Rikon 25-130H 13-Inch Benchtop Planer with Insert HeadSerious Hobbyist

The Rikon 25-130H brings an insert cutterhead to a 13-inch benchtop, so instead of setting knives you rotate or replace individual inserts, and owners say it handles figured stock better than straight knives. It runs quiet and leaves faint mill marks. Just know the head is a segmented straight-row design, not a true angled helical, so tearout control is better than knives but not equal to a Shelix or spiral head.

• The insert head means no knife setting and easy upkeep, since owners rotate or replace individual inserts
• Owners say it runs quietly and leaves very small, almost invisible mill marks
• A full insert set is inexpensive and owners report inserts lasting years with regular use
• It handles figured stock with less tearout than straight knives, which is why owners choose it over the DeWalt

• Snipe is mixed, with some units arriving with almost none while others need the tables re-shimmed when the adjustment screws vibrate loose
• The head is segmented straight-row rather than true helical, so owners say tearout is only modestly better than straight knives
• The inserts are two-sided HSS rather than four-sided carbide, so fewer fresh edges per insert
• Owners point to the table adjustment hardware as the weak spot, and the older 25-130H is single feed speed

Since the insert head is the selling point, the main upkeep is replacement two-edge inserts, with Rockler-sold carbide inserts fitting the family. Rikon's 25-410 stand and dust adapters are common adds, and Rikon calls for at least 650 CFM of collection. The current 25-135H successor adds a two-speed feed.