
In that location's also a new and improved onboard thickness gauge that shows the amount of material that volition exist removed on inch pass through the machine.
The infield and outfield tables are superlative adjustable, which makes information technology easy to support the material and reduce snipe.
The whole machine is rigid and heavy weighing just about lxxx lbs, which thus prevents any form of wobbling during operation. You tin can also bolt it to the tabular array if actually desire to make sure it's secured properly.
Of all the benchtop thickness planers produced past WEN, the PL1326 is the priciest of them all, but it's also the best one nonetheless.
What we like about it
Where it can be improved
Related: The Best Jointer Planer Combo Machines for Planing Rough Lumber
three. Jet JWP-13BT – With Helical Cutterhead
Of all the benchtop thickness planers listed here, the Jet JWP-13BT is the only one that comes mill fitted with a helical style cutterhead.
It comes equipped with fifteen amp 2 horsepower motor that spins the helical cutterhead at a speed of x,000 RPM.
The helical cutter head consist of half-dozen rows of 24 quick-change carbide inserts which are very easy to supersede compared to the knives of a straight knife cutterhead.
It has a width capacity of 13 inches, a depth capacity of vi inches and a maximum cut depth of 1/8 inches.
The Jet JwP-13BT features a precision machined cast iron bed, adjustable in-feed and out-feed tables for work piece support and snipe prevention.
It features an adaptable depth stop for repetitive cuts and to prevent mistakes. Infeed speed tin can be changed from 18 feet per minute to 16 feet per infinitesimal to maximize cutting quality.
What we like about information technology
Where information technology tin be improved
Related: Jointer or Planer – Which Tool Should You Get First
4. Rikon 25-135H Portable Thickness Planer
The Rikon 25-135H portable thickness planer is a scrap pricey compared to the other units in this listing, but information technology also come with premium features you'll not detect in some of the remainder.
Ane of its most notable features is the helical-way cutter head information technology comes with. Information technology's a 6 row helical-manner cutter head with 26 high speed steel (HSS) precision sharpened inserts.
Each of the inserts are sharpened on 2 edges then yous can rotate them if ane edge gets blunt. To rotate it, just loosen the screw that holds the pocketknife, rotate it to the new edge, retighten it and you've got a new edge to piece of work with.
One of the advantages of the helical-fashion cutter head on this Rikon 25-135H is that it shears through the wood at an angle, thus producing very make clean and smooth cuts. So smooth that it requires very little sanding. The shearing action also reduces the dissonance, which makes it less noisy than thickness planers with a straight knife cutter.
With a depth capacity of 6 inches and a width capacity of xiii inch width capacity, you tin really aeroplane wider boards with this machine when compared to other portable planers with 12 inch or 12.5 inch width.
The Rikon 25-135H comes equipped with a fifteen amp 115 volts motor with a no load speed of 22000 RPM. This spins the cutter head at a speed of 10,000 RPM.
It has a 2-speed feed charge per unit, with a slower speed which provides more torque for maximum stock removal, and a faster feed rate for finishing the surface.
At that place're in-feed and out-feed tables for textile support when feeding boards in and out of the auto.
Information technology too features a 4-post threaded support for the cutter-caput to improve the stability and accuracy of the machine when making cuts. At the superlative of the auto is the height adjustment crank to easily set the depth of cut.
It also comes equipped with a turret depth stop to make repeat cuts and avert removing besides much material from your stock.
The whole frame is made purely out of steel for durability, and for it to stay rigid and wobble-complimentary during use.
All in all, although this Rikon is quite expensive compared to other portable benchtop planers, information technology'south got all the necessary features you need to comport out your projects with great precision.
What nosotros similar virtually it
- Easy to ready
- Less noisy compare to the contest
- Information technology comes with a helical-style cutter head
- Produces smooth and precise cuts
- All steel construction makes information technology a very durable machine.
Where it can be improved
- High initial cost
Related: The 5 Best Portable Benchtop Jointers for Woodworking Projects
5. Dewalt DW734 Benchtop Thickness Planer
The Dewalt DW734 benchtop planer features a 3 knife cutterhead simply like the DW735X. The 3 knifes are double-edged knives, which means you tin opposite them afterward i edge gets irksome or edgeless.
