Makita 2012NB 12" Portable Planer

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.

After using this planer for a couple of weeks on various sizes of wood of several species (oak, cypress, poplar, fir, cherry), I am more than satisfied that it lives up to my high expectations. I am a fan of the Makita brand, ever since I bought their 12" sliding compound miter saw a few years ago (another awesome tool). Now, with 4 or 5 Makita tools in my shop, I am confident that the brand stands for quality and performance. As far as the 2012NB planer goes, I find nothing to complain about. It's much quieter than I expected it to be, a pleasant surprise. And the surface finish is just excellent. On most woods you need to really look hard, with the light at just the right angle, to see the machine marks. Therefore, the planer marks can be removed easily with a minimum amount of scraping or sanding. I used to own an Inca-Swiss planer/jointer, the one that Garrett Wade sells. Mine was the older model, not the current one, and I bought it used. But the knives were brand new. The Makita surface finish is much cleaner than I used to get from the Inca. Also, I have had almost no problem with snipe except when I was deliberately trying worst-case scenarios (long boards without in-feed and out-feed support). When planing long boards it's definitely a good idea to provide supplemental supports at both ends. I haven't had to change blades yet, but the tools are included (in a nice little plastic case that stores safely inside the machine)and I'm hoping it will live up to what other reviewers have said, namely that it isn't too hard (some planers can be a real bear to change blades, like my old Inca). About the only thing I can say on the minus side is that it's a little bit dumb that you need to buy the dust collector port separately for an extra twenty bucks. You definitely need it if you want to run this thing indoors (this baby could make a pile of shavings the size of a Volkswagen in a couple of hours). The bottom line: A beautiful tool that produces beautiful work, and is well worth it's slightly higher price tag compared to the competition (Delta, Dewalt, Ridgid, etc.).

I bought a Makita 2012 a few weeks ago and immediately ran a couple of thousand feet of Western Red Cedar through it. I know, that's not exactly a tough test, but it performed flawlessly, quietly (would you believe that it is quieter than a Skilsaw? it is) and smoothly. Literally right out of the box: there was no set up time, there was no snipe, there was no chatter, there was no slipping, there was no clogging. Just really smooth boards, planed exactly the way I wanted them, quickly and easily. There are several other reviews (posted at Amazon) that address the 2012's long term performance and ease of use and I found them very helpful and I've found nothing to indicate these reviews are not 100% accurate. Before buying this machine, I read many reviews on Amazon, especially the 1, 2 or 3 star (out of 5) reviews, for various planers. Reviews simply indicate patterns. (For example, read the reviews of the DeWalt planer, and you'll discover that the blades don't last very long, even according to the users that love the machine.) Less than optimal reviews (1 and 2 stars) indicate the problems with the products and these reviews are what convinced me to buy the Makita. In the case of the Makita 2012, the consistent "problems" written about involve lots of concern over the dust boot, a few concerns about feed roller slippage and a few concerns about shipping damage. I'll address each below. Please note that I'm taking the time to write this because I think that the Makita 2012 is a great tool which may be getting short shrift from reviewers concerned about all the wrong things. First, the dust boot. Full disclosure: I purchased the dust boot but it did not arrive yet so I can't comment on its performance. I can however address another issue raised by some of the other reviews: the outlet on the dust boot is the wrong size for a shop vac. This is ridiculous. Run one board 6" wide by 12' long though the planer a couple of times and you'll create enough shavings to clog up an industrial sized shop vac; you'll be lucky if you don't damage shop vac or the planer by jamming them up with shavings. The reason the boot is not sized for a shop vac hose is because it's designed to be used with a dust collector. Shop vacs have their place on the jobsite, but controlling the shavings from a planer is a mis-use of the tool. I would downgrade the rating on any planer that had a boot outlet sized for a shop vac. (I will attempt to update this review and address issues raised regarding the 90 degree bend on the boot once I've connected it to my DUST COLLECTOR and run some boards through.) Second: feed roller slippage. As with any tool, the Makita 2012 will require periodic maintenance. This should include cleaning pitch and/or sap and general dirt/grime off the feed tables and rollers. As other reviews indicate, cleaning the tables and/or rollers works in most of the slippage cases. To my way of thinking, it is disengenuos to downrate a tool because the user did not treat it right. Third: shipping damage. This is the one that really gets my blood pumping. Downrate a tool because the shipper dropped it and the handle is broken? This is not a problem with the tool! The Makita 2012 is a heavy tool (40-odd pounds which is actually fairly light for a 12" planer) and it was delivered to me via truck. Normal protocol when receiving anything from a third-party shipper is to check for damage before accepting the delivery, including opening all boxes to inspect the contents. If the product is damaged, don't accept it, refuse it. This is so that the manufacturer can provide you with an undamaged tool at the expense of the party who damaged it, whether it was shipper, wholesaler, distributor or retailer. Bottom line is don't give a tool 1 star because you don't have the correct complimentary tools or because your delivery acumen and your maintenance procedures each earn half a star. I gave this tool 5 stars because it earned 5 stars. Now I have to earn 5 stars by taking care of it.

