Ridgid Planer Model R4331 - Set Up And Review

[@e-train6402]

Just purchased this model. Great information for a first time planer owner like myself. Simple layman's terms, detailed with demonstration and great delivery. Awesome. Sescribed.

[@MrSilver708]

Hello! I know this video is old but I wanted to thank you for making such a great video...I recently inherited this model from my dad and have never owned a planer before. Of course dad lost the instructions years ago so your video was awesome. Thank you :)

[@AmplifyDIY]

So glad it was helpful!

[@stevenmontgomery1524]

Looking at purchasing this unit, your hints and suggestions to look out for were very handy! Thank you for this.

[@AmplifyDIY]

Hi Steven - I've really liked mine. It's been great for the last few years (though I'm more or less a weekend-warrior guy. I don't use it every day.) Good luck!

[@colemahaney4208]

I got the older model for over 10 years and use it all the time and love it

[@AmplifyDIY]

It really is a great planer. Thanks for watching!

[@rolandvaldellon8707]

Have your dust collector hose bigger Abit so not to clog the dust output.l've experience the same.

[@litocarandang4514]

Yours is the 3rd reviews watched this pm - that, is before i decide to buy this machine................your demo so far was the BEST. Thank u sir.

[@AmplifyDIY]

Thank you, Lito! I love this planer - it's been great for me so far!

[@justintennant2744]

Thanks a lot for the great video. I got this planer over the weekend and was having some snipe issues. After watching this, I'm pretty sure I figured out what I need to fix. Thank you!

[@AmplifyDIY]

Great to hear!

[@SirAlan62]

Setup, awesome. Dust collection, must be the same size as the opening. I could see that right away. Enjoy your new toy.

[@ekhoromeo]

Thanks for the great review, and tips! I bought mine yesterday , anxious to give it a try.

[@AmplifyDIY]

I hope you love it as much as I love mine. :)

[@almanz01]

Very practical , excellent description of the product and its usefull, Thank you

[@AmplifyDIY]

You are welcome!

[@howifixit6206]

I like your attention to detail

[@poochie49]

Good video. I just picked up this planer today. It seems to work fine. MY first planer. I will definitely check the nuts and bolts on this unit as I found a set screw/nut loose in the bottom of the box. Good thing it wasn't anywhere in or near the cutter head. I'll contact Ridgid and see if they can advise me where this screw/nut came from so I can re-install it.

[@AmplifyDIY]

Good luck! I've been pretty happy with mine, hope you love yours!

[@troubledseed]

I just got this myself. It was on Sale. I was having issues with snipe and noticed the trays were slightly off level. I levelled the trays and the snipe actually got worse. So I learned on a different video that all you need to do is angle the trays slightly up on both ends so that it keeps the board straight and flat against the rollers. That has fixed my snipe issues. its all about the adjustment of those trays. be patient and with calibration this thing is a beast! Also be careful the blades are like razors i was reaching underneath and brushed my finger against one gently but got a decent cut. Super glue fixed that up though.

[@brndncrbtt]

Thank you so much! I could not get mine setup correctly. My table was assembled incorrectly as well. Good eye! Also, mine clogged using outdoors with no dust collection. I had to disassemble to clear the obstruction a few times. Next time I'll try with the shopvac to see if that helps. Thanks again. Very informative video.

[@AmplifyDIY]

Hi Brndncrbtt - I've found that I must use a decent dust collection system or it clogs easily. Thanks for watching!

[@tamsinkelsey]

Very helpful, thanks! I like this model because it's possible for a smaller person to move it around the workshop on her own. I would have liked to see how you actually set up the measurements for your first cut since I'm a first-time user.

[@ricemark9]

@Tammy K: For the first cut, I stick the piece in and lower the Indi-cut ball thing so that it deflects a tiny bit and run it through. I then crank the handle down 1/4 turn max and run it through again. This is a decent planer but I still only like to take about 1/64 inch of material off each pass since I get better results. It may take a few more passes so it’s up to you. You can get away with deeper cuts with soft wood compared to woods like maple. I crank it down 1/4 turn and run it through until it’s the desired thickness. I recommend double checking the thickness of the piece and making sure the indicator needle on the front is accurate.

