Best Planers Reviews 2021 – Experts Guide and Top Picks

1. DEWALT DW735X 13-inch Two Speed Thickness Planer

The DeWalt DW735X thickness planer unit stands out from all other thickness planers on the market, in that it is a two-speed unit. That doesn’t mean that the cutting head has two speeds, but rather that there’s a two-speed feed rate. You can go fast for rough cutting, then slow it down to get a finer finish, will less scalloping. This is the only unit I’ve seen, other than big commercial ones, which has that feature. 

That’s not the only feature the DeWalt DW735X thickness planer has, either. It is built with three cutter knives, as opposed to the two that some others have, and the cutter heat runs at 10,000 RPM, giving a maximum depth of cut of 1/8 inch, longer blade life and smoother finishes. An extra-large turret depth stop provides presets for all the most common finished board sizes, from 1/8” up to 1-1/4”. DeWalt DW735X thickness planer also has a larger base, at 19-3/4 inches, as big as most others have with the extensions attached; but this one gives you the extensions after that.

3. WEN 6552T Benchtop Thickness Planer

If you’re looking for a good deal on a benchtop planer, WEN 6552T has the best deal around. This 3-blade, 13 inches wood planer will handle just about any board you need and do it at a reasonable price. It runs slightly slower than the DeWalt, at a 25,500 cutting head speed. Coupled with a feed rate of 26 feet per minute, you might see a touch more scalloping, especially compared to the low-speed selection on the DeWalt; but that can be cleaned up with a little sanding.

This benchtop planer unit also comes with a 15 amp motor, although the maximum depth of cut is slightly less at 3/32 of an inch. That might mean an extra pass on some projects; but that final pass should be a thin one anyway. An onboard material removal gauge will help you know exactly how much material you are removing on each pass.

4. DeWalt DW735 Woodworking Planer

DeWalt has the most popular thickness planers on the market, in the DW735. This is their 2019 model, designed to replace the DW734. The major difference between this unit and the older one, besides more convenient controls, is that this is a two-speed model, which refers to the feed speed, not the cutter head speed. Making the unit two-speed allowing for 96 or 179 cuts per inch, allowing you to reduce scalloping. Changing speeds is quick and easy, with the flip of a lever.

This DeWalt DW735 thickness planer allows for depths of cut up to 1/8” thick; although you should make shallower cuts with wider boards. Its 15 amp motor can handle the strain with even the hardest woods. A scale right on the corner post allows you to set your desired final thickness easily. In addition, there is an extra-large turret depth stop, allowing the user to return to the most common thicknesses quickly and easily.

The entire 19-3/4” long bed is cast, rather than having a shorter cast bed, with folding end tables. Combined together with the automatic carriage lock, this adds rigidity, helping to reduce snipe. This thickness planer operates at a head speed of 10,000 RPM, providing 30,000 cuts per minute.

5. Makita 2012NB 12-Inch Thickness Planer

Although this thickness planer by Makita is intended to be a shop tool, its lighter weight (67 lbs.) makes it possible to use it as a portable planer. Like the Cutech, Makita 2012NB has been designed for use by professionals, as all Makita tools are.

Although Makita 2012NB thickness planer features a compact design, it has a 12” x 30-3/8” table, including the extensions. That large table, coupled with Makita’s exclusive Interna-Lok automated head clamp, help reduce snipe for improved performance and finish. A built in gauge on one of the guide posts helps set the thickness exactly, all the way up to 6-3/32”. Up to 1/8” of material can be removed on each pass.

This Makita 2012NB thickness planer comes with two knives, one less than the WEN unit mentioned above. With a head speed of 8,500 RPM, you will see some scalloping on this Makita 2012NB planer.

7. Jet JWP-208HH 20-inch Planer

I decided to add one heavy-duty unit into this list, for those who are looking for something more. This massive shop thickness planer will cut boards up to 20 inches wide. At that width, the 5 HP motor will allow you to cut a maximum material thickness of 3/32 inch; but you can cut deeper at smaller widths.

