Top 11 Best Portable Hand Planners 2024

Electric hand planers are becoming very popular among craftsmen or anyone who likes to work with wood, whether professionally or for DIY projects. The electric hand planers, unlike the manual ones, are much more efficient and effective. The electric hand planer would reduce the amount of time and effort significantly and provide you a much more desirable result. These are easy to handle and feature-packed, which means you would get a good value for money which is why you should invest in an electric hand planer.

If you want an electric hand planer then you should invest in the one that has lots of cool features and is easy to use and work with. Since electric hand planers are pretty popular, you will see lots of amazing options in the market. These many options might confuse you and you would have trouble choosing the best one. As you know, not all the products are right for you and this is why you should be considerate of what you are buying.

If you are thinking of getting a good electric hand planer then you have ended up at the right place as we know a thing or two which might help you to choose the best electric hand planer. In this article, we are going to list down the top electric hand planers so you would be able to choose the best one for yourself. Not only the top electric hand planers but we have also mentioned a buying guide at the end of the article which would help you to choose the best electric hand planer for yourself.

So these are some of the top electric hand planers that you might want to buy for yourself.

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Best Portable Hand Planners

1. Bosch PL1632 3¼” 6.5 Amp Planer

Bosch is one of the best and most reliable brands when it comes to electronics and power tools. This means you will have to make sure that you get a great brand value. This is why when we were hunting for the best electric hand planers, Bosch was our first choice and it hasn’t disappointed us either.

This electric hand planer comes with a 6.5 Amp powerful motor which would make sure you can smoothly cut and work with woods and get your desired result. The powerful motor results in 16500 RPM which means it can make more than 30k cuts per minute. Its quick speed is surely a plus point for users and you would certainly like the smooth finish you will get.

There is an integrated stand included which will protect the tool as well as the resting spot and the blade. This one provides a lot of control as it comes in a unique shape and you can also go in the center of the workpiece which makes it very convenient. It also features a dust bag so there won’t be any mess or anything.

Overall, it’s a great option for anyone looking for a top-rated electric hand planer at a reasonable price. It has got lots of positive reviews from the customers as well.

2. WEN 6530 6-Amp Electric Hand Planer

WEN is another one of the leading brands that have never let its customer down and has always been consistent with the quality and performance of its products, and the WEN 6530 6-Amp Electric hand planer is no exception and this is why it’s on our list. This one should be your first choice if you are a beginner or have less experience working with an electric hand planer as it’s pretty easy to use and maintain.

It weighs only 6 pounds which makes it pretty lightweight and easy to work with as you don’t have fatigue hands after you have finished working on your project. Just because it’s lightweight doesn’t mean it’s less powerful. It comes with a 6 Amp motor which makes it powerful enough to get desirable results effectively and efficiently.

You would be happy to know that there is an online guide, which would help beginners to easily understand how to use it without having to spend too much time getting comfortable with it. The kickstand is also an attractive feature that impresses both beginners and professionals. There is a dust collector included, although you will have to empty the bag after a while as it comes with less capacity.

Overall, it is a pretty great electric hand planer to invest in. There are a lot of features and the price is affordable too.

3. PORTER-CABLE PC60THP 5/64 Inch Hand Planer

PORTER-CABLE is another one of the leading brands that you can trust when it comes to top electric hand planers. This one is also a budget-friendly electric hand planer so if you don’t want to spend too much and still want the best quality then it should be your first choice.

It comes with a double blade design, just like the other leading and high-quality electric hand planers on the list, apart from this, you will also get the double dust collector which would save you from making a mess or cleaning the bags now and then. It comes with a 5/64 inch cut depth which means you can work with many kinds of materials and still get the desirable results.

There are three chamfering grooves which makes it easier to learn and get comfortable within a short period. The cast aluminum shoe provides high stability and you won’t have to worry about it getting all unstable and injuring yourself. It also comes with a carrying case which makes it easier to transport or store.

Overall, it is a pretty amazing electric hand planer to invest in, and that too without breaking the bank either.

4. Makita KP0810 3¼” Planer

Makita is undoubtedly ruling the power tool market with its numerous products that never fail to impress with their high-end quality and performance. Here, you will be getting a standard-sized and feature-packed electric hand planer at a good price tag so you will get a high value for your money.