[@positivelyportugal]

Thank you for the step by step set up. Mine was spot on, but great to check and learn about my new tool.

[@AmplifyDIY]

Really glad to hear yours was perfect out of the box. I've been pretty happy with this planer - I hope yours holds up as well as mine has. :)

[@positivelyportugal]

Not so fast. First large board I tested had major snipe, it was the feed table too low with weight on it. Fixed but still going to make a jig feed and output board. All good now.

[@joelynch1059]

I'm picking one up today off fb market place. $225 thanks for the great video!

[@rmgeorgen]

Excellent video, thank you.

[@Rubbernecker]

Very helpful video!

[@jaraxel888]

I just found this video and thanks for the details! Also found your shed building vids which is a project I want to do next year. Subscribed for the great content :-)

[@AmplifyDIY]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@ryananthony4840]

Just got one last night, was wondering how to remedy the feed table being lower!!! Thanks!

[@AmplifyDIY]

I'm glad this video helped, Ryan!

[@nopelosi2012]

Great video! Gathering the pennies to pick up this very unit!

[@AmplifyDIY]

Good choice!

[@stevenmorrison3083]

Outstanding video. Thank you for sharing!

[@ToolsNStuff]

This was very informative, thanks for making the video

[@AmplifyDIY]

I'm glad you fount it helpful, Dustin. Thanks for letting me know!

[@martinoamello3017]

I have the same planer and have for about 5 years now. First, measure the thickness of the pieces you're running through and only take off about 1/4 turn or 1/64th at a time. If you try to take off too much at once you'll stall the planer and may burn up the motor even though there's a reset button on it. I keep mine plugged into a power strip with a built in circuit breaker which will usually catch the problem, but best to not try to cut off too much at a time. I don't have a dust collection system set up, but if you want to avoid throwing the shavings everywhere get a chunk of channel aluminum (mine if from a shower door top rail) and screw it into the dust collection port and angle it down..otherwise it'll just fly across the room.. The adjustment screws for the infeed and outfeed are located under them on either side. There is a locking nut on them as shown in the video. It also can't hurt to wax the metal feed tables with some paste wax or some beeswax. Those knobs on the side are fairly useless. I don't even bother with them..

[@AmplifyDIY]

Awesome tips, thanks!

[@txmexnittro]

Awesome video and thanks for sharing... I’m torn between this model or the Dewalt 734..

[@AmplifyDIY]

They are both great tools! I've been pretty happy with my Ridgid, and it was a few bucks cheaper than the DeWalt. Good luck with your decision!

[@eldonbeyea393]

I found that using a shop vac hose and running it to a largr garbage can with a hole in thetop for hose the planer will blow your chips right through

[@rogerroger5649]

Ok, I have had mine for about 3 years. I am a hobbyist so I haven't run thousands of board feet through it or anything but I have used it fairly regularly. Here are a few things I have found. First the good... it has been a good machine and cuts well (I have only run hardwood through it). I have a dust collection bag connected to mine and the connector on the bag slips over the outside of the port on the planer and I have had no problems with it clogging. I am still on the same set of blades but I have rotated them recently. Now the problems.... it has recently begun to trip the overload breaker on the machine if I run it for a relatively long time so I assume it is from overheating. I probably need to see if I can remove the cover of the motor and clean it out, that may be the problem. Not long after I got it, it developed a bearing/rattling noise which I have since found out that it is not unheard of with these (here is an video I found where someone else has the same noise kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y6SmqqGwp9eoh6c). Now the biggie, mine is currently down. I was running some oak through it and it suddenly stopped feeding the board through, the blades were still spinning but the board just stopped in mid plane. I couldn't push or pull it so I had to raise the carriage to get it out. Anyway, I found the problem was in the gearbox (on the left hand side of the carriage). A bushing (at least I think that is what it is called) had given out which allowed one of the shafts of the gear that turns the feed rollers to move enough to disengage from the gear that powers it. Hope that makes sense. I have seen where that is also not unheard of with these machines. Here is a picture of the gearbox www.ereplacementparts.com/gearbox-assembly-p-1509414.html. Note that I ordered my part straight from Ridgid (ridgid.ordertree.com/catalog/partslist/view/group_id/234993/?assembly=Figure%2BA&assembly_id=51367) which was cheaper than ereplacementparts.com. Anyway, its an overall decent machine. Sorry this comment turned out to be a little longer than I thought it would!

