Anybody ever use the Makita 1900b planer? I’ve heard it’s close to the Hitachi. If so, what are the pros and cons? Thanks, P.V.
Anybody ever use the Makita 1900b planer? I’ve heard it’s close to the > Hitachi. If so, what are the pros and cons?>>> Thanks, P.V. I use the makita. It’s got a strong motor, is rather heavy for its size, seems durable and precisely put together. The depth adjustment sucks: too tight and too little depth change per turn, and the stock knurled knob is useless for adjusting on the fly: it’s flat and so near the handle that you bang the knuckle of your thumb on the handle every time you turn. I improved the workability by duct-taping a blue rubber handball to the top of the knob. One feature I really like is the the surprisingly effective dust-collection bag that can be had as an accessory from makita: it fits onto the ejector duct and doesn’t really get it the way once you’re used to it. The planer does not have a reversible duct, however, and its placement on the right would make the bag problematic for left-handed shapers. For somebody on a tight budget, I think it’s a pretty good tool.