M18 18V Lithium-Ion Cordless 3-1/4 in. Planer (Tool-Only)

If you can get past the constant clogging of too small exhaust hole, the non adjustable back plate is a complete design failure. Look at any other planer & back plate is adjustable to keep same plane as knives. All same casting won't allow adjustment. Diehard Milwaukee cordless fan, but had to solve this problem via Makita planer with adjustable rear plate & larger exhaust..

I’m a loyal milwaukee customer and only go blue if red doesnt have what i need. This was a major disappointment. Right out of the box, planed a serious bevel on every piece and just got worse. Bit constantly no matter the depth or adjustment. I may buy another and see if it was just a lemon, but makita has a very on par cordless planer for fifty less and i expect more for top dollar

Rated one star just to get attention. There is nothing wrong with the planer, but the included edge guide is a bad joke. I am a finish carpentry contractor and a large part of what I do is hanging doors. I currently use a Festool corded planer that has an adjustable fence that allows me to dial in a 3 degree bevel on the edges of the door to provide the proper clearance to the jamb. It is an excellent tool but the idea of ditching the cord was really appealing (it's constantly under foot). I am fully bought in to the Milwaukee cordless system (both M12 and M18) and, until now, couldn't find fault with anything. I thought I could add my own fence with a three degree bevel built in but, as you can see in the photo, the included edge guide doesn't even start out close to 90 degrees. Worse yet, with a little hand pressure the fence can be bent. It just seems awkward and flimsy. I really didn't want to return it so I called Milwaukee technical support to see if they might have something in the pipeline (maybe a Fuel version) that would address the shortcomings but, unfortunately, they don't. So, I returned it. I'm sure it is a great planer as long as the only thing you need the edge guide for is rabbeting....just wanted to offer a heads-up

Being that I am an electrical contractor, a planer is not something that I've used much at all in the past, but I got this new Milwaukee M18 planer with plans to become more of a "wood guy" in the near future, trying my hand at building furniture and such. I did take it along with me to several job sites over the last couple of weeks, and let the carpenters on each give it a try. All were quite impressed, both with the power of the tool and it's features, and at least a couple said that they were definitely going to grab one for themselves. The planer is very easy to use, and very easy to adjust. I had some worry as to the capabilities of a cordless planer, but it powered right through anything I tried it on, using a 4.0 battery. Being sort of a novice with a planer, I was glad for the retractable kickstand, so that I won't have to worry about accidentally damaging the surface of something when setting it down. The tool does have an electric brake that brings the blades to a full stop pretty much immediately. As are all of the tools in the Milwaukee cordless line, this is a contractor-grade tool, featuring the level of durability and ruggedness required for jobsite usage.

