The Craftsman 21759 is a strong machine that leaves an excellent surface. It includes two feed speeds. The low feed speed setting increases the cuts per inch creating a better surface. It has a consistent, repeatable digital depth gauge and impressive dust collection. The turret-style depth stop broke on the first model we tested, but Craftsman provided us with another planer, and the stop didn’t break on that one (we tried). In any case, the stops on all the machines were less than accurate, and the Craftsman includes a digital depth gauge, which is very accurate. It tied with the DeWalt 735 in my pick for best overall.

Editor’s Note 5/15/2009: The Craftsman 21759 planer has been discontinued and no longer available online.

Photo: Anissa Kapsales

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