my powered kit

I love hand-planing - it’s a really therapeutic exercise and very satisfying when a beautiful, perfectly flat surface emerges. However, the initial preparation of timber from the rough plank would be a long-drawn-out and arduous task - so for that I have this machine.

It’s not perfect - the fence needs checking after adjustment to ensure it hasn’t wandered fractionally, and having to remove the outfeed table completely for thicknessing work is a bit of a drag. It also is right on the edge of the power limit for an ordinary ring-main, and so will occasionally blow a fuse on start-up just to show off.

And one thing that has become increasingly irritating is the tendency occasionally to drop - quite literally - its power connection as the plug at the machine end isn’t a particularly tight  fit and goes in vertically! If this happens when overhanding it’s inconvenient - if it happens when thicknessing then of course you can’t just reconnect and switch on - you have to lower the table, release the timber and then start again from a step or two behind where you were. This is a real pain - but for all that I find it a generally good workhorse for the money