# Hand held power planer



## carpenter1 (Jul 5, 2010)

I know I need a planer but I don't have alot of $$$$ like that. So I saw a hand held power planer and I'm looking for the pros and cons of using one. In fact I never really use a Jack Plane :blink:. Block Plane yes. So  !!!!!!


----------



## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

I had one given to me years ago and this is what I have found. For starters, they make one heck of a mess. They blow the "chips" and dust everywhere, with or without the dustbag. Secondly, there is a lot of room for human error and being that the machine takes material away at a faster rate than a hand plane, you don't get much of a chance to correct it. What I mean by that is that I have found them to plane off square due to uneven control of the planer. Another point is that they are extremely noisy. Decibel level through the roof!!! You say that you need a planer. If it is a surface planer that you are looking for, forget it. A hand held planer will not do it for you unless the results that you desire are grooves and uneven board surfaces. Personally, I am not a fan of them. Save your money and get a good surface planer down the road if that is what you are looking for. If you are just looking for a regular plane, a high quality hand plane will do a better job than any power hand held. That is only my opinion.
Ken


----------



## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Kenbo said:


> I had one given to me years ago and this is what I have found. For starters, they make one heck of a mess. They blow the "chips" and dust everywhere, with or without the dustbag. Secondly, there is a lot of room for human error and being that the machine takes material away at a faster rate than a hand plane, you don't get much of a chance to correct it. What I mean by that is that I have found them to plane off square due to uneven control of the planer. Another point is that they are extremely noisy. Decibel level through the roof!!! You say that you need a planer. If it is a surface planer that you are looking for, forget it. A hand held planer will not do it for you unless the results that you desire are grooves and uneven board surfaces. Personally, I am not a fan of them. Save your money and get a good surface planer down the road if that is what you are looking for. If you are just looking for a regular plane, a high quality hand plane will do a better job than any power hand held. That is only my opinion.
> Ken



I agree with Ken. I have several and mainly use them for planing passage door edges. They take quite a bit of experience to become the "proper tool for the job". I will add that a properly honed handplane will replace a powerplane for most applications. I would not surface plane wood with a handheld powerplane.


----------



## woody woodturner (Jul 9, 2010)

i concur with all the boys noisy messy dont do what you want and look funny when you drop on the ground and it tries to run away:laughing::laughing::laughing:


----------



## bongodrummer (Oct 4, 2009)

My two cents: 
Agreed about the surface plaining- your going to struggle to get the finish you want with it. Even when you have experience with it, it is soo easy to make big groves in the wood. 
That said, if you are planing something less than 82mm (their average width) then they are pretty good). 

Don't even think about using one without a little vacuum dust extractor. Without one you will make a right mess, but with one they are actually really tidy. I got hold of a second hand Bosch 18V battery one. With new blades the finish is reasonable, and there is literally no mess with a shop vac attached :thumbsup: Because it is a battery one it runs a bit slower than a mains one (and also only has a max depth of cut of 1.5mm), but this also means that it is quite quiet (in comparison). 

If I was buying again I would save up for the festool - the spiral blade is suppose to reduce noise and vibration, will increase tool life and give a better finish. Also I have now needed to plane in deeper rebates than mine can handle so many times... 

So yeah, I actually quite like them for a lot of things...


----------



## JGlen (Jun 9, 2016)

Hello All,

My first post here. I was given a Craftsman Model # 315.17321 electric hand planer. It needed new blades and belt. I spent $ 50.00 and the blades and belt, only to discover I also need a "blade adjustment plate", which did not come with the planer. Sears Parts Direct states they are obsolete and no longer available. I've checked all over the web to find one, to no avail.
Is there any way to install the blades without this adjustment plate? Or did I just blow $ 50.00 for a paper weight!

Thanks!


----------



## shoot summ (Feb 21, 2014)

JGlen said:


> Hello All,
> 
> My first post here. I was given a Craftsman Model # 315.17321 electric hand planer. It needed new blades and belt. I spent $ 50.00 and the blades and belt, only to discover I also need a "blade adjustment plate", which did not come with the planer. Sears Parts Direct states they are obsolete and no longer available. I've checked all over the web to find one, to no avail.
> Is there any way to install the blades without this adjustment plate? Or did I just blow $ 50.00 for a paper weight!
> ...


Welcome, probably would have been better to start a new thread on this instead of adding it to a 6 year old thread that doesn't really pertain to your question.


----------

