Best Corded Hand Planer (8 Hand Planers To Try)

Woodworking becomes a much easier task when you have the perfect hand planer by your side. A corded hand planer can be a great option for any kind of woodworking project requiring decent power to smoothen the wood.

When getting the best corded hand planer, you will come across many options. But not every choice will have the features and quality you want for your projects.

After detailed research, we bring you the top 8 corded hand planers to ease buying. Once you go through these, you will surely have the perfect planer for your woodworking needs.

Advantages of using a corded hand planer over a cordless one

Having a corded planer over a cordless planer can have a lot of advantages. Of course, cordless planers are much more convenient and portable. But a corded planer has plenty of benefits that may convince you to get a corded one instead.

Here are the benefits you get from a corded hand planer –

Additional power

One of the most crucial reasons to get a corded hand planer over a cordless planer is the power of the planer. Corded hand planers go directly into an electrical power outlet, giving them more power.

This additional power makes it a great option for DIY projects and some professional quality projects. So, it adds versatility to the planer over a cordless one.

No trouble with batteries

With corded hand planers, you don’t have to worry too much about running out of battery power. Since you are connecting them to a direct power outlet, it ensures a continuous power flow. And if your hand planer has overheat protection, it’s just a bonus.

Also, you don’t go through any trouble of replacing batteries from time to time, either. Hence, you have fewer issues with the corded planers regarding maintenance.

Much more durable

A corded planer always stays ahead in the game of durability compared to a cordless one. They are much stronger in build quality, making them a bit heavier. While you sacrifice the portability, you get more durability with a corded hand planer.

It comes at a lower price

Typically, corded hand planers have much lower pricing than cordless ones. Also, they don’t have the extra cost of replacing batteries over and over again. Overall, you have to spend less money on a corded hand planer.

Saves time

Since the corded planers come with extra power and don’t require any time to recharge the battery, it saves time in your woodworking.

The added power quickly smoothens the wood, and electric power doesn’t waste your time in charging the battery.

Can you use a hand planer as a jointer?

Choosing between a planer and a jointer is always challenging for beginner woodworkers. But many people miss out on the fact that they can use their electric hand planers as jointers.

The purpose of a planner and a joiner is pretty much the same, as they both work to make the wooden piece much smoother and flatter. So, with the right process, you can easily use the hand planer as a jointer.

Here’s a video showing you how to use your electric/ corded hand planer to joint wood.

Jointing Long Boards with An Electric Hand Planer // Woodworking

Following this method to use an electric hand planer as a jointer can save you money. Because you won’t have to get a separate jointer for your DIY or hobby projects.

8 Best Corded Hand Planer for Your Woodworking Purposes

After extensive research on corded hand planers, we found these 8 amazing options with unique features and benefits. All these corded hand planers have excellent quality and provide great reliability. Go through them to find your perfect pick.

1. WEN 6530 6-Amp Electric Hand Planer – Best overall planer

Wen 6530 has always been popular with woodworkers as a low-cost, high-quality hand planer. Because it is an electric wood planer, using it is a breeze. The planner doesn’t even require much effort on your part.

The powerful motor makes the hand planer even better. It can make 34 thousand cuts in under a minute thanks to its 6-amp motor. This kind of power is enough to complete medium-end projects with ease. And for the price, it’s surely an impressive feat to achieve.

Adjustment features are another impressive factor of the planer. There are a total of 16 settings for adjusting the cutting depth. With an increment of 1/128 inch, the depths range from 0 to 1/8 inches. As a result, adjustments that fit your requirements are fairly accurate.

The lighter weight on the planer adds even more excitement to the experience. The planer weighs approximately 6.8 lbs. With such a lightweight, you can easily carry it around while working and make it more maneuverable.

Using the 5/16 inch abetting guide in the electric hand planer, you can easily make up to 1 inch in size rabbets. Making rabbets 1 inch in size gives you a lot of room to easily cut a wooden piece for your joinery needs.

Pros

• Features good cutting depth adjustments
• Additional safety with the kickstand
• Excellent value for money
• Very easy to use for beginners
• High-quality build

Cons

• Stock blades need to be replaced
• It has a very small dust chute

2. WEN 6534 8-Amp Electric Hand Planer – Best planer for power

Another top-notch electric hand, a planer from Wen, comes with some handy features and an attractive price. Some aspects of the Wen 6534 hand planer make it a bit different from the previous one.

For starters, this one comes with a more powerful motor supplying 8-amps of power. It can cut through your wooden pieces at 32000 cuts in a thoroughly impressive minute. The power should be enough to easily take you through any DIY project.

This hand planer is perfect for anyone planning to work on 2x4s and 4x4s because the planer comes with a cutting capacity of 4-⅜-inches, giving it the proper space to work on particular projects.

