7 Best Planer Thicknessers Reviews For UK Woodshops (2021)

Last Updated on May 6, 2021

Whether you’re looking to expand your workshop, or you’re a passionate DIY enthusiast who wants to build that perfect table for your patio, you need to find the best thicknesser to match your needs. Many factors contribute to planer thicknessers, including feed rate, cutting width, planing depth, planing width, dust extractor or cutting blades – things that usual reviewers don’t bother to cover. If you’re confused or unsure as to which planer thicknesser to buy, read below to find the top-rated models of planer thicknessers in 2021, and why they made it on the list.

The Best Planer Thicknessers In 2021

1. The Best TPT125 Planer Thicknesser By Triton

The best planer thicknesser is the TPT125 model by Triton. This 1100 W machine consists of a high-performance thicknesser with 317mm (12.5″) cutting width, 1.6mm ( 1/16″) increments in the depth of cut, as well as a cutter height of 3.2 – 152mm. As for the maximal depth of cut in a single pass, this machine can cut up to 2.4 mm (3/32 inch). Thanks to its four-post column design, you’ll make sure to gain rigidity and accuracy in setting the depth of the cut, a feature that isn’t so common among planers. Along with its 17,500 cuts per minute function, this thickness planer will give your board a smooth finish at the lowest noise possible, thanks to its sound power levels at 103.9dB(A).

The machine additionally contains large tables for added material support. and an increased feed rate.

Thanks to its locating holes that ensure secure bench mounting and a crank handle for easy movement of the roller case, this planer is incredibly functional in all aspects. Whether you’re located in the UK or EU, that won’t be a problem since this machine comes with both plugs. The best planer thicknesser reviews (UK) place this machine on the top of the list, due to its durability, price range, features, and overall functionality. If you’re looking for the best planer thicknesser for small workshop settings, then this is your most suitable choice.

Pros

This planer thicknesser is very efficient. The dust port extraction chute extracts either left or right, for a cleaner and safer working environment; whereas the quick access function allows the changing of worn brushes over time.
Large infeed and outfeed tables provide support for longer workpieces
The circuit breaker ensures maximal electrical safety.
As a smaller, simpler machine, reviewers have conned it as the best budget planer thicknesser (UK), because it exceeds expectations and it’s worth the money.
There is a reset button underneath the machine, which the customer can use to restart the thicknesser after malfunctioning

Cons

This device may not be ideal for you if you plan to use it extensively on your workshop. Consumers have reported that its motor suffered some malfunctions due to overstress.

View Price & Details

2. The preeminent 2012NB/2 Thicknesser By Makita

Makita is one of the best manufacturers of power tools in the world. With expertise spanning close to a century, Makita can provide equipment that is beyond compare in quality, design and longevity. That’s why we’ve placed the 212NB/2 model as the second best thicknesser currently on the market. The machine features a 304mm (12″) cutting width, with a 3mm (1/8″) max cutting depth per pass. The feed rate is an impressive 8.5 metres per minute, and the thicknesser has a no-load speed of up to 8500 rpm, from a 1650w motor.

The aluminium tables consist of a 304mm x 771mm size, perfect for a larger piece of wood, whether it’s oak, teak, pine or spruce. Thanks to its easy adjustment for an accurate and even finish, you won’t have any problems with the planing and thickening process. Another additional feature that the Makita thicknesser planner can provide, includes the downward pressure system that when feeding in materials, stops sniping of the timber.

This ensures that your boards don’t get damaged and have an even sturdier finish. Moreover, the planer thicknesser comes supplied with wrenches and a magnetic holder, so you can get to work right after the delivery!

Pros

The Makita planer thicknesser features a unique feed rate mechanism to assure smoother finish with minimal snipe on the stock.
The machine emits little to no noise.
The operation is straight forward, as it doesn’t include a lot of complicated steps – so whether you’re new to woodwork or you’re just looking for a no-hassle machine, this planer thicknesser is going to be just right.
Makita products sold and dispatched by Amazon are covered by a 3-year manufacturer warranty if registered with Makita within 30 days of purchase.

Cons

A few consumers have reported that some types of hardwood slightly bent the holder and damaged the blades, so you might want to be careful with that.
The chip extraction can’t be done without an additional chip extractor, a fact found annoying by some.

View Price & Details

3. The Fantastic 12.5″ Portable Planer Thicknesser By VEVOR

This 12.5-inch thicknesser planer repurposes old, weathered, rough, and worn wood to give it an extraordinarily smooth finish. The 1800W motor can accommodate efficient planing at an 8m per minute (315″ per min) feed rate so it provides maximum cutting. Being a fantastic portable planer thicknesser, this machine has a blade speed of 9000rpm, so it’ll get your board ready in no time. The two pieced double-bladed thicknesser is positioned on an all-metal workbench and steel stand.

