I have an old Ryobi 10" benchtop planer and plan to upsize to at least a 13" planer. Shop space and planer cost (within reason - I'm retired and woodworking is a hobby) aren't dominant issues.
I have several hundred board feet of 5/4 unplaned cherry and a few hundred board feet of unplaned 5/4 white oak in my basement which I acquired when I was working for a forest products company, so the first step in any of my projects is thickness planing. I don't own a joiner and I hope to get by without one by using a sled, shims and light cuts on the planer when needed to flatten a board.
Most of my projects in the past have been one of a kind, but I plan to make perhaps as many as 5 or 6 barristers bookcases for family members. I may use oak or cherry for any individual bookcase.
First question - Are there any major advantages, in my situation, to a stationary planer over a benchtop?
Second question - I just read a claim on the Craftsman web site that their 13" Professional Benchtop Planer has a cutterhead lock for virtually snipe-free planing. Can anyone who has used this planer vouch for that claim?