GuisBuild's Full Review: Makita 3-1/4" Planer Kit N1900B
I don't write much about Makita tools and it's not for lack of owning them. Many have been "upgraded" by tools from another brand and some are just old reliables that I never think much about.
Interesting...very interesting....
This is a good hand planer. The handle is more than comfortable with a great on/off switch location (granted, not an unusual thing in hand planers). The front nob is large and level rather than angled as is the case on another popular planer by a much more popular manufacturer (I won't name names but that tool is yellow). It's comfortable and I find I can put my weight into use a bit easier and more level than I can with other hand planers.
In the end, that really reflects on the concept of "balance", an important quality in a hand planer and one often thrown around in marketing paperwork from tool sellers. I'm balanced when using this one. Have an unbalanced planer? You can tell by the number of gouges you may find in the wood you're planing.
That front nob I mentioned before is actually utilized for depth adjustment. And though a user relies on this one when planing, I have never experienced (with this tool) a problem with depth changing in the midst of use. When actually doing the adjusting it is reliable.
But more interesting... is the fact that a small nob at the front of the tool exists. When unscrewed completely the entire tool will, literally, fall apart. Where to begin with the safety concerns here - wow. An issue for me? No. But if I were throwing this one into a tool crib for other, potentially less experienced, tool users I'd shudder a little. Definitely knocks the tool down a star. (And that's being generous.)
Gettin' Chippy With It...
This one shoots the dust and little pieces of wood that will result from a planer toward me - I have utilized at least one other planer which has a shoot whose direction is change-able. That would be a nice feature for this Makita. I'd drop the tool 1/2 a star for not having it - I just love the idea of such a feature that much.
A hot tool doesn't mean it's stolen
The other consideration here is the fact that this one has only four amps. If you continually use a planer - that is, use it often and plan on using it in some large job where you'll be going over and over with the planer you can plan on this one heating up. Move up to a bigger amp motor if you're purchasing this one for regular use. It's not a bad feature if you're purchasing a first planer and don't foresee a lot of continued usage.
SPECS -
4 amp motor
30,000 cuts per minute
Blades: double-edged, carbide
Length of planing surface: 11 3/8"
Cord Length: about 9 feet
Recommendation
I'm down to 3.5 stars and I'm going to round down rather than up. This is not a bad planer, but there are others on the market that seem to be better constructed for continual usage. When I purchased mine I did not anticipate a lot of regular usage - I figured I'd rely so much on a portable planer that the hand one would gather dust instead of make it. This is why I end up using multiple versions of tools - I suppose I could have worse problems.
Consider a 5 amp motor for your purchase.
..............
For your money - planer plus case.
Redesigned 4 AMP motor delivers more output power for increased performance. High power-to-weight ratio. Weighs only 5.5 lbs. Centerline balance with ...More at eBay
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