Makita 2012NB 1650W 304mm Planer Thicknesser

I have only used this thicknesser for about 2 weeks and as far as I can tell it is an excellent product. The first pieces I put through the machine came out as though they were sanded to about 220 grit. It is the first time I have used a thicknesser so have nothing to compare it to, but I am extremely pleased with the Makita 2012NB and the results it produces.

I had a Triton planer thicknesser prior to this which worked it's ass off for 3 years. And I destroyed the feed rollers by my own stupidity. I could have replaced rollers for £50 . But thought I would treat myself to a more upmarket Makita . What a mistake . The feed rollers on the Makita are crap and it's nothing but a pain to use. If this wasn't my busiest time off the year I would have returned this Makita. The good people at ffx offered a return even after me throwing out the box . Highly recommend ffx. But don't recommend Makita planer thicknesser. I honestly think I will be buying the metabo thicknesser very soon as the Makita one will drive me nuts. I don't even think it's faulty I just think it's a design issue with the feed rollers and the springs there ... MoreI had a Triton planer thicknesser prior to this which worked it's ass off for 3 years. And I destroyed the feed rollers by my own stupidity. I could have replaced rollers for £50 . But thought I would treat myself to a more upmarket Makita . What a mistake . The feed rollers on the Makita are crap and it's nothing but a pain to use. If this wasn't my busiest time off the year I would have returned this Makita. The good people at ffx offered a return even after me throwing out the box . Highly recommend ffx. But don't recommend Makita planer thicknesser. I honestly think I will be buying the metabo thicknesser very soon as the Makita one will drive me nuts. I don't even think it's faulty I just think it's a design issue with the feed rollers and the springs there mounted on.

I had an old Axminster cast iron oplaner thicknesser, problem was it just kept going out of alignment, and was only 250mm. As it took ages to set it up i decided to bite the bullet and buy the Makita, its portable and solidly built, and powerful too. It has a fixed table and a moving cutter head to vary the thickness, this means you can set it up on a bench and have fixed height in and out feed tables. It performs perfectly, i am considering going for the spiral cutter upgrade in the future but for now this is perfect for hard and soft woods. FFX sent this quickly and in perfect condition. Recommended bit of kit. Of course it only thicknesses, shame Makita dont do a matching jointer.

I bought this to replace a Triton which, broke whilst under warranty. Although this was going to be replaced free of charge, excellent service FFX, unfortunately there were none available and I couldn’t afford to wait for the replacement to arrive. I putt the monetary difference too and upgraded to the Mikita.Why didn’t I get this in the first place? The build quality is amazing, so strong, sturdy everything that I have come to expect from Mikita.Straight out of the box there was no snipe, with the Triton I had to allow 150mm to each piece so the snipe could be removed, leaving enough straight stock.There is massive difference in the loudness of the two machines, the Makita being so much quieter. There is a depth stop making repeated cuts easy and ... MoreI bought this to replace a Triton which, broke whilst under warranty. Although this was going to be replaced free of charge, excellent service FFX, unfortunately there were none available and I couldn’t afford to wait for the replacement to arrive. I putt the monetary difference too and upgraded to the Mikita.Why didn’t I get this in the first place? The build quality is amazing, so strong, sturdy everything that I have come to expect from Mikita.Straight out of the box there was no snipe, with the Triton I had to allow 150mm to each piece so the snipe could be removed, leaving enough straight stock.There is massive difference in the loudness of the two machines, the Makita being so much quieter. There is a depth stop making repeated cuts easy and precise.Would I recommend the Makita? Undoubtedly. Yes it’s more expensive, you do however get what you pay for.

Great piece of kit! I chose this machine because of its size and weight. It is heavy but manageable at 28kg. Other machines that are slightly lower in price were both larger and heavier. As a hobby woodworker/DIYer I was apprehensive about spending this much on a machine but the results are worthwhile and I have used it far more than I expected. The machine is robustly constructed and the height adjustment is consistent and precise. If like me you have limited space in your workshop and need a genuinely portable machine then I recommend this machine. Purchased from FFX who usually deliver the next day, even at a weekend.

