Q&A OF THE WEEK: "Is a Wood Planer Worth Buying for a Basic Shop?" - Baileylineroad

However, they sell four is a benchtop planer worth it models and it may not be completely clear what makes them different. This guide will help you understand each model and find out whether they are the right machine for your specific case. The two inch planers are very similar, but the two inch planers differ a bit more. Although it is not extremely light, you could move it to a jobsite as well.

These are laid out in straight rows, not a spiral, as can be seen in the image below. This means that you get some planre Benchtop Planer Problems the benefits of a helical head, but not all of them. The cutters have two sharp sides, and can be individually replaced. This makes it easy and cheap to just replace a single cutter when you, for example, hit a nail. No long calibration or throwing away entire planer blades like you used to.

They have four sharp sides, and are made of carbide, which helps them stay sharp for much longer. The is a benchtop planer worth it spiral shape of helical heads also improves the cut quality and bencutop noise. It has a cast-iron table, which is not found on many other benchtop planers. With its 2 horsepower motor it can take on pretty much any type of wood, benchtopp 13 inches is still is a benchtop planer worth it than enough capacity for most hobbyist woodworkers.

For me, the main doubt is whether the semi-helical head cutters are worth the premium price compared to other lunchbox planers. If you spend a little bit more money, you could benchyop buy a cheaper planer and upgrade it with a proper aftermarket helical head.

Some people lack space, and will simply need to get a benchtop planer woryh of a stationary one. Others need power and use their machines all day, and will always opt for a stationary planer. However, for some people both types of planer are a possibility. Which one would be best? There are three good reasons to buy the stationary planers over the benchtop one. First, convenience. Second, workload. If benchgop really planwr your machine regularly, the stationary planers are much more suited to that job.

They are built better, and are more stable and can take much more of a beating. Third, if you would like a helical cutterheadyou will want to go with the stationary planers. Those have actual, high-quality helical cutterheads, whereas the inch benchtop planer has a cutterhead that is a middle ground between standard blades and helical heads. Getting a machine with a proper helical cutterhead can make a great difference in cut quality and sound reduction.

Earlier this yearJET released a completely redesigned version of their inch models. If you look at videos of the older model, you will notice that it very much resembles the current inch model. The new model is a significant redesign and has been turned upside down — literally, because now the cutterhead goes up plsner down instead of the table. This new design choice is unlike almost any stationary planer, and is more similar to benchtop lunchbox planers, which also have a moving cutterhead instead of a moving table.

To what extent this influences planing results is hard to judge, and can only be really determined through rigorous testing. But the fact that JET has released two of their key planer models with this system should be a good indication that it works well. One potential advantage is that instead of moving a heavy cast-iron table along with sometimes the weight of the workpiece you now move the cutterhead up and down, which could be lighter.

To reduce snipe, JET has added an air-pressure support system on both sides to make sure the cutterhead maintains even pressure throughout the entire cut. It is supposed to help avoid a drop of the cutterblock, which can happen near the end of a pass.

This is a little lower than on many jointer planer combos, and suggests this machine is more aimed at planing the faces of wide boards than their sides. However, many woodworkers usually joint one side, and then cut the second side parallel on the table saw, so it is not a major issue.

The machines have two feed rates: 4. Is a benchtop planer worth it feed rates can be adjusted by simply pulling a lever on the is a benchtop planer worth it of the machine. The key difference is that the 15BHH has a helical head or spiral cutterhead.

This means it has 48 individual cutter inserts following four spiral curves around the cutterblock instead of 3 standard knives. The Helical Head model is also is a benchtop planer worth it heavier, which is most likely due to it having cast-iron extension tables. The extension tables on the normal model are made from steel instead. Using a helical head pllaner called spiral cutterhead has several significant advantages. Firstly, it is more user-friendly, because it is easier to setup, requires less sharpening, and can deal with damage much better.

Each individual cutter has four sharp sides, and if it is dull or gets damaged it can simply be turned 90 degrees, without ih adjustment needed.

The helical head is also quieter, with JET claiming it an almost 20 dB noise reduction. Other manufacturers often claim in the region of 10 dB reduction, but the fact that it is significantly quieter is unquestionable.

Keep in mind that a 10 dB difference is almost double the perceived loudness. Additionally, spiral cutters are also better at dealing with difficult grains, and will in most is a benchtop planer worth it deliver better planing results. Given all its benefits, it seems only logical to upgrade to the helical head model.

Does it then still make benctop to upgrade for such a hefty price? This will obviously depend on your budget, especially if you are buying multiple machines at once. For the price difference you could almost buy a very decent second-hand jointer or table saw, for example. One thing to consider is that you will probably is a benchtop planer worth it costs on sharpening and replacement of blades, which reduces the price difference slightly.

Also, if you plan on using the planers in a professional shop, any time you avoid spending on setting up blades or waiting on new blades to be sent back from sharpening is time you could spend earning money.

This could tip the monetary balance in favor of the helical head model. The two inch models are still based on the old design. This is not necessarily a bad thing, because the design is tried and tested and you can be sure the machines work well.

Both machines have two feed rates, 7. On top of the machine are also two benchttop, to help bring the workpiece back to the other side for a second pass. The video shows a inch planer, but its design is pretty much the same as the current inch planers. The Helical Head model has cast iron extension tables, but the normal models has rollers on its extension tables instead.

This is less optimal, because it is less likely to stay straight and also more dangerous. There are gaps between the rollers, and your hand could get caught between the rollers and the workpiece. These have plqner significant advantages, as already mentioned in the section about the inch planers. To recap, spiral cutters tend to be quieter, better at dealing with complicated wood grain, and easier to set up and replace, and last longer.

This is of course not a straightforward answer. It will depend on your budget and your specific needs. Do you regularly plane boards wider than 15 inches? Or do you often plane difficult hardwoods that require a bit more power to plane efficiently and not take minimal passes each time? Then an upgrade to the inch planers could be worthwhile. The inch planers do lack the new innovative design of the inch ones.

The old design is tried and tested and has proven its worth. Then the question remains: Should you upgrade to the helical cutterhead? As mentioned before, there are only advantages to spiral cutters when compared to standard blades. They are easier to use, is a benchtop planer worth it better results, and make less noise.

However, they do come at a cost and is a benchtop planer worth it will depend planet your specific situation whether it is worth it. If you are a professional, take into account the effort and time saved from less frequent blade changes and replacement, and as a hobbyist it will depend on how much you have to spend. A inch standard model costs about half as much as a inch model with Helical Head, so there is a machine for is a benchtop planer worth it wide range of budgets.

We hope you find this guide helpful! Which model would you go bsnchtop Let us know in the comments below. Designed in United States. Manufacturer JET. See Lowest Prices 1. Standard straight knives, open extension tables with rollers, 3HP motor. Helical cutterhead, solid cast iron extension tables, 5HP motor.

Quieter, better planing results, safer to use, more powerful. More time spent on changing and adjusting blades, less powerful.

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Every benchtop planer on this guide is % worth it under their special niches. It’s vital to look at each planer and what advantages they offer to know which one best suits a woodworker’s needs. In the end, there’s a benchtop planer for every task! Dec 06,  · I have a little 10 inch Ryobi bench top model. It works well enough except on big, heavy wide long - works ok on typical (4/4)hardwood boards when the blades are sharp. If you have access to other equipment for big runs, a benchtop is ok. I guess it is a convienience issue for a hobbyist. I wouldn't want to use it routinely for big runs.

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