Which bench top planer

[NewbieRaf]

Morning All

I’m after a reasonable desktop planer that will making my jointing more accurate and quicker. I know there is a ton of cheapy stuff out there and I’m hoping to get the best of that - if that’s possible, any recommendations?

Working in half a single car garage I don’t have much space plus for extraction I only have a Festool CT midi, hence the need for a small machine. The boards I work with aren’t very wide maybe less than 300mm wife and not thick either.

I’ve been looking at the Triton/Record power.

Any recommendations?

Thanks

 

[Rorton]

ive not used it, but im also drawn to the triton TSPL152 bench planer but its only a 150mm bed so may not suit your 300mm boards?

 

[NewbieRaf]

Good call out @Rorton thank you.

 

[Jameshow]

https://www.screwfix.com/p/erbauer-ept1500-250mm-electric-planer-thicknesser-220-240v/466fv
I have this one and does the job.

I think you would have to spend 3x the price to get something like the record pt260.

Cheers James

 

[NewbieRaf]

Thanks James, yeah if it’s good enough for P Millard it’s good enough for me I guess. You say the record pt260, looks good but would a CT midi deal with its output/clippings? I really don’t have the space for proper extraction unfortunately- - wish I did

 

[woodwoodjohn]

just had a look on axminster ebay outlet center there is a bench top planer on there for about £410 but you to bid for it have a look if your interested
cheers john

 

[Jameshow]

I think you need a DX for any PT....

Cheers James

 

[custard]

It's a long time ago now but when I lived in London I used a DeWalt bench top planer and had some good results from it.

Whatever brand you choose I'd suggest looking really hard at two factors.

Firstly is the anti-snipe capabilities, like the facility to lock the cutter head. If you end up with a poor snipe performer it makes life a misery, basically you'll be cross cutting off a few inches from the ends of all your boards, and that can get old pretty quickly.

The second thing is how easy is it to change/sharpen the knives? The problem most hobbyists wrestle with is they don't use their thicknesser often enough to get really slick at knife changes, so they then feel uncomfortable with the process and put it off...and off...and off! As a rough rule of thumb you should be thinking about a knife change after filling up say six or eight large garden sacks with chippings. And a big bench project might get you pretty close to that all by itself. Using a thicknesser with blunt knives is a miserable experience. So pick a machine where the knife change is made as easy as possible.

Good luck!

 

[memzey]

The only bench top planers I’ve seen were flimsy new models that weren’t much use for anything. Unless that’s changed in the last couple of years I would go for a #7 instead. Mine is an ancient Stanley that didn’t cost much but still joints an edge as well as the oaf that’s behind it will allow it to.

If you’re still determined to get one of these then the only suggestion I can make is to ensure that the model you get allows you to adjust all the reference surfaces independently in the necessary axis’s. If it doesn’t then you are gambling that it will work perfectly out of the box and forever stay true (neither of these outcomes are likely).

 

[NewbieRaf]

Thanks memzey I may just take you up on your suggestion as a number 7, table saw and a straight edge would do the trick, all of which I have expect for the #7

 

[Padster]

I recently got the Triton mentioned and think it’s great value and does everything I need, I have nothing to compare it to really, but can only say in the short time I’ve had it it has made life so much simpler and quicker.
Its also fairly lightweight and easy to move but still sturdy enough not to move when used if that makes sense.
Got mine from yandles- the video on putting it together is better than the instructions though!

 

[billw]

I have the Rutland one. It’s not got much capacity but I don’t need it. It’s got enough accuracy for my work. It’s 9kg and doesn’t take up bench or floor space.

There’s not much real choice on the market really.

 

[MJP]

I recently got the Triton mentioned and think it’s great value and does everything I need, I have nothing to compare it to really, but can only say in the short time I’ve had it it has made life so much simpler and quicker.
Its also fairly lightweight and easy to move but still sturdy enough not to move when used if that makes sense.

I've got a Triton planer too and I find it OK as a hobbyist - a good machine with a good solid fence. Only grumble is that the waste outlet is a different diameter to the matching Triton thicknesser for goodness sake!

 

[NewbieRaf]

You guys are tempting me with the triton

 

[Padster]

I've got a Triton planer too and I find it OK as a hobbyist - a good machine with a good solid fence. Only grumble is that the waste outlet is a different diameter to the matching Triton thicknesser for goodness sake!

Lol the extraction port was a pain the proverbial - until I realised it was the same size as my solid tube ducting and I cut a piece of that to fit around it then marry up to my flex tubing!

 

[NewbieRaf]

Will my Festool CT midi keep up with it?

 

[Padster]

Will my Festool CT midi keep up with it?

Not sure never used one ( CT midi) but before I got it hooked up, some cardboard and elastic bands to my Wickes workshop vac worked fine !

 

[NewbieRaf]

Haha love it good enough for me m. It’s in stock at FFX but more expensive than Yandles

 

[dohertycarpentry]

Will my Festool CT midi keep up with it?

If you're planing 18mm x 100mm boards you may be alright, anything over that I'd imagine it will clog up.

 

[NewbieRaf]

Noted thanks. TBH Most of my planing will be jointing