Is It Worth Getting an Electric Planer for My Tabletop?

When it comes to budget electronic planers, you're looking at something around 13" wide, which is more for matching surfaces or thicknessing rather than fixing major bowing or warps unless you use it with a sled. I find my electric planer great for prepping a clean board face, cutting down my sanding time, but it's not a substitute for a jointer or flattening jig.

If you're thinking about an electric hand planer, I'd say skip it. They can be hard to control and are mostly for rough jobs. Instead, look into stationary planers like the Dewalt 734 or 735—they do a fantastic job! Just remember, they're more for thicknessing and ensuring one side is parallel. I've built a simple sled for my rough lumber to keep things flat while going through the planer, and you can definitely find various sled designs online that can help with your project.

I'd recommend trying a router sled for flattening first. You don't need a giant flattening bit; they’ll get the job done quicker and with many featuring replaceable blades, similar to those on a jointer or planer. That said, if your tabletop is large, a big hand plane can do better than an electric one, since they lack the length needed for flattening big surfaces. You might think of modifying an electric planer, but honestly, a router sled would just simplify your work.