Absolutely perfect for specific people

No doubt, this is one of the best benchtop planers out there. However, I think it really is only suited for specific uses. Namely, if you need a planer with a small footprint that is truly portable, nothing comes close to this. At 60 pounds, it is very easy to carry around and store, which cannot be said for the popular Dewalt 735. However, I owned the Dewalt before this, and I would say that if portability is not important to you, the Dewalt is a slightly better planer. It has 3 blades, 2 speeds, better dust collection, and smoother operation of the cutter head. And most importantly, it can be purchased for several hundred dollars less when on sale. While I love this Makita planer, the price is definitely steep given the limited number of features. So again, if ... MoreNo doubt, this is one of the best benchtop planers out there. However, I think it really is only suited for specific uses. Namely, if you need a planer with a small footprint that is truly portable, nothing comes close to this. At 60 pounds, it is very easy to carry around and store, which cannot be said for the popular Dewalt 735. However, I owned the Dewalt before this, and I would say that if portability is not important to you, the Dewalt is a slightly better planer. It has 3 blades, 2 speeds, better dust collection, and smoother operation of the cutter head. And most importantly, it can be purchased for several hundred dollars less when on sale. While I love this Makita planer, the price is definitely steep given the limited number of features. So again, if portability and size are not important to you, I'm not sure what you would be getting for the extra money here, but if those things are important, then this is the best out there. And also like others have mentioned, this thing is extremely quiet for a planer, I would say half as noisy as the Dewalt I owned.

Great planer, best customer service ever

My planer arrived on Monday, and that evening I noticed shipping damage to the base of my planer. The cast aluminum base was bent in and cracked. Damage was evident on the shipping box. I figured this was the start of a huge hassle to get a replacement. .I called CPO customer service on Tuesday morning. The rep immediately apologized for the damage, ordered a new planer for me, and made arrangements for the shipping company to pick up the damaged planer from my front door on Wednesday. My new planer arrived in perfect condition on Friday.That's amazing customer service and I'll certainly never hesitate to purchase from CPO again.And yes, the planer is great. Not screaming loud, cuts perfectly.

Nice Machine, superior to the DeWalt 734

Long time user of Dewalt's 734 planer--not a bad machine, strong performer with three blades and a dust port. But I needed a better machine to resurface 1,000 sf of 2x6 redwood (with some large knots). I didn't think my Dewalt planer was up to the task so I sold it on Craigslist, intending to buy a helical planer--but after reading customer reviews the Makita became my machine of choice. I'm very glad I bought it. $800 is a lot of bank for a two blade planer, but everything about it is better than my old DeWalt. For one thing, it's quiet--well, not quiet, but not nearly as noisy as the DeWalt and precise out of the box.

Quiet... for a planer

When I first got into woodworking, I borrowed a friend’s DeWalt planer. After a couple weeks my wife said, “You absolutely cannot buy that machine.” It makes beautiful cuts in wood, especially with two speed settings, but it is the loudest power tool I’ve worked with. So I started my search for a planer with an uncommon search criteria: something quiet.I found it with the Makita 2012NB. This thing thins boards quickly and efficiently. I had to fiddle with the infeed/outfeed tables a bit to reduce the snipe, but it helps when I run the board in diagonally when there’s room. It only has one speed setting, unlike the DeWalt, but they seem to have found the right balance of efficiency and still getting enough cuts to make a smooth surface.If I had bought this ... MoreWhen I first got into woodworking, I borrowed a friend’s DeWalt planer. After a couple weeks my wife said, “You absolutely cannot buy that machine.” It makes beautiful cuts in wood, especially with two speed settings, but it is the loudest power tool I’ve worked with. So I started my search for a planer with an uncommon search criteria: something quiet.I found it with the Makita 2012NB. This thing thins boards quickly and efficiently. I had to fiddle with the infeed/outfeed tables a bit to reduce the snipe, but it helps when I run the board in diagonally when there’s room. It only has one speed setting, unlike the DeWalt, but they seem to have found the right balance of efficiency and still getting enough cuts to make a smooth surface.If I had bought this machine first, my wife might still complain about the noise, but since she experienced the DeWalt, I haven’t heard any complaints about this planer being too loud.This is my first Makita power tool but after this experience, I am looking at their track saw as my next purchase.

Slightly extravagant choice

Ok its a few quid more than a lot, but theres no sniping! Its slightly wider , the adjustments are solid and accurate, theres no creep, the dust expels out where it should ( unless your vacuums full! ) a doddle to clean and store. And theres no sniping!! Not even a little , Ive even tried to make it do it.. it wont! Glad I paid the bit extra