Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

What a great tool! This is the first electric hand planer I've ever used, and I'm surprised at how useful it is. I'm a novice woodworker, which mostly means that my work is still a bit imprecise, with lots of uneven surfaces and joints that don't quite match. Before getting this tool, I gave my orbital sander quite a workout and went through a lot of 80-grit paper. But this tool makes the process vastly easier. It's powerful enough to cut troughs 1/8" deep, but when it's set on a shallow setting (e.g., 1/64), it functions like a super belt-sander. I built a work bench using scrap wood to build a butcher-block top. After gluing and clamping all of these pieces of crappy wood together, the surface was quite uneven with lots of glue residue. With this planer, I was able to get it completely level and smooth in about 30 minutes. I can't imagine how long the sander would have taken. It's very easy to use....the only thing you have to pay attention to is the cutting depth. As others have mentioned, the chip collection bag fills quickly. I just gave up on it and let the chips fly...the big clean up later was less worth than dealing with the little bag. The only other minor complaint is that the depth control knob needs to have a lock. Since the planer is controlled by your front hand holding onto the knob,it's a bit too easy to twist the knob during use which changes the cutting depth.