What makes the electric hand planer versatile is its depth adjustment settings. It also comes with 16 stops ranging from 0 to ⅛ inches. As for the betting, it can go around ⅓ inch to give you some room in the wood joinery.

To top things off on the planer, there are quite a lot of additional accessories available with it. You get a dust adapter, two chamfer grooves, a fence bracket, a kickstand, and two HSS planer blades. Along with all that, there is a two-year warranty.

Pros

• Quite powerful for many projects
• Cutting is very accurate
• Impressive durability
• Good value for money
• It covers a good area with the width

Cons

• Blades go dull frequently
• Requires a bit of expertise

3. PORTER-CABLE Hand Planer PC60THP – Best for performance

Porter Cable is one of the most trusted brands you can find for power tools or woodworking tools. The PC60THP planer is a testament to its high-quality tools. It has got all the makings of a top-notch electric hand planer.

First, using the 6-amp powerful motor, you can get through most DIY or hobby woodworking projects without any trouble whatsoever. Combining that with 16500 RPM gives you the perfect tool for smoothing your wooden pieces.

What may surprise you with this planer is the 10-positive step depth knob. With this knob, you can have great control over the multiple depth settings, and it will help you control your planer even better.

On top of that, for better control of the planer and a high-quality finish on your projects, you get an 11.5-inch cast aluminum shoe in it. And the 3-chamfering grooves in the hand planer give you the perfect edge chamfering in your projects.

Getting past woodworking pieces is a breeze and takes a very short time, thanks to the 5/64-inch cutting depth, because it will help you remove excess material from the wooden piece within moments.

Pros

• Provides you with excellent accuracy
• Impressive durability
• Great value for money
• It comes with a powerful motor
• Comfortable and convenient to use

Cons

• The planer discharge port can be faulty
• Features a bad dust extraction system

4. Bosch PL1632 6.5 Amp Hand Planer

From the lineup of Bosch tools, the PL1632 corded hand planer is something you will want to check out for sure. There are a lot of features in the hand planer that make it a suitable pick for various woodworking projects requiring a planer.

One factor that sets it apart from other corded hand planers is its safety and protection features. First, the spring-loaded stand elevates the planer and protects the blade. Also, the fence guide has a protective shield to get steady planning motion.

Next up, there is the amazing 6.5 amp motor that packs up enough power for most woodworking hobby projects. And when you add the 16500 RPM speed, the planer becomes much better for quickly getting through your projects.

Coming to the maneuverability of the planer, it’s a very impressive choice. With a weight of 6.3 lbs, it’s easy to carry and move around. And the handle, with its optimal angular designs, makes it comfortable to hold and use.

This is the perfect hand planer for beginners due to its ease-of-use features. The planing depth settings are very easy with the depth scales, and the shape of the planer makes it easy to enter the wood. It can even position the blade automatically for the perfect blade angle.

Pros

• It’s very easy to use and control
• It comes with enough power
• Removes wood very quickly
• It has great protective features
• The accuracy is quite impressive

Cons

• The dust ejection port stops working at times
• Carrying case has some issues

5. Makita KP0800 240V 82mm Cepilladora

Makita tools never disappoint with quality, and this planer is no different. The KP0800 has excellent quality in usability and power, which makes it a reliable choice for a corded hand planer. And the features are suitable for most woodworking projects.

The planer comes with a 3-¼” inches in width and has a 3/32 inches depth. With this kind of width and depth, you can remove a lot of material in every pass you make using the hand planer. This can help you speed up the woodworking process.

Something that makes the planer a great option for smooth woodworking is its 17000RPM dual-blade cutter head. Every project you do using this planer ends up with the smoothest finish. And the best part is it comes with very quick blade installation.

For some added accuracy, Makita uses an aluminum base that is precision machined. And when you add the carbide blades in the planer with double edges, you get some extra performance from the planer.

Depth adjustment settings on the planner are something that will surely impress you. The settings are easy to use with the click adjustment knob ranging from 0 to 3/32 inch. Also, it’s very precise whenever you make adjustments, making it more effective.

Pros

• It has a lot of power
• It provides a very smooth finish
• Quickly removes materials
• Excellent accuracy
• Impressive depth adjustments

Cons

• There is no dust extraction system
• It’s comparatively expensive

6. CRAFTSMAN Hand Planer

Ease out your woodworking projects using the Craftsman hand planer with all its handy features. The CMEW300 from Craftsman is the perfect hand planer for all beginners who are just starting their woodworking journey.

For starters, the 6-amp powerful motor helps the planer go through wooden pieces very smoothly. Even if you are dealing with hardwood, you can get through the wooden piece without any trouble.

What makes the hand planer even better is the 16500 RPM blade speed it has got. With such speed in the blade, the planer can provide you with some smooth cuts on the wooden pieces you work on. And it also removes material very quickly.