Besides the heavy-duty stand that prevents the planer from walking or wobbling during operation, it also features a dust chute interface for creating a clean working environment. This machine is equipped with great thicknesser capacity, as it is designed for planing worn wood at 330mm width, 5 – 150mm thickness and 3mm depth. It can also be utilised for planing wood, bamboo, or lining nylon. The thicknesser planer reviews have marked this device as an ideal tool for bringing your worn boards back to life, and rightfully so.

Pros

It contains a crank handle for easy adjustment of the height of cutter head, thickness scale ruler for precise machining and grooves on either side, so it is perfectly designed for easy mobility.
The roller automatically feeds, so there’s no need to manually push the material. You should just put the piece of wood into the entrance, and it will be evenly pushed towards the cutter shaft for shaving.
Equipped with a power-off protection electromagnetic switch, the overcurrent protector can be tripped when the motor is overloaded.
A heavy-duty stand is available for more sturdy fixation of the wood planer.

Cons

The planer thicknesser doesn’t come with blades, so they’re gonna have to be bought separately.

View Price & Details

4. Prime Portable Planer Thicknesser By Lumberjack

The Lumberjack PT330B portable Bench Top is among the best small planer thicknesser, that has a compact design with folding tables for easy storage and transportation. Built around a powerful 1500 W quality motor and fitted with two blades, this is amid the best planers thicknessers that’s capable of handling timber with an up to 330mm width and 152mm thickness height at a rate of 7.5 metres per minute. The feed rate of this thicknesser planer is 7.5 mm per minute, a process that works automatically.

The four-post design adds stability and allows smooth operation of the cutter-head, increasing the thicknesser capacity. Additionally included is a no-volt release switch that prevents uncontrolled restart after any power interruption, so your machine won’t malfunction if any errors shall occur.

The large fully polished, aluminium tables aid smooth feed rate of timber whereas the well-placed dust extractor allows a clear view and the ability to connect to an extractor if required. The dust port dimensions are 47mm internal depth, as well as external 52mm. When both sides of the machines are down, the full measurements are 65 cm length, 55 cm width and 40cm height, working very well on small spaces. Even more, if you wish to store it away, the sides fold up to make a 24 length cm.

Pros

This thicknesser planer is portable, so you can easily move it around to your preferred position.
This line of machines is suitable for high capacity thicknessing operations.
The dust extraction process is supported through the dust port, so little to no effort should be invested in cleaning and maintaining.

Cons

Some consumers have reported that the device’s durability isn’t ideal.

View Price & Details

5. The Excellent DH-330 Thicknesser Planer By Metabo

This benchtop thickness planer is perfect for cleaning up old timbers that are up to 330 mm wide and 152 mm thick. The machine has a feed rate of 7 meters per minute, so it promotes maximum cutting in very short periods. Another great advantage that this planer thicknesser can provide, is the two-blades cutter block that’s capable of removing up to 3 mm of material at a time. The diameter of the blade shaft depth is 47mm. At a rated input power of 1,8 kW, 240 V, as well as T16 fuse protection, this planer is energy-efficient as it is functional.

These models of planer thicknessers contain two integrated HPHSS reversible planer blades, a push stick, and an extraction nozzle. The thickness planer contains a cast aluminium fence, as well as a special aluminium table, so your pieces of wood will slide perfectly on it. Perhaps the best feature of this line of machines is that no matter how tough or wide the wood is, or how many pieces of wood you plane at a time, the motor just doesn’t heat up. Since it gets to the equilibrium temperature and doesn’t heat up anymore, you can work extensively and the motor will be fine.

Pros

This line of machines offers a chip extraction feature, so you can properly clean and extract the chips as often as you need.
The feed rate is splendid as it provides a finishing product that’s brilliantly smooth and has no tears; oftentimes not even requiring any sanding.
The blades provided by Meatbo are sustainable, as they manage to stay sharp even after a long time of using them.

Cons

Some costumer shave reported that the planer rollers have malfunctioned and/or were hard to set up.
The blades of this machine are not very sharp and may be prone to damage.

View Price & Details

6. The Great Fox F22-564-250 Planer Thicknesser By DART

The Fox F22-564-250 thicknesser planer is a 1500W machine that is among the best smaller-sized planer thicknessers on the market. It is primarily aimed at the small workshop areas where space is at a premium, but it also works well with home environments. Offering a surface planing width of 254mm (10″), coupled with a thicknessing capacity of 254 x 127mm (10″x5″), this thicknesser planer can tackle up to 3mm (depth) per pass.

Thanks to its block speed of 9000 rpm, it also contributes to the depth quality of the plane finish. It also contains a table size of 920 x 262mm, and a tilting aluminium fence measuring 635 x 124mm. Therefore, timber can be trued or bevelled with ease. Another great feature is the fact that conversion to the thicknessing mode is also straightforward.

