If you are planning to fix that heavy bedroom door that’s a tad too thick or looking to handle some other DIY project at home, then you definitely need an electric hand planer. Power hand planers are fast, effective, and compact enough that you can use them in tight corners for your various projects. That’s why they are a necessity in most households since you never know when you need one. Moreover, if you are a professional handyman or a carpenter, then this is one handy versatile tool that you would always need, in your line of business.

Electric hand planers are sturdy, compact, lightweight, and easy to hold with a single hand, and usually, they come with blades that are around 3 inches (max). And do remember, that you may often have to change or reverse these blades, to get the best use you can, out of these planers. What makes these top-rated power handheld planers ideal for DIY and small projects is the fact they are portable and you can use the same to shape the wood, to the perfect thickness.

 And as for their pricing, they are definitely much more attractively priced, when compared to the bigger variants in the market – usually, their prices range between $50 to $200, depending on the brand, its functionality, and main features.

Best Electric Hand Planer Reviews

#1. DEWALT Power Hand Planer Review

If you are planning to get started on a DIY project, which includes some woodworking as well – then you are definitely going to need a handy, highly functional power hand planner. The DEWALT DW680K is indeed a good choice, for it is compact, not too heavy, and comes with ‘easy to use functionality as well. This best handheld planer is perfect for both amateurs and professionals alike; you can also use it for your professional projects as well and get the perfect finish that you are looking for.

This model comes with a powerful 7 AMP motor which can provide you with a smooth and uniform finish; moreover, it also happens to come with 15,000 RPM and can deliver a cutting depth of 3/32 inches. It is powerful enough for a hand planer and can be used to reshape any wood, with ease. What makes this planer stand out is that you can get a cut of 3/32 inches with a single pass; moreover, it happens to feature reversible carbide blades, which you can reverse and even replace quite easily.

And naturally, this lightweight electric handheld planer does come equipped with a depth adjustment knob with which you can tweak the settings, depending on your current need. It also comes with a two-finger trigger which makes it easier to use as well as the fact that it also features a poly Y drive belt, which should help increase its life span. It is certainly quite compact, not to mention versatile, and also comes with its own carrying case as well. Check out some of the pros and cons of this product,

Pros

  • It comes with a sturdy and quality build; it is designed to be durable and should certainly last you for a long while.
  • It is quite compact, and lightweight. It weighs only 6.2 lbs and can be easily maneuvered, so you should be able to use it with ease on most projects.
  • It comes with two reversible carbide blades for better cutting efficiency
  • It should provide you with 3/32 inch cut depth

Cons

  • It is a little noisy
  • It is a tad expensive

#2. Makita KP0800K Corded Electric Hand Planer

When it comes to the best electric hand planers, the important thing that you may want to consider is its ‘ease of use’ and frankly, Matika KP0800K stands out on account of the same. This best handheld planer manages to work smoothly and fluidly, with little noise pollution and can reshape your wood with the perfect finish. 

It comes with a sturdy build and is lightweight and compact enough that you should not have any issue maneuvering the same. You should be able to use this planer for both your home-based DIY projects as well as professional projects alike.

Weighing at 7.3 lbs, it comes with a perfect weight to performance ratio, and what makes this product even more attractive is the fact that it can also be used sideways, without any hassle. It can resurface nearly 5/32 inches deep and 3.25 inches wide. You should be able to use this power hand planer for any projects with ease, and reshape those planks to the right thickness. Incidentally, this planer comes with dual blades at 16,000 RPM which packs in a lot of power. In fact, given the cut and accuracy, coupled with power, you should be able to use this planer for any resurfacing work.

What should be pointed out is that this product is a ball-bearing mechanism and is certainly built to be durable. It should definitely last you for a long while. The model also comes with a precision-machined aluminum base which helps to make this planer more accurate. So, if you are looking for a highly functional planer, one that is both easy to handle and one that can be used for both professional and home-based DIY projects, then this model would be as good as it gets. Check out some of its pros and cons,

Pros

  • It comes with a powerful 7.5 AMPS motor along with 16000 RPM, which enables it to function smoothly with both soft and hard woods
  • It is ball bearing, which makes it efficient and should also help make it more durable
  • It comes with fantastic performance
  • It can handle any application

Cons

  • It is a little on the heavy side
  • It is also a little expensive

#3. WEN 6530 Hand Planer (Electric)

This handy little electric hand planner is every carpenter’s dream come true; it is perfect for any woodworking project and is small and compact enough that it can be easily maneuvered.  You can use this planer to reshape those stubborn doors or even get the desk drawers to open with ease. You can use it to reshape a lot of those rough edges, to sand it, and give it a smooth finish. The WEN 6530 comes with a 6  AMP motor, and one that can make nearly 34000 cuts per minute. It does pack quite a punch and with this planer, you should be able to get your project completed much faster.

