5 Best Electric Hand Planer For Woodworking

The best electric hand planer can reduce the time and effort necessary to produce high-quality works.

Nevertheless, there are just so many options currently available on the market, people with less experience just don’t know which to choose.

That is why we decided to put this article together. We hope that you can utilize the buying guide part to see which aspect is the most important.

Afterward, we will introduce to you the 5 options that we believe to be the best at the moment.

Top Rated Electric Hand Planer

Why Should You Buy An Electric Hand Planer?

The first and most obvious advantage to owning an electric hand planer is the fact that you may carry it anywhere you want.

Completely opposite from table planers, which requires the wood to be passed through, you will run the hand planer through the wood.

This nature means that hand planers are the most suitable for on-site and maintenance works. For instance, you can use them to trim the doors so that they can fit the frame.

They are essential tools for building projects, as balustrades and cabinets always need some cutting to fit perfectly.

An electric hand planer removes thin layers of wood with each pass, so you can fit your pieces with perfect precision. Also, they do not require you to exert as much physical effort.

The last advantage is the fact that electric hand planers are much cheaper than table ones. If you are new to woodworking, there is no way that you have a high budget.

Also, they are work efficiently than you using hand planer tools. Thus, this type of planer is perfect for you.

How To Choose The Best Electric Hand Planer

Below are the features that we believe to be the most vital for electric hand planers.

• Power

Power is one of the most vital characteristics of an electric hand planer. This figure will tell you how capable your planer is.

Unlike the other power tools, we often calculate the power of an electric planer by amp, not watt.

So, the electric hand planer needs at least 5 Amps, the more powerful motor gets better. That is why you will usually see sentences like “powerful 7.5 amp planer”.

• Number of Irons

This feature is usually not something that novices will pay attention to, as one blade is often enough for them.

Nonetheless, once you have gained enough experience, you will realize how good these things are when they work in unison.

That is why we recommend getting planers that have at least two blades. It may take longer to get used to this kind of setup, but the payoff is huge.

• Capacity

The usual capacity that you will see in most electric hand planers is 3 ¼ inches for cutting width. This number is now the golden standard, as the best electric hand planers can easily surpass it.

But, you need to consider the depth of cut and have the ability versatile adjustments.

• Dust Collector

Planing will produce quite a huge amount of dust and shavings. After all, you are practically destroying the workpiece at an immense speed.

To make sure that your workplace does not turn into a humongous mess, a dust collector is a must-have.

A good suction bag can do the trick, as it will suck all the ejected shavings and chips. All you need to do is connect it with the planer through the attachment points.

• Grip Handle

Most people overlook the importance of this feature, but it can determine the final quality of your work.

If you use a rigid and hard handle, there is no way that your hand does not feel pain after working for a while.

This pain will surely make you lose focus, which may lead to making mistakes and destroying the work in progress. At the end of the day, the speed of the planners leaves no room for mistakes.

• Stationary Support

While electric hand planers are incredibly portable and easy to handle, there are times where you need to stabilize them.

Then, you will find that this action is incredibly hard to pull off without proper stationary support.

The stability is always present and necessary, the best solution is to get a planer that has a bench converter feature.

• Fences

Fences are important if you want to turn your workpiece into a perfectly squared surface on all sides.

Of course, fences alone are not enough, as you need them to be as long as possible. This length will ensure the accuracy of your passes.

Some manufacturers also built their fences to be adjustable for jointing as well as chamfering purposes.

• Depth Scale

There is no denying the vital role that a good depth scale plays in controlling the quality of your workpiece’s finish.

Deeper settings mean more material will be cut off while shallower passes can only trim a little bit.

All-electric hand planers have two scales, inch, and metric. You should always double-check if the setting you use is the right.

The difference between 1 inch and 1 cm is actually quite huge. You may accidentally destroy your work.

• Chip Direction

The direction of your chip tells you from where the chips and shavings will be ejected. Knowing this, you won’t put your face there.

You can also pick up options that have chip chutes and angling them away from your own face.

• Retractable Feet

A high percentage of planning accidents happen when the user puts the planer down despite the blades still running.

With retractable feet, you can physically eliminate the chance of this accident from happening. Electric brakes work on the exact same principle.

We recommend getting planers that have either one of these safety features.

• Carbide Or HSS Blades

The HSS (high-speed steel) blades can only cut through softwoods such as pine. They also lose their sharpness quickly, but you can combat this problem by getting a sharpening jig. You can easily find a replacement for these blades.

