Milwaukee M12 Planer

Milwaukee M12 Planer 48-38-2005 Review
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The Milwaukee M12 planer recently arrived at my shop. I purposely did not ask to review this tool because honestly it looked like a toy and didn’t think subscribers would be interested in this. Man was I wrong! I put it to use first in the shop, and then in the field, on a mudroom built-in cabinet and door installation project.

Features and Specifications

• Brushless Motor
• 2" Wide shoe [ cuts 2.2” wide]
• Dual-sided shavings port to direct shavings to either side of the tool.
• 14,500 RPMs and 2 Carbide blades
• Included universal hose adapter provides compatibility with a wide range of vacuum sizes.
• Compact and lightweight design at only 3.1 lbs.
• 21 depth settings varying from 0 - 5/64".
• Fits all M12™ battery packs.
• On-tool blade storage for added convenience.
• 2 spare carbide blades on-board
• Maximum Cutting Depth (in) 0.078

First Impression

My first impression was how compact and light this tool is. It weighs 3.1 lbs. A]and at a quick glance it was obvious that this little planer had ALL the features, and a few more than my current full-size Makita 18-volt planer has. And that is a nice tool!

Feature Rich Planer

The Milwaukee M12 planer features a brushless motor that spins two carbide blades at 14,500 RPMs. It has a cut width of 2.2” and a depth adjustment control knob with 21 depth settings varying from 0 - 5/64". The knob is clearly labeled and has positive mechanical clicks so you can not only see but feel the adjustment.

The planer has a lever on the front of the tool that rotates left/right to direct dust shaving through either a left or right dust port.

A 1-1/4” “shavings port” attachment fits on either side of the planer and securely fastens to the tool with a “T-slot” and the spring-loaded clip. Their universal hose attachment then slides over and positively secures with a spring-loaded clip onto the shaving port attachment. Once attached the universal adapter spins freely to avoid hose crimp issues.

This dust attachment system is nicely thought out and executed – it is a secure and really robust positive connection - well done Milwaukee!

I appreciate that the universal hose adapter a clip connection allows for several different-sized hoses to attach. It obviously fits nicely in the Milwaukee vacuum, but it also fits on my Makita and Festool dust extractors as well. The adapters fit 1-1/4″, 1-7/8″, and 2-1/2″ hoses. It’s the same design as the new Milwaukee Air Tip accessories.

At the rear of the tool is a small blade storage compartment that slides out. It holds two additional, provided carbide blades, and the Allen wrench needed to change them out.

The plane has an electric brake that stops the blades instantly. To further protect the blades and prevent the blades from scratching surfaces there is a kickstand.


The kickstand is located on the rear of the planer’s shoe plate, it is spring-loaded and can lock flush. To activate the kickstand feature you simply push it up into the plate and slide it left to right to lock it flush.


A battery gauge on the side of the tool alerts you to the current battery charge.

Using the Milwaukee M12 planer

While using the tool I noted that the smaller size and lighter weight allowed me to control the tool better and work with less fatigue. I appreciated this because I’ve been dealing with a bout of tennis elbow, or as I call it carpenters’ elbow –a repeated use injury.
The Milwaukee M12 planer works exceptionally well and has the power to plane a 1-3/8” or even a 1-3/4” door edge. I used it to plane the double closet door I was installing to achieve a better-looking reveal. It was smooth and worked flawlessly.

I also used it to shave down my style and rail panel heights in my built-ins – I needed the panels to be at the same height/plane as the Birch plywood boxes for aesthetics and seamless bench seat fitment.



Back at the shop I used the Milwaukee M12 planer on different species of wood just to see how it performed. It’s not as powerful as an 18-volt planer but it will get 99% of your planer task done. If you’re a framer or work with beams, stick with a larger planer.

Price

The Milwaukee M12 planer is offered as a bare tool and sells for $199 at ACME tools. The bare tool comes with a Brushless 2" Planer, (1) Shavings Port Attachment, and (1) Universal Hose Adapter.

Overall Impression