WEN 6552 Planer Review

1. WEN 6550 vs 6552 Planer: Which One’s Best? You might consider a thickness planer a niche or specialty tool and, to a degree, it is one. It is going to be of the most use to people who routinely work with rough sawn wood that needs a finished surface, need to salvage as much material from warped stock as possible, or otherwise reduce the thickness of their stock. For the typical home-based shop and even many contractors, this tool generally has little appeal or practical application. When you need its capabilities, though, it’s hard to replace it with hand planes or constant trips to the local millwork company. WEN has two thickness planers, the 6550 and the 6552. Both feature WEN’s quality and stout construction, along with sharing a few features. But, at the end of the day, if you need a thickness planer, purchase the 6552. For the higher price tag, you will get some indispensable capabilities you will appreciate on the first project. Let’s see why we cast our vote in favor of the 6552. What’s the difference between them? Repaint the lines on the tool field of play; we are about to pit the WEN 6550, with its 6” thick x 12.5” wide stock capacity, against the 6552 that just edges it out with a 13” wide maximum capacity. Toss the coin, choose your goals, and let the contest begin! Stock handling capacity – Half point to the 6552, maybe just a quarter When you’re talking about being able to work on stock the size of a substantial fireplace mantel, how much difference, or value, is an extra 1/2 inch of width capacity worth? It’s hard to say off the cuff, but a single job hinging on that 1/2 inch may make it worth the extra cost of the tool. Power – It’s a tie

2. Both planers have a 120VAC, 15A, 8500 no load RPM motor. Surface finish – Point to the 6552 The 6552 features three blades in its cutter head, compared to one pair in the 6550. More blades spinning at the same RPM means more cuts per minute and a smoother finish. A smoother finish benefits you with less sanding to achieve a finished smoothness. Granite work table – Point to the 6550 For tool folks, granite ranks up there with machined cast iron work surfaces. It speaks of quality, or at least extra attention where it counts. Granite won’t warp, and it reduces the friction of moving stock through the tool. Price – Half point to the 6550 The 6550 generally shows up at a lower price than the 6552, though it isn’t a huge difference. That’s why it only earns a half point. Bells and whistles for better usability – point to the 6552 A pair of return rollers encased in the top of the tool’s housing (compared to a single exposed roller in the 6550), and better depth-of-cut indicators, throw the final point to the 6552. And that, tool sports fans, puts a “W” in the 6552’s column. Powered by: http://www.jtex.com