I don't know that I can rave about the performance of this machine any more that those who have gone before. I looked into it quite a bit before I purchased this tool in 2003. I have used it quite a bit, but not tons, I would say. Yesterday I changed the blades for the first time, which is something I had been dreading quite a bit. I'd glanced at the manual from time to time and never could quite get a handle on what they were talking about. Well, sir! Once I put the manual on the bench, pulled the cover off and went to work, it made perfect sense. And I have to say that it was a real piece of cake. And seeing what a gorgeous job it did with the project I was then working on, it's clear to me that it was long overdue. And changing the blades, not sharpening them, is a perfect situation for me, as I do not like to have to fuss with my tools all that much. Don't get me wrong--if it needs doing, I do it, but if I don't have to do it, so much the better! I personally have not had any of the problems others have cited. It has fed well throughout. I do remember one board that hung up for some reason or other, but I pulled it through a few times, and after that it was fine. The people who talk about the sawdust produced by this machine are exactly right. I bought the dust hood with the machine and first hooked it up to a shop vac. It filled that baby in a hurry! I was just astounded to see how much sawdust came out of this machine. Later on I got a dust collector similar to the Jet, which I would have purchased if it had the metal canister I got with mine. A few months later Jet came out with the metal canister, and that is the unit I would now recommend, although I've not had any problems with mine. The Jet just seems better built. At any rate, I set up the dust collector along with a chip separator in a garbage can, and that's what I use for dust collection on the planer. And I usually get half a garbage can in no time at all! The other things people find to not like are shipping damage and snipe. When I got mine, the box looked a little shabby, and I had my doubts, but when I opened it up, everything was fine. I have found that if, on the last few passes, I reduce the amount taken to half or less that a lot of the snipe goes away. And also, cutting off a couple of inches at either end is just not a big deal with me. I buy wood that has been planed and has one straight edge, as I don't have a jointer. And I have found that works for me. Now, instead of having to wrestle with nominally ¾" wood that is something else, I just buy it at 1" and plane everything to what I want. I think it is a bang-up, golly-whiz, state-of-the-art tool. I have worked with the huge planers at Palomar College, and I honestly get results just as good--better when the blades on the Makita are new. I did, as I said, research the purchase quite a bit, and relied on the reviews for honest opinions. What I wanted was something I could just plug in and use and that would do the job as advertised. And that's just what I got. I would recommend this tool to anyone.

I purchased this based on the other glowing reviews, and have used it exactly one day, and needless to say I'm sending it back. On the plus side this planer is light weight and extremely portable, and has very little snip. On the downside, it is underpowered, overpriced, has bad tear out issues and fails to feed at times. While planing 1x4 pine, this brand new planer, with brand new knives, would bog down and even fail to feed, while giving me substantial tear out. It didn't matter if I ran it 1/16 or 1/32 per pass. Same issue. And this is 1x4 PINE, not even a hardwood! Also, the depth gauge wanders a bit while doing a whole run of boards, and there is no lock for this. I'm sending this back and driving 200 miles to pick up a used Delta 22-580 two speed planer. I owned one of these for 15 years and it is a superior machine, albeit a much heavier one.

