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Last updated on June 10, 2022 5:41 am by the writer.
How a quality cordless planer should be?
The best electric wood planer is cordless and portable, with an accurate to-the-point depth adjustment dial that is fast and easy to set for each swipe and has reliable battery life.
It’s important to also have a battery life that lasts in a demanding environment in a lightweight design. Also, consider easy access blades for changing and adjusting to keep them parallel if you hit a nail or a savage knot.
The Makita XPK01Z is one of my favorite power tools. It is comfortable to hold, and being cordless means you are not tethered to a power outlet.
Best cordless planers
#1 Best cordless Makita planer
Makita XPK01Z 18v LXT
Can plane up to 3-1/4″ wide and 5/64″ deep in one pass.
Very powerful despite its lightweight.
2-blade cutter head enhances performance and produces smooth finishes.
Precise planing with an accurate depth range of 0″ to 5/64″ with the depth adjustment knob.
Spring-loaded stand lifts the base for blade and work-piece protection.
The battery life is reliable and will last a long time.
Electric planers are power tools that remove small amounts of wood by shaving off thin slices with each stroke depending on what the depth adjustment knob is set to.
Most planers have two or three blades that can take off up to 3/32″ of material in a single pass, although some can remove as much as 5/64″.
Electric planes are relatively simple tools, but they perform essential functions that no other tools can. They can handle be used for reclaiming old timber by stripping away discolored wood.
Builders often use power planers to straighten framing, quickly reduce timber to the right thickness, and square uneven edges in flooring material, door jambs, and pretty much any joinery work.
Most electric planes are pretty lightweight so they can be carried easily while climbing around a building site.
What are the limits of small motor DIYplaners?
Even small planers are usually good enough for basic home repair and building cupboards, shelves, and cabinets.
However, small handheld planers aren’t usefully ideal for working with hardwoods.
Most compact models and DIY models are somewhat underpowered and may burn out when pushed too hard.
If you are going to be working with hardwood a lot, I suggest you go for a heavy-duty model that can stand up to the task.
Your type of work and going cordless
If the choice comes down between a corded and a cordless tool, figure out the type of work you are trying to do.
Cordless models are excellent for building work, especially when there is no power outlet nearby.
A lithium-ion cordless planer will also be useful in a busy worksite where you want to minimize the number of power cords and cables lying around.
Most professionals have more than one electric plane in their toolkit: a cordless one for quick and easy jobs, and a heavy-duty model for bigger and more demanding work.
It is also a good idea to have both a corded and a cordless model so you can choose either one depending on the work setting and increase productivity for commercial woodworks and crafts.
The Festool only has a single blade vs the Makita’s double blade design.
Features to consider
Is it cordless – Cordless planes are easier to carry around and don’t require a nearby power outlet.
Safety power switch – This helps prevent accidental startups that could cause injury.
Rated amps or SPM – A higher amp motor allows you to remove more stock quickly.
Blade size – Bigger and wider double edge carbide blades allow for wider and deeper cuts.
The weight – A lightweight plane will be easier to handle and less likely to cause fatigue.
Depth adjustment dial accuracy – This is essential for making cuts to precise depths.
The number of blades – The best cordless planers have two blades as some planers (Festool) only have a single blade and struggle to cut as smoothly.
Battery indicator – A battery indicator can often be found on the battery itself and is not also needed on the bare tool, but is sometimes also included.
Electric brake – Having an electric brake means that the blade will come to a stop quickly after releasing your finger from the trigger it is a great safety feature included in pretty much all models.
A safety switch – A good planer will have a safety switch close to the trigger and will additionally need to be pulled before the trigger to stop accidental power-ups.
Before you buy a cordless planer…
1. Get a tool that lasts.
Planers that are brushless, and manufactured by top brands, and made from the best materials.
Most come with at least a 2-year warranty, so you can be fairly confident with their build quality.
2. Make sure you have the power you need.
You will want sufficient power for your projects but make sure that the size and weight of your cordless tools are light and easy to handle. If your going cordless make sure to pick an option with longer battery life.
As with allpower tools,don’t go with the cheapest model you can find.
It is always worth spending on a better model now and get reliable services for years, rather than going for an inexpensive model that you will have to replace sooner or later.
Choose your planer carefully, and it will pay for itself many times over. If you already have a Dewalt or Makita tool you can buy a bare tool. And use a Dewalt or Makita lithium-ion battery you already have.
