Planes boards to a perfectly smooth (nearly mirror) finish. Width of finished board is (as far as I can tell with my precision) dead on. I like the adjustments on the side for repetitive cuts (1/8,1/4, .. etc). The cut depth gague in the front is nice so I accidentally don't try to make it take too much board at once then it can handle. Powerful! This planer seemed to laugh at the 10 inch wide oak boards I sent through it. I cut the boards from a tree with a Alaskan chainsaw portable sawmill. Each board needed numerous passes to get it down to nice smooth usable lumber. The blades lasted quite a long time. Changed blades after 20 boards, 10' long, 10" wide, receiving around 5 (on average) passes per side, I just turned around the blades and continued planing. The double sided blades are nice. I had an old 12" delta and as I used to either have to get the blades re-sharpened or throw them out once the single side had dulled.
As always... love the lifetime warrenty
Cons:
The hex wrench that came with it for changing the blades stripped and was unusable almost immediately. It was stripped before I changed the first blade. I actually find it easier to use a standard hex wrench for the leverage. Just have to be careful....
Dust collection is "ok", but I don't expect perfection from my 5.5hp big box store shopvac... Ridgid R4330 Planer, 13-Inch Thickness
If your going to buy one of these units make sure it's the newer version three blade. At some point in the last year or so the design changed slightly and they added a third blade. Home Depot carries these in both the new three blade version and two blade version. Same model number and SKU#. The older vs has a tool box located on the left side of unit, looking at it from the entry side. The newer version the tool box is located under the exit tray. (Heads up)
We have had one of these for about four years. Only used on a couple of projects. The unit works great as long as you use dry wood. We bought some Premium 2x6's at Home Depot and on the third to fourth pass the motor on this unit fried. The so called Premium wood was still to wet for the two blade version Turns out that Ridgid won't honor the lifetime warranty.
Also the dust collection on the older version clogs too easily, even when your using a commercial shop vac system.
I purchased one of these about 3 1/2 years ago and can't stop emphasizing how good the peformance has been, especially at the price. I am a woodworker that builds just about everything I'm asked to. I've been using this planer consitantly, at least 3-4 hours a week for the last year...I cut my own lumber, joint it, resaw it, and plane it with this item.
I too have never changed the blades...not to say that they can't give better cuts if I did, but the fact that they have performed so well (for so long) to this point amazes me. I plane all kinds of woods...pine, douglas fir, oak, gum, persimmons (white ebony), hickory, and alot of cherry and black walnut. Alot of hardwoods listed!
Other reviews don't speak as high as they should due to processes they shouldn't be doing...wet wood is a no-no on any planer. When properly hooked up to a 4" dust collector system, it works great. Maybe a wrench that arrives to change the blades out is junk...but the planer itself is what this review is on. It may not be as powerful as some may have predicted, but for the cost it's awesome, just take lighter cuts.
Best Bang-for-Buck...and FYI, I'm not an employee of Rigid...I am a constant customer of Home Depot.
I've had my Ridgid 13" planer for several months now.. Run a lot of wood through and it works great. However, blade changing time comes along.. Most of the screws that hold the blades have welded in place.. Apparently, the cutter head is aluminum and the screws ( metric ) are steel. Dis-similar metals corrode and seize.. After ruining the cheap tool they send to remove the screws as well as another hardened wrench, slotting the top of the screw, chilling the screw with dry ice and several other methods, I'm probably going to have to grind the screw heads off, remove the blades and then attempt to get the threaded stud out of the hole.. If that doens't work, you replace the $140 cutterhead. From reading reviews, this seems to be a recurring problem..
I bought Ridgid's newest model thickness planer after I had beat the older model to death with daily use for over a decade. The brushes on the motor finally gave on the old one so I got the new one with plans to have the old one refurbished when I have time.
This newest model has plenty of power for me. I make historic window replicas and use this machine almost daily. I bought both machines, my old one and this new one at Home Depot so I wouldn't ever be without replacement blades, even on a Sunday.
So blade change time came and I went to Home Depot only to find out that my Home Depot only carries the blades for the old machine, even though they haven't sold it for years, and only stock the new machine. That leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
But the part that makes this particular machine not worth the money isn't that. It's the blade changing design. These machines are designed to have the blades changed. No big deal. But you have to be able to get the blades out.
The old model used hex head bolts to fix the blades in place. That was a good idea. The new model uses allen head bolts that are rounded over on top. You use an allen wrench to get the blades out. That was a bad idea. Bad idea because if one of the bolts strip out, like four have done on mine, they are impossible to get out and change your blades. I can't get a wrench around it to turn it or anything, not even needle nose vise grips. Such a shame.
Now I have to remove it from the stand and take it in to get serviced, which means serious down time. Oh well. You live and learn. I guess next time I know what else to look for when I buy one of these machines. - Rigid - Benchtop Planers - Planer - Planers'
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