All that is required is the fence assembly to be removed, the blade guard to be repositioned and the chip collection hood to be placed over the cutting block. Another great advantage is the 100mm dust port, that will secure the waste and provide a neat working table.

Pros

The dust chute is practical quick, as it is easy to move the dust collection from jointer/plainer mode, to thicknesser mode.
Its height adjustment is made by a well-positioned crank handle, so this will be very practical if your workshop is smaller.

Cons

The machine is very loud, so if you’re someone who prefers a quieter product then maybe you should keep reading.
If you plan to detach the planer bench for transportation purposes, you will find that futile since mostly all its components are detachable.

View Price & Details

7. The Professional PT1000 Planer Thicknesser By Lumberjack

The Lumberjack Professional PT1000 portable thicknesser planer is also aimed at the small workshop where space is limited, and additionally where value is placed on high levels of portability. With the same planing depth and width of the previous DART machine (254 mm width, 2-120 mm cutting depth range & 254 x 127mm thicknesser capacity), this planer thicknesser has a block speed of 9000rpm that contributes to a great plane finish.

The planer also contains an aluminium table & fence, so your pieces of wood should slide perfectly. Moreover, the machine comprises a two-blade cutter block to ensure maximum cutting, as well as replacement blades available at the accessories range.

Another great advantage to these lines of planer thicknessers is the dust extraction outlet ports that will ensure maximum cleanliness and functionality with your machine.

Pros

The 1280W-240V brush motor is really powerful and durable, minimizing heating and maximizing productivity.
The planer comes in full, along with pushers and hex keys.

Cons

The instruction manual that comes with the machine has been noted to be hard to understand, thus making the assembly difficult.

View Price & Details

Buying Guide

Carpentry is one of the oldest professions, proving to be essential in all areas of the home, garden or work environments. But a carpenter is only as good as the tools he uses. Whether you’re a professional wood worker or a passionate, creative individual who simply likes to create things – a thicknesser planer is one of the most essential machines required. A thicknesser can help you trim wood boards quickly, so you can achieve even thickness throughout the expanse of your material. Another great plus is that a good planer makes your wood look seamlessly flat on either side of the surface, so your final product is more exquisite.

When shopping for a thicknesser planer, there are some factors that you should consider to find the best machine that works for you. Read below to find the answers to the most common dilemmas customers have pointed out that they faced whilst looking for planers.

Motor specifications

One of the most important features of planer thicknesser machines is the motor. Firstly, you need to find out what your power supply value is (commonly measured in volts). The machine you’re looking to buy needs to be compatible with your power supply, to be functional.

While buying electric planer thicknessers, it is essential to analyse the rating of the planer, which directly translates to the amount of power it will consume. This is usually indicated on the nameplate of the motor either in kilowatts or horsepower.

Before each purchase, you should check the manufacturer’s specifications for the planer thicknesser. The best machines contain a brush motor that ensures the cutting force is powerful and energy supply is efficient. A powerful motor is normally fast, accurate and is always recommended for heavy tasks. To ensure the highest level of energy efficiency and security, you should look for a planer thicknesser that contains a circuit breaker.

Size

One of the most important specifications to consider is the size of the planer you’re buying. If you’re a professional wood worker who has a large workshop, then you need a bigger sized machine. Thicknessers usually come in different width, starting from 260mm to 620mm whereas the majority of these machines have working depths of 100, 230, or 300mm. The basic rule of thumb is to amount the feed rate along with the minutes required to do the planing and/or thicknessing, so you can plan your day to day workload.

If you’re more of a DIY enthusiast, or you own a small wood working business that’s looking to bring its creative ideas to life, then a meagerer, compact-sized machine will work perfectly. Lucky for you, there is a great number of planer thicknessers models that are high on functionality and productivity, but at a slower rate. So, if you’ve got more time in your hands along with a passion to build, you can pick from one of the machines presented above and start creating right away!

External components

The usual planer thicknesser comes equipped with certain elements that warrant efficiency and functionality. Firstly, considering how the blades are one of the most important components of any machine, you should always check for their quality. The best planer thicknessers come with double-sided blades, that make sure the cutter head strikes the wood on either side, offering a more distinct final product.

Another incredibly important element is the table and fence. Usually, machines are dressed with aluminium tables and fence, because the wood slides more easily, thus boosting efficiency and making work easier.

You should always aim for tables that are stronger and long-lasting. The usual difficulties concerning planer tables are the fact that they wobble and move, due to not being correctly placed within the machine. Make sure to always read the instructions carefully so you can assemble the machine properly. Last but not least, make sure your machine contains either a dust port or a chute, so you can have a clean working environment that promotes the highest level of productivity.

