Anyone use the Makita 2012NB Planer?

[Erik Frederiksen]

It's got some good reviews on Amazon. Anyone here use it and care to comment on it? I'm curious how it compares to other comparable models.

thanks,
Erik

[Rick Fisher]

I have one that I dont use much anymore. Its a nice planer. Quality built..

Blade changes are really fast and simple. With sharp blades, it leaves are really good finish.

If you order the optional dust hood, it actually works really well.

I would probably look at the DeWalt 635? before I purchased a Makita .. I bought mine many years before the DeWalt came out..

[Rick Gooden]

I've had one for about 3 years, used almost daily, and would highly recommend it. Finish quality is excellent, blades are easy to change (and last a long time), and dust collection is very good with optional hood. One of the better machine decisions I have made.

[jerry nazard]

Ditto to what Rick posted except I do not use mine every day. The Makita replaced a 20" Jet that I did not have room for. I was not really expecting the Makita to hold up - but it has!

[Ed Calkins]

I've had one for a few years and like my other makita tools it has been excellent, I believe it is one of the best two portable planers available (with the Dewalt). I haven't used it much but when used I had very smooth cuts and no snipe.

[Joe Spear]

Excellent planer. The only reason I sold mine is because of the width capacity--12 inches for the Makita. I didn't think I'd miss that extra inch, but after too many times that I really needed it, I got a planer that takes a 13" board.

[John Thompson]

Excellent planer and finish....

Sarge..

[Erik Frederiksen]

Thanks for the replies. Sounds like a possibility.

[Floyd Mah]

I hate to be the only one complaining, but I've had this planer for many years and it did not do well in earlier reviews. It had a problem with sniping (the leading and trailing planed surfaces have a cut slightly deeper than the middle portion). Apparently other planers do a better job of stabilizing the cutter when the board enters and leaves the planer. The usual planer configuration is a pair of rollers, one on either side of the cutters. When the wood meets the entry cutter, it tips the whole cutter assembly by just enough to take a divot out of the leading edge. It levels out when wood is under both rollers. The same thing happens when it exits: a tip in the cutter. I believe that this is a characteristic of all thickness planers, but apparently some manufacturers have controlled the problem better than others. You can improve the situation by tipping the entry surface by the thickness of a dime and also the exit surface, but this would be know in the software business as a kludge. In other words, the product has a defect and there is a fix but the basic product is flawed. I 've had the planer for ten years or more, but the product number is the same, so I don't know if there have been any modifications to improve the problem. Anyway, if there is no modifications, be prepared to lose about 4 inches of every board that you plane.

[Joe Spear]

I find snipe easy to avoid by pushing up slightly on the trailing end of the board as it enters the planer and pushing up slightly on the leading edge as the board comes out of the planer. By doing that you keep the ends of the board from tipping up into the cutter head and sniping. A little practice, and you get no more sniping.

Make sure your infeed and outfeed tables are as level as possible. That helps too, but not if you have a long board that is going to tip after it gets past the edge of the outfeed table. Support it with your hand or an auxilliary stand.

[Wade Lippman]

I will disagree on this.

It is a great planer IF you need a lightweight planer. If not, the Dewalt 735 is much better in every way except knife life.

[Rick Fisher]

I will disagree on this.

It is a great planer IF you need a lightweight planer. If not, the Dewalt 735 is much better in every way except knife life.

Cant argue that.. I think the 735 is a better machine.. When I bought mine, the 735 wasnt on the market. Like most things, better units came out..

Having said that, I dont have a lot of faith in DeWalt product.. they have a few great tools, but overall its Black and Decker logic at work.

Makita is consistent. You can rely on the tool being above average quality. When I started to get into rough lumber, I worked the guts out of my Makita and eventually broke a gear inside the machine.. The part was dirt cheap and showed up in 3 days.. I fixed it myself in under 45 minutes..

I since purchased a big helical planer and dont use the Makita much, but it still runs like a champ.