Delta ShopMaster TP305 15 Amp 12-1/2 Inch Portable ...

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Amazon.com Product Description:
A smooth finish at a very affordable price. This 12 1/2 inch planer offers excellent results in a simple and reliable design. The four post cutterhead support system keeps the cutterhead aligned for proper planning. The ball-bearing construction assures smooth operation and longer tool life. The quick change high-speed steel knives are double-sided for twice the cutting life. Handy stock roller lets you pass stock over the planer. The 15 amp motor provides the maximum power for efficient cutting action. The feed rollers are driven by a chain and sprocket drive and adjust the feed rate under load for the best planning results. Folding, adjustable infeed and outfeed tables allow for easy carrying and storage. Two-year limited warranty on machines, parts, and accessories. Includes planer, knife-setting gage, wrench, and instruction manual.

delta planer:
I bought the 12" shopmaster planer and it does a good job, except for the sniping of the board ends. I found that if I feed strips of wood on either side of board, on entry and exit of board it about eliminates the snipe. I hope this will be helpful to someone.

TP305 planer:
Awesome!! Should have bought this a long time ago. Be sure to get the planer connect #50-359 and use with a shop-vac. Keeps the shavings at a minimum.

Don't waste your money:
Don't waste your money on this machine. It truly lacks any resemblance to a quality machine. The "snipe" on this is terrible. I have tried adjusting the infeed and outfeed tables, to no avail. I can actually see the cutter head carriage move up and down when the board is inserted. As soon as one of the drive rollers reaches the end of the wood, the cutter head drops down and chops a 2 inch wide by 1/16 inch deep snipe. I have owned other Delta machines in the past and been quite satisfied with their performance, but this is the last Delta machine I will purchase. My advise to all is spend a little more and buy a better quality product.

my favorite, and I own a Makita too:
I own two benchtop planers, this Delta and a Makita. Both are really nice planers; both are capable of handling the hardest of hardwoods (bubinga, wenge, olivewood are the nastiest things I've put through them). I love benchtop planers because if the blades are sharp, they do a superb job. You can get completely nick-free, smooth surfaces if you pay attention to the direction in which you infeed the wood; most woods have a "better" direction that will plane smoother if you reverse the feed direction. Anyway--I've had these two benchtop planers for 7 or 8 years. If I had to replace one or the other, I'd go for the Delta. And it's not just about price (noting nevertheless that the Delta is half the price!). I run my planers a LOT--several hours a week. Subtle differences become noticeable. The Delta has less vibration. It stays put on the bench better than the Makita. And after years of use, I'm rather convinced that the blades on the Delta last longer (I've replaced them several times). Perhaps it has something to do with the lesser vibration; I don't know. As for snipe, I have no noticeable snipe with the Delta, but there's some technique involved. I lift the board slightly while feeding it in, and put slight upward pressure as it exits. I've had a lot of practice, for sure, and it takes a little, but snipe for me has become a non-issue. Be sure to keep your blades fresh. I always have spares on hand. It makes a world of difference. For the current price, this is not only an affordable planer--it's a darned good one. Get one, and you'll find yourself using it more than you imagined. I wouldn't want to woodwork without it.

Snipe, yes - but look at the price:
I hesitated to buy this planer because of the concerns about snipe. Does it snipe? Absolutely - about 1.5" - 2" on each end. But since I use it like once every two months, I don't mind taping "guide pieces" to the side of my boards to eliminate that snipe. If I were a professional, I'd never buy this planer. But as a weekend warrior who uses it occasionally, putting up with a little snipe and getting a machine for $300 less than the top rated portable seems like a reasonable trade-off. Is it a great planer? No. It's a Delta, for crying out loud. Which means it's built and marketed with an attitude that seems to say "We do what we think is best for our bottom line - and try our very best never to let actual paying customer preferences get in our way." Don't believe me? Look at their instructions - which look like something from the 1950's and are about as helpful as crossword puzzle. Anyway, I gave it 4 stars for value, not performance.