The cutterhead on this thickness wood planer holds a total of 92 staggered, four-sided knives. It has three steel infeed rollers to make for easier handling with those larger projects. Both the infeed and outfeed tables are cast iron and ground as smooth as glass and perfectly aligned for smooth operation and to avoid marring your project. A two speed gearbox allows you to feed your workpieces at a rate of 24 or 31 feet per minute. 

While big, this thickness planer still provides for precision, with a large height adjustment wheel and 1/16” increment height adjustment. Cast iron construction ensures stability and long machine life.

8. Cutech 40200HC-CT Spiral Cutterhead Planer

This unit by Cutech is a true professional thickness planer. The outstanding thing about it is the spiral cutterhead design, which comes complete from the factory with carbine inserts. Using a spiral cutting pattern reduces scalloping, by making the individual cuts smaller, rather than being the full width of the board. While this thickness planer will still require finish sanding, the scalloping won’t be as obvious, making it possible to get by with less sanding on non-critical surfaces.

Because Cutech thickness wood planer comes complete with carbide inserts installed, you won’t need to sharpen or replace the blades as often, getting longer life, before dulling.

This thickness wood planer unit comes with oversized 14” x 12” infeed and outfeed tables, making it easier for you to feed and retrieve your workpieces. Between the four heavy-duty guide posts, two heavy-duty elevation screws, and “snipe lock” snipe on the boards is kept to a minimum.

1. Bosch PL2632K Hand-held planer

Bosch’s entry into this list is the first truly ambidextrous handheld power planer on the market. Not only does it have dual dust ports to attach a vacuum to and allow the fence to be mounted to either side, but there are both lock-off and lock-on buttons that can be accessed from either side of the tool.

This one’s a bit more powerful, with a 6.5 amp motor. That extra half an amp may not sound like much, but it’s a 7% increase in overall power, so that’s significant. Bosch has put a lot of important details into this planer as well, in addition to the ambidextrous controls. There’s a built-in, spring-loaded stand to elevate the tool off the workpiece and protect it from damage. At the same time, it’s possible to start your cut in the middle of a workpiece, something that not all power planes can do. There’s also a plastic overshoe for the fence, to prevent marring the workpiece, and a ball-joint swivel on the power cord.

One final important thing about this plane is that the twin blades can be easily replaced with high-speed steel blades for better cutting action. With a 3/32” maximum depth and machined shoe, this plane will leave you with a well-finished workpiece.

2. DeWalt DW680K Handheld Planer

DeWalt takes it up a step more, building this plane with a 7-amp motor. That’s a full 16% more power than the WEN we looked at first. This may not make much of a difference if you’re doing shallow cuts on fairly soft woods, but when it comes to the dense hardwoods, you’ll be glad to have that extra power. Couple that with carbide blades (an option) and you’ll have a real workhorse, perfect if you have to do a lot of planning.

The precision machined shoe is also precision ground on the sides, making this plane ideal for use with rabbeting cuts. The shoe has three precision-ground groves, allowing three different sizes of edge chamfering. While the cutter head moves at a slightly lower speed (15,000 RPM), and the maximum depth of cut is 3/32”, it is clear that this tool was designed for rough usage. Ergonomic controls make it easy to work with. The plane comes with a rabbeting fence and kit box.

3. Makita 1806B Hand Planer

This list wouldn’t be complete without something from Makita, who makes more handheld power planer models than anyone. I’ve selected this 6-3/4” wide model because it is so unique; cutting a swath more than twice the width of the other models we’ve looked at. This is the planer to look for, if you need to do more than the other models can do.

The 10.9 amp motor provides sufficient power for that wider blade, allowing you to cut even hardwoods in a snap. With the cutting head rotating at 15,000 RPM, it makes 30,000 cuts per minute, providing a smooth finish with minimal scalloping. The machined aluminum shoe is matched by a machined aluminum fence and guide. Everything is packed together in a wooden tool case.

