A planer is an essential power tool for home or professional woodworking projects. If you need to make uneven boards flush or remove splinters from softwood or rough hardwood, a planer will create superior silky-smooth wooden surfaces smoothing.
Complete Wood Smoothing Projects with a Fast and Effective Wood Planer
Creating final finishing touches to any type of wooden surface is the job of a wood planer. As well as having a miter saw or a circular saw, a wood planer is a fast and effective power tool for any woodworking enthusiast. Its fast-spinning blades have ultra-sharp knives that cut and shave wood from a workpiece. Once you have cut your piece of wood to the right size, a wood planer will turn rough surfaces or edges into beautiful silky smooth surfaces that are ready for you to varnish or paint.
The 8 Best Planers
- WEN 6530 6-Amp Electric Hand Planer
- WEN PL1326 Spiral Benchtop Thickness Planer
- Bosch PL1632 6.5-Amp Planer
- Makita KP0800K Planer
- Makita XPK01Z Cordless Planer
- DEWALT DW734 15-Amp Benchtop Planer (Our Top Pick)
- DEWALT D26676 3¼-Inch Corded Electric Hand Planer
- PORTER-CABLE PC60THP 6-Amp Electric Hand Planer
Our Top Pick for the Best Planer
Our top pick for the best planer is the DEWALT DW734 15-Amp Benchtop Planer.
If you are a DIY home renovator or a woodworking hobby enthusiast, the DEWALT DW734 Benchtop Planer is an essential tool for your workshop. The sturdy, compact and portable wood planer has plenty of power, excellent user-friendly features, and it creates a clean, silky smooth surface on a wide variety of workpieces.
Check the price on AmazonHow to Choose the Best Planer
Benchtop Versus Hand-held Planer
Wood planers come in three types: electric-corded handheld planers, cordless battery-operated planers, and electric benchtop planers.
Electric-corded handle-held planers, like the WEN 6530 6-Amp Electric Hand Planer, provide unlimited shaving and smoothing power. As an electric planer has a strong 6, 6.5, or 7 amp motor, it will provide you with more than enough power for light to medium-duty tasks.
Cordless planers, like the Makita XPK01Z Cordless Planer, are great tools for light-duty tasks and give you incredible versatility for moving around your worksite. Although a cordless planer has a strong 18-volt battery, it may not give you enough power for working with thick hardwood.
A benchtop planer, like the WEN PL1326 Spiral Benchtop Thickness Planer, is specially designed for serious woodworkers. These heavy-duty machines have an extra powerful 15 amp motor, a sturdy table, a cast iron base, and multiple blades or knives. Benchtop planers can quickly remove rough edges and transform thick pieces of hardwood like oak or teak into beautifully smooth finished surfaces.
RPM
RPM (revolutions per minute) refers to the number of times the blade rotates in a single minute. Basically, the higher the RPM, the faster the planer can shave wood off a workpiece.
Another important thing you need to consider about the blade’s rotation speed is that a slower RPM is better suited for softwood and gives you a better quality finish. A higher RPM is more effective with thick hardwood.
Thickness and Width
Most handheld planers are designed to cut 3¼-inches wide workpieces but the depth of cut can be up to 6-inches deep. If you need to cut extra thick and wide wood, benchtops can accommodate wider and thicker pieces of wood up to 12.5-inches wide.
Some planers may also come with a depth-increment knob that helps you to achieve precise measurements.
Handles
Whether the planer has 1 or 2 handles, it should always have an ergonomic comfortable design. Design features may include a balanced rubberized front and rear handle, a handle that has a soft grip, or a rubberized grip.
Foldable infeed and outfeed tables
Foldable infeed and outfeed tables provide extra support as the workpiece travels through the planer and keeps it properly aligned for precise cutting accuracy.
8 Best Planers – Reviews
1. WEN 6530 6-Amp Electric Hand Planer
Whether you need to make uneven boards flush, plane away chips, splinters, or smooth misshapen edges, the WEN 6530 6-Amp Electric Hand Planer is a great tool for tough tasks.
Its powerful 6 amp motor produces 34,000 cuts per minute for super-fast cutting performance. The 2 double-sided reversible sharp blades slice away any irregularities until wooden surfaces are perfectly aligned and smooth.
The WEN 6530 is specially designed for fitting and squaring boards as it has a cutting width of 3¼-inches and a maximum cutting depth of 1/8-inches. To give you more cutting control, the 16 positive stops increase in increments of 1/128-inches from 0-1/8-inches. The base plate shoe has a V-shaped groove for chamfering so you can easily flatten sharp board corners. You can also create rabbets up to 7/10th of an inch with the included rabbeting guide.
