Need advise on planer purchase

[iceman61]

I am thinking about purchasing a planer, more than likely in the 12" - 15" range. I would appreciate anyones opinion on the best ones out there. Any suggestions or advice?

[gary]

What type of wood do you anticipate using?

[iceman61]

Anything from pine to hardwoods, so just about everything. oak, cherry, maple, walnut etc...

[LCHIEN]

i was using my Delta 22-560 planer the other night and thinking what a nice machine it was.
They still sell it as the TP400LS with a stand.
Has a cutterhead lock, snipe is minimized. I planed several 2" strips of hardwood from about .270-380 to .250, 12-24 inches long. - several passes.
When I was done I checked them with my calipers, the thinnest part was about .244 and the thickest was about .249"
Reasonably priced, and I can lift it up by myself. (Look at the weight of some of the other "portable" thickness planers, esp. the yellow ones which are nice but very, very heavy.)

If you want to go up in the Delta line the 22-580 is a winner with two speeds. Going down, The Tp300 (formerly the 22-540) I tihink is a no-go, it lacks the cutterhead lock to reduce snipe.

[sweensdv]

13" and under, you can't go wrong with the DeWalt DW735. Over 13" I would recommend that you look into one of the stand alone models. For a few extra hundred dollars you'll be getting a tool that will last a lifetime vs the benchtop types that will wear out much quicker.

[gsmittle]

I'm very happy with my Rigid 13" planer. It has infeed & outfeed tables, double-sided indexed knives (and an extra set), is relatively light, and includes a dust port and stand.

Anyway, I've no complaints--it's a joy to use. Until I nicked the knives. No biggie--I'll use the other set.

g.

[poolhound]

I am another ridgid TP1300 user and am very happy with it.

[smorris]

Dewalt 734 user here and quite happy with it. I use outfeed rollers with it when doing longer work and that makes for no snipe if they are adjusted correctly.

[Tom Slick]

I am also very happy with my TP1300 Ridgid 13" planer. the Dewalt DW735 is the best of the small planers though.

[drumpriest]

I wrote a reply to this earlier, and now it's gone, dunno why. I have the DW735 w/ infeed and outfeed tables. The surface support is really large for a portable planer with this setup. It's performed like a champ for me thus far.

[Uncle Cracker]

I have had very good luck with my Ryobi AP1300. If you can find a used one, you could get a great machine and a great price. Won't find a new one, since they brought out the AP1301 a couple years ago (avoid that one... stripped down, and no cutterhead lock). Kudos to Rousseau also, for their rollaround stand with fold-down infeed and outfeed tables.

[JackAZ]

planer issue

ditto drumpriest's and others comments. I have the dw735 with extensions and the roll-around stand. With it hooked up to the dust collector, there are no chips to clean up.

Been 2 years now and still no need to change blades. Course how often can a septuagenarian make good use of this machine.

[John Hunter]

I have a Delta TP300 and it has served me well, the newer models are much improved as others above have noted. I think that if I were going to replace it I would get the Delta 22-560.

[softop41]

Another vote for the Ridgid 13" (TP1300L) planer. Minimum snipe and fully outfitted out of the box(infeed table, outfeed table, extra knives). I've had mine for 2 years and no problems.
Jerry

[iceman61]

Guys, thanks for all the advise & ideas. I really haven't researched anything on planers yet & had no idea where to start, but I knew you guys would steer me in the right direction. I'm probably going to stick in the 12" to 13" range. That should just about any job I need to do. I'll be googling some reviews on your suggestions but all in all, I trust your personal experiences more.