How to choose?
The construction of this tool is quite simple. The planer consists of a body, a knife, a clamp, a chip breaker, a screw and two handles. The body is made of plastic or metal. The advantage of a metal planer is that you can adjust not only the width, but also the position of the chipbreaker. Such a plane is used when processing hard wood.
The plastic tool is quite light when compared to its metal counterpart, and therefore is intended only for working with drywall.
To choose a quality tool that will last a long time, you need to pay attention to several points, not counting the authenticity of the manufacturer's brand.
- The sole of the planer should be perfectly smooth, without damage or roughness.
- The handle is well secured, does not dangle, it is comfortable to hold in the hand.
- The knife is firmly fixed, made of high quality metal, which guarantees a long service life.
- Backlash in the housing is unacceptable.
For long-term and frequent work with wood in a carpentry workshop, it makes sense to purchase an electric plane. Its advantage lies in the fact that it is used not only when processing wood, but also performs curly surface finishing.
There are certain characteristics that affect the performance of a power tool:
- power;
- drum rotation speed;
- planing depth;
- planing width.
When choosing such a plane, you should pay attention to the battery capacity and operating voltage. The time of continuous work and the power of the tool depend on them.
Also important are the speed of revolutions, the width of the knives and the depth of planing.
This video provides a complete instruction on the correct selection and operation of hand planers.