: I've been avoiding it ... but the more boats and stuff I build ... the more
: it seems a planer would be worth while. I rarely work with stock more than
: 6 inches wide or 2 inches thick ... any planer will handle that ... but
: I'm always working with stuff between 1 inch and 3/16 inch thick.

Planers I have used, small to medium size:

Bench top: Makita 2012NB. Good for light duty work. Take light passes, don't over-work it. Easy to use, affordable.

Portable: Delta Shopmaster: Good planer for the home shop. Good value. Feeds well, decent power. I own a Delta Shopmaster 6" jointer, and a Shopmaster hollow chisel mortiser. Both are good tools for the home shop.

Portable: Hitachi P12R. We had to special order to get the planer without the jointer. More expensive. A more robust 12" planer that can stand up to medium work loads. A very good machine.

Stationary: Hitachi P100F. 220 volt for the more active shop. Always feeds well, and stands up to continuous use. Good for the long haul. There is a used one on Craigs List. Google it.

Chris