WEN 6550T 12.5-Inch Benchtop Thickness PlanerWeekend Warrior

This is a first planer for someone who wants to flatten and thickness boards without spending much. The granite table and 15-amp motor handle typical hobby stock, softwoods and moderate hardwoods in shorter lengths. If you plan to run a lot of wide hardwood or want the cleanest possible finish, a three-knife or spiral machine will serve you better.

• Owners say the granite table adds enough mass that the planer stays put and doesn't wobble even when it isn't bolted down
• The auto-feed rollers pull boards through smoothly without stalling on normal passes
• For a sub-300-dollar planer, owners rate it competitive with pricier benchtop units on cut quality
• Blade changes are quick since the double-edged knives just flip or drop in

• Snipe shows up at board ends the way it does on most lunchbox planers, and owners handle it with sacrificial lead-in boards or by planing long and cutting to length
• It's loud in use, the usual universal-motor whine
• With only two knives it takes more passes on hard or figured stock than a three-knife head
• The fan-assisted port throws chips everywhere if you don't hook up a collector

Takes WEN's BP122M HSS replacement blades. Owners who want quieter cuts and less tearout bolt in a Sheartak spiral cutterhead, a common upgrade for this model. The dust port adapts to a standard shop-vac or 4-inch hose, and the blades don't interchange with the 13-inch 6552T.