The best benchtop planers for a home workshop in 2026, compared on cutterhead design, snipe control, capacity and real Amazon pricing. DeWalt DW735X is our top pick, the WEN PL1326 is the value play, and the Craftsman CMEW320 is the budget entry.
Current recommendations are research-backed. Each article identifies its evidence, sources, update date, and limitations. No current guide is presented as hands-on tested. As an Amazon Associate, ToolShed Tested earns from qualifying purchases. When you buy through our links we may earn a commission -- at no extra cost to you. Product links and article details last reviewed September 1, 2026. Full disclosure.
The best benchtop planers for a home workshop in 2026 come down to four machines: the DeWalt DW735X, the DeWalt DW734, the WEN PL1326 and the Craftsman CMEW320. All four run 15 amp motors, all four handle stock up to 6 inches thick, and all four sit between roughly its current retailer price and $660 on Amazon as of September 1, 2026. What separates them is the cutterhead, the snipe control and how much you pay for each step up. This guide breaks down the specs, the owner feedback and the price gaps so you can pick the right one the first time.
A benchtop planer is the tool that turns rough sawmill lumber into flat, consistent boards, and it pays for itself quickly if you buy rough stock instead of surfaced S4S boards from the home center. Rough hardwood often costs 30 to 50 percent less per board foot, so a $400 planer can recover its cost on one large project. It also rescues reclaimed lumber, old pallets and salvaged barn wood that would otherwise be unusable.
Why These 4 Benchtop Planers
We limited this roundup to portable thickness planers that a homeowner can lift onto a bench, plug into a standard 120 volt outlet and buy on Amazon right now with a direct product listing and a current price. That rules out the Makita 2012NB, which was listed at over $1,000 and shipping in 9 to 10 days when we checked, and the Delta 22-555, which was temporarily out of stock. Both are capable machines, but neither is a practical recommendation for a buyer who wants a planer this month.
Each of the four picks here is spec checked against the manufacturer listing and price checked on Amazon on September 1, 2026. Ratings come from the current Amazon review records: the DW735X carried a 4.7 star average across more than 7,400 ratings, the DW734 a 4.7 across more than 2,700, the WEN PL1326 a 4.7 across more than 700, and the Craftsman CMEW320 a 4.6 across more than 1,500. We have not run these machines in a shop of our own, so this guide is research-backed and spec-checked rather than a shootout. Where owners consistently report the same strength or weakness, we say so.
Quick Comparison
Prices move often on Amazon, so treat the figures above as a snapshot and check the live listing before you buy.
Real-World Use Case: Flattening Rough Oak for a Tabletop
Picture a stack of 8/4 rough red oak from a local sawmill, each board around 7 inches wide and 5 feet long, destined for a dining table. Rough stock like this is typically a sixteenth to an eighth of an inch out of flat and varies in thickness from board to board. A benchtop planer takes it to a uniform 1-3/4 inches in a series of light passes, and because all four machines here remove up to 1/8 inch per pass, the difference between them is not whether they can do the job but how clean the surface comes out and how much you sand afterward.
A two-knife head like the Craftsman leaves visible scallops that need 80 grit and then 120 grit to remove. A three-knife head at 96 cuts per inch leaves a surface that usually starts at 120 grit. The DW735X at 179 cuts per inch on the finish speed, or the WEN spiral head, can leave oak ready for 150 or 180 grit. On a tabletop that is 40 square feet of surface, that difference is an hour of sanding.
#1: DeWalt DW735X -- Best Overall
The DeWalt DW735X is the benchtop planer that most serious hobbyists end up owning, and the spec sheet explains why. It pairs a 15 amp, 20,000 RPM motor with a three-knife cutterhead spinning at 10,000 RPM, and it is the only planer in this group with a two-speed gearbox. Speed one feeds at 96 cuts per inch for fast dimensioning; speed two slows the feed to 179 cuts per inch for a finish pass that owners regularly describe as glass smooth on maple and cherry.
Two design details matter more than the headline numbers. First, the fan-assisted chip ejection actively blows chips out of the cutterhead and into your dust hose, so the machine does not clog if your shop vacuum cannot keep up. Second, the automatic carriage lock engages on every pass without you touching a lever, and combined with the 19-3/4 inch cast aluminum base it gives the DW735X the least snipe of any portable planer according to a large majority of owner reviews. Snipe is not eliminated, but most owners report it is shallow enough to sand out.
