I have this WEN planer and couldn't be happier. I have found that WEN makes very high quality tools at very affordable prices. I currently own and use their Joiner, Hand Planer, Drill Press and Sander as well as this Planer. They all work extremely well!
After months of research I bought the WEN 6552 and couldn’t be happier with it. Yes I get snipe but easily sanded out. Yes if you take to deep of a cut, the chips can plug up the exhaust port. But for the price of this 3 knife planer, it’s a bargain. Has worked flawlessly for 6 months.
I have been back and forth on a decision as to which planer has the best value (price vs performance) for my basic hobby needs. Your honest, thorough review has closed the door for me. Thank you so much
@@WestSenecaValleyRailroad ok good, but 1 review said the gears exploded and hit his safety glasses and other reports of sheared off gears. If I see reviews like that there is no person that would convince me it was ok. That's like a 100 year old bridge and someone says they crossed it ok, I'll pass ,my eye is worth more then $400
@@eksine that can happen on anything mechanical and motor driven and I sure bet you have other tools in the shop that match that description. Sorry, but when j see a review as to something like that occurring which would be unlikely for most manufacturers you also need to wonder if there was any damage to the unit caused by either a careless shipper or a purchaser who either dropped the unit, improperly assembled the unit, etc. Unless there is a metallurgy issue, an exploding gear is highly improbable
Thanks for watching. We've also have good fortune with a Wen ScrollSaw we picked up several months ago. As hard as we work the planer, if it gives out anytime soon, for $250 I'd almost just consider it disposable.
Thank you. This was very helpful. I am comparing the WEN 6552T 15-Amp 3-Blade Benchtop Planer and the WEN 6550T 15-Amp 2-Blade Benchtop Planer. I also like your style as well.
+American-Outdoors.net so they do farm work, do they also doing carpentry I am in need of two assistance.... are they available. thank you for the review I'm looking at getting one now....... this would be my first planer so I didn't want to spend too much money on it and tell I am in good understanding the mechanics of using a planer. thank you.
Thanks for your review, I've been looking at purchasing my first planer and was pretty much already sold on this but feel very confident that it will suit my needs now! You need and affiliate link for the purchase, I would have clicked it and earned you a percentage!
The thing that made me buy the Ridgid instead of other similar was that it has assisted chip removal. I have mine going into a chip collector bucket right under movable stand; eliminating dust collector hookup. Works very well.
I do some low volume projects with hardwoods such as replacing countertops. I rely on a local (awesome) cabinet shop to thickness and rip my boards. They only charge me about $65 per hour; so most jobs are about $30 - $40 for a few boards. I'm starting to think of doing my own thicknessing and the WEN seems a good price point. Great review.
I have just received this planer today I looks as though it is built with quality and I look forward to using it and I'm sure it will perform just as well as my WEN scroll saw .
My Wen has snipe issues, especially on the outfeed. So be prepared to give up so $ in wood to sacrifice to save the pieces you are trying to plane. I have tried multiple to solutions to avoid snipe, but sacrificing extra wood has been the only reliable solution. I use mine with a shop vac.
I purchased the Wen 6550 on Friday and unboxed it on Saturday. I noticed the granite seemed a bit hazey and rubbed my fingers across it to feel a lot of bumps. At closer inspection I noticed fractures and tiny crackes. I called Home Depot and asked if the granite top could be replaced and was told no, and to return the unit. I wondered if the unit was out of warranty what would happen if Wen doesn't offer replacement for the granite. I also order a set of replacement blades only to find them labeled Delta. When I complained about the blades I was told Delta blades and Wen are the same. Out done I simply purchased the DeWalt planer.
This is much like a lot of planers out there with small variances. I bought the Ridgid for blade type and the assisted chip removal. To me it was worth the extra cost.
Thanks! The 13 inch Wen is just a few dollars more, and is a three blade, rather than two blade. Is there a reason you bought/tested the smaller two blade?
thanks for the review. i keep hoping to find that affordable snipe free or near free planer. i keep coming back to this WEN because it performs the same as all the benchtops, even the $500-600 Dewalt 735.
I need help! Let me start by saying that I don’t know the first thing about anything electrical. I plugged my brand new planer (same model as above) into my kitchen outlet where my dishwasher is normally hooked up. I turned it on and it immediately broke the breaker/didn’t work. Any idea why? Do I need a special beefed up power supply?
