There are several ways to choose an electric planer. For home use, medium-power models with a number of revolutions within 10,000 per minute are suitable. Such devices weigh a little, so they are easy to hold in your hands. It is also recommended to pay attention to additional features, such as soft start and protection against accidental start.
The content of the article
- Power
- Number of turns
- Planer weight
- Blade width
- Planing depth and groove depth
- Extra options
Power
This is the main indicator, which is paid attention in the first place. Depending on it, the devices are divided into household and professional. If you think about which is better to buy an electric planer for your home, you should consider models with a power ranging from 400 to 1000 watts. This is quite enough for processing wood in a home workshop, in the country.
Moreover, you can perform not only simple actions, but also make various recesses, for example, grooves and chamfers. Also, home planers are used for processing small parts. These are, for example, furniture legs, photo frames, decorative elements.
If the tool is needed for professional purposes, the choice of an electric planer falls on models with a power of at least 2000 watts. They are used for woodworking in construction, furniture production, to perform large volumes of work.
Number of turns
When analyzing which electric planer to buy, you need to think about the number of revolutions. This indicator is directly related to power - a more productive tool gives the maximum number of revolutions per unit of time. Accordingly, the processing speed also increases.
If you use the equipment only for domestic purposes, 10,000 rpm is enough. In this case, it is better to buy a tool with the ability to control speed, because tree species have different hardness. If you plan to work on an industrial scale, a device with at least 15,000 revolutions is best suited.
Planer weight
Another criterion by which you can understand which electric planer to choose is weight. If the engine is powerful, the mass will be noticeable. For example, household tools weigh no more than 5 kg. For professional work, heavy devices of 8-10 kg or more are used.
It is important to understand that weight is only an additional parameter that should not be taken into account on its own. The main attention is paid to power and the number of revolutions. In addition, it should be understood that a heavy apparatus requires a lot of effort. If you plan to regularly perform a large amount of work, your hands will quickly get tired.
Blade width
Another way to choose an electric planer for your home is to evaluate the width of the knives. As a rule, the tool is equipped with not one, but 2-3 knives. If they are wide enough, the product can be processed in one go. For household appliances, a width in the range of 60-100 mm is sufficient.
If you choose an electric planer for professional purposes, it is better to consider models with a width of 100-200 mm, often the figure reaches 300 mm. In this case, the optimum falls on the range of 80-100 mm. Even if the part is wide, it can be processed in several passes.
Planing depth and groove depth
Another important parameter is the cutting depth. It determines the width of the layer of wood, which is removed by the tool at a time. Usually planers are equipped with a regulator that allows you to adjust the depth within 0-3 mm.
You also need to keep in mind the depth of the groove. It determines the amount of wood layer that can be removed at one time when working on the edge of the board. As a rule, the depth reaches 9 mm, but in some cases - 20 mm.
Extra options
Speaking about which planer to buy for your home, you need to consider other options that make the job easier:
- How comfortable the handle is is a subjective parameter, which can only be assessed by holding the tool yourself. Most devices have 2 handles that allow you to conveniently move them on the surface.
- The surface of the sole - it must be smooth, because the quality of woodworking depends on it.
- Limiter device - it must be made of reliable materials.
- The presence of a fuse against accidental activation (it must be located on the trigger).
- The presence of a hole for chips to enter a special bag - this also greatly facilitates the work.
- Electronic system of support of turns at increase in loading. Particularly useful when working with hard woods such as birch, maple, boxwood, beech.
- Soft start is a convenient feature, thanks to which the speed is gained gradually. Then the knives do not immediately cut into the surface of the wood and do not spoil it. Also, soft start reduces the load on the power grid.
When choosing an electric planer, the quality rating is based on several parameters. Particular attention is paid to power - 400-800 W is enough for a house, weight up to 5 kg. With such indicators, the drum rotates at a speed of about 10,000 revolutions per 1 minute. In this case, the optimal width should be in the range of 80-100 mm.
