R4330 Portable Thickness Planer Review
The Ridgid R4330 portable thickness planer could be referred to as a hybrid: it has many of the features found on heavy-duty machines but is almost as light as the smaller models
This machine is what I call a hybrid. It has many of the same features found on the large heavyduty models, but it is almost as light as the smaller models. The two solid 12-in. extension tables yield a bed length of 34 in. and have very little flex. However, the dust-collection adapter is not quite as effective as others, and it prevents the outfeed extension table from being folded up, which is a strike against the tool’s portability. As with most of these machines, the preset depth stops—in this case ranging from 1/8 in. to 1 3/4 in.—are a bit too spongy for my comfort; they don’t stop solidly, making depth settings a bit of a guessing game. On this model, the blade gib is spring-loaded, so the blades can be replaced without having to remove all the screws—a clever idea. The motor on this machine purrs, but the three-blade cutterhead produced a surface with visible chatter marks that required additional sanding to remove. If my budget were tight and I had to choose one model for both shop and job-site use, I would take this machine.
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