Best Wood Planers for DIYers
A benchtop thickness planer flattens and dimensions rough lumber to exact thickness, letting you buy cheaper rough stock and mill it yourself. Snipe control, cut quality, and a durable cutterhead set the good ones apart.
What to look for
- ·Look for snipe control (carriage lock, extended tables) and a two-speed gearbox for a finer finish on final passes.
- ·A 13-inch capacity handles most boards; a helical/spiral cutterhead cuts quieter and cleaner but costs more.
- ·Take light passes to avoid tear-out and overload, and budget for replacement knives or a helical head over time.
Quick comparison
| Product | Tier | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| DeWalt DW735X 13-inch Planer | Editor's pick | $650 to $800 | The best benchtop planer |
| Makita 2012NB 12-inch Planer | Editor's pick | $550 to $700 | Quiet, low-snipe milling |
| DeWalt DW734 13-inch Planer | Editor's pick | $450 to $600 | Reliable single-speed milling |
| Ridgid 13-inch Planer | Best value | $350 to $500 | Value home-shop planer |
| Cutech 40200H Helical Planer | Best value | $400 to $550 | Value helical cutterhead |
| Craftsman Benchtop Planer | Best value | $350 to $500 | Familiar-name value |
| WEN 6552T 13-inch Planer | Budget pick | $300 to $400 | Best budget entry |
| WEN 6550 12.5-inch Planer | Budget pick | $250 to $350 | Occasional budget milling |
| Store-Brand Benchtop Planer | Budget pick | $220 to $320 | Lowest-cost occasional use |
Editor's pick
DeWalt DW735X 13-inch Planer
$650 to $800
The gold standard benchtop planer, with a two-speed gearbox, automatic carriage lock, and powerful motor that produce very little snipe or chip-out. The pick for serious milling.
Best for: The best benchtop planer
Typically available at Home Depot, Acme Tools, Amazon.
Makita 2012NB 12-inch Planer
$550 to $700
A quieter planer with excellent snipe control, the pick for noise-sensitive shops and clean results. Smooth, accurate, and well-built.
Best for: Quiet, low-snipe milling
Typically available at Amazon, Acme Tools.
DeWalt DW734 13-inch Planer
$450 to $600
A reliable single-speed DeWalt planer with strong cut quality at a lower price than the 735. A dependable premium pick for dimensioning lumber.
Best for: Reliable single-speed milling
Typically available at Home Depot, Amazon.
Best value
Ridgid 13-inch Planer
$350 to $500
A capable benchtop planer with good cut quality and a strong warranty at a value price. A solid mid-range pick for the home shop.
Best for: Value home-shop planer
Typically available at Home Depot.
Cutech 40200H Helical Planer
$400 to $550
A benchtop planer with a helical cutterhead for quieter, cleaner cuts at a surprisingly value price. The pick for helical performance without the premium cost.
Best for: Value helical cutterhead
Typically available at Amazon.
Craftsman Benchtop Planer
$350 to $500
A familiar-name benchtop planer for dimensioning lumber at a fair price. A dependable value with easy availability for the home woodworker.
Best for: Familiar-name value
Typically available at Lowe's, Amazon.
Budget pick
WEN 6552T 13-inch Planer
$300 to $400
The best budget entry into thickness planing, delivering good results on softwoods with reasonable depth cuts. A great value for hobbyists.
Best for: Best budget entry
Typically available at Amazon, Home Depot.
WEN 6550 12.5-inch Planer
$250 to $350
An affordable benchtop planer for occasional milling of softer woods. Basic but capable for the price, a budget pick for light shop use.
Best for: Occasional budget milling
Typically available at Amazon.
Store-Brand Benchtop Planer
$220 to $320
The cheapest thickness planer for very occasional, light dimensioning on a tight budget. Limited durability and finish, but the lowest cost to mill boards.
Best for: Lowest-cost occasional use
Typically available at Amazon.
Frequently asked
What does a thickness planer do?+
It shaves the top of a board to a consistent, exact thickness, so you can flatten and dimension rough lumber yourself. That lets you buy cheaper rough stock, mill reclaimed wood, and match board thicknesses precisely for furniture and projects.
What is snipe and how do I avoid it?+
Snipe is a slightly deeper cut at the start and end of a board where it is not fully supported. Minimize it with a carriage lock, infeed/outfeed support or tables, supporting the board level as it enters and exits, and taking light final passes. Quality planers (like the DW735) reduce snipe by design.
Straight or helical cutterhead?+
Straight-knife heads are standard, cheaper, and cut well but are louder and tear out figured wood more. Helical (spiral) heads use small carbide inserts for a quieter, cleaner cut and easy insert rotation when dull, at a higher price. Many serious users upgrade to helical.
Do I need a jointer too?+
A planer makes two faces parallel but does not flatten a cupped or twisted board by itself, that is the jointer's job. You can flatten one face with a sled and planer as a workaround, but for lots of rough lumber, a jointer plus planer is the full milling setup.
How thin a pass should I take?+
Take light passes, often 1/32 inch or less per pass, especially on hardwoods, wide boards, and figured grain. Light passes reduce tear-out, snipe, and motor strain, and give a cleaner finish. Sneak up on your final thickness.