The planer has a user-friendly design which makes it so easy to work with. It is ultra-lightweight at 6lbs and has a comfortable handle. Its positive stop dial and operating switches have a bright orange color for increased visibility in low light conditions. When you need to take a break, the kickstand protects your workpiece from getting damaged by the blades.
As the planer has a multi-directional dust chute, you can change the directional aim of the sawdust from left to right with just a flick of a switch. The dust bag can be attached to either side of the planer. To give you good maneuverability around your workspace, the planer has a 6-feet power cord.
Extra helpful features include a parallel fence bracket for straight cuts and straight measurements. An onboard adjustment wrench allows for quick blades changes and maintenance.
WEN offers a 2-year warranty on the electric planer.
Pros
- Excellent quality
- Great value for money
- Very affordable price
- Powerful 6 amp motor
- Delivers 34,000 cuts per minute
- Two double-sided reversible/easy-to-replace sharp blades
- Depth gauge has 16 positive stops from 0-1/8 inches
- Rabbeting guide creates rabbets up to 7/10 inch in size
- Lightweight design
- Comfortable handle
- Positive stop dials and switches have a bright orange color
- Good sized 6-feet power cord
- Multi-directional dust chute
- Reversible dust bag
- Protective kickstand
- Parallel fence bracket
- Chamfer groove
- Onboard adjustment wrench
- Two-year warranty
Cons
- Blades can be hard to change
- Dust bag is not overly effective
- May not be suited for extra rough hardwood
2. WEN PL1326 Spiral Benchtop Thickness Planer
If you are planning some home renovations or woodworking projects, the WEN PL1326 Spiral Benchtop Thickness Planer is highly effective at transforming rough workpieces into exceptionally smooth surfaces.
This benchtop planer provides a sturdy and supportive surface for your wood to smoothly travel through the machine and its heavy-duty cast-iron base stops the planer from walking or wobbling. There are pre-drilled mounting holes located in the base that can be used on a bench if you need extra stability.
To smooth out jagged wood, the extra powerful 15 amp motor provides 10,000 cuts per minute at a 26-feet-per-minute feed rate, and the spiral cutter head utilizes 26 staggered HSS blades to provide a perfect finish to hard and softwoods.
You can use the PL1326 for 6-inch thick and 13-inch wide boards, and adjust the depth of cut to plane off wood from 0-1/8 of an inch with each pass. Adjustable infeed/outfeed tables add additional support for longer workpieces. An onboard planing gauge and a depth stop help you to achieve maximum precision.
The bright orange rubber-grip adjustment handle means you can adjust your planer in complete comfort. An overload switch stops the machine from overheating. Moving the planer around your workshop is made easier with the 2 side-mounted hollowed-out handles.
Even though this planer has a roller system that minimizes snipe as much as possible, it can still produce a bit of snipe when used with longer workpieces, but you can avoid this by introducing a small piece of wood before and after planing.
To keep your workplace clean, the adjustable dust port can be attached to a wet/dry vac.
WEN offers a 2-year warranty on the electric planer.
Pros
- High quality
- Great value for money
- Ideal for hobby enthusiasts or general shop work
- Sturdy and supportive table
- Heavy-duty cast-iron base does not walk or wobble
- Ideal for rough hardwood and softwoods
- Provides an exceptionally smooth finish
- Extra powerful 15 amp motor
- 10,000 cuts per minute at a 26-feet per minute feed rate
- Spiral cutterhead utilizes 26 staggered and rotatable HSS blades for a clean, smooth finish
- Planes boards up to 6-inch thick and 13-inch wide
- Onboard planing gauge
- Depth stop allows for maximum precision
- Adjustable foldable infeed and outfeed tables
- Mounting holes provide additional support
- Roller system minimizes snip
- Rubber-grip adjustment handle
- Two ergonomic side-mounted hollowed-out handles
- Overload switch
- Adjustable dust port
- Two-year warranty
Cons
- A bit pricey
- Can still produce a bit of snipe
- Not ideal for very thick hardwood
- Very heavy
- Not ideal for industrial or commercial use
3. Bosch PL1632 6.5-Amp Planer
With a great cutting versatility for soft and hardwood, the Bosch PL1632 6.5-Amp Planer is an excellent choice for light to medium-duty DIY woodworking projects.
