Survey: Which Thickness Planer??

[Jim Dunn]

Makita 2012NB. I love it! Course I've never used anything else

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Cliff, where can I get one of those Felders for $250 - $400? I want one

I guess ya gotta follow a truck till one falls off.

[Eddie Darby]

This might help:

http://www.popularwoodworking.com/up...aners.0204.pdf

[John Viercinski]

I just purchased a used DeWalt 734 for $200 on ebay. It was a local pickup and I didn't have to pay shipping. I only need to replace the blades. Not a bad deal. Thanks for everyone's help!

[Chris Holder]

I have the 13" Rigid and it has been great. I normally stay away from the big box brands, but one of my mags (I think it was popular woodworking) recently rated it as a best buy. The blade changing is easy (less than 5 minutes), it has reversible blades (so they last longer), it comes with its own integral toolbox for the usual Allen wrenches and such), it comes with a stand and infeed/outfeed tables, it has the repeat a cut feature, and is well under your $400 price tag. Finally, you won't have to search far to find replacement blades (and they are not too overpriced) when you need them. It has produced glass smooth finishes thus far for me. I'm sure the 13" Dewalt is much nicer, but you will buy the stand, and infeed/outfeed tables separately (altogether well over $650). For the money, you can't beat the RIGID.
Just my humble thoughts.

[Bryan Rygiel]

Ridgid has a new one out that is just about like the 1300 but has 3 knifes.
I have the 1300 and it works very well, I like the repeat cut feature of it and do a lot of planning to a fix width, like 1/2.

I lamented that the DeWalt doesn't have this as it could be really useful. Then this weekend I finally figured out what that dial was on the side of the machine!

Problem was, it went slightly past the designated marking, but I suppose it's good that it's repeatable just the same.

Bryan

[Kirk Poore]

I just purchased a used DeWalt 734 for $200 on ebay. It was a local pickup and I didn't have to pay shipping. I only need to replace the blades. Not a bad deal. Thanks for everyone's help!

That's the way to do it, John. Keep an eye out for blades on ebay, too. I found some there a year ago for $30 (inc shipping), and I should have bought two sets instead of one. I use my 734 with a trash can separator and my shop vac. The results have been excellent, though you have to clean the shop vac filter about twice for every trash can load of chips.

Kirk

[Mike Monroe]

Probably not one for you to consider... but I own a Ryobi AP12 that's gone though a lot of BF. These past few days I've been planing some native bur oak and the AP12 does a fine job. It was getting really loud, so I changed the blades ( 15 min. operation) and she was back to purring along. I found the sales receipt in the instruction manual, $360 bones at Menards back in the day. She does give much snipe for being so old, but I have the infeed and outfeed tables adjusted about perfect.

BTW - The bur oak has a nice tight grain and the color is a beautiful light tan. Using it on a 4-H project, a small bench my daughter chose to build. This stuff has been air drying outside for about 4 years and the moisture content of the planed wood varies from 17% down to 12%.