[@AmplifyDIY]

No apologies necessary about a long comment - I'm glad to have the extra information, and to know a bit more about things to watch out for with this planer. So far it's been great for me, but I've not used it much yet. I have several large projects coming up this summer where I'll be putting it through its paces a lot more, hopefully I won't have any of the problems you mention. (fingers crossed). Thanks for watching!

[@rogerroger5649]

The gear box is scheduled to arrive Tuesday so we will see how it goes. Oh, one more thing that happened to mine that I have heard happen to others also, a screw fell out a while back. I didn't know where it came from until I took the covers off to fix my current problem. I noticed that a screw was missing from the carriage locking mechanism. The locking lever that you push down to secure the carriage in place is connected to a rod that runs across the top of the carriage and connects to a spring plate on each end. You will see that there two screws connecting the spring plates to what ever it's called....lol... anyway, that's where the screw came from. Also, ALL of the remaining three screws were very loose so I would highly recommend you check on yours at some point.

[@AmplifyDIY]

Yikes! One of those screws coming out while it’s running would ruin the blades! I’ll check mine before I use it again.

[@rogerroger5649]

Well, since there is a cover plate over the blades I really don't see much of a danger of that. It would have to fall out and maybe land on top of the wood and get pulled in with it for that to happen.

[@rogerroger5649]

Well, I got the gear box installed and decided to play around and upload a video to KZbin which I have never done before. I didn't realize it would take so long to upload! Anyway, the video shows the gear box after I installed it along with showing the locations of the lose screws I was talking about. It is running great now and it even sounds like that grinding sound is gone. I have only run it once for just a few seconds so we will see if it is really gone for good or not. kzbin.info/www/bejne/e52YfKOhmM2Vp80

[@williamlawrence2525]

Just got one myself

[@pianobar7801]

Very helpful, thanks for posting.

[@AmplifyDIY]

For anyone who also owns this planer: What other tips or tricks should I know about it?

[@aubrey6942]

AmplifyDIY I just bought the same planer I found a nut with an Allen set screw would you know what that nut is for

[@steveruddach7791]

@@aubrey6942 Where did you find it? I can't find the "Magnetic Blade Wrench" listed in the loose parts list. Wondering if its hiding somewhere.

[@tomkennish3630]

aubrey6942 it’s prob a set screw for the one of the cutter blades. There are 6(?) for each blade and they are hex

[@rocky8686]

@@steveruddach7791 you probably found it by now but it’s attached to the side of the planer, fooled me too!

[@SoCalKevin]

@@rocky8686 that wrench was the first thing I found! 😂Grabbed it by accident trying to pull the planer out of the box, thinking it was a handle.

[@henrysara7716]

Thank you.

[@1Igster1]

I got the same planer a couple years ago. Only one compaint - I have been getting a lot of skipping... not the drive rollers, but the drive chains. After taking the side cover off I noticed the drive chains seem very loose and during operation they skip a sprocket tooth every now and then. Is there a way to adjust the tautness of the chains?

[@AmplifyDIY]

I did a bit of googling, and it appears that the chains are not adjustable on this model. Some people have reported that the bushings which hold the axles for the sprockets get reamed out from round to oval, which causes a lot more slack to develop in the chain. I have not inspected mine to see how things look, but you may want to start by disassembling the drive system to see if any parts look obviously worn/chipped/broken. Good luck!

[@scottmills6719]

Just got mine should the main deck under the cutter heads move forward and back a bit?? This doesn’t seem normal.

[@juanmanuelssnchez4256]

No hablo Inglés, pero me eres muy útil y gracias por tu información

[@SoCalKevin]

I had problems with dust extraction too, and for the same reasons. I think it needs a 2.5” extraction hose minimum. The 1.5” adapters are ok with dust, but not the shavings that a planer makes.

[@AmplifyDIY]

Heya SoCal Kevin - After I did this video I upgraded to a 2.5" hose through a Thein baffle for dust extraction. It works incredibly well. You definitely need something bigger than I had when I shot this. Thanks for watching!