The powerful 6.5-amp 16,500 RPM motor ensures fast stock removal and the tough reversible Woodrazor tungsten-carbide blade creates a smooth finish on soft and hardwood. Its counterbalanced blade design provides an ideal cutting angle and eliminates uneven planing caused by misaligned blades. The poly micro-V drive belt also ensures enhanced belt durability.
A ratcheting depth knob allows for incredibly easy depth-increment setting from 0-1/16-inches within one revolution, so there is no need to re-zero the depth.
The aluminum front and rear shoes are precision-machined together for greater accuracy and the machined groove is ideal for chamfering.
To help you work smarter, the spring-loaded stand elevates the tool to protect the blade and the stand’s special shape allows easy entry in the middle of a workpiece. Bosch has introduced an innovative ambidextrous combination lock-off/lock-on release button that helps prevent accidental start-up and allows for extended operation.
The dual-mount, non-flexing guide fence has a protective shield, and the plastic shoe prevents any marring of your workpiece.
For additional cutting versatility, the large adjustment measurement knob is located at the front of the planer so you can quickly set your precise measurements from the separate inch and metric depth scales.
The well-balanced, lightweight 6.3lbs planer has an optimally-angled soft-grip handle. A ball-joint cord swivel provides effortless positioning of the tool and cord while you work.
The planer also comes with a dust port, a large shavings bag, and a blade wrench.
Bosch offers a 1-year limited warranty on the planer.
Pros
- High quality
- Great value for money
- Very affordable price
- Powerful 6.5 amp motor
- Fast 16,500 RPM
- Reversible Woodrazor tough tungsten-carbide blade
- Counter-balanced blade design
- Provides a smooth finish in soft and hardwood
- Poly micro-V drive belt for enhanced belt durability
- Spring-loaded stand
- Dual-mount, non-flexing guide fence has a protective shield
- Aluminum front and rear shoes are precision-machined together
- Plastic overshoe
- Large adjustment measurement knob
- Separate inch and metric depth scales
- Lightweight and well-balanced
- Comfortable optimally-angled soft-grip handle
- Innovative ambidextrous lock-off/lock-on release button
- Ball-joint cord swivel
- One blade wrench
- Dust port
- Large shavings bag
Cons
- Only 1-year limited warranty
- Not ideal for heavy-duty commercial type tasks
- Aluminum surface can get scratched easily
- No carrying case
4. Makita KP0800K Planer
With innovative technology, best-in-class engineering, a powerful performance, and an operator-friendly design, the Makita KP0800K Planer is the perfect tool for professional, home woodworking projects, and hobby tasks.
The powerful 6.5 amp 17,000 RMP motor and the sharp 2 carbide steel blades provide increased stock removal and superior smooth finishes on a wide range of soft and hardwood workpieces. Your projects will be done fast as the planer can accommodate 3¼-inches wide and 3/32-inches deep wooden panels in a single pass.
Built for superior performance, the rigid die-cast aluminum housing, all ball-bearing construction, and precision-machined aluminum base ensure long-term durability. The balanced planer drum reduces vibration and the spring-loaded stand elevates the base to protect the workpiece and the blade.
Featuring a user-friendly design, the planer has a high power-to-weight ratio at only 5.7lbs. Its ergonomically centered and balanced rubberized front and rear handles are comfortable to use.
Additional features include a lock-on button for continuous operation and a fast blade-changing system.
The planer also comes with a blade gauge assembly, a wrench, a guide rule, and a blade set. You can keep your planer safely stored in the hard plastic carrying case.
Makita offers a 30-day money-back or replacement warranty and a 1-year warranty on the planer.
Pros
- High quality
- Great value for money
- Powerful 5 amp motor
- Sharp carbide steel 2-blade cutter head
- 17,000 RPM provides fast stock removal
- Provides a nice smooth finish
- Planes up to 3¼-inches wide and 3/32-inches deep in a single pass
- High power-to-weight ratio
- Ultra lightweight
- Durable construction
- Engineered for reduced vibration
- Ergonomically-centered balance
- Rubberized front and rear handles
- Spring-loaded stand elevates the base
- Lock-on button
- Easy blade setting system
- Comes with a blade gauge assembly, a wrench, a guide rule, and a blade set
- Hard plastic carrying case
Cons
- Only 1-year warranty
- No dust bag
- Dust port is an odd shape and hard to fit a shop vac
- Manual is not very easy to read
5. Makita XPK01Z Cordless Planer
The Makita XPK01Z Cordless Planer offers you the speed and capacity of a corded planer and the convenience of cordless portability.