Hi Larry, I actually wasn't aware WEN made the 13" at the time. Since we were using this one as a backup to our DeWalt, I probably didn't do my homework before the fact as much as I normally would. In hindsight, I'd have probably spent the difference and went with the larger model. Thanks.
Thanks! I was curious 'bout that, too. A few minutes ago, the price difference was $2. Imma gonna let you finish, but, I think I'll angle for the 13" - any benefit of 2 vs 3 blades? I'm assuming 3 blades means less wear-and-tear per blade, but, more blades to sharpen, flip or replace when it's needed. Thanks! Great review!
@@evilwoodchuck hey, man, thanks. I did get the 12" shortly after seeing this, and I love the little piiece-of-jjunk. It's got down sides a serious wood worker will squawk about, but, I think it does a great job. And, mine lives under a tarp, outside, year-round, in Maine....I'm amazed the thing turns on! Just made a few projects, and the it's not "ready for wax" smooth, but, I'm getting flat surfaces and parallel surfaces and anything that comes off of it can be finished in a few minutes by hand or w/an orbital.
I just reversed my blades for the first time today. The problem, the supplied wrench does not fit the blade screws. It's too big. I'll call Wen tomorrow and see what that gets me.
Great Video, I was just looking this up because I want a planer and I have this dude saying he "UPGRADED" and will sell me his old WEN , this same model, for 200.00 LOL But I am not busting out 200 bucks for a 4 or 5 year old planer that I can buy brand spanking new for 250 or maybe less. I might could get it free depending on what kind of hand grenade I carry with me.
Can somebody tell me about the plastic cover #22. I bought this planer on amazon opened it up and started planing then noticed the plastic cover got jammed in the chain,, I sent it back and amazon sent me another one and when I opened it the plastic cover was laying inside not attached to anything. Where is supposed to be ? is it for shipping only and then to be discarded ?
Same issue here, found the plastic cover in the box. I took my planer apart and found that the cover acts as a dust shield for the chain drive. Remove the 4 screws from the top of the unit and the 1 screw that holds the height adjustment knob. Remove the sides panels. The cover simply snaps in place right under the chain drive.
The only time i had this planer snipe was a 2 ft long, 2 inch thick piece of walnut when i wasnt supporting the end properly but i dont know how you would expect it not to snipe if you've got a long heavy board feeding out with no support.
You mentioned that you normally use a Dewalt 735. How does this directly compare? For example, I hear the Dewalt is pretty good about not sniping, but you can still have it happen. Do you have any other observations between the two? For general use or hobby use, is the Dewalt worth the price difference or is this a better bang for your buck?
I am in the market for a planer myself. During my research I found the Wen and Porter Cable models to be similar in price (about 20 dollars give or take and 12.5" wide). Between the two, which one do you think would be a better buy?
Could someone tell me where the plastic "cover" (item number 22, stock number 6550-222) on the exploded roller case view goes? Mine fell off in shipping. It looks like it's sitting beside the planer here in this video as well, so maybe it's not crucial, but I can't seem to figure out where it is meant to be.
Whatever you do, DO NOT BUY A PORTER CABLE planer. Good to see someone who does ACTUAL reviews instead of unboxing the equipment and using it once, like I see the people giving Porter Cable planer reviews. I had nothing but planer snipe problems since I've owned it, and had to really crank hard to get the blades down to much less than a half inch above the bed, PLUS didn't get 20 hours operation time out of mine before it wouldn't crank either up or down and I found that the upper frame was busted in three pieces for no apparent reason. And despite what I assumed, the upper frame was made not of cast iron, but cheap pot metal.
I don't remember what brand I have, but what I don't like is the height adjustment uses metric threads, so you can't do a half a turn for a fraction of an inch. The "entry level" ones have become cheaper and nicer over the years. Your dog should NOT be in the shop when using tools, especially one so loud!
I bought one and I've noticed the adjustment handle is turning on its own when the planer is running and vibrating. Is this normal? Are we expected to hold the handle in a specific position while it planes?
that doesn't sound right to me; don't have the Wen (yet), so I can't look, but, see if there's a set screw or adjustment on the handle. If it's been like that since day one, it may not have been properly set/connected at the factory. But, no, you shouldn't have to baby-sit the adjustmnet handle. At all.
@@John-gj1jr I have had the same issue in the past. No matter how large the shop the space disappears quickly. I prefer mobility on many of my tools because I do a wide variety of projects and some are better done where they are rather than where the tool might be. However, I agree, my organizational skills have always been a challenge. Thanks for watching.