I was drawn to the Makita because of the many positive reviews here at Amazon. It is indeed a good unit, but owners have noted a few difficulties. Foremost is the problem with collecting all the shavings. The shavings from a board are 500 times the volume of the original wood. This fluffy mass will clog up every place there is a restriction or a rough transition. It will fill up your collection container really fast and if that fills up, then the air flow slows down and the entire duct will clog up. When that happens, you have to stop, disassemble and clear things. The only cure is to make sure all of your ducts are connected with smooth, snag-free fittings and that you stop and empty your collection container before it fills up. This does slow you down, but it is the nature of the machine, of any brand, and being pre-emptive will save you time in the long run. See my reviews of the Makita collection hood and dust control for more detail. Some users complain about having to pull their wood through, slow cutting and similar problems. The secret is to wax the bed, the smooth part under the cutter. I use CRC lube, sprayed onto a towel and applied sparingly to the metal. Do know that products that contain silicon will contaminate the wood and prevent proper finishing. Some use Johnson's wax. This step makes all the difference in the world, but you have to do it fairly often because if you do not, then the problem will appear while you are in the middle of a board and make divots in your work. It seems as though the wood actually sticks to the bottom plate when it is pressed down and the smooth rollers just cannot push the wood through. This problem is more prevalent with soft woods like pine and redwood, and much less so with maple. Snipe is controlled in two ways. First, is to just be careful about how you feed the wood into the Makita and how you take it out. Don't let it sag or lift it up too much to prevent that sag. Some people just leave a few inches extra and cut them off when the planing is done. I do not like doing that, but I do in special cases. The other anti-snipe protection is built into the machine. Use that threaded stop rod. Push it all the way down and give it a twist to really lock it. This also gives perfectly equal thickness when planing several boards for a glue-up panel. That is a very good thing. This all seems to work pretty well. Snipe is not much of a problem for me now. Portable planers are nicer to use when mounted on a moveable base. I reviewed one if you are interested. There is no substitute for huge industrial machines with conveyer belts and giant shaving collection systems. Compromises are made in the construction of bench-top machines. The Makita will plane boards just fine if you know how to use it properly.

I've used this planer about 3 months and planed over hundreds boards feet of lumbers. So far I've completely satisfied with the performance of planer and the service of Amazon. After I received the planer, it got stucked while planing. I have to stop the motor and release the wood piece. For some reason, planer did not work again though motor was running. Emailed to Amazon for the problem, they replaced it in 3 days and let UPS guy pick it up from my home. I was really surprised and satisfied for Amazon's super fast service. This planer makes rough surface real smooth all the time. It sometimes leaves fine streaks but it can easily be removed by light sanding. Turning rough-sawn lumber to S4S is real easy. It has very good height adjustment and switch is conveniently located. Reviews for DeWalt planer say that its blades get dull real fast, but I don't see any sign of blade problem even after planed hundreds BF of hardwood. As you know, it only makes the surface smooth. To make the lumber straight, need jointer, which is in my next purchase plan. After weighing many options between planer and jointer, planer won the battle. It believes to be a good choice. One drawback. The machine has the hooks for the dust collection hood, so it's just a snap to install hood. Since it's not included, have to buy the hood separately for extra $23. The collection hood works really well. After installing it, almost no dust flying around the workshop. I think this is a must have but not included in the machine. However, there is nothing to be desired from the machin itself. No doubt, saving big bucks by running this planer.

I needed portable planer. It was between DeWalt DW735, Delta 22-580 and Makita 2012NB. DeWalt is not accurate; 1/64" could be anything between 1/40" to 1/80". Delta (worse tool manufacturer by country mile) was just total mess, no accuracy, no parallelism to table, snapping all over board. These planers have gone back to Lowe's. So, I have bought this planer from Amazon year ago for $315 plus free shipping. It was used extensively for planning oak, hard maple and so on; smoothing saw marks and making consistent size of boards. Altogether, it was used very extensively; often 12-15 h a week. It is still as accurate as new one. The planer is extremely accurate right out of the box. Its crank allows to plan with precision of 0.002-0.003". Knives are dead parallel to planer's bottom thorough whole 12". Power of the planer allows shaving 1/16" from up to 10"-wide board. It plans very smooth, almost gloss-like surface. However, knives have to be changed every 4-6 months. If more than 60" board is planned, then infeed and outfeed supports are required; otherwise it will leave snap marks at both ends of boards. All in all, this is a superb planer for hobbyists. Update January 2009: 3 years have past and it is still accurate like new. Update April 2011: 5 years have past and it is still accurate like new. Man, how do they make such quality machines?! Update October2014! 8 years and still like new. Never had problem. Bought only for $315. Bargain!!! 11 years of heavy use and counting!!!