How to choose an electric planer - expert advice

The desire to automate all areas of construction work is quite logical and justified - everyone wants to get maximum performance, while putting a minimum of effort to do the work. For this reason, at present, all kinds of mechanical analogs of traditional devices with a "manual" drive are so developed. A prominent representative of such devices is an electric plane, invented by Makita in the middle of the last century. According to the most modest estimates, the electric planer surpasses its mechanical analogue by three heads in specific performance, while the effort expended is minimal.

content

Types and design features of electrical planes
Household and professional models - how they differ and how to choose
Which firm is better to buy
Main criteria for choosing a planer
Electroplaning Video

How to choose an electric plane

Types and design features of electrical planes

The key element of the electroplane design is the all-metal drum on which the blades are fixed. It is they who carry out the processing of wood, however, unlike the mechanical model, in which there is only one knife, the electric planers are equipped with two or four knives. Together with a fairly high speed of rotation of the drum (about 10-15 thousand revolutions per minute), high-quality and fast processing of wood is carried out.

In addition to the drum, the compact and durable electric planer body includes the following elements:

Electric motor;
The control console, including a quick and smooth start button, as well as a depth control;
Planer travel stop, located on the outside of the case;
Nozzles for chip removal and bag for storage;
Belt drive system of the main mechanism;

Household and professional models - how they differ and how to choose

Which electric plane is better to choose

Currently, all models presented in the sale can be divided into two large groups - household and professional electrical planers. This division is, in fact, quite conditional, because both types can be used in very different conditions, and the area of surfaces treated in other living conditions may exceed those in any enterprise, but the fact remains. The differences lie mainly in the functional features of a planer, as well as in its power characteristics:

Home-made models are compact and miniature, their weight almost never exceeds 1 kilogram, and the installed engine power is at a level of 0.6-0.8 kW, while developing 8-10 thousand revolutions per minute at the peak cycle. Adjusting the depth of planing of such devices is at the level of 0-2.5 millimeters.
Professional models in terms of technical characteristics differ for the most part. In almost all cases, there is a more powerful electric motor installed, capable of developing up to 1.5-2 kilowatts of power at a rotational speed of 15-17 thousand revolutions per minute.The depth of operation of such devices can reach 4 millimeters, which makes it possible to cope even with deep scratches. Weight also varies - most professional models weigh 3-3.5 or more kilograms.

Since the difference in functional features of the above types of electric planes is significant, significant differences should be expected in cost. If a compact household electric planer can be purchased for 3-4 thousand rubles, then for a professional model you will have to pay a 2-2.5 times higher amount.

Which firm is better to buy

which company is better to choose

Currently, the range of stores that sell electrical products, includes a huge number of different devices of this class - there really is a choice from which. However, before giving preference to a particular model, you should familiarize yourself with its characteristics and determine whether it is suitable for use in your environment. After that, it is necessary to determine the budget and analyze the models that fall into it:

If you have enough money to buy a good electric planer from a reputable manufacturer, preference should be given to models manufactured by Hitachi, Bosch, Makita and other world-famous companies. In this case, the buyer can be sure that his electric planer will serve for a long time and will not cause any special troubles;
In the case of selecting an inexpensive model of the budget level and planning to use it a couple of times a year, it is possible to give preference to the device of conditionally Russian production. Conditionally Russian because, if there is a Russian name, all these devices are assembled in China and differ only by the color of the case and the inscription on it. The rest of the functional features and the basic scheme of their almost identical;

When choosing an electric planer, it is necessary to remember that even low-end models from well-known world-famous manufacturers will most likely be more functional and durable than models that are positioned as high-quality and reliable, bearing the brand of an obscure brand from the Middle Kingdom. This feature, in general, applies to almost all types of modern household and construction equipment.

The main criteria for choosing a planer?

electroplaning criteria

Exterior and appearance

Before buying, you must carefully inspect the electric planer and assess the overall build quality, as well as the technical solutions applied by the manufacturer. The body should create a sense of solidity, the gaps should have the same width and a general sense of quality and solidity should be created.

Attention should be paid to the overall balance of the device, as well as the ergonomics of parts and basic controls. Buttons and switches should be at hand and do not cause discomfort when working with the device. The device should be comfortable in the hand and not cause discomfort during prolonged use.

Electric motor characteristics

The more powerful the engine installed in a particular electric planer, the more productive the device is and the larger areas it can process without “rest”. The vast majority of electric planes are equipped with engines up to 1 kW, but professional models are very often equipped with more powerful engines - about 1.5-2 kW.

Another feature to which you should pay attention - the peak speed. Many manufacturers deliberately overestimate this parameter, indicating the rotational speed at idle, without load. These measurements are not entirely accurate - as a rule, when a load is applied, the engine speed drops by 15-20%. For example, if a device has a declared rotational speed of 10 thousand revolutions per minute, it is very likely that under load it will produce 8-8.5 thousand.

Width and depth of woodworking

Planing width is a parameter that directly affects the performance of the device.it is impossible to give any specific recommendations here: the planing width is adjusted to the type of boards to be treated individually. If we talk about some kind of universal formula, then you should select electric planers with a planing width of 50-75 mm. It should also be remembered that the proportions are as follows: every 100W of electric motor power is suitable for processing a board with a width of 10 mm. This means that for working with boards with a width of 100-120 millimeters, it is necessary to select electric planers, the engine capacity of which will be 1-1.2 kW.

Similar words can be said about the depth of surface treatment. Almost all modern devices have the ability to adjust the depth of processing from zero to 4-5 millimeters. The upper numbers are rarely needed - as a rule, when it comes to very unsatisfactory surface quality. It is for this reason that for everyday use (and also for professional, in general, too) the use of a device is sufficient, which allows adjustment in the range from zero to 2.5-3 millimeters.

Device weight

There is also a very clear trend here - the more powerful the device, the more functional it is, the more weight it has. The same feature is the reverse side of the coin - large and cumbersome devices are laborious and inconvenient to manage and maneuver, especially when it comes to the treatment of surfaces of complex shape. For this reason, preference should be given to those devices whose weight does not exceed 2.5-3 kilograms.