What we liked: two feed speeds, fan-assisted chip ejection, the most rigid base in the class, and the X package throws in extension tables and a spare set of knives that would cost around its current retailer price separately.
What could be better: at the current retailer price on Amazon it is the most expensive planer here, it weighs about 92 pounds so it needs a permanent home, and the straight knives are more expensive to replace than the reversible two-knife sets on cheaper machines. A spiral head is available as an aftermarket upgrade but adds several hundred dollars.
Best for: woodworkers who plane hardwood every month and want a finish that minimizes sanding. Check Price on Amazon
#2: WEN PL1326 -- Best Value
The WEN PL1326 is the reason this roundup is not simply a DeWalt list. It is the only planer under $500 with a spiral cutterhead, and that is a feature normally reserved for stationary planers costing four figures. Twenty-six staggered high speed steel inserts take a shearing cut rather than a chopping cut, which reduces tearout on figured grain like curly maple and knotty pine and runs noticeably quieter than a straight-knife head.
The inserts are the long-term money saver. Each one has four edges, so when one dulls you rotate it a quarter turn with the included wrench instead of buying a fresh knife set. A full rotation cycle gives you four times the life of a straight knife before you spend anything on replacements. The cast iron base is also heavier than the aluminum on the DeWalt machines, and owners report it stays put on a bench without bolting down.
What we liked: spiral cutterhead at a mid-range price, rotatable inserts, cast iron base, and a 4.7 star average across more than 700 Amazon ratings.
What could be better: there is only one feed speed, the infeed and outfeed tables are shorter than the DeWalt DW734 so long boards need roller stands to keep snipe down, and WEN does not have DeWalt's dealer and service footprint if something goes wrong after the two-year warranty.
Best for: anyone who works with figured, reclaimed or knotty lumber and wants the tearout resistance of a spiral head without a four-figure price. Check Price on Amazon
#3: DeWalt DW734 -- Best Classic Design
The DeWalt DW734 has been in the DeWalt catalog for well over a decade, and the design has barely changed because it did not need to. It uses the same 15 amp, 20,000 RPM motor and three-knife, 10,000 RPM cutterhead as the DW735X, producing the same 96 cuts per inch on its single feed speed. Where it differs is the gearbox, the chip handling and the width: the DW734 gives up the second feed speed, the fan-assisted ejection and a half inch of capacity.
What it keeps is important. The four-column carriage lock and the extra-long tables that give 33-1/2 inches of material support are the main reasons owners report less snipe on the DW734 than on most single-speed competitors. The turret depth stop lets you return to common thicknesses like 3/4 inch and 1/2 inch without measuring, and the reversible disposable knives flip to a fresh edge in a few minutes with the included tools.
What we liked: a proven three-knife head, long tables, the turret depth stop, and a track record of more than 2,700 Amazon ratings at 4.7 stars.
What could be better: at the current retailer price on Amazon in September 2026 the DW734 sits only $110 below the DW735X, and the DW735X's second speed, chip fan and included extras are worth more than that gap to most buyers. When the DW734 dips back toward $400 on sale it becomes the easy recommendation again.
Best for: DeWalt owners who find the DW734 on sale, or anyone who wants the DeWalt design in a lighter package. Check Price on Amazon
#4: Craftsman CMEW320 -- Best Budget
The Craftsman CMEW320 is the planer for someone who is not yet sure how often a planer will get used. It runs the same 15 amp motor class as the others, but the cutterhead spins at 8,000 RPM with two knives, producing 16,000 cuts per minute. That is a coarser finish than the three-knife DeWalt heads, and owners are candid that it leaves knife marks on hardwood that need sanding. For pine, poplar and construction lumber, the difference is much less noticeable.
At 61 pounds it is the lightest planer here by nearly 20 pounds, which makes it the only one most people can comfortably lift onto a bench alone and put away under it afterward. The knives are double-edged and reversible, and replacement sets are among the cheapest of any benchtop planer. There is no carriage lock, so snipe control depends on supporting long boards at both ends with roller stands or a helper.
What we liked: the lowest price of the group at the current retailer price on Amazon, the lightest weight, cheap replacement knives, and a 4.6 star average across more than 1,500 ratings.
What could be better: the two-knife, 8,000 RPM head is the roughest finish of the four, capacity is a quarter inch narrower than the DW734, and the lack of a carriage lock means more snipe unless you are careful with board support.
