I am a professional remodeler and in the past five years I have burnt out three Delta planers. Twice, the feed rollers gave up and the last one apparently suffered a major internal failure. I have had the Makita now for two months and it has been flawless as I would expect. We plane some tough stuff like Ipe so we definitely give these things a workout. If it is still flawless in a year, I will give it a fifth star. I appreciate the ergonomics of this well, thought out machine. I am glad that Makita has eliminated a cutterhead lock. I personally couldn't care less about snipe, of which this machine creates very little. We plane long and then cut to size on the miter saw. Don't you?
Okay, so I'm a year late, this is one VERY good planer! It continues to perform like new, with only blade changes. I have it hooked up in my shop and have run hundreds of feet of maple, pine, poplar, Ipe, oak, even plywood and MDF. It just does its thing. Very uneventful, I like that. That's what I pay for. The only downside is that it makes justifying a 15" Powermatic planer difficult!
So here were are now, its 2004 and the little bugger just keeps going! I may never get that new planer. What can I say, after..... I don't know, five or six thousand feet of various hardwoods, no changes to date! See you next year!
What can I say? Late again! So here we are almost eight years later and the little SOB just keeps running! New blades, vacuum occasionally, lube the posts if I think of it and it just keeps going. If it ever dies, I'll let you know!
NEW FOR 2017! I bought this planer on August 14, 2001. That was almost 16 years ago. I'm starting to think this thing may outlive me! It just keeps working. I may store it in an unheated shop for a couple of months, then take it out and run it non stop for a week straight. Last summer we upped the ante and ran a few thousand feet o Azek through it. Now first of all..... what a miserable material to work with. Floppy, every cut is a new experience in static electricity, it seems very abrasive and seems to take the edge off of any saw blade, router bit or whatnot. Oh, did I mention the material is razor sharp? 35 years of construction, my hands are plenty tough, take it from me, masks and gloves are a must. That being said Azek and similar products seem to be a good material for exterior trim. Time will tell. So the procedure with Azek on a job site is to use the dust hood attached to a shop vac and that makes it tolerable. No complaints, just change the blades, blow it out once in a while and it keeps going. Definitely five stars! See you in a few years!
So here we are in 2021. I bought this in August of 2001 so we are not quite at the 20 year mark yet. That being said, no issues. I continue to use this planer commercially and in all types of conditions. Hot, cold, inside & out. From Azek (ugh!) to Ipe and everything in-between, It just keeps running. Throw on new blades and away it goes. I'm starting to think it might outlive me! Helpful hint: I apply black ink via sharpie to the underside of a new set of blades before I install it. That way, when I go to change over the double sided blade, it will be clear to me whether I had swapped the blade over before as a fresh edge will still have ink on it. I'll try to post a picture if I can figure out how to.
Rain today so I thought I would update my review for 2023. What can I say? It just keeps going. I've been running a lot of Ipe through it lately and it still comes out beautiful. I can't tell you how many blade changes I have done over the years, other than that, almost no maintenance. Lube the posts , if I think of it. I should really clean the rollers at some point. Someday it will die and I will complain about how it's "brand new". (Just for reference... "Brand new" has become a definition for " If I can remember when I bought it, that makes it "brand new"). If you are considering a planer, don't even think about it. This is the best one.
| Brand | Makita |
|---|---|
| Color | Factory |
| Product Dimensions | 30.35"L x 19.02"W x 15.79"H |
| Item Weight | 28.07 Kilograms |
| Style | Planer |
| Power Source | Hand Powered |
| Included Components | Manufactuered Brand Product |
| Manufacturer | Makita |
| Part Number | FBA_2012NB |
| Item Weight | 61.8 pounds |
| Country of Origin | China |
| Item model number | 2012NB |
| Batteries | 1 A batteries required. |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Size | One Size |
| Voltage | 120 Volts |
| Wattage | 1650 watts |
| Item Package Quantity | 1 |
| Number Of Pieces | 1 |
| Batteries Included? | No |
| Batteries Required? | No |
| Warranty Description | 1-year warranty |
