Mtakata Power Tools

A Parks planer sells in the range of $300 to $600. The price will depend on whether you are buying a new, used or refurbished planer. Some planers that seem to be brand new may have rusted from sitting on shelves for years unused. So be sure to inspect any planer you plan on buying. A refurbished planer can mean the planer has been cleaned, polished and working like new, or it's simply been repainted. Check any planer carefully that you plan on purchasing. Look for a planer for a motor with at least 1 1/2 horsepower. Also make sure that your planer includes a stand, preferably the original stand.

Look for the original belt guard as these are difficult to replace. A double pulley for the motor and cutter head will give the machine more cutting power. When you look over the Parks planer you plan to purchase, check for cracks or splits in the castings.  A casting is difficult to replace and costly. Replacement bolts are easy to obtain and are not considered a problem if missing or broken. Start the planer up and take it for a trial run. This will tell you a lot about any refurbished machine. Broken gears, a missing chain, rollers that don't turn, will be noticeable once you try to use the machine. Be aware of leaking gear oil which could be a serious problem or may be fixed just by adding a heavy lubricant. When turning on the planer, some vibration is necessary but any excess vibration could mean another potentially expensive problem.

Rust is often thought of as a problem but in the case of a refurbished Parks planer, rust may  not be a problem at all. Cleaning the rust should be easy since these heavy machines can take rust remover very well. Rust on the rollers, table or cutting head is another problem all together and you should avoid purchasing a machine with rust in these areas. Blades are easily replaced and will be the first item you will need to replace on your machine. Several companies sell replacement blades along with replacement parts. You will want to look into the cost of blades and replacement parts for your specific machine since this can be a big factor in costs.

You'll be glad to know that the Parks Company dates back to 1887 and is famous for their planers which were manufactured in 1936. Parks planers can also be found under the Craftsman name which offers a guarantee that makes this planer a great choice for any craftsman. Craftsman tools are offered by Sears and several other major department stores.