This kit version (2623-21) includes: planer, two blades, charger, one M18 X C Red Lithium battery, bevel edge guide, contractor’s bag and a multi charger in which I can also charge my M12 tools. The planer has a 3-1/4″ cutting width with a 27/64″ max cutting depth and runs at a healthy speed of 14,000 RPMs. The 20 depth locking positions (0 to 5/64”) are very efficient, locks down tight and easy to set eliminating possible accidental changes in the depth control. The planer is 6.5 pounds with an added 1 LB for the battery. The select-able chip direction ejection is also a valuable asset which allows the user right or left option, depending on preference. For cleaner working a dust collector can be connected (not supplied) or in my case I connected a vacuum which is slightly more than the 1-1/2 inch diameter of the chip exit. It comes with an edge bevel guide and is easily fitted but for larger surfaces I found it much easier to use without it. My first attempt on an old door was a little short of a disaster as I ended up putting several gouges in the wood at the end of the run. This was my first time at using a power planer but even so, after about an hour of practicing with the speed and how much pressure to use, I was finally getting the hang of it and making clean and smooth perfect cuts. Next I tried a rabbit cut to the maximum of 27/64”. Absolutely perfect and I was now believing in my ability with my first power planer. The two reversible 3-1/4” double sided carbide blades certainly make the job both easier and efficient. With the power planer riding on a shoe plate with the 2 blades mounted on a cutter head, it removes wood equal between the front plate and the rear plate And so, summing up: The speed at which I pushed the planer and the depth setting I chose did affect the final smoothness of the work. I set the M18 planer to 1/16 in. each pass, with a maple door edge with outstanding results. The same result with Fir and pine. Next I tried planning some hardwood on settings of 1/16, 1/32 and 1/64 with also excellent results. This Milwaukee M18 Cordless cut all the woods both smooth and even and at no point did it bog down or lose any power. I continued to plane different woods at a depth1/16 of an inch, which included a forty feet of oak cuts for approx. a total of 300 feet before the battery started to fade. I did however give it 30 seconds to cool the tool after every 5 feet cut and then after every two cuts with no problems at all of overheating. With the battery, the tool weighs 7.5 lbs., but was impressed by the well balanced feel to it with both hands in line with the planer cut with easy control. The blades are easy to change with a supplied allen key which is fitted on to the tool. The kickstand is very useful for protecting the tool as well as the blades when laying down the planer. If not needed, the kickstand can be disabled by pushing it up and sliding it to the side, thus locking it from coming down. . Plus as soon as you release the trigger, the motor stops dead with no over running like other power planers making the safety of this tool even better. I own many hand planers that have and continue to serve me well but for speed and a beautiful finish, I cannot fault this M18 planer or for its’ run power. This is a very strong and sturdy tool that every carpenter/handyman should welcome into their tool box. The only cons I can find is that this kit does not come supplied with a wood chip catcher or at least with an attachable hose that fits on the end. Also I would like to see the edge bevel guide to be the same length of the planer.

Milwaukee M18 3-1/4 in. Cordless Planer (Tool Only) is a high quality tool. This is my first electric hand planer having used and owned all kinds of manual planes for decades. Its an interesting cordless tool with plenty of power and using my own Milwaukee 18-volt 5.0 XC battery pack. The cordless planer took a little getting used to its size and power, but that passed quickly. I really liked how it made quick work of my project. One pass and more than a 1/16-inch of shavings were gone leaving a smooth surface. Shavings the first time were paper thin without futzing with the blade which was my first good impression. I like that you can dial in the shaving depth precisely. The depth of cut is controlled by a knob on the front of the tool with graduated markings. It has positive solid clicks so you know exactly what the tool is doing. The most important accessory is the fence guide that adds stability to straight cuts and has an adjustment for chamfered angles up to forty-five degrees. The guide is held firm with two knobs holding rigidly the angle set.. The tool even with the battery on one end is surprisingly balanced in the hand; although, its size and weight gets a little getting used to after working with hand planes. The business end are two rotating blades, actually metal strips which can't be sharpened. They are replaced by loosening several screws and slipping in a pair of new blades. The plane has two exhaust ports selectable for either side to attach your shop vac or you can just make a mess. It also has on the bottom a tool rest to protect the blade and counter top from dings. To start the tool you need to first depress the safety button which is the black wings on on the top of the handle in the pictures. Being careful with planes is always a good idea and with so much power you can't be too safe. I found the plane easy to handle smoothing up some 2x4's in spite of several small knots with no blade dings. I'll still keep my manual planes, but for anything more than a quick touch up I'll be using this tool for sure.

The planer is a tool only, which means it arrives without a battery or carry case. The planer comes with an edge guide, allowing you to make straight, rabbit, or bevel cuts up to 45 degrees. The guide mounts on the left or right, and can be removed completely. You can adjust the chip ejection chute to throw chips to the left or right. A large depth adjustment knob locks the head in 1/256" increments. The tools powerful motor had plenty of power from the M18 battery (not supplied) and made light work of planing a 2 by 6. there was absolutely no kickback, and the spring loaded kickstand did a great job. The tool had the same performance as my corded planer, but the advantage of no cord to mess around with. Perfect for the home user or job site.

Great tool!! Plus thru material when needed and fin

This is so handy compared to my corded planer that is 30 years old.

Tool works great but it has one caveat. When it comes to hardwoods such as oak, It could use more power for a single pass. I think if they would come out with a M 18 Fuel version that would solve the problem.