On the other hand, carbide blades can cut through any type of wood, even synthetic ones.

Their edges can last much longer than the HSS blades, but they require specialized tools to resharpen. Most of the time, you are better off just buying new blades to replace the dulled ones.

Most planers use these blades employ a double-blade system, so their life is greatly extended

• Wireless Or Corded?

The most obvious weakness of a corded handheld planer is the fact that it needs to be plugged in. As such, the range of movement is limited, and with it, your creativity. They will never lose steam while you are working, though.

Also, these models are typically much lighter as well as more powerful than the ones using batteries.

If you are only working on a smaller workpiece and you move around a lot, the wireless options are very handy.

They shine the most in situations where there is no outlet for corded planers. Some prime examples are deck reparation and roof installation.

You can make use of the Ampere-hour rating to know the capacity of your planer.

5 Best Electric Hand Planers – Reviews

1. Bosch PL1632 3-1/4″ 6.5 Amp Planer

There is no introduction necessary, as we are sure you must have heard about Bosch at least once before.

Basing its success on a commitment to quality, this company has put out many high-quality products. The Bosch PL1632 3-1/4″ 6.5 Amp Planer is no exception.

This hand planer is the best overall option on this list. From a powerful motor to an optimally placed handle, it provides everything you need in an electric hand planer.

It has a 6.5 amp motor, which is the second-strongest one on the list. This motor can supply the planer with enough energy to go as high as 16500 rpm, making quick work of any wood stock. The quick speed is also advantageous for giving the wood a smooth finish.

You also get an integrated stand that can elevate itself, protecting both the tool resting spot and the blade.

This stand, coupled with the planer’s unique shape, means that you can easily access the center of your workpiece. This feature provides lots of customizability.

However, you do not get a carrying bag or case, which proves to be a huge problem if you travel a lot.

It is incredibly hard to move this product around if you don’t have the correct bag. Our recommendation is to buy one, as it does not cost too much.

2. WEN 6530 6-Amp Electric Hand Planer

Most of the time, people who use electric hand planers are those with less experience. So the WEN 6530 6-Amp 3-1/4-Inch Electric Hand Planer is the best choice if you want to test the water. It’s easy to use!

At a mere 6 pounds, it does not require you to strategize every single ounce of strength to move around.

This lightness eliminates the main difficulty many people have while using electric hand planers. The 6-amp motor makes things even easier, as there is almost no force feedback.

True to its purpose as an entry-level hand planer, this product comes attached with a rabbeting guide.

For this reason, you will be able to save lots of time and effort searching online for a trustworthy guide. The guide will show you how to make rabbets with a maximum size of 7/10 inches.

There is also a kickstand to prevent you from making the common beginners’ mistake of allowing unintentional workpiece-to-blade contact.

You do not want to make this mistake, as it will lead to unwanted injuries. Your machine will also be damaged.

This electric hand planer produces quite an enormous amount of shavings, but its dust collector lacks capacity.

As a result, you will need to occasionally stop what you are doing to empty the dust collector. We all know how something like this can kill our creativity.

3. Makita KP0810 3-1/4″ Planer

After you have familiarized yourself with woodworking in general and electric planers in particular, you will need something more challenging.

In this aspect, the Makita KP0810 Convenient Planer and its incredibly precise depth adjustment are exactly what you would be looking for.

As we have introduced, the depth adjustment knob is the cream of the crop, thanks to its detailed scale. You will need to spend quite a bit of time to familiarize yourself with this scale, as it increases by 0.1 mm.

However, once you can read it quickly, you can change the depth precisely with just one touch.

The body design of this planer also requires you to spend some time adjusting. The end result is pretty nice, though, as its shape eliminates all chances of the blades touching your workpiece.

You no longer need to watch the blades carefully each time you put the planer to rest.

With just one single pass, this machine is capable of planning a maximum of 5/32 inches deep and 3-1/4 inches wide.

This kind of power is convenient if you know what you are doing, as it cuts through all wood types. On the contrary, if you are not careful, it can destroy your workpiece.

As we have been emphasizing, this option is incredibly good in the hands of a professional. That is why the biggest disadvantage that it has is the fact that people less skilled just cannot utilize it.

If you don’t grasp its limitations clearly, there can be lots of issues, like the blades shattering.

4. PORTER-CABLE PC60THP 5/64-Inch Hand Planer

Despite it being the most affordable option on this list, you should not underestimate the PORTER-CABLE PC60THP 5/64-Inch Hand Planer.

