Power hand planers

[Rob]

Anyone have any experience with power hand planers? What to look for, pros and cons of various models?

[froglips]

Some experience. They are really loud and can be fussy to set up depending on the model.

Work good for edges. Makita makes a monster one. Makita KP312 : 12-1/4" Planer

Depending on what you wanna do, a scrub plane or jack plane can be about a fast, and way cheaper. Nice thing about using a jack (stanley #5) or wooden plane 12" to 18" long is you don't have to bother with flat soles or precision. I just keep the blade sharp with a curved edge and it goes to town. It takes thick shavings, its a corse tool.

In the end, I find I go for a jack plane or my handheld belt sander w/36 grit belt.

But the Makita is certainly a bragging tool

Jim

[GeorgeL]

Rob,

I've only used one, it was the DeWalt and it worked great. I had to flatten a ceiling in my old house by shaving some joists and using a hand plane nearly killed me! The DeWalt made short work of the task. With that said, when I'm am in the market for a power hand planer it will be the Festool. http://www.festoolusa.com/products/p...er-574539.html

George

[Rob]

Reason I was asking, I was reading a back issue of a magazine about using a band saw for sawing lumber, the guy likes to cut his logs with a chain saw, then clean up the chain saw marks with a power hand planer to make a level side before re-sawing. Sounded like a neat idear. A flat side would make it easier to re-saw, and cutting bowl blanks. Or maybe I'm just looking for an excuse to buy another tool.

[FredP]

Originally Posted by Rob

Reason I was asking, I was reading a back issue of a magazine about using a band saw for sawing lumber, the guy likes to cut his logs with a chain saw, then clean up the chain saw marks with a power hand planer to make a level side before re-sawing. Sounded like a neat idear. A flat side would make it easier to re-saw, and cutting bowl blanks. Or maybe I'm just looking for an excuse to buy another tool.

My guess would be the latter! they can be handy if you spend the $ to get a good one. the small ones at the BORG are pretty much useless. makita used to make a very good one. the model 1100 but no longer made. I have one that is 20+ yrs old and going strong. PC also makes a good one in the 4-500 dollar range with spiral knives. sweet plane but the knives are nearly 100 bucks and can only be sharpened a couple of times. not many places around are equipped to sharpen them either. I do door work so this tool is a must for me but I rarely take it into the shop and flatening logs would probly kill one in shorty order. YMMV.

[GeorgeL]

Originally Posted by Rob

Reason I was asking, I was reading a back issue of a magazine about using a band saw for sawing lumber, the guy likes to cut his logs with a chain saw, then clean up the chain saw marks with a power hand planer to make a level side before re-sawing. Sounded like a neat idear. A flat side would make it easier to re-saw, and cutting bowl blanks. Or maybe I'm just looking for an excuse to buy another tool.

OH, in THAT case get a 16" or 24" Northfield jointer!

George

[Bas]

A little off topic, but this has been on my mind for a while - I've see the "sleds" where you use a router and straight bit to flatten a board. Could you do something similar with a power hand planer?

[Mike Davis]

I got a Skill brand power hand planer in a big box of junk at a yard sale. I think I paid $30 for the box.

The planer was at the bottom of the box. I thought it was busted so I never tried it. Then one day i needed to flatten a bowl blank and I thought about that planer, pulled it out and it worked. The blades need to be replaced but for probably about fifty cents considering what else was in the box, i don't think I wasted my cash.

I thought about making some kind of rail system for it, maybe someday when I can afford a couple pieces of Bosch rail. I think that would be handy for flattening slabs, cutting blocks and bench tops.

[nelsone]

I have the Bosch planer and it works well for what I have asked of it. I bought it mostly for trimming doors and studs. The only drawback I have is that it clogs pretty easily.

[CaptnA]

I have a Delta and it works pretty well. I have had it for many years.
I usually use it for flattening the bottom of bowl stock to put on the lathe (I learned this years ago from Knud Oland). Just one way of many I know.
I've done some doors and other flatwork with it and had no complaints, except with no catch bag it can fling shavings quite a distance.. I did break the original drive belt - cost me $3 for a replacement, took 4 days to get and 10 minutes to install.
The knives are 'flippable' for a sharp edge, and easy to align I thought. Uses a hex key that was included and stored on the tool. Replacement knives were about $6 a set.

[Trent Mason]

I've had the Ryobi powered hand planer for about two years and it has worked fine for me. I've trimmed some doors with it and used to use it as a jointer before I got a jointer. Haven't had any problems with it and it was pretty cheap. But if you're looking for something to use on a daily basis, I would get a nicer one.

[macdaddy]

Originally Posted by Rob

Reason I was asking, I was reading a back issue of a magazine about using a band saw for sawing lumber, the guy likes to cut his logs with a chain saw, then clean up the chain saw marks with a power hand planer to make a level side before re-sawing. Sounded like a neat idear. A flat side would make it easier to re-saw, and cutting bowl blanks. Or maybe I'm just looking for an excuse to buy another tool.

I have got a mostly flat surface after just splitting a log with a wedge by using a hand power planner. I am sure it would do great with the chain saw marks.

[Phil S]

Rob, I happen to have three. The first two I bought are Bosch, one still works and the other needs a new belt. Both of those are in my junk drawer as I now have the PC with a spiral cutter and it runs circles around the others. I will never go back. If you would like to see if the bosch will fill your needs you can have the one that needs a belt.

[Gofor]

I have an old DeWalt (about 15 yrs old), that works good, altho I don't use it much. It is very handy for cleaning up the top of a split log for a bench seat, etc. Setting the blades are a pain, its as noisy as a chain saw, and it throws a bunch of chips (no way to hook it to a shop vac/chip collector, so I hang us a sheet to corral the worst of them in one place if indoors.) Basically, I consider it an "outdoor" tool. Much quicker than a sander on rough cut lumber.

Go

[Rob]

Thanks Phil, I'll send you a PM.