Having a good portable planing tool on the jobsite can make planing and dimensioning rough lumber a breeze. One of these tools can allow users to turn rough, rugged, old, and worn-out wood into smooth, ready-to-use planks for their projects. The WEN PL1252 is a great portable planer that offers excellent features for users to transform their wood into usable planks for projects.
WEN PL1252 15-Amp Planer
The WEN PL1252 features a 12 A motor. This motor creates the generation of 20,000 cuts per minute. There is an excellentfeed rate of 26 feet per minute. Additionally, the motor features 15 spins at 8500 RPM.
While the WEN PL1252 offers many great features, the DeWalt DW734 offers upgrades on almost every one of these features while being smaller. The DeWalt features faster cutting speeds but weighs a good bit more than the WEN PL1252. Both models offer great specifications for all users; however, the DeWalt offers more advanced features for more advanced users.
Depth
The planer can plane boards that have a thickness up to 6 inches and a width up to 12.5 inches.It comes with two reversible 12.5-inch SK5 blades. The depth is adjustable on each pass from 0 to 1/8 of an inch.
The WEN PL1252 flattens boards and pieces of wood. Typically, store-bought wood is easier to manipulate. Rough lumber is more challenging to work with to reduce its overall thickness. However, this planer is up to the task.
Planning Gauge
It features an onboard planning gauge. This gauge tells the user exactly how much material is being removed with every pass. This enhances the user’s control as they work.
Other Specifications
The WEN PL1252 features pre-drilled holes on the unit’s base that assist with mounting it to any surface easily. It also has a heavy-duty cast iron base in addition to a sturdy steel body.
It features return rollers for the easy passage of the board back as needed. Additionally, the crank handle allows for easy adjustment to the cutterhead height. There is a dust port that keeps the workspace clean.
The unit measures 22 x 23.5 x 18.25 inches. It weighs 55.6 pounds, making it easily portable.
The Downsides
The downside of this model is that it will not fit in small spaces. Users will need to find an area large enough to accommodate this tool in order to get the most out of it. Additionally, it must be placed on a flat surface to work. The tabletop build is also kind of flimsy. Perhaps the biggest downside from a working point of view, this planer will produce a small, noticeable snipe at the beginning of the plank that will need to be filed away.
Recommendation
Clearly, the WEN PL 1252 is an excellent choice for portability and use in the shop. It offers excellent features when transforming wood to be project ready. We recommend this planer for all user levels. It is an excellent choice for DIYers as well as professional woodworkers.