4. Porter-Cable PC60THP Handheld planer

Porter-Cable’s PC60THP handheld power planer is another inexpensive option to choose from. However, there are a number of major differences between this unit and the WEN one. Those differences come from a difference in intent between the two units. Whereas the WEN unit is built for fast material removal in softwoods, the Porter Cable hand planer is designed specifically for use with dense hardwoods. This is most clearly demonstrated through a smaller maximum depth of cut, which on this tool is limited to 5/64”.

The depth of cut knob is rubber overmolded for comfort, as it also serves as the front handle for the unit. It is clearly labeled for 10 depth settings, as well as 3 different chamfering grooves. The 11.5” cast aluminum shoe provides excellent control and helps to maintain a superior finish quality. The wood planer comes complete with a wrench for changing the blades, dust bag, edge guide and a kit bag.

5. WEN 6530 Hand Held Planer

What makes the WEN 6530 so amazing is its price. This is, by far, the lowest-priced wood planer on the market. Yet it still provides a 3-1/4” cut width and has a six-amp motor. Depth adjustment is set with 16 positive stops, providing as little as 1-128” of cut, all the way up to 1/8”. With two blades and a 17,000 RPM cutting head speed, it provides over 34,000 cuts per minute. The base shoe has a V-groove in it, excellent for use in planning a flat surface on post corners.

Even with this low price, the WEN planer comes as a kit, complete with a dust bag, rabbeting guide, kickstand and parallel fence bracket. The rabbeting guide adjusts from 0 to 1 inch, allowing rabbets up to 1 inch in depth. With the parallel fence you can be assured of an accurate, straight cut, and the kickstand protects the workpiece’s surface when setting the wood planer down.

WEN also makes similar hand planers with a 2-3/8” and 4-3/8” width of cut.

1. Jet JJP-10BTOS Jointer Planer Combo

Jet produces more models of jointer-planer combinations than anyone else on the market. This 10-inch unit is there mid-range unit, providing incredibly good value in a combination unit. Since most projects are made of boards that are 10 inches or narrower, most of us wouldn’t miss the extra two inches of a larger unit.

While smaller than the Grizzly unit below, this wood planer is no slouch. Its cutterhead provides 18,000 cuts per minute at a maximum depth of 1/8”. The table is precision ground and the fence is extruded, providing an absolutely straight surface. A 13-amp motor provides sufficient power for any project you’re likely to undertake.

Even though this is technically a benchtop unit, the jointer-planer comes with a stand, allowing you to use it as a stand-alone, freeing up benchtop space.

2. Grizzly G0634XP Jointer-Planer Combo

3. Rikon 25-010H Jointer Planer Combo

Rikon comes in with another 10-inch contender at a lower price than the Grizzly unit. The jointer tables are cast aluminum in this case, making them lighter than the Grizzly. Its 1.5 HP motor is a bit slower than the other units though, which will affect the surface finish. They provide three knives on the cutter head, to help make up for it, but there are other units around which still provide more cuts per minute.

This unit beats out the Grizzly for weight though, coming in considerably lighter. So if you need a combination unit which can be moved around, you’re much better off looking at the Rikon.

DeWalt DW-735X

If we’re talking just wood planers, the DeWalt DW735X is clearly the best planer one on the market today. The two-speed feed rate, coupled with the higher drum head and three knives, provides the smoothest finish of any thickness planer, reducing the need for sanding and other preparation, prior to assembly and finishing.

DeWalt DW735X thickness planer is great for new woodworkers and even professionals. A very impressive machine and its simple engineering.

Powertec PL1252

There are several contenders for best budget planer for the money, but the Powertech PL1252 beats the rest. Providing excellent quality and all the necessary features, they still come in at the best possible price.