[@carasmussen27]

I just bought this yesterday. A little bit of a hassle from Home depot. First none in stock at any stores close to me. I was not given the option to either have it sent to me or sent to the closest store. Instead I had to drive up to Vancouver WA and get it.

[@AmplifyDIY]

What a pain in the neck! Hopefully it was worth the trip. Thanks for watching!

[@carasmussen27]

@@AmplifyDIY I was finally able to get it set up. I put a few of my cutting boards through and worked very well. I did have a few small issues with setting it up. But once everything was adjusted I liked it. It says in the manual to not but boards less than 14 inches in because of kickback.

[@jessemorris69]

Note if you raise the out-feed and in-feed table 1/64 of an inch or approximately the thickness of a nickel it may help reduce snipe

[@AmplifyDIY]

Great tip - thanks, Jesse!

[@mikelake662]

Are you still liking this planer? How’s it holding up after a couple years? I’m really interested in getting this planer and really just getting into the ridgid brand but wonder how the quality of the build of the tools are? I don’t want to be buying stuff on a harbor freight kinda level lol. That LSA on ridgid is really tempting too!!! Anyway how are you liking the planer and all your ridgid tools? I’m seriously thinking of joining team ridgid!

[@AmplifyDIY]

Hi Mike - I do like this planer quite a bit. I’m not a super heavy user, but it has done very well on the projects I’ve used it for. You can see it in action on a few other videos on my channel - the one where I built a backyard trellis and the one about how to build a dust collector. The build quality is good, controls are good, and the warranty is great. I’ve heard from several other viewers who also really like the dewalt that is around the same size/capacity. Good luck making up your mind!

[@mikelake662]

@@AmplifyDIY So you think it would be good for cutting boards?

[@stevegwisdalla1820]

Just got it yesterday and I'm planning on setting it up tomorrow. Any issues with movement? It's nice and heavy and my plan was just to put a couple clamps on one side to hold it steady, but the instructions say it needs to be bolted down. Did you bolt it down at all?

[@AmplifyDIY]

Hi Steve - whether you bolt it down or not will really depend on what you will be running through it. If you are only going to be working on relatively thin (less than, say, 3") stock that is also relatively short (say, 3-5' in length) then you likely don't need to bolt it down. If you are planning to work on a 10" wide x 6" thick 12' long piece of stock? Yeah, bolt that sucker down HARD. I wound up building a nice flip cart that I use for this planer. It is bolted to the top of the cart, but still mobile. I support the infeed and outfeed either by hand or with stands as needed depending on what stock I'm working on. You can check out my flip cart build here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e4WyqmyKlKyte9E If you don't want a flip cart, I'd still recommend attaching it to a mobile stand so you can move it around your workspace easily. This thing is heavy, and you don't want to have to move it around manually all the time. Good luck, and I hope you love it as much as I love mine!

[@88rushrocks]

How’s the rigid still working? I’m looking at the 3 blade planer however the price tag is a little spendy over $500 what about the warranty etc ? Little stuff like that thanks

[@AmplifyDIY]

Hi Paul - the planer has been great! I'm not a pro user or anything, but I've used it a bunch of times on some pretty large projects (you'll see it in action quite a bit if you check out some of my woodworking/project videos) and it has not ever let me down. I did get a better dust collection system set up for it, which helps clear the chips really well. I also have to be careful not to take *too* huge a bite with this or it can flip the breaker. Other than that, I've had no issues at all, have not had to mess with warranty, etc. Best of luck!

[@88rushrocks]

@@AmplifyDIY great and a big thanks for in about 2 weeks I’m buying one for my projects making furniture etc

[@88rushrocks]

And may I also add have a great thanksgiving

[@illetrop79]

Do you still have it still? Was planning on picking one up today.

[@AmplifyDIY]

Hi illetrop79 - sorry for the delay in my response: Yes, I still have it, and it still works great. Thanks for watching!

[@rodneybosch7290]

I am in the market for one .I did a little looking and that's the one I decided on.

[@AmplifyDIY]

I like mine a lot, but as you see in this video, you'll want to carefully check yours before you use it for the first time. Thanks for watching!

