Makita-good
Written: Nov 26 '06 (Updated Dec 04 '06)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: exquistely durable, lightweight, good product support. A real workhorse
Cons: after about 10 years of use, nice makita colour starts to look muddy.
The Bottom Line: best and simplest of all small hand held 'lectric planers I've used
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| cowtown_eric's Full Review: Makita 3-1/4" Planer Kit N1900B |
Cowtown Eric has had one of these since 1980, and with exception of changing the foam under the height adjustment(it got hard) , and changing blades, nothing else has had to be done to it.
That's 25 years of commercial use.
I also have two of the larger makitas. No issues with them. They all eject debris to the right. That might be a problem if yer left handed.
Some reviewers have mentioned being underpowered, but I have never encountered a problem. Blades are realtively inexpensive and easy to change , even to sharpen if yer so inclined (which I've done) . The blades can be upgraded to carbide inserts at additional costs.
What i love about this device is that it is light and easily used. There is nothing I hate about this device, but it only takes one time of setting it down while still spinning and you'll soon learn to be careful. It is after all a planer.
It is only one of a plethora of makita products which I rely upon in my business of cabinetmaking, and parts for any makita device I have are not only easily available, they are suprisingly inexpensive to boot.
Not that these puppies need lottsa parts. I often go for 6 or 8 years before I have to get new parts, which are still available, and more importantly in stock at service depots. Read into that excellent product support.
Moreover, nobody whom I know has ever bellyached to me about this product. To me it is a defacto workhorse.
And, ya I know it's got a knob on the front of it, and if you unscrew it totally pieces come off.
In the 30 odd years I've had the oldest of these, and with the two other larger makita planers I've had, neither transportational vibration in the truck, nor any of the iadvertent shop activities which sometimes conspire against a person have EVER caused a problem with it. Ergo, any fears of inadvertent dismanteling , well to my mind are clearly "imagined"- it's neither likely, certainly not un-noticeable and clearly contra-intuitive to get that far.
None of the three Makita planers in my shop have ever exhibited that percieved problem.
To lose a whole star of "product rating" because of the front knob removability is , to my pea-brain, is simply neither rational nor realistic.
Cowtown_eric
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
cowtown_eric
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Reviews written: 7
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