Good deal? Delta TP305 12.5" planer $285

[duncsuss]

Amazon has a deal going today, DELTA ShopMaster TP305 15 Amp 12-1/2-Inch Portable Planer for $284.49 with free shipping.

Is this a good planer?

If it is, is $285 a good price for it?

Thanks!

[LCHIEN]

i thnk that model lacks a cutterhead lock to help keep snipe to a minimum.
The TP400LS model from Delta incorporates that feature, I would not buy a planer that does not have a cutterhead lock.

As for nearly $300 for the TP305, that seems high.

[duncsuss]

thanks for the advice about the cutterhead lock, I'll keep that in mind as I keep looking ... this one gets away

[Uncle Cracker]

+1 on Loring's suggestion... If you don't get a cutterhead lock, you'll wish you did.

[tommyt654]

I think if you,ll keep an eye out at the Home Depots it appears that they may be about to clearance the DW734 out in certain parts of the country. I,m not saying they are right now , but might be in the future and it might be wise to hold up on purchasing a planer for the moment as this may occur, Just my feeling on your situation

[duncsuss]

... may be about to clearance the DW734 out ...

Thanks for the tip. Does the DW734 have cutterhead locks?

[Uncle Cracker]

Thanks for the tip. Does the DW734 have cutterhead locks?

Yes, it does... A pretty good one on all 4 columns...

[dbhost]

FWIW, from the planer reviews I have seen in the mags, ALL benchtop planers have snipe to one degree or another. Even the greatly venerated DeWalt DW735. Just because you get a planer with infeed / outfeed tables, and cutter head locks doesn't guarantee you won't have snipe. Now these are GOOD things to have, and greatly reduce snipe, but don't think an out of the box planer will never give you any snipe. It's just unrealistic...

To the question of the Delta planer originally referenced. It is every bit as good in most regards as the $199.00 Ryobi AP1301, which is a great planer for the money. The disadvantage do the Delta is that it does not come with any sort of dust port, just a chute spewing shavings all over the shop floor. The advantage of the Delta is that there is an optional chute you can buy that will provide a 4" DC connection.

For the money, spend a little more and get the 13" Ridgid, or try to find a good used DW735 if you can...

[tsbrewers]

I will back up what others have said. I owned the 305 for a while and it did snipe like crazy, and I think I paid just over $200 for it new also. I sold it and bought the ridgid and couldn't be happier.

Brew

[duncsuss]

... spend a little more ...

wait a second ... I thought this was supposed to be the "bargain alert" board

@all -- thanks for the advice, it's all helpful for a beginner like me

[JimD]

I got a used AP-10 for $100. Once I added the infeed/outfeed rollers it came with and sharpened the knives, it became a very useful addition to my shop. It lacks the locks but I can get consistent thickness by taking a light cut at the end - advisable anyway. Snipe is largely having infeed/outfeed support.

Jim

[LCHIEN]

the cutterhead locks will keep the cutterhead from sinking at the back and front when the end of the board goes under. The board letting off one of the rollers causes the end snipe -the locks keep it from dropping and hence taking a bigger cut right on the end.

[dbhost]

wait a second ... I thought this was supposed to be the "bargain alert" board

@all -- thanks for the advice, it's all helpful for a beginner like me

Well, I do own the AP1301 that lacks the cutter head lock, and infeed / outfeed support. I have some techniques that work around that and I am happy with my machine. The Ridgid 13" with cutter head lock is an excellent machine, that shares common knives with my Ryobi, but costs more. Less snipe, but it still exists... Worst part is... I have a project I am in the middle of, I should have planed first, I didn't. (STUPID!). Now it's either snipe, or leave the boards too thick.

Luckily they are fence pickets I am working with for a rustic planter box...

But I digress...

Read my posts. I am no brand loyal kind of guy. I mean if Harbor Freight tools will do what I need them to do with the quality output I want, why pay more right? My objective is bang for the buck. My Ryobi delivers that in spades. If I had it to do over again, I would probably buy another Ryobi, unless I came across a great deal on a DeWalt DW735.

I have seen mixed reviews on the 734, and the higher cost, similar features make me more apt to pull the trigger on the Ridgid planer instead....

[Knottscott]

Debates about the capability of the TP305 aside, $285 is not a particularly good deal IMO....I seem to recall seeing it in the $200-$225 range alot. For $285, I'd look for a refurbished Ridgid or something comparable.

[iceman61]

Lowes started clearancing these planers out about 2 months ago. I had my eye on one at my local Lowes & when stock got down to the last one left, the manager made a deal of $100 for this planer. I still baulked on it because of the snipe issues.

If you really want a good deal on this planer, you might still find one at a Lowes store. I ended up getting a DeWalt DW735 for $279 clearanced out at HD last month. IMHO the DeWalt is a better deal in the under $300 range if you can find one at a HD.