Which planer?

Hi: I want to purchase a new or slightly used planer for planing white cedar planking and rib stock. Which planer are you using?
Thanks!

 

I'm using the Delta benchtop model, mostly because there was a rebate available on it when my last one blew up, which made it cheaper than the others. Any of them should work fine. Just take small cuts, and keep it clean -- crud on the rollers & knives creates all sorts of havoc. And yes, that same crud will get into the inner workings as well. Not fun...

 

Mine is a Rigid which looks identical to several others under different brands. Not sure who actually manufactures them. The key is sharp knives, small passes, and a serious dust collector to clear the chips otherwise they can foul what would have been a nice smooth surface.

A drum sander is a big plus for pre-sanding planking and rib stock. Mine is a Performax 16-32. Working with coarse grit it can also double as a thickness planer for figured grain without the worry of tear-out.

 

Check the throat limits. You want one that drops to 1/8th inch.

R.C.

 

I bought the cheap one at Menard's for something like $275 and have beat it to death.

Still runs fine and cuts great if you keep the blades sharp. It is important to make sure it will cut down to 1/8 inch.

I'll sell you mine cheap cuz I'l like to get a new one that Steel City makes. It is a 13" planer with a Helical head that has small square teeth you can rotate. If you hit a nail, you only need to rotate a few teeth, not change the whole blade. I have seen what the helical head can do on a 15" planer and they are super.

Steel City is the only maker of a 13" helical head planer at $600.00. I'd get one of those if I didn't already have a planer.

I have a Performax drum sander for planking as well, but you don't need one if you have a helical planer as it will eliminate tear-out.

Good luck,

Paul

 

Ditto on all the above, though I'm not a huge fan of spiral cutter heads. I use a DeWalt bought when they offered a free 9.6 V drill. Good planner, no complaints. Mine only goes to 1/4 inch but I can add a plywood platen to go thinner. Have to keep sharp knives for good cuts. I've not had any luck finding good used ones at auctions, Craig's list seems to be the best.
Thanks,
Roger