Customer Reviews

Makita 1806B 10.9 Amp 6-3/4-Inch Planer

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This was expensive, but it really does the job. It was a lot bigger than I imagined, and is heavy too, but is easy to control and the depth adjustment is very presice. I use it to plane down wide table tops, made of boards that is glued together. It works great. The trick is to take very small bites with each cut. Then you can just move the planer back and forth leaving it rest on the wood. If you try to lift it up after each cut you'll wear out your arms. I go cross-grain first to take out the warp and width differences, then with the grain for the final finish. The results are very good -- hardly any sanding is needed. I ordered an additional set of blades for $31 from a local dealer since they weren't availalbe from Amazon.

You can tell this is a small volume specialized machine. It is not as polished and much more rugged than a tool you would buy from your local hardware store. It is more like a small hand held joiner. I use it to plane down large timbers from hardwood I cut and seasoned my self. (Cherry and Maple) These are too large to go through a normal planer / joiner. It is perfect for this.

I just wish it would work with the newer carbide blades. In fact I have been considering having a clamp machined that would hold two carbide blades side by side. This seems a simple item for Makita to add.

I make slab-topped tables. Prior to purchasing this tool, I have used a 3 1/4 inch planer. While the Makita 6 3/4 inch planer weighs a ton, it makes short work of what was once quite a laborious process. I used to freehand with my chainsaw and then use the 3 1/4 inch planer, a process that required careful blending of the many planer passes that were required to level a slab's surface. I have upgraded to the use of an Alaska chainsaw mill and the Makita. Still a lot of work, but the finishing process is expedited, allowing me to spend more time concentrating on the construction and joinery of the dimensional legs and shelves that I typically install as supporting members for the slab tops . . . dimensional lumber that is also roughed out and finished using the chainsaw and the Makita.