Spinning the cutterhead is a powerful fifteen amp motor which produces a maximum speed of 20,000 RPM, so the user tin piece of work on whatever stock whether information technology's hardwood like oak or softwood like pine wood.
The motor spins the cutter caput at a speed of 10,000 rpm, producing 96 cuts per inch to ensure the finest finish on the stock.
At the top of the machine is a depth aligning knob that allows you to raise or lower the cutterhead for piece of cake depth command.
Information technology also has a turret depth stop and so the you can make echo cuts and avoid mistakes.
Large infeed and outfeed tables provide plenty infinite to support the stock and reduce sniping at the ends of the boards.
It too comes equipped with an easy-to-read thickness scale so the user can know the amount of material that will be removed on every laissez passer through the automobile.
A large and hands accessible paddle switch ensures you can easily plough it off whenever you lot need to.
What nosotros like about it
Where it tin can be improved
Related: The x Best Electric Paw Planers
6. Makita 2012NB Benchtop Thickness Planer
The Makita 2012NB thickness planer comes equipped with a 2 knife cutterhead which has a no-load speed of 8500 RPM. Pass your stock through this, and you'll likely be diddled away past the results.
The cutter caput blades are double-edged, thus they can be reversed when one edge gets deadening then you don't have to buy replacements correct away.
It has a width capacity of 12 inches, a depth capacity of six -3/32 inches and a maximum cut depth of 1/8 inches.
A very skilful characteristic I ever want on whatever planer is the depth cease which this Makita also has. This ensures you don't over plane your stock past a certain depth, say 5 inches. Then, you tin can fix the depth stop at 5 inches, and you won't be able to crank the cutterhead less than 5 inches.
It comes equipped with large infeed and outfeed tables to fully support the stock and to prevent sniping at the ends
Makita equipped this with an interna-lok automated head clamp that locks the cutterhead in place to limit the movement that causes snipe and improve the performance of the machine.
In terms of blueprint, the Makita 2012NB is meaty and lightweight for piece of cake transportation to the jobsite. The lighter weight is usually not a problem because it can be bolted to a workbench to forestall motility and vibration during use.
A powerful 15 amp motor keeps the cutter head running.
What we like about it
Where it can exist improved
7. Mophorn Thickness Planer
This is the starting time tool from Mophorn I've had the opportunity to review, but fifty-fifty though I had my doubts prior to this review, I tin say now that the operation and quality exceeded my expectations.
The Mophorn thickness planers is one of the few units that come with an already made stand that allows you to utilise the machine conveniently at the right height.
Autonomously from that, the stand also makes the it more rigid, preventing it from wobbling during utilise. The stand tin can be detached from the planer unit, and so you don't have to worry virtually carrying both at the same time if you have to move or transport it.
The width chapters is just 12.v inches while the depth chapters is 6 inches, only you can behave out lot of projects with it especially if yous're a weekend warrior or contractor who needs a portable motorcar for jobsite use.
For power, the Mophorn comes equipped with a 1500 Watts motor which turns the cutter caput and roller assembly, allowing you to feed in boards at a rate of 315 inches per minute.
Information technology has a maximum cutting depth of 0.1 inches, with the 2 blade cutterhead spinning at 9000 RPM, thus helping you lot become a quality and smooth finish on your boards.
For protection against electrical current overload, the Mophorn portable thickness planer comes equipped with a power-off electromagnetic switch which turns off the machine in such cases.
The crank at the top allows yous to make depth adjustments easily. In-feed and out-feed tables provide additional fabric support and prevent snipe at the ends of your lumber pieces.
Overall, I'd say this is a very capable and durable machine yous can use to plane and dimension boards both in the workshop and on the jobsite.
What we like about it
- Produces very polish surface on boards
- It comes with a stand unlike other units.
- Expert material support.
- Good dust collection
- It'south non that pricey even with the additional stand up.
Where it can be improved
- Quite hard to set up or gather, especially if your starting time planer automobile
eight. Delta Ability Tools 22-555
The 22-555 model is not the virtually contempo model of the Delta Power Tools thickness planer simply information technology's certainly the nigh pop.
Its four column design provides rock-solid support and stability during utilize.