Best for: beginners and occasional users who mostly plane softwood or construction lumber and want to keep the budget under $400. Check Price on Amazon
How to Choose a Benchtop Planer
Cutterhead type decides the finish
This is the single biggest variable. Two straight knives leave visible scallops on hardwood. Three straight knives at 96 cuts per inch leave a surface most people can start sanding at 120 grit. A spiral or helical head with dozens of small inserts shears the wood fibers instead of chopping them, which nearly eliminates tearout on figured grain and runs quieter. If you plane curly maple, birdseye, or anything with wild grain, a spiral head is worth prioritizing. If you mostly plane straight-grained oak, poplar or pine, a three-knife head is plenty.
Snipe control matters more than horsepower
Every benchtop planer in this class has a 15 amp motor, and none of them lack the power to take an eighth of an inch off a 13 inch board. What varies is snipe, the slight dip cut into the first and last few inches of a board as it enters and leaves the cutterhead. Look for a carriage lock (the DW735X locks automatically, the DW734 has a manual four-column lock), long infeed and outfeed tables, and a heavy base. Then plan to feed boards a few inches long and trim the ends, which is what experienced woodworkers do regardless of the machine.
Width and thickness capacity
Twelve and a half inches versus thirteen inches sounds trivial, but glued-up panels for cabinet sides and tabletops are often 12 to 13 inches wide. If you plan to plane panels rather than just individual boards, the extra half inch on the DW735X and PL1326 is useful. All four machines here handle 6 inches of thickness, which covers anything you would run through a benchtop planer.
Knife cost and replacement
Straight knives dull, and hardwood with dirt or old finish dulls them fast. Reversible disposable knives on the DeWalt and Craftsman machines flip once and then get replaced, and a DW735 knife set runs around its current retailer price to $60. Spiral inserts rotate four times before replacement, and a full set of inserts is more expensive up front but lasts far longer. Factor a knife set into your first year of ownership on any straight-knife planer.
Dust collection is not optional
A planer produces more chips per minute than any other tool in a home shop. A 13 inch pass on a rough board fills a 5 gallon bucket in a couple of passes. All four planers have a dust port, but only the DW735X has a fan that actively pushes chips out. Pair any of them with at least a shop vacuum with a cyclone separator, or better yet a real dust collector. Our best dust collector guide covers options that keep up with a planer.
A thickness planer makes two faces parallel, but it does not make a board flat. If your stock is twisted or cupped, the planer follows the existing surface and you get a thinner, still-twisted board. You need a jointer, a planer sled, or a hand plane to establish one flat face first. Our comparison of hand planes versus power planers for flattening covers that first step, and the wider best planers roundup includes handheld and stationary options if a benchtop thickness planer is not what you need.
FAQ
Is the DeWalt DW735X worth the extra money over the DW734?
At current Amazon pricing the gap is about $110, and for that you get a second feed speed at 179 cuts per inch, fan-assisted chip ejection, a wider and more rigid base, plus extension tables and a spare knife set in the box. For anyone planing hardwood regularly, yes. If the DW734 drops to around its current retailer price on sale, the value math swings back toward the DW734.
Do I need a jointer if I buy a benchtop planer?
For rough lumber, usually yes, or at least a planer sled. A planer makes the second face parallel to the first, so it needs one flat reference face to work from. Many home woodworkers flatten one face with a hand plane or a shop-made sled and then use the planer for everything else.
How do I reduce snipe on a benchtop planer?
Support long boards at both ends with roller stands so they stay level as they enter and exit, engage the carriage lock if your planer has one, take light final passes, and feed boards end to end so only the first and last board in a batch see snipe. Leaving a few inches of extra length and trimming the ends is the most reliable fix.
Is a spiral cutterhead worth it on a benchtop planer?
If you work with figured or reclaimed wood, a spiral head like the one on the WEN PL1326 noticeably reduces tearout and noise, and its rotatable inserts cost less over time than replacing straight knives. For plain-sawn oak, poplar and softwood, a three-knife head produces a finish most people are happy with.
Can a benchtop planer run on a standard household outlet?
Yes. All four planers in this guide are 15 amp, 120 volt machines. Use a dedicated 20 amp circuit if you have one, avoid long extension cords, and do not run a shop vacuum on the same circuit or you will trip the breaker under load.
Final Verdict
Buy the DeWalt DW735X if you plane hardwood regularly and want the smoothest finish and the least snipe a portable planer can deliver. Buy the WEN PL1326 if you want a spiral cutterhead for under $450 and work with difficult grain. The DeWalt DW734 is a fine machine that is currently priced too close to its big brother, and the Craftsman CMEW320 is the right call for a first planer on a tight budget.
