Milwaukees new M18 REDLITHIUM batteries give this cordless planer plenty of power and run-time in a small package. Weighing in at just 7.4 lbs., it features 2 reversible carbide blades and delivers 14,000 RPMs. I tried it out on the job, trimming and re-fitting some old doors, and it gave an impressively smooth finish. And wow, it is nice not to have that cord trailing behind you when you are working on a door!
The M18 planer features a nice, accurate depth adjustment knob.I really liked the depth adjustment as well. It has 20 locking positions going up in 1/256 increments. The depth adjustment dial locks at 0 and 5/64 settings, eliminating the need to re-zero the dial like on older planers.
One of the standout features is Milwaukees really well designed edge guide. The edge guides that are included with some tools generally seem like sort of an afterthought, and are of somewhat limited usefulness. The edge guide included with the M18 planer is clearly an exception to that rule. The beefy, well-designed edge guide bevels to 45. It also works well for cutting up to 27/64 rabbets. Or, as the famous carpenter Elmer Fudd called them, Wabbets.
Edge guide makes bevels and wabbets easy.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvMcstmB18E
