Craftsman CMEW320 Planer

The Craftsman CMEW320 is a 15-amp 12.5″ benchtop planer. It is one of the most affordable benchtop planers currently on the market.

Design and Size

The Craftsman uses a classic lunchbox planer design, with a tall but thin design with a moving cutterhead and folding infeed and outfeed tables. It is relatively light for a planer at 30 kgs (64 lbs), and thanks to its small size it can easily be stored under a workbench or taken to a jobsite. It has a 12.5″ cutting width capacity and a 6″ height capacity.

Blades and Motor

The Craftsman CMEW320 has two blades rotating at 8000 RPM, resulting in 16000 cuts per minute. This is comparable to most other machines in this price range and leaves a reasonably good finish. It has an 1800 Watt (15 amps) motor, which is quite powerful and similar to that of more expensive machines like the DW735. It will be able to handle pretty much any type of wood.

In terms of features, the Craftsman is lacking a little as it does not have a depth of cut indicator, nor a depth stop or spindle lock. All in all, it is a decent machine, but as a result of the low price it lacks build quality and features.