In almost all areas of construction work, manual labor is gradually being replaced by more efficient one - with the help of various electric tools. At the same time, if high-tech machines are usually used in production, then in the construction industry it is a hand-held power tool. Now even a novice cobbler has the necessary set of tools, which includes a grinder, a laser level, an electric drill, a puncher, etc.
Of course, depending on the specialization, this set can differ significantly. Our article is devoted to one of the carpentry hand power tools - an electric planer. More precisely, the basic rules and advice that should be followed when buying it and choosing a good model.
To begin with, we note that the electric planer is a fairly specialized tool and is not included,
usually in a set of home craftsmen. This is a carpenter's tool and is required for people who work a lot with wood. For example, they build frame houses, houses from timber, do wood trim, or produce various wood products (tables, chairs, stools, etc.).
And now let's go directly to the topic of the article.
In general, most electric planers that you can find in hardware stores are probably made in China. On the one hand, our citizens have a firm belief that everything Chinese is bad, on the other hand, we note that this is not so. Most of the largest brands and firms producing construction tools have long built or moved their factories to China. And the “Made in China” label is placed to reduce payments for export outside the country. Of course, you can find an electric planer made in the USA or the Netherlands, but they will cost you much more, and the increase in the quality of the tool for such a price will most likely not be the same as the difference in price.
Based on the foregoing, be guided by the characteristics of the electric planer, its price, and, well, a little by its brand and reviews, including on the Internet. And now in more detail.
Electric planer price
It is undeniable that the higher the price of a tool, the better its quality. This is not an absolute truth, but any tool for 50 thousand rubles is better than for 10 thousand rubles, and we think you will agree with this. Of course, for the expensive segment of electric planers, part of the price will be just an overpayment for the brand, but still, the main part will be paid precisely for quality.
Immediately advise, sweep away the options with the cheapest models. Don't buy them. They have a large number of flaws, shortcomings, a large error during operation, etc. Most likely, a cheap electric planer can only be used for planing boards. It is not suitable for carpentry work.
Electric planer sole
Here it is worth noting the appearance of the sole, as well as the metal alloy from which it is made. The smoother its surface, the better, as the planer will glide better. It is very good if there are grooves on the sole. They allow air to escape from under the sole during work and the so-called "air cushion" is not created. In this regard, the surface of the tree after the passage of the planer will be smoother, since the planer knife is at the same distance relative to the planed plane.
Professional electric planers are distinguished by the ability to adjust the sole of the planer in height and even its geometric dimensions.
The larger the plane of the sole of the electric planer, the better, as this has a positive effect on ensuring planing evenness.
Planer Width
You can find electric planers in several sizes in stores. It is 82mm, 102 or 110mm. The most common option is 83 mm wide. They sell the most knives in stores, these models are lighter in weight, which is very important when you have to work with it for several hours, but there are some inconveniences.
With an electric planer with a blade width of 82 mm, you will not be able to plan in one pass the planes of boards and bars 100 mm wide, which are most common in construction. On the other hand, 102 mm is also small for these purposes.
To take, for the sake of a similar purpose, expensive planes of greater width is not always justified from an economic point of view.
Power and speed of the electric planer
If you are going to process soft wood, for example, pine boards, then here you should not bother much on such a parameter as the power of a power tool. Even the weakest can cope, though if the wood is dry. A planer cuts raw wood much more difficult and at least it is worth choosing at least an average option.
If you want to process hardwoods such as oak, beech, larch, pay close attention to power. Otherwise, you can get into trouble, that is, you will encounter a situation where the tool simply stops or greatly slows down the rotation of the drum when the planer moves quickly along the planed plane.
The revolutions of electric planers are similar on almost all models. The smoothness of the treated surface after planing depends on them, but as was said, even for cheap models it is more than 10,000 rpm, which is quite good for obtaining a clean surface without additional processing. Moreover, the harder the wood, the cleaner cut you will get.
Planer knives
The cutting element of the electric planer is a knife, or rather two knives, which are fixed in the tool drum with clamping screws. Knives are made in the form of a thin strip of hard alloy, usually with the addition of tungsten and carbide.
If we consider the pricing policy of retail power tool stores, then the rule is true here - the more expensive the knives, the better they are.
However, prices can vary greatly. For soft wood, you can leave the native knives that come with the basic kit. Their strength will last for a long time, and then they can be sharpened.
By the way, double-sided knives are also sold, which simply turn over and, accordingly, require sharpening twice as often.
If you want to process hardwoods, then we advise you to immediately purchase good knives from well-known brands with a power tool. They are expensive, but the quality of the treated surface is worth it. In addition, they have a sharpening angle different from the basic knives.
When choosing knives, you must immediately clarify whether they are suitable for your electric planer model. Knives vary greatly in thickness, width, mounting holes and other parameters. When purchasing them, you must always ask the sellers if they are suitable for your particular model (the model must be indicated in full, with all the numbers and letters in the marking).
Chip thickness adjustment
This parameter for some may be significant, but for most it is not important. That is, the maximum range of chips removed by electric planers is in the range from 0.5 to 3 mm. At the same time, even when processing a soft pine board, you are unlikely to set a planing depth of more than 1.5 - 2 mm, which all electric planers have. In addition, a large depth of planing means that you must have a powerful tool, and not a cheap model.
The adjustment of the planing depth is carried out in almost all planes in the same way - by rotating the front handle. Around it is a scale with numbers indicating the set depth.
The planing depth switching step is usually 0.1 mm.
Most models of electric planers require pre-setting the planing depth (knife extension), but Makita tools can be adjusted right in the planing process, though it’s up to everyone to decide how expedient this is.
Chip removal
All models of modern electric planers have chip ejection. As a rule, the output is carried out to the side (to the right). The difference lies in the fact that some of the models are equipped with a special bag, the other part has a nozzle designed to connect a vacuum cleaner, and some just throw the chips to the side. Since there are a lot of chips, and if you work not on the street, but in the workshop, it is more convenient to dwell on the first two options.
But here, too, there may be nuances. The fact is that the quality of the nozzles can be different and the same vacuum cleaner may not be connected due to a poor-quality conclusion. Here it is worth looking at the reviews on various forums.
Number of handles, accessories and other benefits
When choosing an electric planer, you should pay attention to the presence of accessories in the kit and, in general, the ability to purchase and install them.
First of all, these are limiters for sampling a quarter and a side stop. In our opinion, these are mandatory elements for the full use of this power tool.
Also a useful feature is a special stand for installing the electric planer in a stationary position. With it, you get a small planer by attaching an electric planer to a workbench. This is very convenient when processing a large number of small tools such as bars, rails, planks. Yes, and it speeds up the work at times, since each plank does not have to be fixed on a workbench before planing.
The ergonomics of the tool, in our opinion, is not a fundamental feature, so here, as they say, whoever likes what. Some models are more convenient, some are worse, but hold the tool before buying and determine how comfortable it is in your hands. The tool is quite heavy and you will mainly work with it on weight, and the load on your hands for several hours will be significant.
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