Planers
Planers are said to be the last tool woodworkers will buy. Ostensibly, all it will do is make one face of lumber smooth and parallel to its opposite face. Wood may not be uniform when acquired, even if it purports to be, but your planer will fix all of that. If you're comfortable working with 1jointers'>jointer but
Woodworking.com has an interesting article on the values of a planer.
What To Look For
'''Hand vs. Bench Models''' If you want a bigger, stronger planer for tough wood or larger quantities of lumber, get a bench model. If you're doing little jobs, you can get a hand planer.
*
Stationary versions are twice as powerful, take off more than twice as much per pass and cost more than twice as much as well.
** Can handle much wider pieces of lumber and don't produce any snipe, like on portable versions.
** More durable and require less maintenance.
** Large size restricts them to a single location.
* There are also
planer/molder and
jointer/planer combination models that serve dual purposes.
'''Size''' matters because it dictates the length of wood that the planer can support.
* 13 inches is excellent for a serious woodworker (homemade cabinets, anyone?) but if you're dealing with smaller matters, don't be ashamed.
'''Knife Strength''': You may need something that can get through heavy lumber.
* Most quality planers will offer sets of blades and replacements. There is also the option of buying only disposable knives, which means less struggle with resharpenable knives.
* Some knives may also be double-edged so you can flip them around when one side gets dull.
* Replaceable knives require knife-setting gauges so they're reinstalled at the correct height.
** Look for ones with pin indexes these match holes in each knife for easy reinstallation.
'''Depth''' options should be available, including stops and indicators, so you can decide how thick to cut your planks.
Popular Mechanics found most depthcut indicators to be faulty so be careful if you're considering buying a model with this feature.
* They found a dial that measures cutterhead height changes in 1/64-inch increments far more effective.
* Look for a '''carriage stop''' that's adjustable over the full range of the planer.
Dust Collectors keep your wood shavings from going everywhere. Get one for your planer or you'll be sorry.
'''Non-electric''' planers seem to exist too. But let's be honest, those are wimpy.
Popular Mechanics rated seven portable benchtop planers (ranging from 60$500).
