Thicknesser

[Nick c]

Does anyone have experience of the Makita 2012NB 12 in thicknesser. Am thinking of purchasing one but also considering the Dewalt 733, Metabo DH330, Triton TSP125. The Makita is the most expensive but seems to be the lightest which attracts me as l will need to move it around my small workshop with limited floor space. Is it worth the extra cost? Have recently seen the Dewalt 733 on sale for around £480 when ebay have a 15% off sale at FFX.
Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Orraloon]

I can only go from the specs as I have not used those machines but the Matabo and the Dewalt Would be my first 2 picks. Based on Power and weight. Heavier is better than lighter in these kinds of machine. Build a wheeled stand for it. Even the lighter makita I would not want to be lifting every day.
Regards
John

 

[Nick c]

I can only go from the specs as I have not used those machines but the Matabo and the Dewalt Would be my first 2 picks. Based on Power and weight. Heavier is better than lighter in these kinds of machine. Build a wheeled stand for it. Even the lighter makita I would not want to be lifting every day.
Regards
John

Thanks for the reply. Haven't thought of the stability issue. Would probably go for the Dewalt and like you say build a wheeled stand.

 

[Dr Al]

Wheeled stand is definitely a good option. I've got the Makita and it works very well, but I obviously can't compare it to the Metabo or Dewalt. I had to do a little adjustment on the tables, but now it cuts with very little snipe, which is quite important. There are some pictures of the stand I made here in case you're interested: it has integrated "wings" for supporting long workpieces - CGTK - Thicknesser Stand

t

 

[Nick c]

Nice stand really like the folding wings. I'd have to make mine to fit under where I have my benchtop drill so would be smaller in height. My workshop is 3.6m by 2.4m

 

[loftyhermes]

I have the Makita and a small shed, it live under the lathe and is carried outside when needed, it sits on a workmate and is quite stable unless you want to feed long heavy bits of timber through it. I chose it because it was the quietest and it has an automatic head lock.

 

[Nick c]

I have the Makita and a small shed, it live under the lathe and is carried outside when needed, it sits on a workmate and is quite stable unless you want to feed long heavy bits of timber through it. I chose it because it was the quietest and it has an automatic head lock.

Noise level and auto headlock were also the other standout features that attracted me. Does the headlock work well. Not sure at this point if it's worth the extra cost over the Dewalt. Cheapest price I've seen is around £580 as compared to £480 for the Dewalt. And then the Metabo is another £100 cheaper than the Dewalt. I usually end up going for the best quality l can afford figuring it will last and function better than a cheaper generic tool

 

[DanC76]

I have the Metabo DH330 and have been really happy with it

 

[loftyhermes]

When it's running but not planing wood, I think it's no louder than my electric lawn mower, yes the headlock works, I've never had a problem with it. If for any reason it gave up the ghost, I'd certainly buy another one.

 

[Nick c]

The only downside to the Makita as far as I can see is the price.

I have the Metabo DH330 and have been really happy with it

Saw a you tube video where the guy had a problem with the knives and wood chips getting underneath and distorting them. But the DH330 is around £200 cheaper

 

[Colournoise]

I bought the Metabo a few years ago and have been happy with it.
I stumbled across the issues people reported after using it for about 6 months, I inspected the blades and blade cover but couldn’t see any evidence of anything getting underneath.I was worried the blades would warp but it’s so far its been fine. It’s always been used to surface rough sawn timber but I do have decent dust extraction and take light passes. Based on my experience it’s been a good machine but if I knew about that issue at the time I would have thought twice about it, maybe saved up more for something different.
Something else to consider are the blades, the Metabo ones are double sided but disposable. Around £70 at FFX for Metabo ones but there are decent cheaper alternatives for around £40.

 

[sawtooth-9]

If you are thinking Dewalt, factor in the cost of best quality ear muffs.
They are VERY noisy, so much so that I got rid of mine.
A Dewalt will not enhance your relationships with your neighbours !

 

[Molynoox]

Wheeled stand is definitely a good option. I've got the Makita and it works very well, but I obviously can't compare it to the Metabo or Dewalt. I had to do a little adjustment on the tables, but now it cuts with very little snipe, which is quite important. There are some pictures of the stand I made here in case you're interested: it has integrated "wings" for supporting long workpieces - CGTK - Thicknesser Stand

t

Mine sometimes leaves a bit of snipe and other times doesn't. Haven't figured that out yet.

How do you recommend setting it up? Sorry if that's a basic question

 

[Nick c]

If you are thinking Dewalt, factor in the cost of best quality ear muffs.
They are VERY noisy, so much so that I got rid of mine.
A Dewalt will not enhance your relationships with your neighbours !

The Makita is meant to be quieter don't know if it's much different to the Dewalt they're all noisy.
Colournoise
Thanks for the info on the Metabo the price is definetly attractive. Also saw where someone was have trouble with the dust shute. I've got a Record dust extractor with 100mm ducting so hopefully would be able to cope with the chips.

 

[Colournoise]

I've got a Record dust extractor with 100mm ducting so hopefully would be able to cope with the chips.

Yes, I use a twin motor CamVac (100mm), never had any blockages.

 

[Dr Al]

Mine sometimes leaves a bit of snipe and other times doesn't. Haven't figured that out yet.

How do you recommend setting it up? Sorry if that's a basic question

I just followed the instructions in the maintenance section of the manual. I also lift the outer end of longer boards a little as they're going in and similar on the way out.

 

[David Kellaway]

Does anyone have experience of the Makita 2012NB 12 in thicknesser. Am thinking of purchasing one but also considering the Dewalt 733, Metabo DH330, Triton TSP125. The Makita is the most expensive but seems to be the lightest which attracts me as l will need to move it around my small workshop with limited floor space. Is it worth the extra cost? Have recently seen the Dewalt 733 on sale for around £480 when ebay have a 15% off sale at FFX.
Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

I bought a Makita 2012NB many years ago, as I haven’t the room for a planner thicknesser. It lives under my work bench. I bought a Makita fold away stand for it, which works well, and doubles up for a mobile stand for my cross cut saw.

The 2012NB has been bulletproof, the blades they came with, are excellent. It leaves a uniformed planed finish, a bit of snipe, but I take that into consideration with planning projects. Of note, I normally buy my timber straight from the saw mill.

When I’m finished I always clean down and lube the surface plates and the threaded adjustment rods.

I have not had any knowledge or experience of other machines. However, I would go for the Makita again if the need arises, based on past performance.

 

[Nick c]

Thanks David
If l can get it for £500 will go for it but finding hard to justify the extra cost over the Metabo. From others comments both would be fine I'm sure.

 

[StephenArfer]

I have the 2012NB. I previously had a Triton thicknesser but the annoying snipe was wasting wood and I couldn't do anything about it. The Makita is beautifully built in comparison, and the very minor snipe, head lock, depth stop and adjustment are great features. The extraction hood has a 50mm exit but it works efficiently for me given that I don't normally get anywhere near 3mm maximum depth of cut. I've tested it at 3mm but only up to 120mm width on softwood. I'm not sure that the extraction hood could cope with the volume of waste from a heavy cut and a larger width board. Somehow I doubt it.
It costs a bit more, but the head lock and manufacturing quality makes up for it IMHO

 

[Nick c]

Seen this on ebay.£599