4. Consider your safety.
The best planers have a second safety power switch so you need to push 2 buttons to turn the tool on, this is good for when you are carrying the tool while plugged in, or with the battery installed.
Heavy-duty cordless planers are safer [1] than corded models because no power cable can get in the way, although you still have to be careful of the blades.
If you do use a corded planer make sure you use an RCD at the power source.
Good jobs for an electric plane?
Planers are mainly used for smoothening wood surfaces. But they can also be used to smoothen the end grain of rough-cut pieces and to taper doors that are too wide to fit into the door jamb.
They also make it easy to remove an even amount of material from workpieces, which can be very difficult to do with non-electric planes.
You do this by holding the planer at a slight angle.
An electric planer can handle a wide variety of other building jobs too, from kitchen joinery to making adjustments in finished work.
Models with precise depth adjustments allow you to remove very small amounts of material at a time until you get the piece just right.
Another common use of electric planes is leveling floor joists.
To do this, you will first have to take a straight edge and mark off the irregularities that need leveling. Then, mark the low spots to establish a platform for working.
You can then use your electric planer to shave off the joists until they are flat and level.
Planers can make it easy to get walls perfectly straight and level.
By making repeated shallow passes from framing timber that has a bulge, you can do this while avoiding removing too much material as each swipe takes a thin slice off at a time.
You can use a green laser level to help with many planing jobs, the laser level will give you a clear temporary mark to plane to.
You easily level floor joists or finish straightening wall jobs with the combination of using a laser level and a cordless planer.
Corded vs. Cordless planers
I prefer cordless planers because there isn’t a lead that could get in the way. With corded planers, there is always a risk of cutting the cord accidentally, which could mean a costly replacement.
It also means the planer is easier to move around and use, as it’s a tool that is moved around often, and used on ladders and scaffolds.
I’ve found that the best cordless planers from Makita, DeWalt, and Milwaukee have enough grunt for most planing tasks.
They are also usually easier to use than most other corded planers, shaving off up to 5/64” with every swipe.
As much as I like using my cordless planer, I do have a corded model that I use for heavy-duty jobs. Switching over to the corded planer helps avoid wear-and-tear on my cordless.
For everything else, it’s hard to beat a cordless planer for its ease of use, and getting a smooth finish.
If you need to do a lot of indoor heavy-duty planing work that lasts continuously for more than 15 min at a time only-then would you think about getting a corded model to save wear and tear on your battery pack.
How important is an accurate depth adjustment dial?
It’s always useful to have a depth adjustment dial with tiny increments. Most planers for the DIY market do not have a very precise depth adjustment control.
This feature moves the cutting blades while keeping the base flat and parallel to the blade so that an equal amount of material is removed with every swipe.
A problem with DIY models is that they tend to plane at an angle after the depth is adjusted a few times. This can make the tool useless for precision planing and finishing work.
A trick to do if you notice your planer beginning to plane at an angle is to start alternating planing directions.
This can stop a square edge from being planned out of square with DIY models but obviously isn’t ideal. If a pro model is planing out of square, you need to check to see whether or not the blades are positioned correctly, and you then need to adjust them if needed.
Makita power planers have the best depth adjustment control, with dials that click at every increment. Doing so while keeping the base plate parallel with the blades, giving you even cutting results.
What are the best wood planers: And why
Makita is known for its quality power tools, and its planers are among the best on the market for the calibrated depth adjustment knob.
The Makita XPK01Z is an excellent choice for serious woodworkers and builders, and it is more than enough to handle even demanding DIY work. And Makita is the first company to produce electric planers in large quantities in 1958 [2].
#1 Best cordless electric planer
The Makita XPK01Z can cut to a width of 3-1/4″ and 5/64″ depth in a single pass.
It has a gutter head fitted with two blades for maximum power.
The 14,000 RPM motor allows for quick stock removal, and it even had an easy-to-read scale guide for setting the cutting depth.
The XPK01Z is pretty much ready to go right out of the box a cordless wood planner is my #1 recommendation over a corded plane. I get smooth and even finish every time. The battery life is impressive.
If you have large amounts of indoor work a corded planer can run for longer periods of time, take a look at the Makita KP0800K. The 3-1/4” model has a 6.5-amp motor, it removes material faster than most other corded planers in its class.
It’s also pretty lightweight. The KP0800K takes off as much as 3/32″ of material in a single pass, and the two-blade cutter head always results in a smooth and even finish.
What happens if your not getting results: Blade change and adjustment
To get your blade perfectly positioned parallel to the base plate, use a socket set on the hex head screws that are holding the blades in place.
