"Jeff" wrote in message
...
I get all my rough cut planed at the dealer but I'm considering a
desktop planer for small jobs, resizes and planing after resawing.
This planer has a desireable price and fits my needs:
http://tinyurl.com/298bu7

The blades are a concern. Anybody know how long they last on
hardwoods? I'm using mostly walnut, sugar maple and cherry. I don't
think DeWalt makes carbide blades for it. Could I get third-party
carbide blades?

Cheers,
Jeff

Yeah, if that is a desktop planer, I'd be concerned about all that saw dust
in the house. ;~)

The benchtop, ;~) is probably what you are looking for, your tinyurl turned
up blank for me so I suppose it is one of the regular ones available.
Unfortunately most all portables have gone the way of disposable blades.
Cheaper planer/printer, on going consumables from the manufacturer,
blades/ink. While many report that they are happy with the life of their
disposable blades, the "rechargeable" is still the way to go IMHO. I
currently use a Delta 15" stationary planer but I bought a Ryobi AP-10 in
1989 IIRC and it still has the same blades it came with even though they
have been resharpened several times. It is on it's second cutter head drive
belt.

If you intend to use the portable for small jobs and the occasional large
job it should do the job. Just remember that planers are to acquire a
specific thickness and that the premium quality finish that it gives you on
the first few boards is a short lived bonus. All planers get nicks in their
knives and should be followed up with a scraper, finish hand plane, or
sander anyway to get the surface ready for the finish of your choice.