Makita 3 1/4" Planer Kit N1900B: Tasty but flattening
Written: Aug 11 '06 (Updated Aug 11 '06)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: A decent portable planer for the price
Cons: Has limited uses in a well equipped workshop
The Bottom Line: The Makita 3 1/4" Planer Kit N1900B is an okay planer if you can get a good price on it, but you may want to spend money elsewhere first.
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| WulfsDen's Full Review: Makita 3-1/4" Planer Kit N1900B |
A while back I was refitting some outdoor rabbit runs and I needed to do some rebating. The size of the pieces, around 6'x3', made it difficult to use bench tools for the job. The fact that the pieces had wire attached to one of the faces made using a rabbeting blade on a router pretty much impossible, since the wire would interfere with the ball bearing. The edge guide on my old Skil router could not be set close enough for me to use a straight cutting bit (although my new Porter Cable router and edge guide could do this job easily).
I considered for a moment simply using a hand rebating plane, but the amount of work was prohibitive, and besides, I have never been that good with hand planes. I tend to get impatient and set the plane too aggressively. I asked around at tool stores and job sites, and they suggested the Makita 3 1/4" Planer Kit N1900B. I looked at one down at the local Home Warehouse and it did look like it could handle the work, so I bought one.
Inside the sturdy plastic box you will find the planer, an edge guide, a sharpening guide, and a fairly readable set of instructions.
The planer, pictured above, has a sturdy comfortable handle on top, with the trigger mechanism well placed and easy to operate. Beneath it is the turquoise plastic motor housing for a chunky 4 amp motor, and beneath that is the flat steel planing surface which is 11-3/8" long and just over 3-1/4" wide, although the black plastic motor housing covers project at the side a bit. In approximately the center are the rotating knives set at right angles to the length, which spin a pair of razor sharp blades at 15,000 rpm. On the top of the front is a sturdy black knob that functions as both the depth adjustment screw and the front holding point for two handed operation. At the very front is a small black plastic knob where the edge guide attaches. This knob appears to do double duty as an assembly screw, so it is VERY important that you keep it tight even when you are not using the guide. Out of the back of the unit comes a nice 9' long cord, which is ample for most work.
In essence, this is a standard hand planer, with rotating blades where the normal blade would be, and you use it in exactly the same way. The tool is comfortable in the hands, is sturdy without being too heavy, and is well balanced, both from front to back and from side to side. The foot length provides adequate support with enough front and back length to start and finish a cut. The cord is long enough to not get in the way. The spinning blades make it a lot easier to get a smooth cut with than a hand plane. Set fine, and with some practice, this planer is capable of producing excellent results.
I used this planer for the job I bought it for, and although it was not ideal, it did get the work done. In retrospect, I wish I had just upgraded my router. The edge guide was a little flimsy and needed care when using, and the amount of blade I had exposed while cutting the narrow rabbets made me very nervous. I made a couple of beginner errors in the first day or two while I got used to the tool and cut some divots too deep, but since this was rough work, it did not do much harm. For finish work, I strongly suggest a few hours practice first.
I think this is a good, reliable tool that will handle most jobs well. However, I do have several misgivings.
The handle is tilted forward compared to the angle of a standard hand plane. While this is comfortable, it limits the run of a single pass without moving your feet. I would prefer a slightly more vertical grip. I must point out however, that most power planers I have seen, use a very similar hand position as this one. The dual-use depth adjustment knob raises the specter of accidentally adjusting the depth while cutting. I have never had this happen, but I worry about it. The duel-use front knob is apparently catastrophic if it comes loose. I have no experience of this, but it seems to be a design flaw.
The standard edge guide is pretty flimsy, and self-adjusts if you are not careful. However, it did allow me to cut rebates using the far edge of the lumber as the guide. An adjustable bevel guide is available, the MAKITA Bevel Guide, N1900B Model 123060-6 for $14.99. I have one of these but I do not remember if it came in the kit or if I bought it separately. Sorry. This fastens firmly to the front and back of the tool. Set at right angles it makes the planer excellent for narrow right angle cuts, such as planing doors to an exact fit.
The 4 amp motor is probably a little under powered. It will run hot in extended use. However, given the nature of the jobs for which you use this planer that seems unlikely. I suppose if you were gang planing the doors for an entire house, it may be a problem. Like any planer, it is extremely loud in use. Because of the direction of the spinning blades, it sprays the user with shavings. There is no mechanism for dust collection. However, since the correct position for comfortable use is at about waist level, this does not necessarily translate into a face full of chips.
My biggest single problem with the Makita 3 1/4" Planer Kit N1900B is how rarely I use it. Using a jointer and/or a surface planer pre-sizes the lumber. A belt sander and/or random orbit sander makes a quick job of finishing up the assembled pieces. The few tiny jobs I have left are easily done with hand tools. The one job the planer is unbeatable at is planing the edges of large items that are under 3-1/4" wide. For me, that means doors. With the bevel guide attached and adjusted, this gives a good square cut and an unbeatable edge and accuracy. This is much easier and safer than trying to feed a heavy door into a table saw or joiner.
Since I do use the tool so rarely, I am still on my original set of blades, so I have had no reason to use the sharpening guide. It looks easy enough in the instructions and friends have said it is no problem.
The Makita 3 1/4" Planer Kit N1900B has a list price of $267.00 which makes it rather expensive for a tool of such limited usefulness, but I noticed that Amazon currently has it available for $139.00, which is much more reasonable. It does a good job for light to moderate users, but heavy duty users should consider one with a bigger motor. While I like it and do recommend it, it is not the most versatile of tools. Unless you have a specific need, you should buy other tools first. Three stars.
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Technical Details:
- 4-amp motor
- Double edged tungsten carbide mini blades
- Quick and easy blade changing
- 2 Blade cutterhead produces 30,000 cuts per minute
- Well balanced with front and rear grips for better control
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Tips:
In a long piece of detailed work, you can spend a good part of your work time waiting for the blades to stop spinning. It is tempting to put the tool down on its side, but that exposes its twin spinning razors, which is very dangerous. Instead, make yourself a plane stand.
Make a rectangle of 2x1 lumber with its inside dimensions 1/4" or so bigger than the outside dimensions of the planer. Fasten two pieces of board or plywood to the bottom so that there is a gap where the blades go. Make sure that the gap is big enough so that it does not matter which way round you put the planer. Put another piece of plywood or board to totally cover the bottom, so a finger cannot accidentally hit the blade when you pick up the stand. Have the bottom board overlap the rest of the stand by 1" or so, so you can easily use spring or C-clamps to secure it to your workbench or sawhorse, for added stability.
This handy stand allows you to put down the planer without waiting or putting the blades at risk, and keeps your hands nice and safe.
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Safety:
As always, dress for safety. This tool is extremely loud, so wear hearing protection. This tool kicks up tons of chips so wear eye protection and a dust mask. The twin blades spin at 15,000 revolutions, so keep hands and clothing well away from the blades. Always make sure that the blade stops completely before putting it down.
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Recommended:
Yes
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