The cutterhead on this ane is a 2-knife cutterhead but the boards planed with it also came out very smoothen.
The knives are dual-edged, which means y'all can reverse them after one edge gets boring, so y'all don't have to buy replacements besides before long.
Changing the knife is very piece of cake and fast considering there's no need for the use of knife alignment jigs on this one.
The Delta Power Tools 22-555 benchtop planer features adaptable in-feed and out-feed tables for extra fabric support and to prevent sniping.
It comes equipped with a 15 amp motor so the y'all tin plane both hard and softwood with it.
The cutterhead delivers up to 18,800 cuts per inch at a feed rate of 28 feet per infinitesimal, producing the smoothest of cuts fifty-fifty on very difficult lumber pieces.
It has a width chapters of thirteen inches, a 6 inch depth capacity and a maximum cutting depth of 3/32 inches.
A reversible dust port makes dust collection a breeze considering you lot tin can claw your shop vacuum to either sides of the car.
What we like about information technology
Where it can be improved
9. Powertec PL1252 Benchtop Planer
Yous go one of the smoothest finishes on the lumber y'all airplane with this Powertec PL1252 because the cutterhead produces every bit much as 18,800 cuts per minute. It's a 2-blade cutterhead with a maximum speed of 9,400 RPM.
The cutter head comes equipped with alphabetize pins and a spindle lock for safe and like shooting fish in a barrel blade replacement.
The Powertec PL1252 has a 12-one/2 inch width capacity and a vi inch depth capacity.
A heavy duty anti-wobble base of operations ensures information technology remains rigid during operation, and also provides a not-marring surface for passage of stock.
It comes equipped with in-feed and out-feed tables which provides solid material support for your work slice.
Merely similar the contest, the Powertec PL1252 features an like shooting fish in a barrel to use depth adjustment knob at the meridian and an easy to read thickness calibration for like shooting fish in a barrel depth adjustment during employ.
What nosotros like about it
Where information technology can exist improved
ten. Craftsman CMEW320
Simply like the other machines reviewed, this Craftsman CMEW320 benchtop planer comes equipped with a 15 amp motor for maximum power and speed.
The motor spins the cutter head at viii,000 revolutions per minute, which in turn makes sixteen,000 cuts per infinitesimal on the stock, ensuring a very shine surface is produced on the material.
The two-knife quick-change solid steel cutter head comes equipped with double-edged knifes made of high carbon steel. These won't go irksome quickly and you tin can even reverse them with they finally do.
Included is an easy to read depth estimate to make like shooting fish in a barrel depth adjustments and a large paddle switch so you can switch off the machine conveniently.
It also comes with big in-feed and out-feed tables for proficient material support, with a depth adjustment knob positioned correct at the summit so you can easily access it.
A vacuum port at the back provides easy access to connect a shop vac to go rid of chips and sawdust produced.
Likewise featured is a Poly-5 cutter caput drive for maximum transmission of power from the motor.
What we like about it
Where it tin exist improved
How To Cull A Benchtop Thickness Planer
The process of choosing a portable benchtop thickness planer for your project can be quite complicated, if you oasis't used i before. But with the post-obit guide, you'll know what's important and what's not.
If you want to choose the correct one, there're important features yous should expect for, and that's what nosotros've listed below.
Width Chapters
The width capacity of a thickness planer is the maximum size of boards in width it suit. One with a width chapters of 13 inches tin can airplane boards not more than xiii inches in width, and that with a width capacity of 12-ane/2 inches can airplane boards not more than 12-1/2 inches in width.
When making your choice, the higher the width capacity the better it is for yous, because you can airplane wider boards with it without trying to downsize the boards.
Hither are the width capacities of the 10 reviewed in this article.
| Portable Thickness Planer | Width Capacity |
|---|---|
| Dewalt DW735X | xiii Inches |
| Wen 6552T | 13 inches |
| Dewalt DW734 | 12-1/3 Inches |
| Wen 6550T | 12. five Inches |
| Makita 2012NB | 12 inches |
| Porter Cable PC305TP | 12 Inches |
| Delta Power Tools 22-555 | thirteen Inches |
| Grizzly G0505 | 12-ane/2 Inches |
| Powertec PL1251 | 12-1/2 Inches |
| Craftsman CMEW320 | 12 Inches |
Type of Cutter Caput
If you ask me to become buy a new thickness planer car today, i of the first things I'll check before making my option is the blazon of cutter heads in the ones available.
