Basically in brand new condition scored it from a 70 year old single owner who used it on one door then put it back in the box.
Very Nice. That’s the condition the one I use was in when I got it. Paid $20 for it. I got a second last winter from a Florida yard sale for $10 that isn’t in great shape that I stripped down to rebuild then lost interest. Its still in pieces in a box in the basement. Perhaps this winter I’ll take up that project again or put it back together and sell it.
There is a really nice Mall on eBay right now. Worth checking out the pictures. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Heavy-Duty-Mall-Electric-Wood-Plane-Model-SPN-3-5-Wide-10-Amps-USA-surfboard-/152328015953?hash=item2377751051:g:rhEAAOSw9N1V2KsV
Check out this planer I stumbled across on a Chinese Import website. Too bad the minimum order is 500 planers.
I spotted this little used vintage Hitachi at a local second hand market recently. A$120 (US$100) and open to negotiation. Is this a worthy alternative to a Skil? It was certainly heavy enough. 92mm wide cut and 3mm maximum depth.
The angle of the handle looks good. Ask Pete C.
Rohan, be sure to have a look at the bottom that there is enough room under the belt guard and what not to the rear sole of the planer so nothing hangs up while using it.
I have a Ryobi with similar styling (wide and funny exhaust).
OK, a bit more digging on Swaylocks seems to show that this models plastic bodied successor (the F30A) is highly regarded as a longboard shaping tool. I’m guessing that this one may be equally suitable.
For the occasional board I make I generally do completely by hand, but at what price should I not ignore this planer and go back and buy it?
I don’t think there is a huge market for used planers but $100 seems like a good enough deal to go back. If cord and blades are OK and it fires up without weird noises or too much sparking when you pull the trigger, it is probably well worth it. Just my opinion. There are undoubtedly people who will chime in with their 25 buck planer stories but how often is that going to happen?
For what it’s worth, I love my F30A (thanks Balsa!). Plenty of power, nice depth range, heavy enough to keep things smooth and level even when I’m not shaping enough to be 100% on top of my game. An earlier version would be fun and, I think, a practical tool. Worth checking out anyway!