You will love the precise cutting depth that makes your work a lot more efficient and easier. You will get the depth adjustment knob which is pretty easy to work with and the detailed scale also makes a huge difference. So if you are working on a project that requires precise measures and cuts then it should be your first choice. Once you get familiar with its depth adjustment system, you will be able to change the depth with just one touch.

It has been smartly designed so you won’t need to worry about it damaging your workpiece or the blade touching surfaces. You can get the cuts 5/32 inches deep and 3¼ inches wide. There is also a locking button included which makes it more secure. The chips can be collected on either side.

Overall, Makita is a leading brand and this one is a top-rated electric hand planer from the model so you would get a great value for money as there are lots of helpful features present.

5. DEWALT DW680K 7 Amp Hand Planer

DEWALT DW680K is another of the powerful electric hand planers that you need to know about. Again coming from a reputable brand and given the high-end performance, it’s really hard to ignore this gem. With a 7 Amp motor, you will get a smooth finish thanks to its higher per minute cuts (32000 cuts per minute). So whether the wood is hard or soft, you won’t have any problem cutting it.

The 3/32 inch cut depth is all you would need. Here, you will also get a depth adjustment feature so this is something you would most certainly appreciate. There are high-speed steel blades included which make precise and sharp cuts. You will also get a reliable kickstand that is safer to work with. You can also change the speed of the blades and have more control over the electric hand planer.

Overall, it’s a pretty decent electric hand planer with one of the most powerful motors, so you will get a good value for money.

6. Dewalt DCP580B 20V Cordless Hand Planer

We have another one of the best electric hand planers from DEWALT, and this one is cordless so you don’t have to worry about the wires. There is a brushless motor included which makes too much noise and you would be able to work peacefully.

It makes 32000 cuts per minute with a speed of 15000 RPM, so you will get a smooth finish no matter what kind of material you are working on. The width is 3¼ and the cutting depth is 5/64 inches. You will also get a depth adjustment knob which makes it customizable.

7. Makita KP312

Makita KP312 has also made it to our list of top electric hand planers. It is very powerful and features a 15 Amp motor which is capable of delivering 12,000 RPM of speed. This one is not made for beginners as it is mostly seen at professional sites, so if you are a professional you would certainly love this. Go ahead and check it out, you might want to buy this powerful electric hand planer right away.

8. Triton TPL180 Triple Blade 7-Inch Electric Hand Planer

Triton TPL180 is also a top-rated electric hand planer that you need to know about. It comes with a depth capacity from 0 to 7, which makes it highly customizable and right for professional-level projects. It can tackle even the hardest woods involved in the most demanding jobs. With a 1500W motor, it makes 45,000 cuts per minute with a no-load speed of 15,000 RPM. There are three blades included so you will get a high equality result and finish.

9. Skil PL 201201 Electric Hand Planer

Skil PL201201 has also impressed us and become one of the top electric hand planers that you can invest in. This is a full-fledged feature-packed electric hand planer machine where you will get a parallel guide, a rebate fence, dust bag, spanner, and adaptor.

With a 6.5 Amp motor, the speed of the machine will be 16,000 RPM which is more than enough. 3¼ cutting width and 5/64 inches cutting depth is also a plus line.

10. Ryobi HPL52K Electric Hand Planer

Ryobi is another one of the top brands that make some of the best power tools including electric hand planers. It features a 6 Amp motor and 16,000 RPM speed which would be ideal for working on any kind of material. The cutting depth is 1/96 and you can adjust it as well. It also comes with a 6-foot long cord so you don’t have to struggle with limited space issues or coverage areas. For safety, you will find a lock-off button.

11. Makita 1806B 3¼ Inch Planer

With a 7.5 Amp motor, it is one of the most powerful electric hand planers on our list. This one is a good choice for heavy-duty projects or even for professional use given its high-end features and high capacity. The cutting width is 6-3¼ and 1/16 inches of depth. The high quality and sharp steel blades also make it highly desirable. Overall, this is something you can trust on.

Buying Guide for Electric Hand Planers:

There are a few things that you will have to look for if you want to end up with the best electric hand planer. You should know every electric hand planer has something different to offer you so it’s important you closely look at the features then choose the right one for yourself.

If you are a beginner then you may not know what features to consider and how to choose the right electric hand planer. This is why we are listing down the top things to consider while buying the electric hand planer so go ahead and take a look at them.

1. Power
One of the first things that you will need to look at in an electric hand planer would be its power. As you would know, the power would greatly impact the efficiency and effectiveness of the work you are doing and this is why you need to know how powerful your electric hand planer is.