It has the same double-blade design that all high-quality electric hand planers have. Unlike other options, though, it has two dust collectors on the sides.

For this reason, you will never have to worry about the dust collector being filled to the brim.

There are three chamfering grooves accompanying this hand planer, which is a rare sight to see. With these sharp and flexible grooves, edge chamfering has never been this easy.

Even the most inexperienced woodworker can try their hands at this advanced technique.

The maximum cut depth that this machine can manage is 5/64-inch. With this depth, the PORTER-CABLE PC60THP can make quick work of virtually all types of wood.

You can freely change this depth according to your preference by turning the depth knob.

There is, however, one issue that we have noticed about this best electric hand planer. Just one look, you will immediately notice that the carrying bag sent alongside this product is too small.

It is simply impossible to fit the planer into that bag, so you should look for another one.

5. DEWALT DW680K 7 Amp Hand Planer

Dewalt is a brand that simply needs no introduction, as it has been considered to be the best manufacturer for quite some time.

This brand built its name on highly powerful devices, and the DEWALT DW680K 7 Amp Hand Planer is no exception.

No other option on this list has a motor capable of competing with the 7-amp one that the DEWALT DW680K possesses.

With this motor, you can cut as much as 32000 times within 1 single minute. No wood, be it soft or hard, can withstand this kind of onslaught.

With 3/32 inch cut depth, which lessens the passes needed. The knob used for depth adjustments comes in presets, so it can calibrate and locked position for use repetitively.

You can change the usual blades with huge high-speed steel blades. These blades are perfect for framing or straight edging applications, both of which can turn your workpiece into something amazing.

Of course, as those are all advanced techniques, you should familiarize yourself with them first.

The biggest issue we have against this machine is the fact that the alignment system of the blade is unconventional.

Once you get used to it, you will see that this placement style is quite efficient, but it takes a while to completely familiarize yourself.

Frequently Asked Questions About Electric Hand Planer

We encountered some interesting questions while researching for the electric hand planer. We hope that you can find some uses out of them.

When Should You Use An Electric Hand Planer?

You should only use electric hand planers to mill wood and ensure that the dimension is correct. They are best when you can use them to flatten your workpiece so that it can fit into corners.

You can also use them to smoothen the rough edge grain of your wood. Doing so can significantly improve the appearance of your final product.

Can I Joint My Board With My Electric Hand Planer?

You need to set your planer up properly to attempt the joining process. However, once you do, you will see that the result is even better than that of your benchtop jointer.

Due to the planer’s ability to smoothen the surface of the wood, the glue has a much easier time sticking to it.

Electric Hand Planers Are Dangerous To Use?

Yes, the blade of this machine rotates at an incredibly fast speed. Just one touch is all it needs to cut something up. The risk is even higher if you take into consideration the fact that you are guiding the hand planers with your hands.

Our recommendation is to make sure that all the blade lockings are in position and wear all the safety gear properly. You should also make sure to rest the planer using the retractable feet.

What Is Different Between Jointers And Electric Hand Planers?

The main difference between these two types of devices is precision. While jointers can only ensure that the boards are of roughly the same thickness, planers will produce the exact same thickness.

Another difference lies in the way they work. Jointers will perfectly flatten a single face and square a single edge.

On the other hand, planers make sure that the thickness is consistent and all the surfaces are parallel.

Is It Possible To Use Electric Hand Planers To Remove My Old Finish?

The answer is yes, but it’s simply not worth the risk. The friction caused by planers can soften polyurethane finishes, but they will gum up the blades.

Our recommendation is to use belt sanders at half of their max speed to remove the finishes. The belt gumming up is much easier to fix than the blades gumming up.

Will Epoxy Destroy My Planer’s Blade?

Yes, the epoxy layer will tax your planer’s blades, but only if you use the planer right away. Our trick is to wait for the epoxy layer to cure, but not long enough so that it does not harden too much.

Conclusion

After comparing all the options, we were finally able to determine the best electric hand planer. It is the Bosch PL1632 3-1/4″ 6.5 Amp Planer, with the runner-up being the Makita KP0810.

As we have mentioned above, the Bosch PL1632 is no clear weakness, making it incredibly suitable as the first planer for novices.

You should be able to learn a lot of things using this electric hand planer along with its power and ease of use.

While the Makita KP0810 Convenient Planer offers quite a lot of interesting features, its hard-to-use nature is a huge con.

This option can only shine in the hands of professional users. It is this limitation that eliminates the Makita KP0810’s chances of being the best option.