You will be able to complete all your light to medium-duty woodworking projects efficiently as the 14,000 RPM planer is engineered for fast stock removal. The 2-blade cutter head has double-edged carbide blades that ensure a smooth wood finishing performance. It will plane wood planks up to 3¼-inches wide and 5/64-inches deep in a single pass.
Makita has included amazing user-friendly features. The click depth adjustment knob has an easy-to-read scale with settings from 0-5/64-inches for precise depth adjustment. In addition, the precision-machined aluminum base is engineered for increased accuracy.
The spring-loaded stand elevates the base to protect the blades and workpiece. Working with the XPK01Z is very easy as it is lightweight at 7.4lbs. It has a high power-to-weight ratio and an ergonomically-centered balanced design. The rubberized soft grips on the front and rear handles provide comfortable operation. Changing the blades can be done quickly with the easy blade setting system. The electric brake also allows for maximum safety and productivity.
To keep your workspace clean from dust, you can attach a shop vac to the dust port.
The planer is compatible with Makita’s powerful and fast-charging 18V lithium-ion batteries that display the Star symbol.
Pros
- High quality
- Great value for money
- Very good price
- Powerful performance
- 14,000 RPM provides fast stock removal
- Delivers a nice smooth finish
- Can be used for most types of wood
- Ideal for light to medium-duty tasks
- Great for professional contractors, DIY enthusiasts or hobbyists
- Planes up to 3¼-inches wide and 5/64-inches thick wood in a single pass
- Two-blade cutter head with sharp double edge carbide blades
- High power-to-weight ratio
- Lightweight
- Click depth adjustment knob has an easy-to-read scale
- Spring-loaded stand
- Precision machined aluminum base
- Ergonomically centered balance
- Rubberized soft grips on the front and rear handles
- Easy blade setting system
- Electric brake for maximum productivity
- Can attach a shop vac to the dust port
- Compatible with Makita 18V Star lithium-Ion batteries and chargers
Cons
- Battery and charger sold separately
- Can bog down with denser wood like oak
6. DEWALT DW734 15-Amp Benchtop Planer
Once you have the DEWALT DW734 15-Amp Benchtop Planer in your workshop, creating clean, custom, beautifully smooth stock from oak, poplar, maple or pine is so easy.
The powerful 15-amp 20,000 RPM motor can create large, deep cuts in the toughest of hardwoods. Its 3-knife cutter head spins at 10,000 RPM to deliver the finest of finishes. It is very efficient and produces 96 cuts per inch, and offers a maximum cut depth of 1/8-inches, a depth capacity of 6-inches, and a width capacity of 12½-inches.
The cutter’s knives are reversible and disposable which allows for quick, accurate depth adjustment. As the knives last 30% longer than traditional disposable knives, you can avoid costly and time-consuming resharpening.
Extra-long infeed and outfeed tables provide 33½-inches of material support as your workpiece passes through the machine. A turret depth stop saves you time when setting the machine at commonly used depths. In addition, the planer’s material-removal gauge and extra-large thickness scale help ensure every pass is accurate. The 4-column carriage lock drastically reduces the movement that causes snipe when you are planing near the end of aboard.
It is very easy to keep your workspace clean as the included dust hood can be attached to a shop vacuum or standing dust collector (sold separately) for efficient collection of chips and debris.
The DEWALT planer is covered by a 90-day money-back guarantee, a 3-year limited warranty, and a 1-year free service contract.
Pros
- Great quality
- Excellent value for money
- Ultra powerful 15 amp motor
- 20,000 RPM 3-knife cutter head delivers 96 cuts per inch for a fine finish
- Can handle larger, deeper cuts in hardwoods
- Produces a fabulous finish
- 1/8-inches maximum cut depth
- 6-inches depth
- 12½-inches width
- Razor sharp reversible and disposable knives
- Knives last 30% longer than traditional disposable knives
- Fast and easy tool changes
- Extra-long infeed and outfeed tables
- Turret depth stop
- Material removal gauge and extra-large thickness scale
- Four-column carriage lock reduces snipe
- Compact
- Dust hood can be attached to a shop vac
- 90-day money back guarantee
- Three-year limited warranty
- One-year free service
Cons
- Expensive
- May require a few passes for thick hardwood workpieces
- Heavy
7. DEWALT D26676 3¼-Inch Corded Electric Hand Planer
If you are a serious woodworker, the DEWALT D26676 3¼-inch Corded-Electric Hand Planer is a great addition to your woodworking shop.