The hand planer gives users better control over it by including cast aluminum shoes on them. This also helps you get the best finish quality in your wooden projects. And with the over-molded knob on the planer, the control becomes even better.

Something that keeps it ahead in the game is its dust extraction system. It comes with a dual-sided dust extraction system which you can conveniently use while using the planer on your woodworking projects.

Pros

• Excellent value for money
• Good control and maneuverability
• Very quick and easy to use
• Dust extraction works flawlessly
• Operates smoothly in every project

Cons

• Replacing the blades is very troubling
• It’s a bit bulky for accessing tighter spaces

7. SKIL 6.5 AMP Electric 3-1/4 Inch Corded Planer

SKIL PL201201 is a great corded planer from SKIL, renowned for making such power tools. It comes with plenty of features that make it a worthy candidate to be on this list. Whether you want precision or ease, you get everything in it.

With this corded planer, you can achieve maximum precision while planning your wooden pieces. The planer has a smooth kickstand that keeps the blade away from leaving any scratches on the wood surfaces and wrench storage for keeping the wrenches in place.

Coming to the power of this planet, there is a 6.5-amp motor backing it up. With such power, the hand planer can provide smooth finishes on your project while cutting the materials rapidly.

For the cutting performance of the hand planer, you get some handy specifications. First, the 16000 RPM blade speed makes it fast and smooth in operation. Also, the ⅚” depth and 3-1⁄4” width make it easy to quickly remove more material.

Overall, the maneuverability of this planer is top-notch. Starting from the handle to the weight, everything just works together to make it more maneuverable. It’s very easy to control and move around your workpieces with its lighter weight.

Pros

• Easy to use for everyone
• Impressive maneuverability
• Top-notch motor with smooth performance
• Changing the blades is very easy
• It comes with a dual-sided dust extraction

Cons

• Handling the blade guard is troubling
• The dust chute is very small

8. Ryobi HPL52K Corded Hand Planer

Ryobi is another brand known for making top-notch woodworking and power tools. The HPL52K is an example of a high-quality corded wood planer that can make your woodworking projects run smoothly as butter.

Starting with the adjustments, you get depth adjustment settings ranging from 0 inches to ⅛” inches. The adjustment is very precise with 1/96″ increments, so you won’t have to worry about cutting through the wrong depth on your wooden projects.

With this hand planer, you can expect very smooth operation for your wooden projects. It comes with a 6-amp motor that can bring the blades to run at 16500 RPM speed. This makes the hand planer go through wood quickly and smoothly.

What makes the corded hand planer convenient is its dust extraction system. You can use it from whichever side you want, shaving your wooden pieces without making a mess. It’s very easy to set up and use for almost anyone, so you won’t have any issues either. 

Another great factor with this hand planer is its maneuverability. It’s overall pretty lightweight and comes with a good-quality handle. Rubber molds on the planer give it great friction and prevent it from slipping.

Pros

• Brings great smoothness to wood
• It’s comfortable and easy to use
• Precision is impressive
• Excellent speed and power
• Durability is quite good

Cons

• It needs a lot of adjustments
• The dust chute is a bit small

Things to Consider When Buying Corded Hand Planer

Finding the perfect pick among all these options is about knowing what to look for in the corded hand planer. That’s why we will be going through some factors that help you figure out the perfect hand planer for your needs.

Motor power

When it comes to the motor power of the corded hand planer, you should always aim for at least 6 to 8 amps of power. More power means smoother cutting performance and the ability to work on harder materials.

Speed

Coming to the blade speed, anything from 15000 to 20000 RPM is a great range for corded hand planers. Anything that can make 30000 to 35000 cuts every minute is a great choice for DIY to medium-end woodworking projects.

Cutting width and depth

The cutting width and depth of the corded planer greatly affect the performance. A higher width and depth allow you to remove more material quickly. Typically, the width should be around 3-1/4:”, and the depth should be 5/64 inches.

Depth adjustments

Getting the perfect depth adjustment settings in the hand planer is very crucial. You should look for something with good increments to perfect precision. Having 10 to 20 stops in the adjustments knob works perfectly.

Comfortability

If you plan to work with your hand planer for long hours, then comfortability is an important factor. You should look for a corded hand planer that is lightweight and comes with a comfortable handle. The over-molded rubber grip can be very handy as well.

Final Words

After many discussions, hopefully, you understand what the best corded hand planer should perform like. You can choose any of the ones listed here and end up with top-notch performance and quality.

Although they all have great performance, the WEN 6530 6-Amp Electric Hand Planer is the best overall pick. It comes at a very low price while providing high-end performance beyond expectations.

But if you don’t have the required features in this one, you can check out the others that suit your needs.