I picked up some caster for my 16-32 sander so I looked around Laguna's website. I do not have a planer or jointer. Their planers are too expensive for my taste

I saw that their entry level planer is now $450, from $699. 35% off.

Is that planer worth the cost?

https://lagunatools.com/classic/planers/px12/

If you're in the market for an entry-level planer, I'd spend a little more and get the DeWalt DW735X.  It's pretty well the standard for that class of planer and it will get you way down the road before you need to consider an upgrade.

Home Depot Bundle

+1
I've got the older 734 model, and it's chewed through a lot of hard lumber.  I've been lusting over the 735x ever since and will eventually upgrade when funds allow.

Laguna makes good tools, and I'm sure the linked planer is a decent machine.  But the 735x upgrade is a move you won't regret if you're planning on planing any real quantity of lumber.

That dewalt at HD is almost twice the price and it comes with knives instead of carbide cutters like the laguna.

Laguna is solid at said price.

I’ve had my 735 for a long time.   It’s a really good machine.  
Had to replace a few small parts, but it’s run an awful lot of linear feet
Just get the Inifiniti replacement cutter blades and don’t waste your money on the dewalt brand    I don’t think it’s necessary to spend another $600+ for a helical carbide cutter head.

I have the 735x and that thing is bad ass. Cut my finger installing the blade once, didn't feel great

I found out that Oliver has very similar planer with a helical head cutter, its $1200.

The Laguna planer has a quad tech || (straight) cutter. Not as good as a helical head cutter but at almost $800 less, I am sold.

Finding it for sale is a problem, I emailed Laguna.

Try Grizzly.

I decided not get it. Maybe later on.

Benchtop consumer planers are one of the biggest jokes on the market.


Thats not meant as a insult, just fact.

OK I'm running the Dewalt 735 in my small shop and don't take what you say as an insult, but I'd like you to explain why. You must have good reason to hold this position.

EBR

Depends on how it's used. I used a DeWalt 734 for nearly 20 years before I bought a Hammer A3-31. Of course this Hammer machine isn't a dedicated four post planer but it's more stout than a benchtop machine and a step or two up from one.

I never used my DeWalt 734 in a production role, which would have killed it. For someone building one or two or a few pieces of furniture a year in their garage like most of us, buying a $10,000+ stationary planer isn't cost effective or practical (from a cost, space ROI perspective), so we use benchtop machines with great results.

There are also differences between a DeWalt, Makita, and like machines and chinese brands off amazon or temu.

I doubt it.

The guy that said that shit about them being a joke is a low level EMPLOYEE at a big shop with lots of big tools. Would bet money that he does not 'own' anything in that place and has to ask permission to even 'use' most of the tools in it.

There are (today at least) 5 different planers in my shop right now ranging from a way, way old school 30+ incher that the forklift is not really big enough to actually lift up and move around, a few old school straight knife planers in the 16 to 20" range, AND a few of the 'lunch box type planers in the 13" range (a Rigid and a Dewalt).

Take a wild ass guess which ones get actually USED the most (and are able to be used to the most people)?

The tiny ass little 13" Rigid is our most used followed by the Dewalt.


The Dewalt is a 'better' planer than the Rigid hands down but since I actually OWN it and like it more - I am picky about who exactly I ALLOW to use it. Not because the tool is 'frail' or anything like that but because I don't want some idiot sticking garbage in it and putting it down for repairs. (that can and WILL happen in bigger shops if you are not paying attention)

The Dewalt is hard to beat for the money and produces very, very good quality results (fewer defects on more difficult grains being planed) on the slower setting. With the exhaust fan setup on the Dewalt a guy in a smaller shop could likely get by without even having (or needing) a dust / chip collector...

Nevermind

I love my 735x with a helical carbide head. I started with a ridgid and it did well, but the difference in finish quality and not having to sharpen or replace knives just makes it one of those upgrades you absolutely don't regret once you do it. On a consumer level those carbide knives last damn near forever. I've rotated a couple in 2 years for nicks (probably hit a nail or something)

I also know several wood shop owners who have lunchbox planers laying around in addition to a big 4 post. I doubt they'd keep them if they didn't use them.

The only thing I'd consider replacing it with would be a hammer jointer/planer, mainly to save space and increase jointing capability... and I can pop a 20 A breaker on occasion with the dewalt if I'm running nearly full width hardwoods for a while (as in, the full width of the planer), so 220 would be a nice improvement.