@@American-OutdoorsNet If I might impose for one more question, I saw another video on this same planer and the guy said that it was not recommended (in the manual, I suppose) to run any stock shorter than 14". Did you see this or is it an issue?
Thanks for the review. I currently am looking into getting my first planer and WEN is the one I'm considering the most based on price, reviews, and a bit of research. If possible can you please tell me about how much longer should material be to avoid snipe as much as possible. Again thank you
if you don't get a better reply, start at one hour, and perhaps work your way up from there. For reasons other than the machine, I wouldn't go more than 90 minutes at a stretch. For a small shop, 90 minutes should get you almost 2000' feet of planing done. (two passes per face that's close to 1000 board feet in a 90 minute stretch.) For resting motors, my rule of thumb is half a minute for every minute...so, 90 minutes running, 45 minutes downtime. probably overkill, but, If you need more wood processed a day than that allows, you probably need a more commercial class machine. depending on your wood, you may want to shorten your time frame. super hard exotics you may not want to run more than 30 minutes at a stretch.
Thanks for watching Steve. You may have noticed I have a handful of tractor reviews on my channel. I've had John Deers and Kubotas, etc, but I have been using LS models for the past few years. Why? Equal or more features for usually less money. And, my LS tractors have been strong and dependable. I would say the same about the Wen. I like Dewalt and use a lot of their stuff, but Wen does about as much and I could still feel my wallet when I left the store. I think they are an up and comer. That is my own personal non compensated by the company opinion.
@@American-OutdoorsNet Thanks. I recently saw two used planers for sale online. A WEN and a Dewalt. Haven't seen either in person yet but assuming both are in good condition. WEN asking $100 and Dewalt $175. Figuring I'll need new knives for both. Which one to see first cause if it's clean and looks good I'd most likely buy it.
I try to stay away from the benchtop hand grenades. You get better performance from the free standing units without the need to constantly replace the bench... On that note, how many bells and whistles do you really need for a grenade?
We recently lumbered a 36" maple, a 36" white ash, and a 32" pecan. After drying, we tried planing with a Rigid (Home Depot) 13" planer with 2 HSS knives ru-vid.comUgkxIzvvTi3_Qc8JnVdYYRJCvuoDC4QjTzeL . This job was clearly too much for that machine. The pecan was particularly difficult, due to heavy mineral deposits, and a sharp pair of HSS knives would be consumed by a mere 3 boards. We were also having lots of problems from chip bruising, due to poor dust collection. The shavings came off like straw and jammed in the 4" hose.We bought the DW735 simply to be able to run carbide blades, which worked brilliantly for the pecan. However, we found it to be a much, MUCH nicer machine. It was far more rigid than the "Rigid" planer, and far more accurate as well. But what I liked most about it was the dust feed. This machine has its own blower, which shreds the "straw" like shavings as they come off the cutting head and helps boost the shavings into the dust collection system. No more clogs! It's also nicely sealed so that the internals stay quite clean. This is just a well tempered machine that's a delight to use. It literally cut the labor in half. Just another example of getting what you pay for.
Who actually makes this model? Meaning, what other brand does this one fall under? I want to buy Shelix Spiral Cutter Heads, and obviously, Wen isn't among the brands they currently have. But that doesn't mean they don't carry the correct cutter heads, but listed for other brand's machines.
According to their page, they are American made out of Elgin, Illinois. Been around since the 50s. Not sure why the helical head isn't available thru them. I'd suggest shooting them a pm and see what they can dig up. Thanks.
there's one company in china that makes this model across a bunch of brands, the only major difference is the quality of the internals and QA requested by the brand, if you look this design is literally the same in different colors across almost all the major brands that offer this benchtop design. I believe wen orders these partly assembled then finishes assembly in the u.s. as part of their marketing and QA process. you have this exact model all the way from the bottom at harbor freight to the top with the brands charging 3 to 4 hundred for this model style.
I know that's how these things are made. Different specs and colors for different re-sellers. However, that doesn't help me establish a good cross reference between all the brands supported by Shelix. I'd consider a Wen sight unseen if they offered a carbide spiral cutter head. OR I could find the same planer rebadged, BUT also supported by Shelix. Right now the only affordable spiral cutter head importer of Chinese planers is CuTech. But their tips are only indexable twice, and it's not the preferred staggered pattern. But it's still better than a straight blade.
I have no idea what snipe means when comes to planning boards lol.. Never owned a planer but always wanted 1 i have every tool u can think of well family members do but i can use them lol this one thing they dont have but always wanted!!!
