10 Best Planers 2026 in the United States

The JET BLACK 20-Inch Planer is a heavy-duty woodworking machine designed for serious hobbyists or professional woodworkers who need a wide cutting width and powerful motor. Its 20-inch cutting width is great for handling larger boards, and the 0.09-inch maximum cutting depth allows fine thickness adjustments. The 5-horsepower motor provides plenty of power, helping maintain smooth performance even during longer jobs. A standout feature is the helical cutterhead, which uses multiple small blades to deliver quieter operation and cleaner cuts with less tear-out compared to traditional straight blades. This planer also offers precise control thanks to its large handwheel and positive gear drive, allowing you to make accurate height adjustments in very small increments. The cast iron tables coated to resist corrosion reduce friction, so boards feed smoothly without needing extra waxing or polishing.

For dust management, it comes with a dust hood to help keep your workspace cleaner. On the downside, its 765-pound weight makes it very heavy and not very portable—so it’s better suited for a fixed workshop rather than frequent moving. Also, it requires a 230V power supply, which may not be available in every home garage without electrical upgrades. With features that focus on precision, durability, and professional-grade results, the JET BLACK planer is an excellent choice if you work with wide boards regularly and want cleaner, quieter planing.

The DEWALT Benchtop Planer (DW734) is a robust tool specifically designed for woodworking enthusiasts and professionals. It features a powerful 15-amp motor that operates at an impressive 20,000 RPM, allowing it to handle large, deep cuts in hardwoods with ease. The cutting width of 12.5 inches and cutting depth of 0.13 inches make it versatile for various planing tasks. The three-knife cutter head, delivering 96 cuts per inch, ensures a smooth finish, a notable advantage for achieving high-quality results.

Additionally, the disposable and reversible knives extend the knife life by 30%, making maintenance straightforward and cost-effective. The planer includes a four-column carriage lock to minimize snipe, which is beneficial for maintaining an even surface across the whole board. The extra-long infeed and outfeed tables provide ample support for the material, enhancing stability and precision during operation. The material removal gauge and large thickness scale aid in delivering accurate cuts consistently, which is essential for meticulous woodworking projects.

The turret depth stop is a user-friendly feature that allows quick returns to frequently used depths, saving time and improving workflow efficiency. On the downside, the planer is quite heavy at 36.29 kilograms (79.8 pounds), which could be a challenge for those needing a more portable solution. Additionally, it is corded, meaning it requires access to an electrical outlet, which might limit its use in areas without power supply. Furthermore, the cutting depth of 0.13 inches may not be sufficient for some heavy-duty tasks. However, for most standard planing jobs, the DEWALT DW734 offers a reliable and high-quality performance. Its combination of power, precision, and user-friendly features makes it a strong contender in the benchtop planer market.

The WEN PL1326 is a benchtop thickness planer designed for woodworking projects that require smoothing and sizing of lumber up to 13 inches wide and 6 inches thick. It features a powerful 15-amp motor that spins the cutterhead at 10,000 RPM, allowing a decent feed rate of 26 feet per minute. This speed combined with 26 staggered, rotatable high-speed steel blades in the spiral cutterhead helps deliver clean, smooth finishes while reducing noise and tear-out compared to traditional straight blades. The onboard material removal gauge makes it easy to control cutting depth for precise passes.

Made with a sturdy cast iron base, it offers stability during operation, which is important for accuracy. Dust collection is supported through an adjustable dust port, helping to keep your workspace cleaner, though a dedicated vacuum or dust collection system will still be needed for best results. The planer is relatively heavy at about 37 kilograms (81 pounds), so it’s meant to stay in one place rather than be portable. One limit to note is that it’s a single-speed machine, so you won’t be able to adjust cutterhead speed for different wood types or finishes.

This planer is well suited for hobbyists or small workshop users who want a solid, reliable tool for thickness planing medium-sized boards with a smooth finish. Its ease of use and strong motor make it a good choice if you need consistent, quality results without the complexity of multiple speed settings.