Comparison Bosch GHO 6500 Professional 0601596000 vs Makita BKP180RFE

The total power consumed by the electric planer during operation. The more powerful the tool, the generally higher its productivity and the better it is suitable for large volumes of work and/or hardwoods. Here, however, it must be taken into account that the effective power (the power supplied by the unit directly to the working tool) is anyway lower than the consumed one, but it is far from always indicated. Therefore, it is quite possible to compare different models with each other precisely in terms of power consumption.

Note that more power means higher electricity consumption, and also, most often, more weight and cost of the tool. Therefore, it does not always make sense to chase the most powerful units. So, for occasional use and small volumes of work, a power of 500-600 W is considered quite sufficient; for regular work on relatively soft wood, 700-800 W is enough, and professional models have a power of more than 1000 W.

The maximum speed of rotation of the working tool of the electric planer — a drum with knives attached to it. In modern models, this figure is practically never lower than 10,000 rpm (otherwise it is impossible to ensure normal quality of work), and in most cases it is in the range of 11,000 – 17,000 rpm. It is believed that the higher the number of revolutions, the more evenly the workpiece is processed and the smoother the surface is obtained; and the overall speed of work will be higher. On the other hand, a high speed also requires high engine power, especially when working with hardwoods; for such materials, it makes sense to use a low-speed tool — it will provide more efficient power distribution.

The greatest thickness of the layer of material that the planer can remove in one pass (most often the design provides for depth adjustment). The larger this parameter, the more performant the tool will be and the better it will be suitable for large-scale work. On the other hand, in fact it is rarely necessary to remove a large amount of material at a time, and tools capable of this require powerful (and therefore expensive) motors. Therefore, in most consumer-level models, the planing depth does not exceed 2 mm; more "deeper" units, usually, belong to the professional class.

The number of V-grooves provided in the design of the tool.

V-shaped grooves are located on the sole of the tool in the longitudinal direction. They are used to chamfer the corners of the workpiece, serving as a kind of guide: the tool is “put on” by the groove on the corner being machined and moves along the workpiece so that the corner constantly maintains contact with the groove. It is much easier to keep the planer level with this way of working than with a solid flat sole; this is especially true in cases where the workpiece cannot be turned "angle up" and the planer has to be kept in an inclined position.

Also note that this function is intended only for the first pass along the corner, then you have to work in the classical way, with a flat sole — however, with a sufficient depth of the V-shaped groove, the chamfer can be removed immediately, in the first pass. Actually, this is the point of having several grooves in the design — in such cases they have different depths and can be useful for different chamfer sizes. The maximum number of grooves found in modern electric planers is three ; using more in a hand tool just doesn't make sense.

The design of knives intended for use with a planer and, usually, supplied as standard. The type of knives does not affect the performance of the tool, but in the case of dullness or nicks, the methods for correcting the situation differ significantly.

— Unilateral. As the name suggests, these knives are sharpened on one side only. If defects appear on the blade, it can be removed and sharpened or the edge straightened. Technically, such an operation can be carried out many times, but it requires not only time, but also appropriate skills and equipment.

— Bilateral. Knives sharpened on both sides are very convenient due to the fact that when the edge becomes dull or serrated, it is enough to remove the knife and install it on the other side, with a “fresh” blade. On the other hand, such blades do not allow sharpening — when the second side of the knife becomes unusable, the only option is to replace it.

- Circuit. Powered by a regular household network of 220 V. This option combines reliability, power and almost unlimited operating time. On the one hand, the tool can be used as long as there is voltage in the network (unless you need to monitor the loads and prevent overheating). On the other hand, the design does not include a battery, which increases weight and cost. Thirdly, the characteristics of the 220 V network allow you to create electric planers of almost any power for it (of course, within the limits of tech values that are found in a consumer-level tool). However, there are also disadvantages, and the most striking of them is poor autonomy: to power the instrument, the actual presence of sockets is required, and the power cord significantly limits mobility, and is also prone to getting tangled underfoot.

— Battery. Powered by its own built-in battery, it is notable primarily for its high degree of autonomy: the tool is not connected to sockets and can be used even where there is no network at all. And the cord does not interfere with work. At the same time, the battery significantly increases the weight and cost of the tool compared to similar “networked” models, and the battery life is somehow limited - and if the charge is exhausted, you will still have to look for an external power source. However, the main disadvantage of cordless electric planers is their low power: the fact is th...at powerful motors require such heavy and expensive batteries that such a design would simply be meaningless. Therefore, you should choose models with such power only if autonomy plays a decisive role for you, and high power is not required.

- Absent. There is no batteries included in the package - you need to look for them separately. This is associated with certain hassles, but also provides important advantages. Firstly, the model and number of batteries purchased can be chosen at your discretion, depending on your needs and budget. Secondly, there may already be a suitable battery “on the farm” - especially considering that some manufacturers produce universal batteries suitable for different types of power tools of the same brand. Thanks to all this, this option is extremely popular.

— 2 batteries. The most popular option among models supplied with batteries included. In such models, the second battery plays the role of a spare; its presence allows you to extend battery life and minimize charging interruptions: while one battery is in use, the second can be charged.

— 1 battery. Such kits are not particularly common: they are mainly entry-level tools, designed for small amounts of work, when breaks for charging are quite acceptable.

The name of the battery platform supported by the device. A single battery platform is used to combine various power tools of the same brand into one line (screwdriver, grinder, circular saw, etc.). Devices on the same platform use interchangeable batteries and chargers. Thanks to this, for example, there is no need to select a battery for each individual model of a power tool, because one purchased as a spare battery can be used in various power tools, depending on the situation or as needed. Batteries of the same platform basically differ from each other except perhaps in capacity.

The voltage of the standard battery of the battery-powered electric planer (see above). Usually, a more powerful tool is equipped with batteries of higher voltage, but performance and other practical characteristics depend not only on this — they are largely determined by the design features of the tool itself.