Otherwise, look for a small lever at the top of the blade mechanism. This metal clamp is called a lever cap, and it keeps the blade assembly in place and makes it easy for a blade change.
The lever cap itself is held in position by a screw and a cam. When you move the cam to the ‘locked’ position, it presses the lever cap against the screw and keeps the blade in position.
Annoyingly most DIY blades tend to move out of alignment even after only a few uses sometimes, this is because the casing that is holding the blade is not strong enough to hold after a bit of heavy use.
With cheaper DIY marketed electric plane tools, you can have a few issues with this particular tool.
The most common problem is the rubber belt that drives the blade can be made from a cheaper material. This belt tends to wear down more quickly and possibly break.
The most annoying issue a cheaper plane can have is the base plate can become out of line in parallel to the blades, this can cause the tool to cut out of square and make a new blade change hard to align.
The blades may also slip slightly out of the casing that holds them this results in uneven cuts, and the possibility of injury or damage to the workpiece.
The best planers for sale have very strong blades that can remove large chunks of wood. However, they can also tear out the grain in the workpiece, causing small pieces to fall off and clog up the blade assembly.
It’s a good idea to check the dust port frequently to make sure that it is empty and free of obstructions.
When to get a cheaper DIY brand planer
Get a professional planer for any building and finishing work, especially if you want consistent results and smooth finishes.
But for really heavy-duty hardwood jobs when you aren’t that concerned about high-quality results, rather to just remove a bulk amount of timber quickly you could use a DIY planer like an XU1 or an old corded planer as a sacrifice.
This will help you avoid putting good cordless planers through wood that might contain nails and will help avoid wear and tear from the heavier jobs.
What size planer is best
If you do plan on doing a lot of planing work, Makita has two large electric planes that are well suited for the job: the KP312 15-amp and the 1806B 10.9-amp models.
They are more powerful than standard models in their respective price ranges and can help you get the job done much more quickly, especially for large heavy-duty jobs.
Standard electric planers are versatile, allowing you to do almost any type of planing work. You do have to get used to the action and practice if you have to do small or detailed work.
The Makita planers come in cordless and corded models. I suggest you get the cordless version first and pick the corded model up later on if you need it, in most cases you won’t.
For light DIY and building work in and around the house, a standard planer should be able to get the job done in most cases. Lighter planes are a lot easier to handle, and they are less likely to cause fatigue even with prolonged use.
Makita also has electric planers that are the ideal size and weight for even beginners and there shouldn’t be any trouble handling them easily.
Tips for using an electric planer
1. Work with a sharp blade.
But don’t throw your old one away when it gets dull. You can sharpen planer blades pretty easily with a sharpening stone, and you could save yourself the cost of a new one.
Unless the blade is broken or corroded, you can follow a honing guide and sharpen and recycle your blades a few times before you need to replace them.
2. Make use of clamps.
You should use Irwin clamps to firmly support any loose work, so both of your hands are free to hold and guide your plane square.
3. Try to keep even pressure on the planer throughout the cutting process.
This will help keep the blade steady and in a straight line. It is especially important to maintain constant pressure when you are close to the edge so that you don’t cause any unevenness or jaggedness.
4. Figure out the proper speed and depth for the work you are trying to do.
How fast you push the planer and how deep you set it will affect the smoothness of the work. Try to do it slowly at first and make a few passes instead of trying to carve out one big chunk. This will give you more consistent and even results.
Conclusion: The best portable planing buddy for woodworkers
Makita makes some of the best power tools around, so it’s no surprise that their planers are the top picks in this roundup.
The cordless XPK01Z Makita tool is a great choice for all-around DIY work at home, while the corded KP0800K is better suited for more demanding building jobs.
And if you need even more power, you could look into the KP312, which has a 15 amp motor for those really big jobs.
To perfectly set and automate the thickness of multiple wooden boards rather than just smoothing, you need a thickness planer. Have a read of my thickness planner reviews.
Makita XPK01Z cordless wood planer review
Makita XPK01Z review
Pros:
No worry’s about getting tangled up with a cord.
Fast rechargeable battery.
Plenty of power, even for a cordless plane.
Best choice for Builders and DIY’ers.
Has an automatic safety stand to protect the blade from dulling.
My name is Aaron, and thank you for reading my article. As a qualified builder, I share some tips here at Bangingtoolbox to help provide accurate DIY information on the internet.
Have a look around, and don’t hesitate to ask me any questions, you can find out more about me here.
