Best Thickness Planers UK – 2024 Buyers Guide

A thickness planer is an essential tool for anyone regularly working with wood. These tools will ensure a smooth, uniform surface and are ideal for preparing stock for part of a larger project. While some people choose to hire them if they are only going to be completing a single project, buying a thickness planer gives you the freedom to plane whenever you need.

Choosing the right one is essential as the last thing you want is a tool that doesn’t meet your needs. But with so many options out there, it can quickly become confusing, especially if you have never purchased this type of equipment before. To make life easier, we have put together a guide on what to look for in a thickness planer as well as introducing you to some of our top picks.

What Is A Thickness Planer?

A thickness planer is used to trim down wood in order to make the surface more even. It features a set of rollers and a cutting table. The wood is fed through and a series of blades, known as knives, remove layers of wood.

They are ideal to evening up the surface of warped or uneven wood and can be adjusted so that the amount removed in each pass is different. We have a beginner’s guide on thickness planers, that goes into greater detail on the general uses for these tools as well as how they should be operated.

A thickness planer should not, however, be confused with a hand plane which is a more portable piece of equipment for surfacing smaller areas of material at a time.

What Should I Look For When Buying A Thickness Planer?

As with anything, there are tools out there that are going to be better than others. Moreover, some thickness planers may not have all the right features that make the tool perfect for how you want to use it. For this reason, we would always suggest comparing tools before committing and these buying tips will tell you exactly what to look for.

The Best Thickness Planers, UK

The market is bursting with tools and when looking for a thickness planer, you aren’t going to be limited where choice is concerned. However, while there is a lot of good thickness planers out there, we think that these are three of the best.

Type Of Thickness Planer

There are two different types of thickness planer. There are those which are standalone and benchtop thickness planers. A lot of people prefer a standalone thickness planer purely for the fact that they are more stable and typically a lot larger making them suitable for more substantial projects.

That said, if you are looking for an affordable tool that is portable and convenient then you would be far better choosing a benchtop model. That said, it is important to keep in mind that these are nowhere near as powerful.

Thickness Capacity

When you buy a planer, you will be able to adjust the cutting depth but the width of the wood that can be fed through will be limited to the overall width of the machine. If you are looking at a larger standalone model, you might expect the capacity to be up to 15 inches. However, on most standard thickness planers, you’re looking at around 12 inches, 13 at a push.

It very much depends on what you want to achieve with the tool and the type of work you will be doing with it.

Blades

The blades on a thickness planer are often called knives and each model will have a different number of these. Obviously, the more knives that there are, the more clean and efficient the cut will be. Typically speaking, most thickness planers come with five blades but there are those that fall outside of this norm.

Blades can be made from different materials but on the whole, you will find that steel is more common. This is a good option as it is durable and can be sharpened easily for maximum cutting ability.

Power

One of the most important aspects to consider when you buy a thickness planer is its power. The more powerful it is, the deeper it will be able to cut. In addition to this, you will notice that more powerful planers cause you to get through the job more quickly, saving time.

For at-home DIY tasks, you probably won’t need anything that exceeds 1700w, however, we wouldn’t suggest dropping below 1200w. Conversely, if you need something for a little more heavy-duty use then you might be better going for something 2000w or above.

Extras

When you are cutting wood, there is going to be a byproduct of chippings and dust. If this gets into your workspace, it can limit your view and get in the way of the cut. However, a lot of the best thickness planers come with some sort of dust extraction system which is a very handy add-on.

DEWALT Thickness Planer, Two Speed, 13-Inch (DW735X) – Best Overall Thickness Planer

For serious power, the Dewalt thickness planer won’t let you down. It boasts a powerful 15 amp motor turning at 20,000rpm. In addition to this, it features three efficient knives as well as a replacement set. The power can be adjusted thanks to the inclusion of a two-speed gearbox meaning that this is a versatile tool that will aid you in both dimensioning and finishing.

With a 13 inch width, this is slightly larger than many average thickness planers which certainly gives it an advantage and it comes with everything you need to start work, including two tables. But what impressed us the most about this model was how easy it was to use. Snipe is a big problem with many tools of this type but this is not something that is evident in this machine. This means you will always get a clean and even cut.

While there are a lot of things to get excited about with this planer, there is one downside. Compared to other tools, it is slightly louder so you will need to have those ear defenders at the ready.

Check the latest price of the DEWALT Thickness Planer, Two Speed, 13-Inch (DW735X)

Makita 2012NBX Thicknesser – Best Mid-Range Thickness Planer

One of the things that instantly stands out about this planer is that it has fine depth adjustment meaning you can tune the machine precisely to your needs. It is superbly easy to use and doesn’t cause sniping. This is thanks to the built-in pressure system which keeps the board stable at entry and exit.

What’s more, compared to the Dewalt, the Makita thicknesser is far more affordable. OK, it is still something of an investment but being such a well-built piece of equipment, it’s one that will stand the test of time.

This one has a 1650w motor which is perfect for most hobby tasks and it comes with everything you need including a wrench for changing the blade and a dust extraction system. The machine also comes with a stand and provides one of the smoothest cuts on the market. Many users have expressed that after use, sanding is not needed!

Check the latest price of the Makita 2012NBX Thicknesser

Triton TPT125 Thicknesser, 317 mm – Best Budget Thickness Planer

If you’re looking for a more affordable thickness planer, there are plenty on the market but not all are as good as this one. This is great for people who are looking for precise adjustment since it features tuning at 1.5mm increments, allowing you to get exactly the cut you need each time. Moreover, it’s beautifully easy to use.

The Triton thicknesser also features a larger inlet and outlet meaning you can feed larger pieces of wood with ease and without the risk of damaging the blades. The power is slightly lower at 1100w but if you’re only going to be using it for hobby projects, we think that this would be more than sufficient.

You get a dust chute which is great for keeping your workspace tidy and more importantly, it is fitted with a circuit breaker to ensure the ultimate safety. While this is a budget tool, it does come with a three-year warranty so you have greater peace of mind.

Check the latest price of the Triton TPT125 Thicknesser

Conclusion

If you have been considering investing in a thickness planer, then let us congratulate you; this is certainly a tool that will come in very handy. But it’s no good rushing out and buying the first planer you happen across as it may not be suitable for your needs. Our top tips for buying a thickness planer will get you clued up on what to look for while our top picks give you an introduction to the best tools on the market.