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Edited November 28, 2022
at 08:49 AM
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Direct Tools Factory Outlet has the 13" Ridgid Benchtop Planer on sale for $240 plus $15 shipping.
This is a blemished model which is LSA eligable. Lowest recent price on this planer in a while that i can see.
https://www.directtoolsoutlet.com/product/R4331
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I can tell you, compared to the DeWalt big boi, this is much cheaper and not built nearly as well. No comparison. However, compared to other lunchbox planers, this is a big step up since it has three reversible blades. The finish is therefore cleaner, more practical cost of ownership, and seems like the alignment is pretty solid as well. I've changed blades several times and they always set in nicely. Cool little magnet tool as expected comes w this.
I can feel the grip swiftly going on the rollers after just a couple hundred board feet of already flat 12" shelving wood (just wanted to clean them up). Didn't improve after I cleaned it either
Snipe is about 2-3" but you can work that out, and you're not going to avoid it with any planer really.
For the money, I'd buy it again in a heart beat. I paid $256 for this and I added two extra sets of blades for $48 since they were on sale, totaling about 305 plus tax and shipping.
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Planers are heavy so I bet shipping had a tough time dealing with the package. Mine came a little off alignment with a few marks here and there, but I was able to adjust it close enough that planed lumber still mates up perfect.
One of the benefits of going with this over the more expensive dewalt was I was able to afford a jointer too. Anything that doesn't come out perfect on this gets run through the jointer. I tried using a DIY jointer sled with this planer, but it's messy and a pain to deal with when working with big lumber pieces.
The other issue is if you haven't used a planer before, or been in the presence of one being used, they're LOUD AF! It's probably worse than a 2-stroke chainsaw. You need to spend a whole lot more money than this to get a much quieter spiral blade planer, or spend this much just to upgrade your current planer to spiral.
The jointer I got is a spiral and the noise difference is night and day.
Don't forget you need to also invest in dust collection. Big shop vac, hoses, adapters, dust collector (I used the funnel attachment that goes on a 5 gallon bucket). Mini leaf blower is a huge help too.
You can get replacement blades from DTO, usually for $30 or less when on sale. Remember to check your lumber. I had a few staples nick my blades. Planing still works fine but you have to spend extra time sanding down those spots.
Planers are heavy so I bet shipping had a tough time dealing with the package. Mine came a little off alignment with a few marks here and there, but I was able to adjust it close enough that planed lumber still mates up perfect.
One of the benefits of going with this over the more expensive dewalt was I was able to afford a jointer too. Anything that doesn't come out perfect on this gets run through the jointer. I tried using a DIY jointer sled with this planer, but it's messy and a pain to deal with when working with big lumber pieces.
The other issue is if you haven't used a planer before, or been in the presence of one being used, they're LOUD AF! It's probably worse than a 2-stroke chainsaw. You need to spend a whole lot more money than this to get a much quieter spiral blade planer, or spend this much just to upgrade your current planer to spiral.
The jointer I got is a spiral and the noise difference is night and day.
Don't forget you need to also invest in dust collection. Big shop vac, hoses, adapters, dust collector (I used the funnel attachment that goes on a 5 gallon bucket). Mini leaf blower is a huge help too.
You can get replacement blades from DTO, usually for $30 or less when on sale. Remember to check your lumber. I had a few staples nick my blades. Planing still works fine but you have to spend extra time sanding down those spots.
I bought the Wen 8" spiral jointer that was released last year. It was $350 IIRC.
You'll find that most jointers in that price range are only 6" which you can find plenty of used because people quickly upgrade from that size. Starting with 8" saves you from all that trouble. The Wen isn't as fast as as most 8" jointers, but it's about half the price of other spiral models in 8" size. I like it a lot and the value is great.
You do not need to mail them in! I have registered probably 10 different items from 6 different orders in the last two years, all online. If you'd like me to walk you through it I can. It only takes about a week for them to confirm and all you need to provide is a PDF of your invoice and the serial number from the tool.
You do not need to mail them in! I have registered probably 10 different items from 6 different orders in the last two years, all online. If you'd like me to walk you through it I can. It only takes about a week for them to confirm and all you need to provide is a PDF of your invoice and the serial number from the tool.
This is my experience as well. Just uploaded my invoices to Home Depot account
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All compact planers leave what is known as planer snipe on both ends of your board, including the top of the line Dewalt planer.
The planer head consists of a spinning blade (cutter) that sits between 2 rubber rollers that put downward force onto your board as they pull it through the machine.
As your board enters, it's only in contact with the first roller, so the head assembly flexes and tilts slightly. Because the assembly isn't completely flat at this point, the spinning cutter digs slightly deeper than the height you set on the machine….until it reaches the 2nd roller which then levels out the head assembly. Same problem occurs upon exit, so you end up with about 2" of snipe on each end of your board.
How deep the snipe is depends on a lot of factors, and how much work you want to put into correcting it. It can be as simple as using leftover sacrificial boards to run through the machine before and after your work piece. As long as they are all butted up together when run through the planer, the snipe will only be on the sacrificial boards. This can become a juggling act though when dealing with a lot of shorter boards.
Or you just account for the snipe by starting with longer boards, and cut off the sniped ends. If you're working with cheap stuff like common construction lumber, this is usually not a problem. When you get into expensive hardwoods or exotic lumber, you'll want to avoid this.
Or you could use a sander, hand planer, or jointer to correct the snipe. There's several ways to deal with it depending on severity. There's a lot to learn when it comes to planing, so don't expect to do fine woodworking off the bat. Its not as simple as it looks unless you're doing a simple project that doesn't require high precision. It's all pretty fun though.
I'll buy factory blemished w/o hesitation, but I generally avoid refurbs. My view is that if they really believed in them, they'd give you the full warranty on them. The fact that they don't means they think they are more likely to fail - so I avoid them.
When people are buying things, they weigh the pros and cons and ultimately that comes down to the discount in price vs. the added risk.
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