The power of the electric hand planer would be measured in amps, which means the higher the amps, the more powerful it would be. 5 amp is considered ideal, of course, you can go higher.

2. Number of Irons
The number of irons means the number of blades. You would figure out the importance of multiple blades once you start working. They should be of high quality and work together in sync so you can get the best and desirable result.

3. Capacity
Capacity is another one of the things that you would need to look for. You need to know the width which can be easily cut by the electric hand planer. In most cases, the 3¼ is the standard capacity which you might want to look at. You must look after the capacity and cut depths. You should also look if there is versatile depth adjustment present as it can make things a lot easier for you to work with.

You can also look at the number of cuts an electric hand planer makes per minute. These are affected with the RPM so the more the RPM, the more would be the cut per minute.

4. Cordless or Corded
No matter what you are buying, this is something you will have to look after in most of the products these days. You can guess the cordless would be powered by a battery which you need to charge from time to time. While with the corded, you will have to plug the wire in the power outlet for as long as you work.

The cordless is more portable and easy to handle as there is no wiring issue, although they can be a bit less powerful. You will need to consider the battery life with the cordless. On the other hand, corded will be more powerful and last as long as you will have the power supply. You can choose any one of them based on your needs, requirements, and also budget.

5. Dust Collector
This is another one of the features that might make a huge difference in the overall user experience. As you would know, working with an electric hand planer would produce a large amount of dust and shaving. If there is a dust collector present, it would collect it all and save you from cleaning the whole mess up after a while. A good suction bag would be all that you would need, you can attach it to different attachment points and you will be good to go.

6. Grip Handle
It is an underrated feature but you should look for an electric hand planer that has a good grip handle. If the handle is slippery and not anti-slip then you might get into trouble and have a hard time using the hand planer. This is why look for the grip handle and make sure it is easier to work with.

7. Fences
Fences would be another thing that you might wanna consider. This would help you to turn your workpiece into a perfectly squared surface from all sides. See if the fences come with the electric hand planer or not, and also if you can adjust it according to your requirements. If not, then you will have to buy them separately.

8. Depth Scale
You have to agree with us when we say that depth scale is one of the most important features of the electric hand planer. This can also make a huge difference and help you to control the quality of your workpiece finish. Deeper settings would mean more material can be cut off while the shallower settings would be used to trim the material only.

Overall, you might wanna check the depth scale and how many settings are there. This would certainly help you to end up with a nice electric hand planer.

9. Chip Direction
The electric hand planer which comes with chip direction would be easier to work with as you will know where the chips would go off and where you don’t want to put your face. Not all the electric hand planer comes with chip direction so you might wanna closely look at this as well.

10. Size and Weight
The size and weight can also be something that you would want to consider. You should always take a look at the weight as the heavier electric hand planer might cause fatigue if you work for longer hours. On the other hand, the size is also an important aspect as you don’t want to buy too small or too large electric hand planers. So you can check the weight and size and see if it’s something you would be comfortable working with.

11. Kickstand
Most of the electric hand planer comes with a kickstand as they would help you to keep the blades from touching the surface of the table and prevent the edges from becoming dull or chipped. This is an extra feature to look at, but it would be helpful in the long run.

12 Durability
If you are investing in a good electric hand planer then you would want it to last for a while. So you need to make sure that the electric hand planer is quite durable, reliable, and it will last longer.

For this, you can see which material has been used in making the electric hand planer. Apart from this, you may want to check the warranty if it’s given. The warranty would help you to connect the manufacturer if there is something wrong and they would fix it if possible.

13. Price and Value for Money
You can’t ignore the price, so it is one of the crucial criteria to look for. You can set a budget and then look for the best electric hand planer in that price range. This would prevent you from overspending. You can also compare the product to its competitors and see if you are getting the best deal or not.

Another thing that can help you get the best value for your money would be customer reviews. It’s always a good idea to take opinions from the people who have bought the product and are currently using it, this would help you to make an informed decision.

Conclusion

So these are some of the best electric hand planers that you can find. These are some of the leading names that come from the top brands and are also highly rated with positive reviews as well. Each one of the electric hand planers we have mentioned in our article has some great features and you will get them at a fairly reasonable price too.

Overall, you can look at the aforementioned electric hand planer and see if these are something you would want. So go ahead and choose the one that you like the most, we hope you will get the best electric hand planer from our list.