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Electric planer buying guide

Updated: 23 October 2026

You are looking at a powered handheld planer for a few internal doors or a run of timber, and the listings mix an 82 mm corded tool with a bare 18 V body and a 56 mm 12 V cutter. An electric planer buying guide should settle width, the depth you will actually set, whether a battery is in the box, and where the chips go, before you compare brands. The [Machine plane comparison](/hub/hand-tools/machine-plane) holds the six amazon.co.uk listings and the prices. We did not run a lab test. A qualifying purchase through our links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You are looking at a powered handheld planer for a few internal doors or a run of timber, and the listings mix an 82 mm corded tool with a bare 18 V body and a 56 mm 12 V cutter.

Our top picks

DeWalt DeWalt DCP580N-XJ

Best overall

DeWalt DeWalt DCP580N-XJ
8.9/10about £117.98
View offer
Bosch Bosch GHO 12V-20

Alternative

Bosch Bosch GHO 12V-20
8.5/10about £179.99
View offer
Einhell Einhell TC-PL 750

Best value

Einhell Einhell TC-PL 750
8.4/10about £39.78
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.What width and depth you are buying
  2. 2.Corded, or a bare battery body
  3. 3.Dust, rebate and the knives
  4. 4.A checklist before you open the main comparison

What width and depth you are buying

Planing width is the length of the knife. The corded listings and the DeWalt DCP580N-XJ state 82 mm, one pass on a door edge if the shoe stays flat. The Bosch GHO 12V-20 is 56 mm on Bosch Professional's UK index, with amazon blades at 56 x 5.5 x 1.1 mm. A reviewer would not take a solid door down with it. Chip depth is a maximum. Einhell, KATSU, DeWalt and Bosch state about 2 mm. Draper separates 0-3 mm of chip from a rebate of 0-15.5 mm. BuildWiz suggests about half a millimetre on a door, a rule of thumb we did not measure. A KATSU buyer reports about 1 mm against a 2 mm claim, and a Draper buyer says the indicator does not match the timber. Plane a scrap, then measure. Stanley's amazon bullets omit width. Wickes lists 82 mm and 2 mm. The shelf price stays £104.95.

Corded, or a bare battery body

A corded planer here is complete on a UK 13 A socket: Einhell TC-PL 750 £39.78 at 750 W, KATSU 101719 £34.99 at 600 W, Draper 57564 £51.80 at 900 W. Mains are 230 V with a BS 1363 plug. The DeWalt at £117.98, the Stanley at £104.95 and the Bosch at £179.99 are body only. DeWalt UK sells batteries and a charger separately, and the Stanley and Bosch lines say the same. This page has no pack price, so do not compare £39.78 with £117.98 as if both were kits. A DeWalt 18 V XR pack does not run Stanley V20 or Bosch 12 V. DeWalt reviewers already own 4 Ah or 5 Ah packs. Bosch reviewers call 2.0 Ah short and reach for about 3 Ah.
DeWalt DeWalt DCP580N-XJ

Testsieger

DeWalt DeWalt DCP580N-XJ
8.9/10about £117.98
View offer

Dust, rebate and the knives

HSE says do not sweep wood dust. Hardwood dust is a carcinogen, and the workplace limits bind an employer, not a fine for one door at home. Einhell reviews often say no bag was supplied. Draper bullets name a dust bag and a rebate guide, while the components line only says the planer. DeWalt bullets name a deflector and a container. A domestic vacuum is what reviewers describe. It is not Class M unless the vacuum is rated that way. Rebate is not chip depth: Draper 0-15.5 mm against 0-3 mm, DeWalt 9 mm against 2 mm. Einhell lists carbide, DeWalt UK specifies TCT blades, and KATSU lists 65 manganese steel. Unplug, or remove the battery, before you turn a knife.

A checklist before you open the main comparison

Confirm 82 mm for a door edge and treat 56 mm as small stock. Read chip depth as a maximum and start near half a millimetre, then measure. With no DeWalt XR, Stanley V20 or Bosch 12 V packs, compare the corded prices and leave the bare bodies as incomplete. Look for a bag or a hose port, and vacuum rather than sweep. Note carbide against steel, and whether rebate is printed apart from chip depth. BuildWiz puts budget corded planers around £35-£65 and bare cordless tools around £135-£230, which is context beside these shelf prices. A thicknesser is a different bench machine. A certified fire door waits on its certificate.

Common questions

What width of electric planer should I buy?
For one pass on a door edge, look for about 82 mm. Einhell, KATSU, Draper and DeWalt state that. The Bosch GHO 12V-20 is 56 mm on Bosch Professional's UK index and in the amazon blade size, so it suits edges and small stock. Stanley's bullets omit width. Wickes lists 82 mm only as a retailer check.
Is 2 mm the depth I should set on a door?
No. Two millimetres, or 0-3 mm on the Draper bullets, is the listing maximum. BuildWiz suggests starting near half a millimetre on a door, as a rule of thumb. A KATSU review says the cut stopped around 1 mm, and a Draper review says the indicator did not match the timber. Plane a scrap and measure.
Does a cordless planer price include the battery?
Not on the three cordless listings here. The DeWalt at £117.98, the Stanley at £104.95 and the Bosch at £179.99 are body only. DeWalt UK, and the Bosch and Stanley lines, say batteries and a charger are separate. A DeWalt pack will not fit the others. With no matching batteries, a corded planer at £34.99 to £51.80 is the complete tool.
Do I need a dust bag?
You need somewhere for the chips to go. Einhell reviews often say no bag was in the box. The Draper bullets name a bag, though the components line only says the planer. DeWalt bullets name a deflector and a container. HSE says do not sweep wood dust. A domestic vacuum is what reviewers describe, and it is not automatically a trade-rated extractor.
Carbide or steel blades?
Carbide stays sharper on painted or gritty timber than a plain steel edge. The Einhell listing says carbide, and DeWalt UK specifies TCT reversible blades on the DCP580N-XJ. The KATSU listing says 65 manganese steel. Either cuts a clean door if it is sharp. Steel is the one you turn sooner, and this set does not publish a spare-blade price.

Related pages

Best electric planer

Corded or cordless planer

How to plane a door

Machine plane

How to use an electric planer: depth, shoe and rest

Sources

Public UK sources from the research digest, last checked in October 2026. Shelf prices and star lines are the amazon.co.uk figures in the display file.

  1. HSE — Wood dust (retrieved October 2026)
  2. HSE — EH40/2005 (retrieved October 2026)
  3. legislation.gov.uk — Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, regulation 4 (retrieved October 2026)
  4. IEC — 62841-2-14:2015, hand-held planers (retrieved October 2026)
  5. DeWalt UK — DCP580N-XJ 18V XR brushless planer, tool only (retrieved October 2026)
  6. Bosch Professional GB — Planers (retrieved October 2026)
  7. BuildWiz — Planer (retrieved October 2026)
  8. Checkatrade — How to plane a door (retrieved October 2026)