FindBuyTool Planer Review: Is This the Best Budget Helical Head Planer?

Helical head cutters result in a smoother finish, reduced tearout, quieter operation, and longer blade life than their straight knife counterparts. But all that performance usually comes with a pretty hefty price tag, or at least it used to.

This is the 13″ helical head planer by FindBuyTool (FB131H), and at around $700, it’s the cheapest helical head planer on the market. But is it any good? Well in this FindBuyTool planer review, that’s what we’re going to find out today.

FindBuyTool sent me this planer to test, but they had no input on this review and didn’t get to see it before it was published. All opinions are my own.

👉 Click here to buy the FB131H directly from FindBuyTool (no tax or shipping in most cases)

What Makes the FB131H Different?

When FindBuyTool reached out to ask me if I wanted to try any of their products, I was initially going to politely decline like I usually do when I get those types of messages. But when I went to their website and saw that they had a 13″ helical head planer for around $700, I was immediately intrigued. Because that is the cheapest helical head planer on the market today as far as I’m aware.

My first thought was: what’s the catch? Is FindBuyTool legit? If this planer’s any good, how is it as cheap as it is?

But then I looked a bit closer at their business model, and it made a little bit more sense:

Where is FindBuyTool located? FindBuyTool is a Chinese-based manufacturer, which typically means lower manufacturing costs. It also used to be synonymous with lower quality. But I don’t think that’s been the case for a while now. And at the very least, that perception is quickly fading, if it hasn’t already completely evaporated.

They are a direct-to-consumer retailer, which means you won’t find their products on the Home Depot or Lowe’s shelves, but you also won’t find the markups that come along with that either. Of note, FindBuyTool does sell on Amazon, but it’ll cost you more if you buy it there than if you go directly to their website—especially once you factor in that there’s no tax or shipping when you buy from their website (at least not for me at the time of writing this, and I’m in the U.S.).

So those are a couple of ways that they’re able to get their price below other similar helical head planers.

Specs and Features That Matter

Let me break down what you actually get with this planer:

Physical Stats:

• Weight: 77 lbs
• Dimensions: 27.4″ × 20.7″ × 18.9″ with tables extended
• Compact size: 19.5″ × 14.2″ × 17.6″ when folded

Motor & Performance:

• 15 Amp motor running at 20,000 RPM
• Single feed rate of 27.5 FPM
• Maximum capacity: 13″ wide, 6-1/4″ thick
• Maximum depth per pass: 1/8 inch

The Good Stuff – Helical Cutterhead:

• 4-row helical design with 40 tungsten carbide inserts
• Each insert rotates four times before replacement
• Significantly longer life than straight knives

One cool feature that the FindBuyTool helical planer has is these rubber bumpers. The reason they’re necessary is because the infeed and outfeed wings are spring-loaded to stay in the up position. On the infeed side, it works flawlessly, but on the outfeed side, it only stays up if the carriage is raised to the top, because of the dust collection port.

The planer also includes a 20A overcurrent protector that automatically cuts power when exceeded—a nice safety feature that helps prevent motor burnout.

💡 For more budget-friendly tools that complement either planer, see my roundup of 30 woodworking tools under $30.

Real-World Performance Tests

For the tests, I have sapele boards that have been face jointed on the bottom, which is important. Because if you just run a twisted or cupped board through there, like a 2×4 or something, your chances of snipe go up exponentially, at no fault of the planer.

And snipe was one of the things I wanted to test, along with smoothness of finish, dust collection, and speed.

Surface Quality Results

The real test came down to surface quality, and this is where the FindBuyTool really shined. The helical head produced a noticeably smoother surface than comparable straight knife planers. This is exactly what you’d expect from a helical head design, and the FindBuyTool delivered.

When comparing it to my straight knife planer, all the surfaces were smooth, but the FindBuyTool was noticeably smoother. You can really feel the difference when you put the boards side by side.

Noise Level

I’m not one who puts too much stock in how loud or quiet these things are, because I’m always wearing hearing protection when using the planer. Because these things are as loud as fighter jets.

But for curiosity’s sake, I wanted to see just how loud it really was. I downloaded a little decibel app on my phone, and while the planer was running, the FindBuyTool seemed to hang out around 95 to 96 dB. Which technically may be quieter than most straight knife planers, but the moral of the story is: make sure to wear your hearing protection.

Dust Collection

For dust collection, the FindBuyTool performed well when connected to my 4″ hose and 1.5hp dust collector. It also includes an option for a 2.5” hose. Planers throw a lot of shavings, and it captured most of them effectively.

Snipe

When I was taking smaller passes, I didn’t get any snipe from the planer. However, when I removed a full 1/16″ during the test, I got a minimal amount of snipe. But the thing to remember is that this is not a commercial machine capable of removing a ton of material at once, and you’ll probably see your best results taking smaller passes.

Want to see how the FB131H stacks up against the DeWalt 735X? 👉 Check out my full comparison here.

What I Liked (and Didn’t)

What I Liked:

• Excellent surface quality with no tearout
• Lighter weight makes it more manageable in a small shop
• True helical head technology at an unbeatable price
• Spring-loaded tables that stay up (mostly)
• Dual measurement systems (metric and imperial)

What Could Be Better:

• Height adjustment isn’t as smooth as some competitors
• Single speed only (though with the cut quality at that speed, I’m not sure it matters)
• Less established brand with uncertain long-term support

Is the FindBuyTool FB131H Worth Buying?

Here’s the deal: this planer looks like an absolutely legit option for a helical head planer. After being so impressed with the cut quality, I even went and bought a FindBuyTool helical cutter head for my own straight knife planer.

The surface quality alone makes this worth considering. If you’ve been wanting helical head technology but couldn’t justify the typical $1,000+ price tag, the FindBuyTool changes that equation completely.

The fact that you can get helical head performance for the same price as premium straight knife planers is pretty remarkable. It’s making helical head technology accessible to a much wider range of woodworkers.

👉 Ready to grab yours? Order the FB131H here and skip the markup you’d find on Amazon.

Who It’s For (and Not For)

Buy the FindBuyTool FB131H if:

• You want a helical head planer at the lowest possible price point
• You don’t currently own a planer or are ready to replace your existing one
• You prefer not to disassemble and modify your current planer to get a helical head
• You work with figured woods or hardwoods prone to tearout

Look elsewhere if:

• You need multiple feed speeds for different applications
• You prefer more established brands with extensive service networks

Watch It In Action

Want to see it in action? Watch my full FindBuyTool FB131H review on YouTube.
—or—
Watch the full performance test video here.