This is also one of the few electric hand planers to come packed with their own dust bag. The dust bag is quite large enough and you can use it to pack it with your wood shavings and ensure that your work area is kept clean at all times. It also comes with a unique way of making rabbets, which is something that most carpenters would appreciate. It can effectively be used for rabetting. You can also use decrease or increase the cuts with this planer as well as the optimal cut depth size accordingly. It comes with 16 positive stops,

It also comes with a multidirectional dust chute which you can use to eject all the dust and wood chips to one side. It is quite powerful and comes equipped with the extra functionality that helps prevent it from making any unwanted cuts as well.  Check out some of the pros and cons of this product,

Pros

  • It comes with a 6 AMP motor and is capable of making nearly 34000 cuts minute.
  • It is highly compact, and comes loaded with advanced functionality
  • It comes with a parallel fence bracket
  • It comes with an attractive price tag

Cons

  • It is expensive
  • It is a tad difficult to change the blades on this product.

#4. PORTER-CABLE PC60THP 6-Amp Hand-Planing-Tool

This power hand planer which comes with a 6 AMP motor is a really powerful beast, and it certainly shows its true colors the moment you switch it on. This hand planner can cut, reshape any wood with a high RPM of 16500, and with it, you should be able to get the job done faster. If you are on the lookout for fast, powerful, and efficient hand planers then you may want to start taking a closer look at this one.

It also comes with dual-side dust extraction as well as the requisite dust bag, which you can use to keep your work area spotless. You can use this power hand planer for both home-based DIY projects as well as for professional ones; it certainly packs in a lot of functionality and features. It comes with all the requisite knobs including one which allows you to regulate the depth of the cut, so you can vary it accordingly, depending on the project. It also comes with pre-set settings that you can use for different projects which should enable you to use this power tool, efficiently for different projects.

It also happens to come with 11.5 inches cast aluminum shoe, which should help provide you with better control as well as a better finish. What makes this planer stand out is that it is capable of 5/64 inches of cut which means that you get to remove more wood with a single pass of this hand planer. This model also comes along with a wrench, carbide cutting blades, dust bag, an edge guide, kitbag, and much more. It also comes with a three-year warranty as well; check out some of its pros and cons,

Pros –

  • It comes with a powerful 6AMP motor, that can deliver in excess of 16500 RPM
  • This planer ranks as one of the top dust free alternatives, compared to the rest
  • This planer is easy to use and comes packed with extra functionality
  • It is quite light weight and surprisingly compact
  • It is priced at an affordable range
  • It comes with three year warranty

Cons

  • It is not meant for first time users, you need to review the guide book carefully before you start using this product
  • The accompanying dust bag is quite small.

#5. Bosch PL1632 Electrically Powered Hand Planer

This handy electric planer is a Bosch, and given the reputation the brand has, it is to be expected that this product is also sturdily built – and true to norm, it is. It works best with soft woods and is perfect for home based DIY projects. It does come with a decent motor and decent speed as well. It is not light weight but it happens to compact enough and features an aluminum shoe as well which should provide you with more control over the planer.

It is slightly on the heavy side, and may not as last as long as you may want your planers to do. That being said, it is perfect for small projects. Check out some of the main pros and cons,

Pros –

  • It comes with a decent motor
  • It is small enough that you can use it for any project
  • It comes with decent speed
  • It comes with limited product warranty.

Cons

  • Its shoe is poorly constructed and is bound to warp from all that heat
  • It is heavy
  • It does not work well with heavy wood
  • It is expensive as well

Electric Hand Held Planers Buying Guide

When it comes to choosing a wood planer, especially a power hand planer, you need to know what to look for in one. For starters, did you know that the business end of the best electric hand planer comes with a rapidly spinning drum, with several blades, called ‘irons’? Anyway, here are a few things that you may want to keep in mind when purchasing electric hand planers.

  • Number of blades: Hand held planers come with blades which are around 82mm wide; and you may want to check the product and find out how many blades it comes with. The basic ones come with just one; you need something better, so look for models that come with two or more blades since it can also help you get your work done faster.
  • Extra functionality: It should also be pointed out that some electric hand planers, can also double as a sanding planer. And a few even come with accessories that enable you to attach the same to a vacuum cleaner and clean up the dust, wood chips and particulates, at the end of the work. So if you need a highly functional hand planer, then you may want to look for a model that comes with extra features;
  • Soft handles: All planers tend to shake, and vibrate a lot, that’s a given. And given this, you may want to look for hand planers that come with a soft and comfortable grip that makes it easy for you to handle the same.
  • Depth scales: It is vital that the planer you select comes with the requisite depth scales, which allow you to adjust the depth of the cut, as well as control the finish so that you end up with the perfect product. Just make sure that the depth scales in the hand planer are marked in meters and inches
  • Chip direction: This handy function lets you decide on which side of the planer the wood chips fly out from, whether on the right or left. And a few models even come with specific chutes that dispose of the wood chips. This is one handy feature and can be quite useful, so when selecting a hand planner, this is one feature that you may want to keep your eyes peeled out for.
  • Tools: Additionally, you may want to look for planers that come with their own set of tools. It beats having to pay separately for the same

These are some of the features that you need to keep in mind when choosing electric hand planers. With so many available choices, you may find it a little hard to zone in on the perfect hand planer. That is why we have collated some of the very best and have reviewed the lot below. Check them out and with these tips, you should be able to pick out the right one.

Conclusion

These are some of the best electric hand planners, and as you can see, each handheld planer is different from the other and often comes in with extra features and advanced functionality. So you need to review the list carefully, read the descriptions carefully, and then review your own requirements before selecting the right handheld planer. Make sure that you check out the product reviews listed against each product as that should clue you in as to how good the product is and whether it is worth buying the same.

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