The greatest carpenters and cabinet makers swear by hand planes that allow them to bring the finest finish to their work. Some of these are still the old kind, powered by good old elbow grease, and some have the assistance of electricity or battery power, in which case they are referred to as a hand power planer.
Hand planers are manufactured and supplied by all the leading tool and power tool manufacturers. The electric hand planer from Ryobi is well-known, but every major US and overseas woodworking too manufacturer is in on the game, so it is worth shopping around to compare features and prices so you can find the best possible electric hand planer.
Start by looking at the Ryobi hand planer. I have owned one for eight years and I have never had a moment's trouble. It is truly a workhorse, and forms the basis of my woodwork shop toolbox. My dad taught be to use a hand held planer when I was just a kid, and I remember that when he bought a Ryobi hand planer it was the talk of the town back in our hometown in Ohio. He was buying a hand tool from a Japanese company and that was considered daring at the time, if not downright treasonous.My dad knew a good thing when he saw it, though. Today the Makita hand planer (also Japanese) is one of the top selling hand planers on the US market.
If you have never owned or used hand planers before, there are many tutorials on the internet on how to use a hand planer. So take a good look round and enjoy your woodwork.
