I’m looking at starting my #2 build now but need a new planer and want a good one for shaping. I’m in England, i noticed the Stanley fatmax at my local store (link below) which I thought could be a good contender but wouldn’t mind a bit of advice on what else and what others are using with what’s available over here.
I’d find out how much shipping it will cost for a skil 100. For a cheap but good planer I heard makita kp0800 allows easier otf adjustment…I cant verify that fir sure as I heard it here on swayz…
A clark mod Hitachi planer would also be a option, as is the modified bosch planer I heard. Don’t mess with no name bs planers if you can avoid it. But if that’s not an option, you can shape w out otf mods. You just have to cut in steps, learn stagger cuts etc… or plane low and slow while mowing off rail bands.if ur just building for fun, or for yourself, or just sell a few boards a mos - almost any pp will work. But if you’re gonna stick to it, or make a career out of it - get a skil100, or a mod Hitachi. Good luck.
i built my first few boards with a 38 dollar ozito planer.
Skil 100 might be an awesome planer for shaping, but if you had put one in my hands when i was shaping myy first board or even 2 3 4 5 etc, i have no doubt in my mind it would have equated to disaster.
That planer looks fine to me ,and will help you get the feel for putting a power tool to foam for the first time .
Thanks for the replies guys. I’ve looked at a few hitachi planers but not knowing which one. Am I right in thinking that its better if the front shoe is longer? The 1st planer I used was terrible, it was a rusted out dead one that I recovered from my dad’s greenhouse lol, it cut uneven and blew out 90% of the way so had to clean up a load with my surform.
I’m planning on selling my next one so maybe if it takes off my goal will be a skill 100 in the future. Or like I told my wife we need to move to california lol. What are the mods for the hitachi then? I’ve heard about it but never seen it.
Yeah I did like the look of the Stanley one as that had a long front shoe.
Check out “newleaf’s planer mods” thread.
You can do his mod on a few different planers.
I personally have never used a modified planer
You can shape a decent board with an un modified planer.
Budget and 240 Volt. Those are the paremeters you have to work within. Pete researched and found out that the only Bosch that could be bought outside the U.S. was a single blade version. So Makita and othet 240 volt planers are pretty much what you will be looking at.
Yes I do know how to use it! One of my friends has two skil100s. The otf adjustment is on the front - which allows depth adjustment as your cutting…I’m just learning. Time for you to get you a skil! You kno you want one…geez, I wanted one for 34 yrs bro… you can wait a few mos and save, right?
This is going to sound crazy, but I would buy a skil100 for $650.00 if I had to. Luckily they can still be found in the $300-$500 range. Only downside is repairs. I think maybe a Makita planer would be a good option for anyone - being theyre only $99.00 new! Or $159.00 @ home depot.
The new leaf mods don’t look too difficult. But locating parts was a pain for me. We only have two hardware stores, I found several of the parts.I might do the mods ltr- I just need a lock collar, hack saw, dremel and a few pvc bushings…I got frustrated and said fuck it and bought my skil 100. Best decision I ever made!
If the old planer runs …could it be dull, misaligned blades? Pardon me if you already tried fixing it, I just hate to see old tools go to waste. -J
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it made some worrying noises so had to stop. It’s in a permenant space on the shelf in the shed now, got water damage so I stripped it cleaned it and got it going again but the bearings have messed themselves after its 1st use as a shaper lol.
I’ve got a bit of a budget but I’m willing to stretch for the right one. Think the hitachi one is most likely the one I’ll go for now but may look into the skil in the future if I get busy
Thing is I know any planer can be used but we got a makita polisher in the valeting bay at work and it’s still going without faults for 15 years so its a reliable make as well as a good planer for shaping. Worth spending the extra cash if I can get it.
I take it I’ll need a transformer or voltage adapter for the skil to use over here?
Check this baby out. Two blades, wedge shoe (like skil 100) , handle further back than most, 0 to 4mm, (5/32’’ in old money), cut in a little less than 180 degrees of shoe handle turn, plus it’s powerful. One down side is that it’s a bit dear at around £200.
On a more serious note I use a hitachi with a grit barrel from shapers.com.au and an accurate short base which is what your dreams are made of…both great tools and I’d recommend either. Cheers rich
For what its worth (not a lot) I used a cheapo planner…right up till the blade mount grub screws stripped. Got a Bosch PHO 20-82 single blade jobbie and its been great on PU and EPS (1.3pcf). Really impressed with it, but I’m not of the other poster’s calibre!!!