The powerful 5.5 amp/34,000 CPM motor produces a 1/16-inches maximum depth of cut and provides a smooth, even finish on the toughest of hardwood pieces. To ensure reliable performance and long-term durability, the planer is equipped with a poly-v drive belt.
Whether you need to perform accurate straight edge cuts or framings, the D26676 uses 2 resharpenable high-speed steel blades and is compatible with reversible steel carbide blades that are designed for improved blade life and material finish. Precision-machined front and back aluminum shoes ensure parallelism of cut and the precision-machined groove in the front shoe allows for edge chamfering.
DEWALT has added some innovative features to help you work smarter for longer. This planer is quite lightweight and its trigger handle is comfortable to hold. Its ergonomic rubber-coated calibrated depth adjustment knob makes it so easy to make your adjustments on the depth setting gauge.
A handy built-in kickstand allows you to rest the planer on a work surface without gouging and damaging the material.
The D26676 planer comes with 2 steel blades, a rabbeting fence, a blade sharpening tool, and a socket wrench.
DEWALT offers a 90-day money-back guarantee, a 3-year limited warranty, and a 1-year free service guarantee on the planer.
Pros
- High quality
- Great value for money
- Very good price
- Reliable performance
- Ideal for straight edging or framing applications
- Powerful and fast motor
- Produces a 1/16-inches maximum depth of cut
- Provides a smooth, even finish even in tough hardwood pieces
- Compatible with large reversible steel carbide blades
- Durable poly-v drive belt
- Precision-machined front and back aluminum shoes ensure parallelism of cut
- Precision-machined groove in the front shoe allows for edge chamfering
- Lightweight
- Ergonomic rubber coated calibrated depth adjustment knob
- Comfortable trigger handle
- Handy built-in kickstand
- Comes with 2 steel blades that can be sharpened
- Rabbeting fence
- Blade sharpening tool and a socket wrench
- 90-day money-back guarantee
- Three-year limited warranty
- One-year free service guarantee
Cons
- May not have enough power for very thick hardwood
- Dust port attachment has to be purchased separately
- Can be difficult to align the blades
- Does not come with a case
8. PORTER-CABLE PC60THP 6-Amp Electric Hand Planer
The PORTER-CABLE PC60THP 6-Amp Electric Hand Planer is an excellent choice for any light-duty or medium-duty woodworking project.
You can expect a powerful performance from the heavy-duty 6 amp motor which has a no-load speed of 16,500 RPM. The 2 sharp steel carbide cutting blades provide smooth and even cutting with hard materials.
An 11.5-inches aluminum shoe provides added control and better finish quality. With a 5/64-inches depth of cut, the planer can remove excess material in less time and its .47-inch max rabbit depth means it can remove more material in each pass. The large rubber over-mold depth knob offers 10 positive steps which allow for better planer control and multiple depth control settings. For cutting grooves of varying shapes, the planer also has 3 chamfering grooves.
Holding and pushing the planer forward is made easy with the rubberized over-mold handle, and the long 6-feet power cord allows for greater maneuverability in your workspace.
To keep your workspace safe from dust, the dual-side dust extractor can be placed on either side of the tool so that your workspace always stays clean.
The planer also comes with a wrench, a dust bag, an edge guide, and a kit bag.
PORTER-CABLE offers a 3-year limited warranty on the hand planer.
Pros
- High quality
- Great value for money
- Very affordable price
- Heavy-duty powerful 6 amp motor
- Fast 16,500 RPM
- Two sharp steel carbide cutting blades
- Provides smooth material removal
- 11.5-inches aluminum shoe provides added control and a better finish quality
- Dual side dust extraction allows for extraction on either side of the tool
- 5/64-inches depth of cut removes excess material in less time
- .47-inch max rabbit depth removes more material per pass
- Three chamfering grooves
- Rubber overmold depth knob has 10 positive steps
- Comfortable over-mold handle
- Dual side dust extractor
- Long 6-feet power cord
- Three-year limited warranty
Cons
- Not ideal for heavy-duty cutting
- Can be hard to adjust the blades
- May not be ideal for fine finishing work
Our Top Pick for the Best Planer
Our top pick for the best planer is the DEWALT DW734 15-Amp Benchtop Planer.
If you are a DIY home renovator or a woodworking hobby enthusiast, the DEWALT DW734 Benchtop Planer is an essential tool for your workshop. The sturdy, compact and portable wood planer has plenty of power, excellent user-friendly features, and it creates a clean, silky smooth surface on a wide variety of workpieces.
Check the price on Amazon