That's because the quality of the ane you lot cull is largely determined by the blazon of cutter head it comes with. The cutter head in it affects a few things nearly it that are very important.
- It affects the smoothness or surface finished of the boards that goes through information technology.
- Information technology affects the racket level and
- Information technology determines how much you're going to spend if yous accidentally plane a smash-embedded wood with information technology.
Now, talking almost the type of cutter caput it comes with, there're two chief types of cutter caput.
Which are:
- Straight pocketknife cutter head and
- Helical or Screw cutter caput
The straight knife cutterhead is the master type of cutter head or the traditional cutterhead that comes with most planers, especially the benchtop models.
They characteristic ii to 4 straight knifes slightly longer than the length of the planer's width capacity, equally spaced around the cutterhead and running parallel with its axis.
Direct knife cutter heads are unremarkably made with high speed steel, and thus they're cheaper compared to helical cutter heads which are fabricated with carbide steel.
They easily get edgeless because they're not as difficult as carbide, just information technology's cheaper to replace them, or you can but sharpen or opposite the direction of the knives if they're reversible double-edged knives.
Helical cutter heads on the other paw does not feature long straight knives that runs the length of the cutterhead. Instead, they feature multiple rows of pocket-size foursquare-shaped cutters called inserts that are configured in a helical orientation around the cutter head.
Although some woodworkers prefer the straight knife over the helical type, it has a few a few noteworthy advantages over the directly knife cutter head.
One of the primary advantages is the ease of replacing the carbide inserts of the helical cutter caput compared to that of replacing the knives of the straight knife cutter head.
When you mistakenly run a nail embedded woods through your planer, just 1 or 2 carbide inserts might become damaged if it'southward a helical cutter head, and they're very easy to supplant.
In fact, you don't take to supersede the carbide inserts the get-go fourth dimension they go nicked, you just take to loosen the nicked inserts and rotate them 90 degrees to reveal a new sharp border, and you're as good as new.
Each insert can exist rotated 4 times earlier it's finally replaced because all iv edges can be used for planing.
On the other hand, replacing the directly knives of a straight knife cutter head tin can be a huge pain in the behind. First you have to loosen and remove the damaged knife, and so you have to replace and align the new pocketknife with the remainder of the knives and this tin sometimes take a lot of fourth dimension to supplant depending on the type you have.
Because the inserts of the helical cutterhead are made of carbide, they also last far longer than the straight knives of a straight-pocketknife cutter head.
Another important advantage of having a thickness planer with a helical cutter is that it reduces the noise produced past the car.
Byrd produces a helical cutter caput they call the Shelix. On the shelix, the carbide inserts on the cutter caput are inclined at an angle to the feed direction and so that it produces a shearing action as they slice through the wood, instead of a directly 90 degree cutting on the forest which scoops the woods and produces a louder sound.
Helical cutter heads reduces the sound produce by attacking the wood at an angle instead of the directly 90 caste contact or cuts fabricated by direct-knife models.
Grit collection is also ameliorate when the cutter head is a helical one. The small cutters of the helical cutters produce little wood chips which can be easily sucked up by your grit collector.
On the other hand, the directly knifes produce long fries which tin can tangle and cake the dust port of the auto, preventing the dust collector from existence able to suck it out.
Cut quality and lower price of maintenance are two more advantages of a helical cutterhead over a direct pocketknife type.
On the downside, machines that come equipped with helical cutter heads take more initial costs than ones with directly knife cutter heads.
Motor
The benchtop thickness planer you cull should have a good quality motor spinning the cutterhead and working the infield and outfield rollers.
Having a skillful quality and powerful motor will ensure you can plane whatever blazon of woods with it, whether it'due south hardwood like oak or softwood similar pino.
About benchtop planers come with fifteen amps motors turning the cutterhead at speeds ranging from 8000 rpm to 10000 rpm.
The faster the RPM the smoother the surface of the wood will be. That's because a faster cutter head means there're more cuts taking place per inch of the wood as it's fed through the automobile.