General functioning features

Every planer thicknesser works among the same features, including feed rate, cutting width, cutting depth or dust extraction, so these specifications are mostly a matter of preference. If you’re a professional wood worker who has an ongoing workforce, you’re gonna have to look for a machine that ensures maximum productivity under short periods.

The feed rate includes the number of wood boards that are pierced on the machine under a specific time. Understandably, this feature works with a speed function, so you’re going to want to look for planer thicknessers that have speed settings under their system. By cutting width, we mean how wide can the wood boards be to enter the machine. The cutting depth determines the thickness of the wood that the cutting blades can remove in one pass, so naturally, you should look for planers that provide a wider cutting width and thicker depth.

Durability

One of the biggest problems concerning planer thicknessers is their durability. Consumers all around the world report that their machines either broke down over time, or they stopped working as well as before. This is a very concerning problem, especially considering the amount of money spent on these machines.

The most important components that you need to read the specifications of are the motor and the blades. Powerful, strong motors are only as good as the amount of time they can provide for functionality. Blades are also a recurring problem on the planer thicknesser market since they usually wear down due to overuse. Some manufactures specify which types of wood can be planed along with the feed rate that the machine can sustain, but most do not. Another green flag to look for when buying your machine is to look whether the manufacturer provides extra blades along with the shipping. We were careful to showcase only the most durable machines we could find, but you should always check the reviews on the website you’re ordering from to ensure that everyone had a good experience with their planer.

Cost

Cost of different varieties of planer thicknessers varies depending on the manufacturer of the equipment and quality of the machine. Bigger manufacturers usually sell at higher rates, but they provide excellent products as well. Smaller planers with a lower feed rate usually start at 250£ (you can find used ones at 150£) and go up to 400£. Estimating all the features and external components, you can come to a viable assessment that will work for you, and is worth the money. It is always advisable to go for a planer which you can afford within the limited resources at your disposal. This should include the total installation cost in the case of electric planers and subsequent maintenance. If you can assemble the machines on your own, then that’s another plus. You shouldn’t aim at buying the cheapest machine or tool, as they most often tend to disappoint the customers and provide awful quality. It’s ultimately better to save up and buy a planer higher on the market than settle for a lower quality machine and lose more over time due to repairs, maintenance or replacement.

FAQ

Q: What is a planer thicknesser?

A: A planer thicknesser is a wood working machine that’s used to trim boards to a consistent thickness throughout their length and ensure flatness on either side of the surfaces. This machine usually consists of three elements: a cutter head which contains the cutting knives; a set of rollers which draw the wood board through the machine; and a table which is adjustable relative to the cutter head to control the resultant thickness of the board. Some portable planer thicknessers differ slightly in that the table is fixed and the cutter head/feed roller assembly is adjusted. This machine mainly serves a tool that reduces the thickness levels of all kinds of wood surfaces, whether it be a large cut of wood (slab) or a simple board for a timber deck. It can also be used to flatten and smoothen wood, depending on the project it is being used for.

Q: Do I need a planer thicknesser?

A:That highly depends on your working style and goals, but the short answer is yes. No matter how good you think your wood work is, the planer thicknesser has a lot of important advantages that can make your product raise its quality on exceptional levels. You might think that you can compensate a planer thicknesser with other tools such as belt sanders or hand planers, but in the long run – it just won’t be worth it. These tools require extensive amounts of time to reach the desired effect, as well as plentiful previous experience; whereas a planer thicknesser can provide much better results at a shorter amount of time. The advantages to using a planer thicknesser are that most said machines can produce a board with consistent thickness, by avoiding tapering and damaging. Also, by making passes on each side and turning the wood board, a planer thicknesser can be used for the initial preparation of an unplaned strip. This can give you a chance to work on your unused planks and wood pieces that would otherwise go untouched.

Q: How to use a planer thicknesser?

A: In operation, the table is set to the desired height and then the machine is switched on. The wood board or panel is fed into the machine until it makes contact with the in-feed roller which grips the wood board and draws it into the machine and past the rotating cutter head. The knives remove material on the way through, and the outfeed roller pulls the board over and ejects it from the machine at the end of the pass. If the machine contains a dust port, all the excess material is extracted onto the chute to prepare for the succeeding process.

To finish a flat board and of uniform thickness along its length and depth, it is necessary to start with a board that has at least one perfectly flat reference face. The board is fed with this reference face flat on the table while the cutter head removes an amount of material from the opposite face so that it is made parallel to the reference. If the lower face is not flat, the feed roller pressure pressing the board against the table will deform the board, which will then spring back as it leaves the machine, resulting in a non-flat upper surface. Even though such an issue can be fixed manually, it’s better to take precaution so the whole process can go smoothly.

Related Articles You May Be Interested In