Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Typically, I use a power planer for installing doors, surfacing boards that are too large for a stationary planer and sometimes for removing finishes. This tool excels at all of those tasks. Bosch blades are the best I have found. Blade-change is easy and fast with no alignment problems. While considering a new planer, I also tried the Festool planers. There are three advantages to the Festool planers: 1- Slightly better dust collection. I have to give this to Festool... They always consider dust-collection in their designs. 2- Micro adjustment of cutting-depth. 3- The ability to cut rabbets. The dust collection advantage was too small to justify the grossly higher price. This Bosch tool adapts to my cheap shop-vac and removes dust 95% as well as the Festool. I do not need the super-precise depth-of-cut feature because I use tape shims on the front sole of this planer. That is fast, secure, cheap and often more accurate than mechanical-adjustments. Although the ability to cut rabbets is nifty, I always do that with a router or a hand-plane. So, none of those features was enough to justify the MUCH higher expense of Festool planers. After reading other reviews I must respond to two negative comments. One reviewer pointed out that the fence leaves something to be desired. I agree, this fence is not perfect. But I have never used these types of fences "as-is." All the professionals I know attach a wood or MDF face to these types of fences, to prevent marring the work. Then we shim the face with tape for a nearly perfect 90-degrees: + / - .001". That is plenty accurate enough, even for fine cabinet-work. It is more reliable and secure than any mechanical adjustment mechanism. Another reviewer claimed his planer had misaligned sole-plates so that it made concave cuts. ...That is impossible. Concave-cutting can only be caused by improper technique. It IS a bit tricky to use power planers at first. They do NOT operate on the same principle as hand-planes. The front sole is elevated above the rear sole. So you must start the cut with the front sole registered to the work, then immediately place the weight on the rear sole so that the cutter-head and blade register to the freshly-flattened surface. (Like a jointer, only upside-down and backwards.) So it is easy to understand how a neophyte who does not understand the tool might make that mistake. A long time ago, I made the same mistake and ruined an expensive door. Holding the tool with the weight on the front sole will ALWAYS cause gouging, even with a "perfect" planer. When neophytes blame the tool for their misunderstanding, I feel obligated to help others learn and make an informed decision. Please do not assume I am "haughty" or a "know-it-all" for pointing this out. As admitted, I too made this mistake the first time I used a power planer. Over three years of owning it and countless successful projects, I have been very satisfied with this Bosch planer. It cuts well, and with a sound understanding and good technique, it cuts just as well as the more expensive Festool. It is smooth, vibration-free and makes precision-surfacing a dream. Props to Festool for great dust-control, rabbeting feature, micro-adjustment and generally great engineering. I admire Festool, and if price were no object, I'd buy one of every product they make. For this practical old-pro, the Bosch planer is a much better deal.