[@Steaphan82]

do you know where the elevation adjustments are, i bought this model and if i put a board thru the right side, a few times untill it stops cutting, then if i put it thru the left side it cuts deeper, the manual says elevation screws but does not have a location.

[@AmplifyDIY]

I am not 100% positive, but I'm pretty sure this is the screw you need to adjust. It's located on the right side when you are facing the in feed of the planer. Good luck! instagram.com/p/B77QGOSAdC-/

[@jameswestii454]

Could you tell me the model number of the blades on the package if you have replaced them? For Planer R4331. Been confusion if it's supposed to be: AC20501 (notches on both ends) or AC20502 (no notches like factory shipped)

[@AmplifyDIY]

Hey James - I have not replaced my blades yet, but when I bought the planer I grabbed some replacement blades. They are model AC20502, and says right on the package that they are for R4330 and R4331. Here are some pictures of the blades: instagram.com/p/B0b2e7IAXP3/ Good luck!

[@MixingGBP]

8:50 Do you think a 2.5" hose would work better to remove the shavings with this planer?

[@AmplifyDIY]

Absolutely, yes. Since filming this, I've created a whole new dust collection system that uses larger hoses. Bigger hoses work great!

[@MixingGBP]

@@AmplifyDIY great. I already have the Ridgid vac with 2.5" hose. I just got this planer today. I made the mistake already of rough cutting my 8' long boards too short before planing them. Now I'm concerned that the 2" of snipe I might get from this planer will go into my finished dimension of my 1x6 board instead of me being able to cut off the snipe area. Oh well I won't make that mistake again.

[@AmplifyDIY]

Mistakes are generally the best teacher. Hope you love the new planer (I sure love mine!).

[@MixingGBP]

@@AmplifyDIY cool, thanks

[@diegoportillomazal4017]

Is there any way to use this for a wood plank that is 25 inches wide?

[@AmplifyDIY]

No, I think the max width for this one is 13". For something that wide, you'd need a much larger industrial planer. Good luck!

[@Golfexpertbelieveme]

Did you never end up doing a dust collector upgrade video?

[@AmplifyDIY]

I actually did build a dust collection system based around a Thein Baffle, but have not published the video on it yet. It’s taken a long time to edit, as I went through several iterations on the design before settling in on the final version. I’ll try to get that video finished up and out soon. Thanks for the push!

[@martinoamello3017]

It wouldn't hurt to remove the blades, mark with a sharpie the date and side of each for reference the next time you have to change blades. The blades are two sided so you get two sharp surfaces on each blade. And do NOT run your finger over the sharp end. I won't tell you why I know this. Ok, a little birdie told me.. By the way, if you run a lot of pine through your planer pitch will build up on the blade back side and start gumming up your work. If that happens you can scrape the pitch off with a razor blade and reinstall..you might also get chips in the blade hitting knots which will leave a long high spot on your work piece. You can either replace the blades or just plane of the high spots with a hand plane until you decide to suck it up and buy new blades. I've run miles of lumber through even with missing chips in the blades..it only takes a few seconds to plane those long ribbons of high spots off..

[@AmplifyDIY]

Great tips - thanks!

[@bradypearson8359]

Does it still work?

[@AmplifyDIY]

Yup, works great!

[@mukhtarkhanmukhtar3671]

What price

[@diggerdoug4733]

I'm pretty sure that's supposed to have a full sized shop vac hose attached

[@AmplifyDIY]

Yes, and subsequent to shooting this video I built a dust collection system based on a shop vac that works wonderfully with this planer: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qn7IhmmVnLKBgdE

[@IvanRossS]

You need 3d printer I'm sure you're going to have fun with that!

[@fishrrelaxing9361]

1-1/2” is way to small for a planer which has shavings not dust..

[@AmplifyDIY]

Of course you are 100% correct. I later upgraded to a much better dust collection system: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qn7IhmmVnLKBgdE

[@738polarbear]

Kept on anout his chintzy exhaust hose . Its way too small. Why not use the big one . You screwed up and we spent too long talking about it.

[@AmplifyDIY]

Yeah that hose was terrible. I’ve upgraded all my dust collection since shooting this video, and it works much better. Thanks for watching!