# Harbor Freight planer decent buy?



## TaleSspin

Looking at my first planer purchase:
http://www.harborfreight.com/garage...lection-95082.html#pr-header-back-to-top-link


Seems ok, seems to have overall good reviews, especially considering it's a HF special. It does concern me though to see that "replacement pats are no longer available for this model." 

What sorts of parts are typical culprits for failure for a planer and are those parts replacement outside of factory re-ordered parts? Is this a product you think would be worth it, or is there something others would suggest in a similar price range? (I do have my 25% off coupon too)

Thanks!


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## ryan50hrl

I'd buy this one first. 

Steel City Tool Works 40100 13-Inch Bench Top Portable Planer:Amazon:Home Improvement


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## GISer3546

I am also in the market for a planer with a less than spectacular budget. I am always skeptical of harbor freight. I have resigned HF to things wouldn't be close to useless because of a slight misalignment... also is why I'm worried about getting a planer second hand. That being said I would recommend this:

http://www.grizzly.com/products/12-1-2-Planer/G0505

and that being said I also haven't heard anything about the grizzly... but the certain website named after a huge river in south america seems to have near unanimously positive reviews.


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## sawdustfactory

Amazon has a dewalt 734 on sale for $349 ( reconditioned). I have been using this one for 3+ years now (it replaced a 733 that served me well for 10 years). It leaves a surface that needs almost no sanding when the blades are sharp.


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## knotscott

There are other well proven choices that I'd look into first.


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## wood_chucker

Also the rigid 4331 is only like 369 I believe at your local home depot. I have been very happy with mine.


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## Oakwerks

wood_chucker said:


> Also the rigid 4331 is only like 369 I believe at your local home depot. I have been very happy with mine.


Agree... I've had my Ridgid for 3 years ... Has worked perfectly.... And, I like the lifetime guarantee ....

Sent to y'all offen' a iPad thing......


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## Pirate

I wouldn't buy a HF machine with your money. I wouldn't buy any brand machine, if I knew parts were not available. Hello, Delta!


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## TaleSspin

I settled on: http://www.lowes.com/pd_36_0__?productId=3044121

Ran the backside of some maple flooring scrap through. I've calibrated the in/outfeed and was getting about 3 inches of gradual snipe on the tail end (no bites by any means). Calipers put the difference at 1-2 thousandths of an inch from the main surface. I'm not too happy with that. However, that was with a 24in piece and only the factory outfeed table as support. I'll rig up some more support and see if it improves. Does fine 1/32" at a time (says it can do 3/64, but I'm not tempting those results).

Going to run around 50 bf of rock maple through it tomorrow so I'll see how it holds up. I'll post something back here tomorrow night. 90-day money back supposedly, so there's that to fall back on I guess.

Thanks for talking me out of the HF special though, I'd probably have regretted it.


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## BassBlaster

Id be looking at the Ridgid model. I have the Steel City 40200H which is the exact same planer as the Ridged except it has a helical head where the ridgid has standard knives. Ive had my planer for a couple years and I love it and Ive had zero problems with it. That said, I mostly do lathe work so my planer dosnt get the workout that some would put it through.

Id also check CL for a used planer. A used Delta or DeWalt is gonna be alot better than the brand new HF model. The DeWalt planers get excellent reviews with the exception of being extremely loud.


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## TaleSspin

After using the Porter Cable today to mill up stock:

Snipe is an issue. Nothing too deep, and it took a lot of calibrating to get the snipe from 0.004" to 0.0015-0.002." Probably for my use and expertise it's passable; it should sand out easily enough. I'd prefer a better result, but I don't think that is going to happen unless I jump to the $500-600 range, which is not an option. 

I'm going to continue to toy with it tomorrow and see how it goes for this project. 

Is snipe an issue with your planer? Any tips to remedy it? (Gonna go surf this forum for similar posts)



EDIT: Just to add - I am only doing 1/32" passes. The model rates itself for a maximum of 3/32", but I'd never do more than a 1/16th with any planer anyway.


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## Burt

THE HF planer seems to scare me some. I have the DW734 and no problems at all for 4.5 years now. Lucked out, Lowes had it on clearance for $280. Check out CraigsList too.


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## knotscott

The PC doesn't have a cutterhead lock. The better ones use a 4-screw setup or a mechanical cutterhead lock to reduce snipe. DW734 and R4331 are about the lowest priced units with snipe reduction.....should find them for < $350.


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## crbond

I've run 40-50 cedar fence posts through my HF 12" planer, as well as many bf of white- oak, cherry, maple, aspen and birch. Snipe controlled by careful catching the boards at the back end.


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## GuitarPhotographer

crbond said:


> I've run 40-50 cedar fence posts through my HF 12" planer, as well as many bf of white- oak, cherry, maple, aspen and birch. Snipe controlled by careful catching the boards at the back end.


This thread dates from 2013.


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## allpurpose

Just looked through the latest HF flyer and they have new offerings, Hurcules, Bauer and another..Earthquake air tools.
It would appear that HF may be attempting to break into the higher end tool market with these things.. Stay tuned.. https://m.harborfreight.com
Their latest TP is a Baurer model, 12 1/2".
I already have a Ridgid 13" planer so I won't be in the market any time soon, but I am curious about the Baurer and perhaps the Hercules line of cordless drills and so on. The Bauer thickness planer is currently priced at $289.99.


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## tjdux

crbond said:


> I've run 40-50 cedar fence posts through my HF 12" planer, as well as many bf of white- oak, cherry, maple, aspen and birch. Snipe controlled by careful catching the boards at the back end.


Have you ever had problems with the cutter head moving while in use?

My HF planer will vihrate and the cutter head will actually move up making it somewhat useless.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk


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## Pineknot_86

Pirate said:


> I wouldn't buy a HF machine with your money. I wouldn't buy any brand machine, if I knew parts were not available. Hello, Delta!


Sane here with Craftsman.


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## Pirate

"It would appear that HF may be attempting to break into the higher end tool market with these things." That's almost funny!
Maybe the higher end of low and tools.


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## allpurpose

Pirate said:


> "It would appear that HF may be attempting to break into the higher end tool market with these things." That's almost funny!
> Maybe the higher end of low and tools.


LOL..Years later that was kind of weird for me to post.. Still the same old HF..


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