WENPL1252 15-Amp 12.5-Inch Two-Blade Benchtop Thickness Planer , Black

Works great right out of thr box. Super smooth product.

I have recently gotten into wood working and decided that I needed to have a thickness planer in my shop. With tight funds and realistic expectations, I decided to purchase the WEN 6550 planer. I came to this decision after doing countless hours of research and watching pretty much every video out there comparing, using, and reviewing planers. While big yellow came out on top in most reviews and in forum discussions, I just couldn't justify spending that much money for a tool that will probably not get used that often. Especially when the WEN seems to get overwhelmingly good reviews. Now, to get to the review.My package arrived completely intact. I had visions of battered boxed with broken or missing contents. None of that happened. The box was completely intact and the planer was well cushioned inside. Setting up the planer was a simple matter of removing the styrofoam, attaching the handle, attaching the dust chute, wiping off the infeed, outfeed, and granite tables and waxing all of them down. The next thing I did was place the planer on a completely level surface and check the surfaces with a level. Everything was level in all directions and the cutter head needed no adjustments.The first piece of wood I ran through the planer was a scrap 2X4 that I know had a slight warp. Several passes through the planer gave me some nice square edges and most of the warp was planed out. I'm sure that if I had kept going I could remove the entire warp. Next I fed a piece of oak pallet wood through the planer that was warped and cracked. While the planer did nothing for the crack, it did remove every bit of nastiness and revealed a beautiful tiger pattern under all the rough wood. Now I just have to find the right project for this piece of wood.One thing I read a lot about with all planers is snipe. The WEN 6550 is not immune to this either. While not bad there is definitely snipe there. Running other pieces of wood through the planer with sacrificial wood before and after what you are planing completely eliminated all traces of snipe. In fact, the cutter head did such a good job on my project I almost don't even need to sand now.But Fred, how loud is this planer? I'm glad you asked. It's loud. Running it without hearing protection just means that you will become friends with an Audiologist sooner rather than later because you WILL need hearing aids. Ok, all kidding aside, yes, it is loud and yes, you should wear hearing protection. Without any wood running through the planer it's not really any louder than any other tool in your shop. In fact, my table saw is probably louder but, put some wood through the planer and you can tell a huge difference in the decibels.Wood removal is excellent but I have yet to turn the handle more than 1/2 a turn per pass (1/32nd inch wood removal) and mostly I'm only doing 1/4 turns (1/64th inch wood removal) with each pass. Each full turn will remove 1/16th inch of wood. So far, I've run pine, poplar, oak, walnut, maple, and purple heart through the planer and it has yet to even act like it's having trouble. Once I've use the planer some more and gotten used to it, I'll try doing a full 1/16th inch in a pass to see what happens.This is a two blade cutter head planer and the blades are reversible. One review that I read said that blade removal was harder on this planer compared to others. Now, I will admit that I have nothing to compare that statement too but, I did not find blade removal hard or complicated. Just remove the two screws from the dust hood, remove the two screws from the blade cover and bam, there are your blades. There is a cutter head lock and you do have to push it down to rotate the cutter head to get to the 2nd blade but, that's not hard or a big deal.Time will tell how well this planer will hold up but, based on it's performance so far, I see no reason why I won't get many years of service out of it. If you are in the market for a planer, you should definitely consider WEN.

I have wanted a bench-top planer for quite a while but could not seem to find a good one in my price range.While browsing through Amazon I came across the WEN 6550 for $219.42. The price was cheaper than comparable used planers advertised on Craigslist.After reading the reviews both on Amazon and other sites, I purchased one. I was told it would arrive in five days but was pleasantly surprised when it arrived in two (Prime membership).The box arrived in good condition with no visible damage. It should be noted that this tool weighs 73 lbs., so with packing material the whole box weighs in at about 80 lbs.The tool appeared well packaged using form fitting foam blocks reinforced by a cardboard sleeve. When removing the packing be careful as the instructions are sandwiched between one of the cardboard sleeves and foam blocking.Flipping down the in-feed/out-feed tables you will find a plastic bag containing parts and three foam blocks which protect the blades and roller mechanism.In the bag are the following items.-Depth adjusting handle-Bolt with Lock Washer (to secure the handle)-Plug (covers the handle screw)-2 Magnets (used when changing blades)-T-handle Hex WrenchThere is also a dust chute that needs to be installed.The magnets and T-handle wrench has an on-board storage area just above where the dust chute is mounted.Along with the bag of parts I also found a small plastic box. At first I was not sure of its use but a careful look at the parts diagram in the manual revealed it to be a cover for the chain drive mechanism. Apparently it fell out during shipment but was easily snapped back into place.The three foam blocks are wedged securely. To remove them you need to first install the depth adjusting handle using the included screw and T-handle hex wrench and raise the roller-case.Upon removing the blocks I found the granite table had some sort of residue on it. This was easily cleaned off using a de-greaser followed by glass cleaner.The blades are already installed and are reversible and therefore should not need replacing for quite some time.I next installed the dust chute which can be oriented for either left or right discharge. There are two thumb screws (pre-installed) that secure it to the planer.This is all the assembly required.I connected the dust chute to my shop vacuum and then went through my scrap pile looking for the worst piece of wood I could find.With the planer off, I placed the board on the infeed granite table and lowered the roller-head until it just touch the wood. I then backed it off a full turn (One full turn of the handle equals 1/16").I turned on the vacuum and the planer and fed the board through. Being cautious, I lowered the handle one-half turn passing the board through each time until the blades contacted board. The board fed easily with no evidence of binding.I made about 4-5 passes lowering the roller-case by one-half turn (I was being overcautious) each time. The result was an extremely clean and finished board with no snipe. The lack of snipe may have been because the board is only about two feet long.The infeed/outfeed tables are independently adjustable but so far I have not had any need to make adjustments.The planer remained quite stable. Even though I did not have it clamped down during testing, it never moved. I attributed this to the heavy weight of the construction and solid granite table.I have since run pallet wood through the planer and ended up with wood nice enough to make gift boxes out of (which I did).So far I have been very pleased with this planer. It seems to be solidly built and performs well. I would have liked for it to have a roller-head lock. I have not as yet had any issues with the head moving but would have liked the assurance.The vacuum system worked great, just be sure to check the vacuum container often as the planer will fill it substantially quicker than say a table saw.The included manual is not the best. It is clearly a translation but provides adequate information in setting up and using the tool. This and the lack of a roller-head lock is why I gave it 4 stars.The price along with the 2-year warranty makes this planer a good value for the home workshop.