The knives on this planer were easy to access, and springs underneath the gib lift it up so that you can remove the knife without removing the screws. The 21⁄2-in.-dia. dust port can be oriented to exit on either side of the machine. This planer’s cutterhead was significantly out of parallel and the snipe was bad. The top of the machine has a single stock roller, so you can’t rest boards there between passes. Because of a little tab molded into the cutterhead’s housing, you cannot take off more than 1⁄64 in. with a single pass unless your stock is narrow enough to pass through on either side of the tab. The Craftsman also is one of four planers without a gauge that indicates how much material is about to be removed.

Fine Woodworking Recommended Products

DeWalt 735X Planer

At high speed, the planer works fast and leaves a smooth surface. But the slower, finish speed produces an almost glass-smooth surface. Knife changes are easy.

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Ridgid R4331 Planer

Priced nearly $300 less than the DeWalt 735X, the Ridgid R4331 is an excellent value. Its three-knife cutterhead left wonderfully clean surfaces on plainsawn white oak and white pine. It did not perform nearly as well on curly maple as the 735X.

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JessEm Mite-R Excel II Miter Gauge

The gauge has a quick and easy method for fitting the guide bar precisely to your tablesaw’s miter slot. This means the gauge can be recalibrated if necessary for continued accuracy. The face of the protractor head can be adjusted square to the table and also square to the guide bar. This ensures accurate cuts, and it, too, can be readjusted if the need arises. The protractor head has stainless-steel knobs and fittings and high-contrast, easy-to-read white numbers and increments.

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