Feeding your forest stock into a less powerful planer also takes longer due to slower feed rates.
Part Replacement
A benchtop planer is like whatsoever other machine. It will not stay the same forever. Some parts volition need replacement after some time. So, yous need to make sure the one yous choose have parts that tin can easily be found in your local dealer'southward shop or ordered online.
Talking nearly office replacement, it'southward also practiced to check the warranty. Ensure y'all tin can return it if information technology falls autonomously too soon.
Textile Design
Planing (milling) lumber involves movement of different powerful machine parts and cutting of lumber in these parts, which results in vibration. Y'all have to choose one that is sturdy and rigid enough to withstand vibrations as y'all mill rough stocks with it.
And so check that it has a house and heavy cast iron base as found in the ones reviewed in this article like the Dewalt 735X, the WEN 6552T, Makita 2012NB and the rest, to help go on it stable and prevent wobbling during apply.
Ease Of Making Depth Adjustment
Depth adjustment should be a breeze in any benchtop thickness planer you choose. There should be precise gauges and visible linear scales, and clear directions on how you lot can use and adjust them, so you can airplane or trim your boards to the detail dimension y'all want.
Snipe Treatment
Snipe is one nasty wood defect that occurs when feeding boards in and out of a planer, as a issue of the weight of the board pulling downwards at the gratuitous ends, thereby pushing the opposite end into the cutterhead, which creates a dip at the ends of the board.
Sadly, snipe is something that cannot really be totally eliminated without providing enough manual support for the material. However, it can be reduced to a great extent with the right type of benchtop planer. So, you have to ask yourself how does the 1 you're almost to buy deal with snipe?
The Dewalt DW734 features a blackness bar at the top, which when pulled down engages an automated carriage lock which locks down the cutterhead and roller assembly, thereby limiting any upward or downwards motion that may cause sniping.
While the Dewalt DW735X's means of mitigating snipe is automatic. You don't need to pull down anything to lock downward the cutterhead and roller assembly. Information technology locks down by itself as soon every bit y'all terminate adjusting the depth. This drastically reduces snipe and makes the planing process easier and more accurate.
The Makita 2012NB features an interna-lok head clamp which too helps to lock the cutterhead and roller assembly in place to eliminate snipe.
In summary, check out and make sure that the planer machine you choose have a few features that helps it handle snipe properly. Still, to effectively reduce snipe totally, you besides take support your work slice manually with your hand while feeding it into the motorcar, and also support it, while it'southward feeding out on the other side.
Besides ensure that whatever planer you choose, comes with in-feed and out-feed tables, because they go a long way to back up the woods, thereby reducing snipe.
Dust Collection
Many woodworking tools create a lot of sawdust and a benchtop wood planer is a very good example. Without a proper mode to direct, funnel and collect the dust created, it can turn your whole workshop into a huge mess.
That is why yous accept to ensure the 1 yous cull has a proficient dust/chip collection port to expel the dust produced out of the auto in a controlled mode.
Some thickness planers like the Dewalt DW735X and the WEN 6552T come with a fan assisted dust collection port that helps to blow out chips and dust out of the automobile. You lot tin easily adhere your shop vac or any hose to the dust drove port, and information technology will blow all the fries produced into information technology fifty-fifty without switching on the shop vacuum.
Precision
What is the surface of the finished board like? Is it smooth or even so needs a lot of work with a sander? How authentic is the thickness or depth scale?
The one yous should cull should be able to produce a really smooth surface on any type of wood, so that the resulting stock will require very little sanding if necessary.
Cost
Price is some other factor that may affect your decision. However, y'all must note that, like they say, "Y'all can actually save money past spending money to become a better tool."
A better tool may have more initial cost but information technology volition beget, you more comfort, performance and durability which you lot may not take with a cheaper one.
Conclusion
No planer will exist 100 percentage in every angle. There'll e'er be some features it has and others it lacks.
Information technology all comes down to what you're willing to sacrifice for some other. We hope you lot're able to choose a car that makes your job every bit a woodworker, diyer or hobbyist as easy and efficient equally possible.
Source: https://craftsmanprotools.com/best-benchtop-thickness-planer-reviews/
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